Nicole-Taylor’s Pasta + Market + Backroom Eatery is changing focus. The venerable business changed hands in 2023, with new owners Logan McMahan and Erin Kem slowly bringing their perspective to its menu. As we first reported in August, that vision included an eventual rebrand to a restaurant called Corridor, a lunch-service spot with a menu of dishes drawing from the Mediterranean, North African, and Arab worlds. Kem and McMahan announced this week that the time for Corridor has come: the current business will go dark on December 24 for a major renovation, and will reopen as Corridor on January 21. Its market of fresh pastas, sauces, and other specialty foods will remain, as will its blockbuster chef’s table dinners, which sell out a year in advance. (1134 E. 54th St., 317-257-7374)
A Mass Ave standby has abruptly shuttered. Popular pub Nine Irish Brothers has stood at 575 Massachusetts Ave. since 2014, the sole Indy outpost of the Lafayette-based mini-chain. Folks strolling up for an order of chips and a pint were surprised this week to be greeted by a locked door and a handwritten sign that read “Closed. Thank you for your patronage.” Via statement, a company representative said “the franchise owner has found it necessary to cease operations after an extraordinarily difficult year for him personally.” Fox 59 reports that the business was also facing a lawsuit alleging nonpayments of a debt.
A Fishers strip mall has some of the cutest desserts in town. Boba shop Teag opened without much fanfare at 8910 E. 96th St. last month, and buzz for the place keeps rising. It doesn’t have a social media presence or a phone number, but it does serve up heartbreakingly adorable ice cream desserts (take a look), pillowy pancakes and cheesecakes, and egg waffles, a Hong Kong-based food trend that made a splash online last fall.
Indy’s eighth Cafe Patachou will open next week. Via press release, parent company Won’t Stop Hospitality quoted its new CEO, former Starbucks exec Michelle Andersen as saying its 8654 E. 116th St. location is part of a “cultural district of Fishers with exciting growth.” Expect the chain’s standard breakfast, brunch, and lunch menus, and expect more Patachou announcements in 2025: its new co-owner, private equity firm Hargett Hunter, has promised an aggressive expansion strategy in days to come.
Drag brunch is coming to Shindig. The new Cunningham Restaurant Group dining spot at 1351 Roosevelt Ave. will welcome two-time Miss Gay Indiana Ana Crusis on December 21 for “an afternoon of glitz, glam, and show-stopping entertainment.” Tickets for the Drag ’n Wings Holiday Show are $5/per, with a menu of food and cocktails on offer. Reservations are strongly encouraged. (317-907-6100)
The last Taste Indianapolis bake sale of the year is Saturday. From 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, December 14, head to Borage (1609 N. Lynhurst Dr.) for pastries, breads, and other baked goods from hot local bakeries including JA Justice Bakes, J’adore Pastry, Bakes by Bridget, and several others. Gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan options will be available.
