Photo by Tony Valainis
NOTHING’S FINAL: Local restaurant owner Chris Evans (Sangiovese) announced last spring that Tre, his Carmel Italian spot, would be his last. But a little more than a year after Tre opened, it’s shutting down … so Evans can open a different restaurant in Tre’s 10 E. Main St. location. According to a press release announcing the switcheroo, Tre “ultimately did not resonate as intended,” which is a fancy way of saying business was slow. Instead, Evans—this time partnering with Ambrosia Hospitality Group’s Dan Cage—will open Matador, “a lively new Spanish tapas restaurant,” in the soon-to-be-former Tre next month. And this time, the announcement makes no promises of finality but does assure patrons that “all current or outstanding gift cards for Tre will be honored at Matador.” Tre’s last day as Tre will be July 26.
SMOKE ‘EM: East Coast chain Kanoon has chosen Fishers for the first Indy location of its barbecue-meets-Mediterranean menu. The spot, which Current reports will open on August 1 at 8594 E. 116th St., will offer dine-in experiences “such as fire shows throughout the night.”
BANK ON IT: For over a year, we’ve been watching as a team enlisted by Bill Pritt (FortyFive Degrees, the Metro) worked to renovate the shuttered bank building at 555 N. Delaware St., and the spot—named Harrison’s—quietly swung open last weekend, the Star‘s Indylicious newsletter reports. Pritt complained to the IBJ last year that he wanted to open another spot in that area because dining along Mass Ave was “kind of pricey” and “people miss the simplicity, and the fair prices, and the good specials.” A look at the Harrison’s menu reveals offerings like a $22 lasagna and a $29 pork chop, which is likely pricey to some! Then again, Pritt reportedly purchased the building for around $1.25 million, and that was before the renovation. That’s a lot of lasagnas!
REBOOT: Via Instagram, perennial favorite Gather 22 (22 E. 22nd St.) announced that it is launching a new menu, spurred by its leadership in the kitchen. Chefs Wyatt Garner and Everett Lahr have reshaped the restaurant’s offerings, the business says, describing the reimagined lineup as “Gather 22.2.” Further details of the new menu were not available as of publication, but if they get rid of the Miso Pickled Eggs, I will shed a tear, even as I applaud the evolution.
SAD PASSING: Doug Pendleton, the owner of Zionsville’s Grapevine Cottage wine shop, was killed on July 11 during a trip to South Bend, WISH reports. Pendleton, who was known locally as “The Wine Guy,” was in the city to celebrate his 77th birthday with wife Linda. The couple were on a walk when a large tree fell on the pair, injuring them both. Doug died at the scene. “Doug, obviously out of the corner of his eyes, saw the tree coming over and told me to run, (and) according to a witness, pushed me out of the way,” Linda told the broadcast outlet.
MARK III MOVES: As we noted in 2024, The Mark III Tap Room, which is Indiana’s oldest gay bar, shut down last year after a burst pipe left it with serious damage. The Ball State Daily reports that the Muncie nightclub and community space has found a new home at 1101 S. Walnut St. (the long-dark Uggly’s Bar and Grill space). An opening date has yet to be announced, but its website promises more updates soon.
GROUNDBREAKING: Fujiyama Steakhouse of Japan (5149 Victory Ln.) has been a special occasion spot for exhibition hibachi dining since 1977, our own local version of the Benihana experience. For the first time in its history the business is expanding, the Daily Journal reports, this week breaking ground on an $8 million new location at Stones Crossing Road and St. Clare Way in Greenwood. It’s expected to open some time next year.
