- Bloomington’s Cardinal Spirits continues to crush the canned cocktails market with its new Vodka Soda. The zero-sugar, 94-calorie sippers debut just in time for poolside sipping season.
- The Missing Brick (6404 Rucker Rd., 317-257-7757) opened last Thursday, firing up thick pizzas—including one called The Trap, featuring local Chef Oya’s OG Garlic Herb Trap Buttah—in the former Black Diamond BBQ spot.
- Last week, Naf Naf Grill, a Qdoba-style fast-casual Middle Eastern restaurant concept, announced plans to bring 10 locations to Central Indiana. Incorporating point-point ingredients like basmati rice, chicken shawarma, sumac onions, and Harissa, the brand started in Naperville, Illinois, in 2009 and was among QSR Magazine‘s 40/40 Hottest Start Ups in 2018.
- New England-inspired sea-to-table Pier 48 Fish House & Oyster Bar is scheduled to open in August, inside the Hyatt Place hotel on South Pennsylvania Street. According to the Indianapolis Business Journal, Pier 48 is run by Fred Knipscheer, a former National Hockey League player who was also managing partner of Salt on Mass and Carmel’s Prime 47 Steakhouse.
- The Point on Penn (605 N. Pennsylvania St., 317-690-6575) is now open for brunch on the weekends.
- For years, the Andy Griffith-themed Mayberry Café (78 W, Main St., 317-745-4067) drew roadside business with its vintage black-and-white squad car, a famously restored 1963 Ford Galaxy, parked out front. Well, darned if somebody didn’t plow into it a few weeks ago, causing thousands of dollars in damage. Fortunately, nobody was hurt in the ruckus, and the restaurant didn’t skip serving a single roast beef Manhattan dinner, Barney’s Burger, or Ernest T’s Mountain Dew Mug Cake.
