WE ARE DIMINISHED Albert Rene Trevino, the founder of Broad Ripple croissant destination Rene’s Bakery, died on May 8 after a two-year battle with laryngeal cancer. His business at 6524 Cornell Ave. was reopened by two local bakers eager to continue his legacy last fall, and they—along with Trevino’s family—invite all who loved Rene to a celebration of his life at the Indianapolis Art Center on June 1 from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Guests are encouraged to attend in colorful, casual attire and to bring happy, fun memories to share. They’re also asked not to cry at the memorial, but I won’t tell anyone if you shed a tear as you read his remarkable obituary. I certainly did.
MEMBERS ONLY More intel has emerged on the Pots & Pans Pie Co. spinoff project I mentioned last month: The blue barn that once housed a location of Lick ice cream will be called The Clubhouse by Pots & Pans Pie Co. and will serve “a playful menu of soft serve ice cream, hot dogs, warm pretzels, cold beverages, popcorn, and of course, mini pies, cookies, and more.” The vibe, its owners say, is a nostalgic one, geared toward the Monon trailgoers that pass its 1049 E. 54th St. location. Watch The Clubhouse’s social media for details on its projected June grand opening.
COASTAL VIBES Blupoint Oyster House teased its spinoff project this week, pointing social media followers to an account for Balena Cucina Italiana, a “woman-owned Italian coastal restaurant and oyster bar.” The account’s single post suggests that renovations are currently underway in its space at 1454 W. 86th St., which was most recently the home of lauded-yet-shuttered Indian restaurant Amara.
HELLO THERE Early frontrunner for the cutest new logo is Hi Mango Dessert, a fruit-inflected sweet shop at 6351 E 82nd St. The house-made desserts (think crepes, cakes, sundaes, and bowls) reflect flavors like black sesame, red bean, ube, and of course mangoes—which its owners say are “flown in fresh” on the regular. Opened on May 8, the shop’s a welcome addition to our growing selection of Asian-style bakeries and dessert spots. Plus, mangoes are awesome!
CHAIN REPORT Louisiana-based chicken finger chain Raising Cane’s is building a new location at 8739 U.S. 31 S, with an opening planned for “later this December,” a company spokesperson says. Also under construction is a Chick-fil-A outpost at 146th Street and State Road 37, marking the third Noblesville location for the company. Franchisees of sweet treat operation Milkshake Factory will open an outpost at 1300 E. 86th St. in Nora in June and at 8932 E. Highway 36 in Avon in July; the North Carolina-based franchisees say they plan to launch two more in the region in the coming months. Another Avon arrival is a location of Ford’s Garage, a car-and-nostalgia-focused chain, which launched Monday at 10416 E. U.S. Highway 36. Finally, Cunningham Restaurant Group’s Stone Creek Dining Company shuttered its 911 N. State Rd. 135 outpost in Greenwood last weekend but will open a new spot on May 20 not too far away at 1464 W. Stones Crossing Rd.
HELP WANTED It is a shocking and sad story: On May 7, the speeding driver of a red Dodge Charger allegedly ran a red light at the intersection of South State Avenue and East Raymond Street, striking a Honda Civic. In the collision, one or both drivers also struck cyclist Cristobal Salas, who was riding with his four-year-old son, Alan Marcelo Salas-Garcia. The child was killed in the crash, and Cristobal was critically injured.
Also seriously hurt was Erin Bailey, an employee at Asaka Japanese Restaurant (6414 E. 82nd St., 317-576-0556), says co-owner Nina Takamure. “When I saw how hurt she was, I broke down.” Bailey has since been released from the hospital but has a long road of recovery ahead and will be using a walker for the foreseeable future. (“She needs stickers to cheer it up,” Takamure says, noting that there’s a donation basket at Asaka if folks have any to drop off.) A GoFundMe launched by Takamure has raised over $22K for Bailey’s recovery as of this writing, and Takamure urges those upset by the tragedy to donate to Christobal and Alan’s family as well.
Meanwhile, the alleged driver of the Charger was tracked down and arrested Wednesday after IMPD used information including a left-behind receipt, connections between Facebook users, and surveillance video at a nearby O’Reilly Auto Parts store to find the suspect (the Star has the details on the investigation). The alleged driver was booked on suspicion of reckless homicide, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, leaving the scene of an accident involving catastrophic injuries, and leaving the scene of an accident involving serious bodily injury, but prosecutors have not filed official charges as of publication time.
