The Feed: Street Closures For Communal Seating, and More

The time has come that we’ve all been waiting for: restaurants are beginning to open again. Per the Marion County rules set forth by Mayor Hogsett, Indy restaurants can start reopening with patio seating at 50 percent capacity on May 22. The mayor and city council are also working together to create more outdoor seating by expediting the permitting process, as well as considering certain downtown street closures to allow for tables and more communal dining space. Individual restaurants are starting to roll out their own rules and regulations, all of which are intended to help keep staff and diners safe and healthy.

Big Lug Canteen (1435 E. 86th St., 317-672-3503) is kicking it off with a set of new rules such as asking parents to keep their kids near them at all times and breaking up groups larger than seven into two tables which will be placed at the 6-foot distance as required by city regulation. Check out the full list on their Instagram: @biglugcanteen.

Fat Dan’s (Multiple locations) is doing it just a bit differently, requiring diners to wear masks until their food/drinks have been delivered to the table. This is to ensure that the servers handling your plates can stay as clean as possible. If you decide to use your napkin as a Kleenex, be a peach and toss that one in the bathroom trash yourself. They’re posting regular updates on their Instagram as well: @fatdansdeli.

If you haven’t caught it yet, Side Door Bagel has been doing regular popups at Bluebeard (order online for these) on Wednesdays, with regular delivery-only service the rest of the week with deliveries going out Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. The rumor is that the maple/masala spice and lox/dill schmears are the move.

You can’t yet get a haircut at the barber shop side of Commissary (304 E. New York St., 317-730-3121), but the coffee is back for takeout. Try their new pineapple-ube iced oat-milk latte (or have it hot), and try not to trim your own bangs until salons reopen on June 1.

10th Street Diner (3301 E. 10th St., 463-221-1255) is still going strong with its full meal takeout program. When we say it’s a “full meal deal,” we mean a full vegan feast of a protein, side, and fresh-baked bread with a 3-hour pickup window 3–7 p.m. Weekends have been a showcase of indulgent vegan brunches of biscuits and gravy, chicken and waffles, and other nap-inducing favorites.