Sidedoor Bagel is getting some more East Coast love. The bagel shop at 1103 E. 10th St. has gotten national attention since it first launched, and that continued in recent weeks when The New York Times singled out their Mr. Krabs Rangoon bagel sandwich special in a story about revived interest in the (sometimes divisive!) takeout mainstay Crab Rangoon. Like many of us, co-owner Josh Greeson grew up eating the cheesy, wonton-wrapped offering from his local Chinese spot, and suggests that nostalgia is one of the drivers for its appearance on more upscale menus. But it’s also delicious, he notes, saying, “The creamy, sweet and spicy components make it so loved by everyone.”
Are you down for some shipping container sliders? Atlanta-based cheeseburger company Smalls Sliders has big plans for the Indiana market, it says in a press release. A franchisee group called “Indy Craves” has signed a deal with the 300-location company to bring 15 outposts to the state, marking the “first multi-unit franchise deal in the state for the brand.” (Oooh, I just get so hungry when I read restaurant business jargon!) Unlike other burger chains, which might pop up in strip malls or necessitate significant new construction, Smalls shops are typically inside bright orange shipping containers that serve definite Home Depot vibes. It’s an eye-catching strategy that might help the franchisees’ ambitious plans succeed. Watch for locations—which the company calls “cans”—in Lafayette, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Fishers, Noblesville, Carmel, Muncie, Pendleton, Avon, Plainfield, Greenwood, Terre Haute, Bloomington, and Columbus, with at least one expected within the next year.
Smalls isn’t the only big company headed to Indiana. Cava, a Maryland-based chain of fast-casual, build-your-own bowl Mediterranean restaurants, hopes to open its first Indy locations soon. The news came during the public company’s fourth-quarter earnings call when CEO Brett Schulman said that a recent launch of three spots near Chicago was even more successful than expected. The business opened 58 new restaurants in the past year alone, across 25 states. Detroit, South Florida, Pittsburgh, and Indianapolis outposts are expected to open in 2025, exact locations are still TBA.
Steak & Shake’s move to tallow fries has been met with backlash from some unexpected places. As I noted in January, the Indy-headquartered steakburger chain announced in January that it would start using beef tallow to prepare its fries, a decision that it has since been used to kiss up to politically divisive figures such as font of health misinformation Robert F. Kennedy Jr. COO Daniel Edwards announced on Fox News “We’ve RFK’d our fries,” but just in case the company’s alliances were somehow unclear, last week it posted one of those recognizable (ahem) red hats on X (formerly Twitter) with the message “Steak ‘n Shake is proud to support MAHA and Secretary Kennedy!” But despite the company’s enthusiastic endorsement of Kennedy (BTW, fact checks for his latest false claims on matters such as beef tallow and the measles can be found online), several conservative voices as well as leaders in the MAHA movement have been calling out Steak & Shake, claiming it hasn’t made the switch, the Indianapolis Star reports. It’s an interesting conundrum for the company—what do you do when you pick a side in the culture wars, but that side turns on you? Good luck sorting that one out!
Fish fry Fridays for the win. I am not a person of faith, but I am always stoked when Lent rolls around. And it’s not just because I feel free to keep on sinning while the devout among us fall into line! I also adore a fish fry, the greasier and tartar saucier the better. If, like me, you are celebrating the transition to the weekend with fish, the Star has assembled an excellent list of parishes that are holding Friday fries. There are a couple of secular spots on the list, too, such as multiple locations of MCL Restaurant and Bakery and Southpaw Soul Kitchen (3351 Central Ave., 317-974-9349). Another place to watch is Speedway hot spot Borage (1609 N. Lynhurst Dr., 317-734-3958), which is currently offering a special Friday dinner menu they’re calling “SURF vs TURF.” Options include a double cheese brisket burger (turf), a fried haddock on brioche, or fried mussels on milk bread (both surf). I want it all.
IND is getting an airfield bar. The Indianapolis International Airport has been quite rightly dubbed one of the best airports in North America for a jaw-dropping 12 years, and that’s despite the lengthy commute one must make to get to any nearby hotels. That’s set to change by December 2027, the Indianapolis Airport Authority Board recently announced. A $205.85 million Marriott Westin hotel will be constructed along the west side of the airport’s parking garage, with a connector straight to the terminals via the lot’s third floor. Since we live here, we’re unlikely to need any of the hotel’s 253 rooms (which, btw, are expected to go for a cool $245/night), but get this: The plan also includes a full-service restaurant and a rooftop bar with views of the airfield, the latter of which sounds like serious fun. Renderings released by the IAA depict a curved and glossy structure with an upper-level indoor/outdoor space that I can’t wait to check out. Groundbreaking is expected to begin this spring, with an opening set for December 2027.
