After a fire at Kuma’s Corner in Fountain Square, owners Sarah Saint Aubin and Luke Tobias have retooled their hospitality game plan and are putting the finishing touches on Futuro, a pizza outfit finally getting the deep dish right. As Chicago transplants, they’ve replaced the doughiness with a crisp rim of cheese and a better and more balanced ratio of cheese to sauce.
Moe & Johnny’s, a longtime SoBro fixture, announced its indefinite closure this week. It’s no surprise that a local watering hole best known as a comfortable place to stretch out for a game would struggle like so many others, but the takeout game just isn’t cutting it anymore. Pour one out for the flatbreads and the classic Caesars.
Tinker Street has called it quits as well, not with a bang (or announcement) but a whimper, as the 16th Street property pops up on local commercial real-estate sites. On June 13, owner Tom Main posted a video message to the restaurant’s Instagram announcing the end of carry-out service with a tentative plan to reopen at a future date. Sadly, it seems that the near-north side has instead lost this fantastic home of fine dining for good.
Slippery Noodle Inn owner Hal Yeagy Jr. passed away over the weekend, having spent the last 35 years turning the downtown bar into a nightly source of live music. Everyone from BB King to John Mayer graced the stage during his tenure of ownership. The storied building already hosted infamous gangster John Dillinger in the past, and Yeagy built it back up to the exciting times of its bootlegging heyday. No plans have thus far been announced about any changes to the bar following Yeagy’s passing.
The Lemon Bar (95 E. Pine St., Zionsville, 317-344-0472) is making a triumphant return this Black Friday. Zionsville’s favorite boutique dessert bar had taken business entirely online for shipping and pickup, but it will open for the first time in months.
Black Circle Brewing’s sister restaurant Elena Ruz Cuban Cuisine (2201 E. 46th St., 317-828-7068) has rolled out its Thanksgiving empanada flight once again. Though they’ve shifted to a carryout-only model, you can still get the savory and sweet (turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, pie), crispy fried empanadas this week and (if you ask nicely) probably next week, too.
Mayfair Taproom (2032 E. 10th St., 317-419-2393) has gotten creative with its semi-outdoor dining, building an elaborate enclosure on its patio with heaters that still allow plenty of fresh airflow. It might not stave off the January temps, but it will be comfortable well into late fall and in early spring.
The folks running Irvington’s Strange Bird/Landlocked/Heartbreaker restaurant trio have gotten even more creative with their COVID response, this time using storage pods. The short white trailers will house individual tables (plus requisite quaint and adorable decor) so folks can still enjoy a night out while bringing that fresh outdoor air inside.
