#Indian cuisine in Indianapolis

[eateryfoodlounge]

Best Indian Cuisine in Indianapolis: A Guide to Authentic Flavors and Aromatic Dishes

Indianapolis is home to a rich culinary scene, and the city’s Indian cuisine stands out for its bold flavors, aromatic spices, and diverse dishes. Whether you're a long-time fan of Indian food or trying it for the first time, there’s a variety of options in Indianapolis that offer an authentic experience of the rich culinary traditions of India. From spicy curries to sizzling tandoori dishes, the city's Indian food scene is a true delight. Here’s a guide to help you navigate some of the best Indian cuisine Indianapolis has to offer.

Why Indian Cuisine is a Must-Try in Indianapolis

Indian cuisine is known for its intricate use of spices and herbs that create a balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy flavors. The variety of ingredients used, including fresh vegetables, legumes, and meat, along with cooking techniques like slow cooking and grilling, makes Indian food a feast for the senses. Whether you're looking for hearty comfort food or a refreshing, light meal, Indian cuisine offers something for everyone.

Key Characteristics of Indian Cuisine:

Spice Blends: Indian food often features complex spice blends, such as garam masala, which combine cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and other fragrant spices.

Rich Curries: Indian curries are known for their depth of flavor, often made with tomatoes, onions, cream, and a range of spices that create rich, velvety sauces.

Tandoori Cooking: The tandoor, a traditional clay oven, is used to cook meats, breads, and even vegetables, imparting a smoky flavor to dishes.

Vegetarian Dishes: India has a strong tradition of vegetarian cooking, and dishes like paneer tikka, dal, and baingan bharta are essential parts of the Indian food experience.

Popular Indian Dishes to Try in Indianapolis

1. Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)

Butter chicken is one of the most beloved Indian dishes, and for good reason. The dish features tender chicken simmered in a creamy, tomato-based sauce that is rich in flavor. It's often spiced with garam masala, cumin, and coriander, and paired with naan or rice, making it a comforting and satisfying meal.

2. Biryani

Biryani is a fragrant rice dish traditionally made with marinated meat (like chicken, lamb, or beef) and cooked with a blend of spices, including saffron. The rice is often layered with the meat and cooked slowly, absorbing the full flavors of the spices. Whether you prefer a mild or spicy biryani, it’s a must-try for anyone exploring Indian cuisine.

3. Tandoori Dishes

Tandoori dishes are cooked in a traditional clay oven, known as a tandoor, which imparts a unique smoky flavor to the food. Common tandoori dishes include chicken tandoori, lamb chops, and naan bread. The meats are marinated in yogurt and spices, then grilled to perfection, resulting in tender, flavorful dishes that are smoky and slightly charred.

4. Paneer Tikka

Paneer tikka is a vegetarian favorite, featuring cubes of paneer (Indian cottage cheese) marinated in spices and grilled or baked. It’s a smoky, flavorful dish that's often served with a side of chutney. Paneer tikka is a great option for anyone looking for a vegetarian or lighter alternative to meat dishes.

5. Samosas

Samosas are deep-fried pastries filled with a spiced mixture of potatoes, peas, and sometimes meat. These crispy, golden snacks are perfect for appetizers or as a side dish. They’re often served with mint chutney or tamarind sauce, making for a delightful contrast of flavors.

6. Dal

Dal is a dish made from lentils or legumes cooked with spices. It can range from a simple, mildly spiced preparation to a rich, creamy dish. Dal is an essential part of Indian cuisine and is often served as a side dish with rice or flatbreads like naan or roti.

7. Chana Masala

Chana masala is a flavorful chickpea curry, made with tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, and a variety of spices. It’s a popular vegetarian dish in India and is both hearty and satisfying. Chana masala is typically served with rice or naan and can be spiced to suit individual tastes.

Vegetarian and Vegan Options

Indian cuisine is particularly appealing to vegetarians and vegans, with many dishes that rely on vegetables, legumes, and grains. From creamy dal to spicy baingan bharta (roasted eggplant), there are numerous plant-based dishes that showcase the depth of flavor Indian food offers.

Aloo Gobi: A flavorful dish made with potatoes and cauliflower, spiced with turmeric, cumin, and coriander.

Baingan Bharta: Roasted and mashed eggplant cooked with onions, tomatoes, and a variety of spices, resulting in a smoky, savory dish.

Palak Paneer: A creamy spinach curry served with cubes of paneer, this dish is both delicious and nutritious.

Desserts to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

Indian desserts are known for their rich sweetness and unique textures. Many are made with milk, nuts, and fragrant spices like cardamom and saffron.

Gulab Jamun: Deep-fried dough balls soaked in a sweet syrup flavored with rose water or cardamom. They are soft, sweet, and indulgent.

Ras Malai: A creamy dessert made with milk, cardamom, and saffron, with soft, spongy white cream cheese patties soaked in sweetened milk.

Kheer: A rice pudding made with milk, sugar, and flavored with cardamom, almonds, and raisins, making for a satisfying end to a flavorful meal.

Finding the Best Indian Cuisine in Indianapolis

Indianapolis offers a variety of Indian restaurants that serve authentic, flavorful dishes that cater to all tastes. Whether you prefer traditional recipes or modern takes on Indian favorites, the city has something for everyone. Most restaurants offer a variety of vegetarian and vegan options, ensuring that all dietary preferences are accommodated.

No matter where you dine, be prepared to be amazed by the bold, aromatic flavors and the rich variety of dishes available. Indian cuisine is a wonderful culinary adventure, and Indianapolis is the perfect place to explore these delightful flavors.

Final Thoughts

Indian cuisine in Indianapolis is diverse, flavorful, and rich with tradition. From hearty curries and tandoori dishes to sweet treats and vegetarian options, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. The city's Indian restaurants serve up authentic dishes that transport you to India, making it a must-try for food lovers. Next time you’re craving something flavorful and aromatic, explore the best of Indian cuisine in Indianapolis—you won’t be disappointed!

[ezcater]

Embrace the Energy of the Summer Games with These Catering Ideas!

When you think of the Summer Games in Paris, you might not immediately think of “office catering.” But heading into the games this month (the games run from Friday, July 26 through Sunday, August 11), many folks around the workplace may have the games on their minds.

With the international event underway, it’s a great time to celebrate with catered cuisines. Show some national pride with a day dedicated to quintessentially American cuisine. Have a big meeting coming up? Theme your corporate catering around international options for a global feast. Here are a few more ideas to bring the spirit of the games into your office.

Celebrate the Summer Games in Paris with French-Inspired Cuisine!

What better way to celebrate the Summer Games in Paris than with the flavors of the host country? Admittedly, French caterers can be on the rarer side, but you may be able to find dishes that are distinctly French-inspired, like French cheese platters (brie, anyone?), quiche, chicken coq au vin, or boeuf bourguignon.

Other French-inspired goodies to look for include croissants and similar pastries (pain au chocolat!), crêpes, and macarons. If French caterers are in short supply you could set up a table of French-inspired treats to go along with other lunch options.

Celebrate Team USA with American Cuisine 

What better way to celebrate an international athletic event than with the best of American cuisine? Catering is a great way to show pride for the American athletes competing for gold. It's also a great way to boost morale and get people even more excited for the summer games.

What’s more American than burgers? Well, you could probably think of a long list of foods that fit the bill, but when it comes to catering Indianapolis businesses—or businesses anywhere in America—burgers are a top choice. If you need catering for a group, many caterers offer burger bars. You can get everything you and your team need to put together the perfect burger—there are even vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options to ensure everyone is included.

Celebrate the World of Athletics with International Cuisines

Going beyond America and France, there’s a whole world of culinary possibilities—and ways to celebrate the summer games. This is a fun and engaging opportunity to try new cuisines in your area. It may also be an opportunity to embrace any international connections your own team may have.

You could make a full week out of it. Maybe on Monday, you celebrate with a catered lunch from a local Mexican caterer. On Tuesday, you might put in an order with a favorite local Indian caterer. Wednesday might be Mediterranean. There are so many ways you can go about it. No matter how you do it, it’s a celebration that can bring people together within your organization, just as the games bring people together from all over the world.

About ezCater

At work and feeling those hunger pangs? Get the food you really want with ezCater. ezCater is an online platform that connects individuals and businesses to top local caterers. Through ezCater, you can easily find caterers who match your needs, whether you’re craving a fully loaded burger with fries for lunch or you want to order a complete burger bar for an office event. With ezCater’s intuitive search tools, you can search for food based on budget, dietary needs, or simply by the type of food you’re craving. On top of that, ezCater is available from coast to coast. If you want top Cincinnati catering for a big event, you’ve got it. If you want to indulge in the most talked about catering Columbus Ohio has to offer, ezCater can help make it happen too. Explore all of your top local options on ezCater today!

Celebrate the summer games with cuisines from all over the world, available at https://www.ezcater.com/

Original Source: https://bit.ly/3zL1vfW

[spiceclub123456]

Unveiling Culinary Marvels in Indianapolis: Exploring the Best Hidden Restaurants

Embark on a culinary adventure in Indianapolis, a city renowned for sports, history, and an evolving gastronomic landscape. As Indianapolis expands, a plethora of concealed culinary treasures emerges, inviting adventurous food enthusiasts to indulge in a diverse array of dining experiences that reflect the city's rich food culture. Join us on this journey to uncover the finest best indian restaurant in Indianapolis, revealing hidden gems that establish the city as a haven for food aficionados. Brace yourself to tantalize your taste buds and explore uncharted culinary riches in this Midwest metropolis.

Exploring the Vibrant Food Scene in Indianapolis: Indianapolis as a Rising Food Destination: While famous for fast cars and the iconic Indy 500, Indianapolis is quietly becoming a hidden gem for food lovers. The city's vibrant and diverse culinary scene, curated by talented chefs and innovative restaurateurs, is transforming it into a must-visit destination for food enthusiasts, shedding its association with chain restaurants and fast-food joints.

Unveiling Hidden Gems: A Journey through Lesser-Known Local Restaurants: Navigating the local food scene requires a bit of sleuthing, from perusing local food blogs to seeking recommendations from passionate locals. The selection of hidden gems is guided by specific criteria, emphasizing exceptional food, innovative flavors, quality ingredients, and a commitment to culinary excellence. These restaurants boast a unique ambiance, providing an extraordinary dining experience away from the city's hustle and bustle.

Embracing Diversity: Discovering Unique Culinary Experiences in Indianapolis: Exploring the Fusion of Flavors: Indianapolis' food scene offers a diverse range of culinary experiences, from fusion restaurants blending different cuisines to traditional eateries celebrating various cultures. These hidden gems push the boundaries of traditional cuisine, creating an extraordinary dining experience.

Hidden Gems of Indianapolis: Spice Club Indian Bistro and Bar Unveiled: In the culinary landscape pulsating with energy, well-known establishments like Spice Club Indian Bistro and Bar stand out. Amidst stiff competition from numerous Indian restaurants in Indianapolis, Spice Club captivates with its attention to detail and unwavering commitment to perfection. A neighborhood favorite, Spice Club promises an authentic dining experience, leaving an indelible mark on the city's vibrant past.

From Farm-to-Table: Uncovering the Best Locally Sourced Restaurants in Indianapolis: For those valuing sustainability and supporting local farmers, Indianapolis hosts remarkable farm-to-table restaurants prioritizing locally sourced ingredients. Beyond delivering delicious food, these hidden gems contribute to the planet's well-being, fostering community connections and supporting local farmers.

Beyond Traditional Cuisine: Exploring International Flavors in Hidden Indianapolis Eateries: Indianapolis surprises with its international cuisine selection, offering authentic and flavorful dishes. Hidden eateries serve everything from mouth-watering Mexican street tacos to fragrant Indian curries, providing a global culinary experience in the heart of the city.

Hidden Gems Off the Beaten Path: Uncovering Hidden Treasures on the Outskirts of Indianapolis: Venture beyond downtown into neighboring towns to discover hidden dining treasures. Charming restaurants in rural areas offer farm-fresh ingredients, unique flavors, and unforgettable dining experiences, making the drive worthwhile.

Embracing Innovation: Unveiling the Best New Culinary Concepts in Indianapolis: Indianapolis' Culinary Evolution: Known for embracing innovation, Indianapolis' culinary scene is in constant evolution. Chefs and restaurateurs push boundaries and introduce cutting-edge techniques, from molecular gastronomy to unexpected flavor fusions, redefining traditional dishes and leading the city's culinary evolution.

Conclusion: Indianapolis emerges as a city filled with culinary wonders, where hidden gems abound. From downtown hotspots to off-the-beaten-path eateries, this article has guided you through the diverse and thriving food scene of Indianapolis. Whether a local or a visitor, venture beyond the familiar to seek out the best Indian restaurant in Indianapolis for an unforgettable dining experience. Explore, savor, and relish the flavors that make Indianapolis a destination for food lovers everywhere.

[restaurantindianapolis]

Shakers Good Eats: Elevating Your Culinary Experience in Indianapolis with Seamless Food Delivery

In the heart of Indianapolis, where culinary diversity meets exceptional flavors, Shakers Good Eats stands out as a beacon for those seeking a remarkable dining experience. Our commitment to delivering delectable dishes extends beyond the walls of our restaurant to your doorstep with our convenient Food Delivery Service. As one of the premier restaurants in Indianapolis, we bring a fusion of American and Indian cuisines to your table, ensuring that every bite is a celebration of taste and quality. 

        

Effortless Food Delivery in Indianapolis

At Shakers Good Eats, we understand that life can be fast-paced, leaving little time for elaborate dining plans. That's why our Food Delivery Service is designed to bring the richness of our menu directly to you. Whether you're at home, in the office, or hosting an event, our seamless delivery process ensures that you can enjoy our culinary creations without leaving your comfort zone.

Key Features of Our Food Delivery Service:

1. Extensive Menu Variety: From classic American dishes to Indian-inspired delights, our menu offers a diverse range of options to suit every palate. Whether you're in the mood for a juicy burger, a flavorful curry, or a fresh salad, we have something for everyone.

2. Fresh and High-Quality Ingredients: We take pride in sourcing the finest ingredients to create dishes that not only taste exceptional but also reflect our commitment to quality and freshness.

3. Convenient Online Ordering: Our user-friendly online platform allows you to explore our menu, place your order, and track the delivery progress, all with a few simple clicks. Ordering from Shakers Good Eats has never been easier.

4. Timely and Reliable Service: We understand the importance of timely delivery. Our dedicated team ensures that your order reaches you promptly, preserving the freshness and flavors of each dish.

Restaurants in Indianapolis Redefined

As one of the standout restaurants in Indianapolis, Shakers Good Eats goes beyond the conventional dining experience. We strive to redefine the way you enjoy food, combining the best of American and Indian cuisines in a single, enticing menu. Our commitment to excellence, both in the restaurant and through our Food Delivery Service, reflects our passion for providing a memorable culinary journey.

Conclusion

Indulge in the extraordinary with Shakers Good Eats, where food delivery in Indianapolis is an experience tailored to meet your culinary cravings. Whether you're exploring our menu for the first time or savoring a familiar favorite, let us bring the flavors of Shakers Good Eats directly to your doorstep. Elevate your dining experience with the convenience of our Food Delivery Service, and discover a world of taste without leaving the comfort of your home or office.

To know more about Food delivery Indianapolis please visit the website.

[jackalleblue11]

What are Allegiant Airlines' major hubs?

Allegiant Air is a US ultra-low-cost, scheduled, and charter airline. It is the 9th largest airline in the United States as a significant aviation carrier. All-jet passenger carrier Allegiant delivers low-cost, high-efficiency flights, both individually and packaged with travel goods, including hotels, car rental, and entertainment tickets. Allegiant makes flying not only inexpensive but also easy by selling packaged holidays at competitive prices. To book tickets with Allegiant, contact Allegiant airlines reservations official site .

Asheville

Asheville is located in the far west of North Carolina and is separate from Charlotte and Raleigh's bigger cities. It is suitable for travel to the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Great Smoky Mountains due to its proximity to the mountains. A lively gastronomic scene and continually thriving creative culture have become popular in the region. Biltmore Farm, the birthplace of the Vanderbilts, is the city's biggest tourist attraction. Some areas in the city overlook the mountains.

Cincinnati

This beautiful city is located in a vast area on the northern bank of the Ohio River, surrounded by mountainous areas, known to be the "Pearl of the West" as well as the "Queen City." The mostly industrial town of Ohio today includes a wide range of cultural, recreational, and restored neighborhoods such as the Rhine Overland and Mount Airy, expanding this city. Cincinnati booms from a deep industrial past, offering a range of sporting, leisure, educational, historical, culinary, and outdoor activities.

Also Read: Top Five Adventurous Place Not To Miss Out in Costa Rica

Des Moines

In the last couple of decades, Des Moines has taken several steps to become a thriving Midwest cultural mecca. Des Moines also has a sculpture park, botanical gardens, and a vibrant retail and dining scene as the large insurance agencies' headquarters and an immediate political environment. Indigenous Iowans are proud of their capital city, reflecting on the road with their smiling faces.

In Des Moines, Iowa, history continues in progress and is on view. Places like the gold-capitol state house glow with a tradition of the state for more than 170 years. Other areas, such as the Salisbury House and Gardens and Sherman's Theater, along with the downtown storefront and historical sights, demonstrate the region's rich cultural heritage.

Indianapolis

The southeast of Lake Michigan on the white river sits Indianapolis, the traditional midwestern city and capital of Indiana. In the very middle of Indiana, it is situated almost precisely on a location chosen for the future state capital by ten government commissioners in 1820. Indianapolis has plenty to do, from a night walk along the Canal Walk to a sightseeing tour around the area.

However, the world-renowned area originates from the "Indianapolis 500," the annual car race on the Indianapolis motorway on Sunday before Memorial Day. This is the most fantastic athletics festival ever, attracting hundreds of thousands of fans of motorsports.

Oakland

Called after the shady Oak trees that are native to this area, Oakland has become a cool, upcoming destination by itself, a small town across the San Francisco Bay. Although Oakland was once a city of unidentified manufacture, the town today has an authentic look, and many of the local items are hand-made artisan items. Oakland is the birthplace to several people, a real melting pot.

The lively African American community in the city introduced traditional soul food, and Ethiopian, Indian, Italian, Mexican, Thai, and other authentic ethnic restaurants offering a wide range of gastronomic facilities were opened by immigrants worldwide. Tourists are also encouraged to take advantage of the charming street and summer fairs with ethnic music, dance, and gourmet cuisine. To get great deals and discounts on flight fares, visit the Allegiant Airlines official site and start your booking now!

Original Source: https://gotomyairlinesreservations.blogspot.com/2020/12/what-are-allegiant-airlines-major-hubs.html

[gen-con-survival-guide]

Gen Con 2018 Survival Guide

This guide is the 2018 version of a guide that I did in both 2016 and 2017. My goal has always been to put a lot of useful Gen Con information in one place for beginners.  Gen Con can be a confusing convention because of the incredibly amount of variety available to attendees, and it really requires some preparation before attending.  The worst thing you can do as a beginner is to just show up and expect everything to run smoothly.  My best advice for newbies is to add some structure to your day (1 or 2 events), keep plenty of open time for exploring, and then try to utilize open gaming and special events during the evenings, depending on your interests.

I've also found that many folks who have been attending for years still mostly only focus on the exhibit hall, so there might be some new information here even for those people.  Gen Con is MUCH more than just the exhibit hall, but it takes some planning to find all the open gaming and extra fun stuff.

Important Links

http://gen-con-survival-guide.tumblr.com/

(Permanent link for this guide)

www.gencon.com

http://www.gencon.com/attend/housing_travel

http://www.gencon.com/experience/howeventswork

(event FAQ)

http://gencon.eventdb.us/

(the best mobile site for all GC events, also tracks changes to the database)

http://gencon.highprogrammer.com/

(another option for browsing events)

https://www.visitindy.com/

(a good place to find touristy attractions)

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g37209-Indianapolis_Indiana-Vacations.html

https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/196767/gen-con-2017-preview

(annual list of new releases/demo’s by Board Game Geek, NOTE that is the 2017 version, the 2018 version is not available yet, I’ll update when it becomes available)

Community

https://www.reddit.com/r/gencon/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/genconindy/

https://www.gencon.com/forums

Twitter:

#Gen_Con

#genconpug

(hashtag for pickup games)

 Future Show Dates

-Gen Con 2019: Aug 1 - 4, 2019

-Gen Con 2020: July 30 - Aug 2, 2020

-Gen Con 2021: Aug 5 - 8, 2021

-Gen Con 2022: Aug. 4 - 7, 2022

General Tips -Registration and badge pickup starts on Wed at noon and is open 24 hours from that point on. There will be a line at noon on Wed, but it will quickly die down. The shortest wait time is in the early afternoon (or very late night) on Wed.  It is far preferable to register Wed night rather than Thursday morning. -Try not to register on Thursday morning if you can avoid it, it gets very busy. Also give yourself time to get through the registration line.  It’s best not to schedule any events at 9am, especially if you get there at say, 8:30am. -After you pick-up your badge, don't forget to pick up your coupon book (it’s a separate line). The coupon book is a great value, and includes a lot of freebies for the exhibit hall, local restaurants, and other assorted things. -Don't bother lining up to enter the exhibit hall before it opens on Thursday unless you're desperate to race for some new release game or promo that might sell out. Honestly, it’s hot, uncomfortable, and claustrophobic. Wait until 10:15 or so after the initial crush has died down.  If you want to watch the opening ceremony it’s far nicer to watch from the 2nd floor balcony. -Make sure to pack some snacks and bring a water bottle. Water gets hard to come by, and the vending machines will often sell out.

-Outlets can be hard to find inside the convention center, so bring a portable battery pack if you think you’ll need it.

-Try not to carry around tons of bags of new games. We've found that this ruins our con experience. Only buy games when you know you're on your way back to your hotel.  If you’re not staying downtown, try to find somebody that will let you store your purchases for the day.  Or at the very least bring the back to your car instead of walking around the convention with heavy bags all day.  Also, don't be that person dragging a rolling suitcase. They are annoying for everybody. -Use hand sanitizer regularly, colds tend to spread quickly at game conventions.  Probably a good idea to pack some personal care items if you expect to be away from your hotel for most of the day.

-Programs are available in multiple kiosks near the registration line.  We always grab one as a collector’s item, but for practical purposes, this mobile app is much easier to use to find events:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/unofficial-gen-con/id1135623179?mt=8

-Many downtown hotels are connected to the Indy convention center via a skywalk system, so it might be a good idea to learn how to move between the skywalks prior to the convention. Especially if its really hot or rainy outside, and you want to stay indoors:

https://www.visitindy.com/indianapolis-connected-hotels

Food and Drink -Most of the Gen Con  food trucks are located on Georgia Street, just outside the main entrance to the convention center. Additionally, some are also located along S. Capitol ave.  You can see a map here:

https://www.gencon.com/forums/24-travel-housing-and-dining-2017/topics/7920-food-truck-schedule

(The final map for 2018 will be posted a few weeks before the convention)

-Here are some recommended Indy food trucks:

https://foursquare.com/top-places/indianapolis/best-food-trucks

They are nice, but there is a long wait during peak times. Only use the food trucks at odd hours! You'll thank me later when you're not covered in sweat after waiting 40 minutes for a slice of pizza. -The convention center food is overpriced and generally very subpar. With so many good options nearby, I don’t recommend the convention center food for anything other than a quick cup of coffee. -Use the nearby restaurants. There are a lot of them within walking distance. Restaurants with theme menu's, decorations and freebies (sponsored by Gen Con exhibitors):

-On Wed night on Georgia Street, there is always a beer tapping/opening party.  In addition, you can find various events going on during the week:

https://www.gencon.com/experience/georgiast

-Scotty's Brewhouse (better food than the RAM, sponsored by Paizo)

http://www.scottysbrewhouse.com/index.php?src=directory&view=Locations&srctype=detail&refno=72&category=locations

-The RAM (nearby, but very crowded, mediocre food and service, only use at non-peak times, sponsored by Privateer Press).

http://www.theram.com/locations/in-indianapolis/

-The Tavern on South turns into the Munchkin Tavern sponsored by SJG.

http://tavernonsouth.com/

Other good options: -Indiana City Market (a healthy walk, but the options are fantastic, it’s similar to the Columbus market for those of you who go to Origins, though smaller).  There is also a farmers market on Wed if you arrive to Gen Con a day early.

http://www.indycm.com/

http://www.indycm.com/farmers-market/

-Haveli Indian Cuisine (buffet, great food, very fast, close to the convention center).

http://www.haveliindiancuisineindy.com/cpsiteframepage.lasso?-token.lpuserref=123580.113129

-Claddagh Irish Pub (hardly ever a wait for food, also delicious).

http://www.claddaghirishpubs.com/indianapolis-downtown/

-Yard House (chain, but lots of beer options, food is only ok).

http://www.yardhouse.com/locations/in/indianapolis/indianapolis-circle-centre/8360

-Cafe Patachou (great breakfast option).

http://cafepatachou.com/

-Rathskellar (Bavarian food and music, walkable, but a bit farther away)

http://www.rathskeller.com/

-Bru Burger Bar (Good burgers and beer)

http://www.bruburgerbar.com/

-St. Elmo’s Steakhouse (upscale, famous for their shrimp cocktail and being on an episode of Parks and Rec):

https://www.stelmos.com/

-Palomino (upscale Mediterranean, with vegan options)

https://palomino.com/index.php?c=indianapolis

Coffee:

-Bee Coffee Roasters (Best coffee nearby, caters to Gen Con, but very busy)

http://www.beecoffeeroasters.com/

-Hubbard and Cravens (coffee and tea shop, centrally located)

https://www.hubbardandcravens.com/

-Cups Coffee and Tea (new place, opening on N Illinois St)

http://www.cupscoffeeindy.com/

There are Starbucks’s in the following connected hotels:

-Marriot, Sheraton, J.W. Marriot, Hyatt Regency

Play Games -If you're a fan of Board Game media outlets like the Dice Tower, Secret Cabal or Shut Up and Sit Down you might get the impression that Gen Con is primarily a trade show, based solely on their news coverage and interviews.  I’ve been listening to these channels for years, and I can confidently say they don’t understand the convention from an average attendee’s perspective.  They only understand it from a media and promotion perspective.  Most BG media outlets focus on the new release games at the convention, and hardly ever explore the gaming at the convention. They will often say "it’s hard to play games at Gen Con".  Nothing is farther from the truth.  The truth is that Gen Con is primarily about playing games, you just need to explore the event list and open gaming areas and venture out into those places.  Media folks choose to do media related things at the convention, and they don’t actively seek out areas to play games.  My goal here is to help you find out where and how to play games easily and successfully.

People at Gen Con are playing games at EVERY available room in the following locations:

-ICC first floor -ICC 2nd floor

-Lucas Oil Stadium

-Lucas Oil walkway -Union Station -Hyatt Regency -Crown Plaza -Embassy Suites -JW Marriot -Marriot downtown -Omni -Westin

 In contrast, the exhibit area is less than ½ the total area of just the ICC first floor, and less than 1/10 of the total convention. The vast majority of the rest of the space (multiple ballrooms, every room in the ICC, and all convention space in Lucas Oil Stadium and ALL of the 8 connected hotels) is mostly gaming or related events. Gen Con is basically a gaming city. -It's not hard to play games at Gen Con, but unlike smaller “open play” conventions, you have to do a little planning in advance. You have 4 options: gaming in the exhibit hall, official open gaming, events, and unofficial open gaming. Events -Use the following website to find events: http://gencon.eventdb.us/

You can see new events as they are added to the event list here:

 http://gencon.eventdb.us/changeList.php

-Or the following app:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/unofficial-gen-con/id1135623179?mt=8

Both are mobile friendly and will be available at the convention. -Try and schedule a couple of events each day, but absolutely don't overbook yourself. It's important to have some structure to your day, but you're also going to want time to explore all of the interesting stuff around you.  For beginners I would suggest less than 4 hours of events each day. -Purchase some generic tickets so you can jump in on a game that is short on players.  Generic tickets allow you to just jump into an event that still needs players, without booking in advance.  Each ticket has a value of $2.00, so if the event is $6.00 you’ll need three tickets. The best place to do this is in the event ballrooms for Board, CCG and Mini events, and the Lucas Oil stadium. If you're into RPG's, they use the ballrooms on the 2nd floor (Paizo) or the connected hotels (Westin, Hyatt, J.W. Marriot etc.). -Unused tickets for scheduled events can be used as generic tickets at other events. Your event organizers should know this, but sometimes you need to explain it. If you miss an event, you can still get your money back this way. -Take note that the Board + Card game categories are at this point the majority of events at the convention. Even now, there are lots of spaces available to play interesting board games. -Don't schedule back-to-back events, especially if one is in the ICC and another is in a hotel. Give yourself some time to travel, and recognize that sometimes games run long. Tournaments are especially notorious for running over time.  The Magic CCG events ran by Past Times typically run an hour or two longer then they should, mainly because they are very disorganized.

-Make sure to get to your event location 10 minutes or so before it starts.  Especially since there may be people that are trying to get in with generic tickets.  If you’re not on time, your spot might be given away to somebody with generics. Open Gaming -The official place for open board gaming is the library and pick-up play area (under the Isle of Misfit events). This year it will be located on the floor of the Lucas Oil Stadium. It's a pretty good deal if you're going to stay there for a large block of time. Most people use this area to find other folks that want to just open game. Like other conventions, there are flags indicating "players wanted". The library is large, but will lack new releases and many euro classics. It's a step below the CABS library at Origins, but has been growing considerably in quantity and quality.

-Starting in 2018, open gaming space is available at the J.W. Marriot:

Location: JW Mariott: Grand Ballrooms 5 and 6

Hours: Thursday 8 am to Sunday 4 pm

Library tickets can be purchased here:

http://gencon.eventdb.us/title.php?EventType=ZED&Title=Gen+Con+Games+Library+%26+Pick-Up+%26+Play+Area

You can track the new additions to the library on their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/boardgameslibrary/

-Games on Demand events are for open RPG gaming (once again under Isle of Misfit events):

http://gencon.eventdb.us/title.php?EventType=ZED&Title=Games+on+Demand

-LARPS on Demand:

http://gencon.eventdb.us/title.php?EventType=ZED&Title=Freeform+LARPs+on+Demand

There are TONS of open gaming opportunities sponsored by companies or by game groups. Many of them are free. Here are some highlights for this year: -The Rio Grande room is always free to play games. They will often provide free food as well (located on the 2nd floor of the ICC):

http://gencon.eventdb.us/title.php?EventType=ZED&Title=Rio+Grande+Free+Play

-The Nerd Nighters are sponsoring a free "nerd night" for charity event, which will be mostly open board gaming, but also raffles and auctions:

http://gencon.eventdb.us/event.php?GameCode=ZED18140541

-BGG is hosting a "hot games" room for the 3rd time at Gen Con.  This will include open play of new release games for 2 hour blocks of time: http://gencon.eventdb.us/title.php?EventType=ZED&Title=BGG+Hot+Games+Room

-AEG big game night http://gencon.eventdb.us/title.php?EventType=ZED&Title=AEG%27s+Big+Game+Night

-First Exposure Playtesting

http://gencon.eventdb.us/title.php?EventType=ZED&Title=First+Exposure%3A+Playtest+A+Game+in+Development%21

-Ravensburger Game Demos

http://gencon.eventdb.us/title.php?EventType=ZED&Title=Demo+Ravensburger%27s+Library+of+Games%21

-Play the Best from Protospiel

http://gencon.eventdb.us/title.php?EventType=ZED&Title=Play+the+best+from+Protospiel

-Gamecrafter Community Game Night

http://gencon.eventdb.us/title.php?EventType=ZED&Title=The+Game+Crafter+Community+Game+Night

-Various game nights sponsored by Stonemaier Games

http://gencon.eventdb.us/title.php?EventType=ZED&Title=Euro+Game+Night

 -Carnival of the Damned

http://gencon.eventdb.us/event.php?GameCode=ZED18128856

-Puffing Billy Ribbon (train games)

http://gencon.eventdb.us/event.php?GameCode=ZED18129180

Unofficial open gaming -The Gen Con hashtag #genconpug is used by many to find potential players. It's a great resource. -You and your friends can use any open table in the gaming ballrooms if they are not being used for scheduled events. Just go to the appropriate HQ desk (Board Game, CCG, Mini, RPG) and ask for an open table. There are tons of tables open past 7pm and before noon, but very few during peak times. -The hotel lobbies at all surrounding hotels are gaming hot spots. You can often get in on games this way. -Wed night open gaming is mostly in hotel lobbies, the Union Station, and the food court tables in the ICC.

-The corridor between the ICC and Lucas Oil Stadium is lined by vintage arcade games near the ICC, but then later by open gaming tables towards the stadium.  This is a nice quiet area for open gaming. Exhibit Hall

-The 2018 map can be found here:

http://files.gencon.com/2018.ExhibitHallMap.pdf

This is a nice list of all the exhibitors and most of their websites:

https://www.livingdice.com/11705/gencon-2018-vendor-and-exhibitor-link-list/

-ALL gaming in the exhibit hall is free. Just make sure you know if they are allowing full games, or only shortened demo versions before you start. Many companies will let you play the full game, but not all. -Thursday and Saturday are the busiest. Friday and Sunday are the slowest and the best option for moving well through the exhibit hall and getting in on demo games. -Many companies run special (free) events at their booths. Flying Frog Games for example has Shadows of Brimstone play and painting events all convention long that are not advertised in the event list. However, these in booth events are often printed in the onsite program book. -Many companies give out promos at their booths, but not all of them announce it! You should always ask if there are promos while you're purchasing an item. -Just about all the exhibitors take credit cards. But don't use credit, bring cash. The wireless in the ICC is very slow and often goes down. If you try and pay by card, you'll constantly run into problems. Cash is more flexible, faster, and helps lines move quicker. You can haggle with vendors and resellers, but not with the publishers (or at least you shouldn't). -If you are trying to quickly maneuver through the exhibit hall, try and avoid the following booths while walking since they create bottlenecks: -FFG -Paizo -Asmodee

Unless of course one of those booths is your destination.  Walking along the outside of the exhibit hall tends to be fastest if you need to get somewhere fast.  More specifically, walking along the back wall is the easiest way to get around. In general, it’s always slow moving in the exhibit hall, so plan accordingly. -Make sure to check out the art show in the exhibit hall, even if you aren't planning on buying anything. Many of the artists are really talented. You can pay the artists directly, and if you ask they usually have no problem signing it for you. -Feel free to take pictures of cosplayers (with their permission, always) outside the exhibit hall, but NOT IN THE EXHIBIT HALL. If you do this, everyone at the convention will hate you. This is one of the main reasons why traffic slows down in the exhibit hall.

-While we’re at it, please be respectful of everyone in costume. They want to enjoy the convention as well. Take pictures when they are posing, but not when they are trying to play a game or shopping. Use your people skills.  Constant picture demands are really frustrating for people that want to enjoy the convention as well. -If you're interested in new releases, be sure to ask which days/times the booth will be releasing them for sale. Publishers will often follow a schedule, e.g., 100 copies each morning at 11am. Or 200 on Thursday at 10am, and another 200 at Saturday at 10am.

Mega Games, Entertainment Events, and other Cool Stuff

-I think it’s important as part of your Gen Con experience to find a few special events that you could never do at a small convention.  Here are some ideas for 2018.

-National Security Decision Making Games

http://gencon.eventdb.us/title.php?EventType=ZED&Title=National+Security+Decision+Making+Contemporary+Crisis+Game

http://gencon.eventdb.us/title.php?EventType=ZED&Title=National+Security+Decision+Making+Doomsday+Scenario+Game

-Two Rooms and Boom

http://gencon.eventdb.us/title.php?EventType=ZED&Title=Two+Rooms+%26+A+BOOM+Weekend+Ribbon

-Escape Rooms (we find the ones ran by CU adventures inside the convention to be the best)

http://gencon.eventdb.us/title.php?EventType=ZED&Title=Castle+Dracula%3A+A+Supernatural+Escape+Room

http://gencon.eventdb.us/title.php?EventType=ZED&Title=The+Cabin%3A+A+Supernatural+Escape+Room

http://gencon.eventdb.us/title.php?EventType=ZED&Title=Magischola%3A+Detention+Break+Out+Escape+Room

http://gencon.eventdb.us/title.php?EventType=ZED&Title=Escape+Room%3A+Art+Gallery

http://gencon.eventdb.us/title.php?EventType=ZED&Title=Escape+Room%3A+Contagion

http://gencon.eventdb.us/title.php?EventType=ZED&Title=Escape+Room%3A+Space+2112+Premium+Room

-Gen Con Survivor

http://gencon.eventdb.us/title.php?EventType=ZED&Title=Survivor+Gen+Con%3A+The+Blessed+%26+the+Cursed

-Ruins of Atlantis Masquerade Ball

http://gencon.eventdb.us/title.php?EventType=ENT&Title=Ruins+of+Atlantis+Masquerade+Ball

-Gen Con Dance

http://gencon.eventdb.us/title.php?EventType=ENT&Title=Gen+Con+Dance%3A+Eight+Bit+Bash%21

 Parking and Transportation -If you're commuting into the convention, don't even try and get a parking space nearby unless you arrive before 8am. It won't be possible and you'll get really frustrated trying to enter the parking garages with hordes of people wandering by. Find one that doesn't allow overnight parking (those fill first) a good 5-10 blocks away and just walk. -If you're staying downtown and just need to stash your car for a few days overnight, you can use one of the nearby (e.g., mall) garages if you don't mind paying $25/night, or you can use an uncovered lot a good 5-10 blocks way for $5-10/night.

-Park Whiz and Spot Hero are good resources for finding parking spots:

https://www.parkwhiz.com/

https://spothero.com/

-Lyft is good in Indianapolis, and Gen Con has a special partnership and discounts with them this year:

https://www.gencon.com/press/lyftpartnership2018

-Gate 10 parking is the official parking vendor for Gen Con.  They are located about a 25 minute walk from most downtown hotels, and also offer a shuttle, but in our experience it can be pretty slow:

http://gencon.eventdb.us/title.php?EventType=ZED&Title=5+Day+Parking+Pass+%28Wed+Aug+1st+to+Sun+Aug+5%29

Auction -The Gen Con auction is fantastic, and is a long-lasting tradition at the convention. It's located across the hallway from the exhibit hall on the first floor of the ICC. -All items need to be listed in advance at: http://www.livegameauctions.com/ -You cannot spontaneously bring items to sell that you did not preregister at the website above. Don't be that guy who wheels 50 board games into the convention center to sell without preregistering them, you'll have to wheel them straight back out. -The live auction runs from Thursday morning to Saturday night, and there are multiple theme sessions.  The charity/collectable auction tends to have interesting and valuable items.

-They will post the schedule outside the main door on Thursday. -People can list items in the auction store if they are below $50 (prereg still required). This is the best place to get amazing deals at the entire convention. There is often a line to get into the store, especially at peak times.  Keep checking back at the auction store throughout the convention, because items that don’t sell via regular auction will get added to the store.

-Check out this forum in June and especially July.  There will be a virtual flea market for 2018, and math trade as well:

https://boardgamegeek.com/forum/13/boardgamegeek/trades

Explore and try things outside your comfort zone -Gen Con fills every single room and all event space in the following: -ICC first floor -ICC 2nd floor -Union Station -Hyatt Regency -Crown Plaza -Embassy Suites -JW Marriot -Marriot downtown -Omni -Westin -Explore these areas! You'll often find weird little events, people doing silly things, or gaming options you didn't know existed. This is the real Gen Con, and it goes far beyond rushing for new releases in the exhibit hall. -The hallway going to the Lucas Oil stadium is lined with vintage arcade games, and you can also do all sorts video gaming in other areas, usually found on the 1st floor of the ICC:

http://gencon.eventdb.us/title.php?EventType=ZED&Title=Virtual+Reality+Tactical+Shooting+Range

http://gencon.eventdb.us/gameSystem.php?EventType=EGM&GameSystem=Various

http://gencon.eventdb.us/gameSystem.php?EventType=EGM&GameSystem=Tesla+2+Battletech+Pods

-There are tons of newbie friendly RPG games for Call of Cthulhu, Dungeons and Dragons, and Pathfinder. Same for miniature games.  2 hour “learning events” are very common, and a good way to get a taste of a brand new gaming system. It’s usually pretty easy to find space in these events, or get in with generics. -True Dungeon and anime events are in the stadium. Even if you didn't sign up for True Dungeon I would recommend taking a walk down to the stadium and checking out their free area. It's a pretty incredible fantasy set-up they have (think haunted house but for D&D). If you do sign up for True Dungeon as a newbie, make sure to arrive 20-30 minutes early. There will be people available to help you make your character. It's extremely simple and you don't need to worry about the rules, it’s very intuitive. -The area outside on Georgia Street will have live entertainers, parties and other special events each evening.

-Check out the 2nd floor of the ICC, you'll often find underused areas: -Rio Grande Room -Open Crafting Room -The Quiet room (room 211) if you need to relax and get away from the crowds. -The mini paint-and-take (free) and the display cases with the winners of the various mini painting competitions.

-Kids activities are located at the Lucas Oil Stadium this year.  There will be large “kids zone”, but always ask about supervision and don’t just drop your kid off without asking:

http://gencon.eventdb.us/category.php?EventType=KID

-Werewolf and other social games (two rooms and a boom, the resistance) pop up like weeds in the ICC hallways starting around 11pm. Don't feel weird about asking to join, these groups are accommodating to everybody.  The more the merrier. -The convention is open 24 hours and there is always people around playing games, though it dies down between 3am - 8am. Many restaurants and bars are open most of the night in downtown Indy, some like Scotty's pretty much never close during the convention.  White Castle and Steak and Shake are good last resorts if you’re desperate for late night food quickly.

-Check out the seminar list, especially if you’re interest in game design, writing, or industry trends:

http://gencon.eventdb.us/category.php?EventType=SEM

-Most importantly, go outside your comfort zone.  Try something completely new.  Do a demo of a new type of game in the exhibit hall, try a totally new type of event like the National Security Decision Making Games, an Escape Room, or type of board game you normally wouldn’t play.  GC offers plenty of opportunity to try new things. Hope this helps!

[thegaytraveler]

Pride Journey: Bloomington, Indiana

By Joey Amato, Guest Contributor

In the heart of Pence country lies a gay oasis that needs to be on everyone’s list of places to visit. Bloomington, Indiana is one of the most welcoming and gay-friendly small cities I have ever traveled to, partially due to Indiana University and the LGBT initiatives they have implemented over the past few decades. This coupled with a bohemian lifestyle among residents makes it a great destination to visit for a weekend getaway. One of the coolest attractions in the city is the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center. I would never have known that Bloomington was home to such a rich Tibetan culture but as I would soon discover, the city is extremely diverse in its cultural offerings, especially when it comes to culinary establishments. Downtown is rich in its offering of international restaurants. From Thai to Indian to Burmese cuisine, there is something for everyone. Upon entering the grounds of the Cultural Center, one is instantly transported to a foreign land. Tibetan Stupas, a Choekor Pagoda and The Kumbum Chamtse Ling Monastery welcome guests as they wander the beautifully manicured property. While there, take the time to meditate and learn about the Buddhist culture. To continue your tour of Tibet, head to Little Tibet, a restaurant located on 4thStreet in Downtown Bloomington. I recommend trying the Tibetan Cha tea, Mo Mo (pan fried dumplings) and Temo Sha Tsel, stir-fried vegetables in a garlic sauce served with jasmine rice. Tibetan cuisine is slightly reminiscent of Thai cuisine. After dinner, check in to The Graduate Hotel, a fairly new property located in the heart of the city, easily in walking distance to most places of interest. The college-themed décor of the hotel is a bit different and takes some time to get used to – especially if you graduated from college in the early part of the decade - but the hotel chain is catering towards university students and their families, so it works for their target audience. That being said, my room was incredible and featured a huge dining room, living area, walk-in shower and a king size bed that I didn’t want to move from each morning. The first stop on my trip of LGBT Bloomington was the Rainbow Bakery. Don’t expect any fancy lattes here. Instead, order a drip coffee and one of their delectable doughnuts. I opted for the maple bacon doughnut and it was as delicious as it sounds. The bakery staff is welcoming, and establishment is one of the favorite morning destinations among locals.

The city of Bloomington has enacted a Nondiscrimination Policy which provides all citizens equal opportunity for education, employment, access to public accommodations and housing. This policy is on top of Indiana University’s policy, making Bloomington a very welcoming and safe place for LGBT people to live, work and study. Not too far from campus is the Bloomington Salt Cave. It’s not actually a cave, but it is the perfect place to unwind. A session includes a relaxing 45-minute stay in a room made up of Himalayan rock salt. The therapy is a proactive way to achieve overall health and wellness through the use of negative ions. Eastern Europeans have been using dry salt therapy for generations and there are now therapeutic salt caves all over the world. Bloomington is also home to The Kinsey Institute for Sex Research. Named for Dr. Alfred Kinsey, the Institute had two primary goals: to continue the team's research on human sexual behavior; and to administer research resources, including research materials, a library, case histories, and other related materials. Drs. Alfred Kinsey, Wardell Pomeroy, and Clyde Martin developed the Heterosexual-Homosexual Rating Scale—more commonly known as “The Kinsey Scale,” which showed people did not fit into exclusive heterosexual or homosexual categories. Guests can visit The Kinsey Institute Collections, which encompass print materials, film and video, fine art, artifacts, and photography collected from six continents and spanning more than 2,000 years of human history. Indiana University also boasts an active LGBTQ+ Alumni Association, who’s goal is to improve the quality of life for LGBTQ+ students, faculty, staff, and alumni of IU on all eight campuses of the university. The organization sponsors educational activities, provides information on activities and events of interest to the IU LGBTQ+ community and award grants to deserving LGBTQ+ students and student organizations. If you need a break from your culture and history tour of Bloomington, head to Cardinal Spirits, a local distillery and creator of Pride Vodka. While there, order one of their delicious hamburgers, which were cooked to perfection and quite filling. You won’t leave hungry! In the mood for a drag show? Head to The Back Door, the city’s only official gay bar. I say ‘official’ because many bars in the city are LGBT friendly and some locals mentioned a few others, but The Back Door is the only bar that bills itself as a gay establishment. While there, I had front row seats at their RuPaul’s Drag Race-inspired competition, where they appointed Bloomington’s next drag superstar. Bloomington is located about an hour outside of Indianapolis, so if you are visiting from the east or west coast, it would probably be easiest to fly in to Indy and rent a car. I love exploring small LGBT-friendly towns and cities and Bloomington definitely didn’t disappoint. It’s surely one of the blue dots in Indiana.

Joey Amato is the publisher of Pride Journeys, a website dedicated to LGBT travel. Joey has spent over a decade in LGBT media and public relations and currently resides in  both Nashville, Tennessee and Indianapolis, Indiana.

[eateryfoodlounge]

Top Catering Services in Indianapolis: Where to Find Delicious and Professional Event Catering

When it comes to hosting a successful event, great food is often the centerpiece. Whether you're planning a wedding, corporate event, or intimate gathering, choosing the right catering service is crucial to ensuring your guests have an unforgettable experience. Fortunately, Indianapolis is home to a wide range of catering companies that offer exceptional menus, personalized service, and professional execution. Here’s your guide to the top catering services in Indianapolis.

1. Full-Service Catering for Weddings and Large Events

For large gatherings, including weddings and corporate events, full-service catering is the way to go. These catering services handle everything from food preparation to delivery, setup, and cleanup, ensuring a seamless experience from start to finish. They often offer customized menus, allowing you to choose from a variety of appetizers, entrees, and desserts, as well as drinks and hors d'oeuvres that suit your theme or event style. Many full-service caterers in Indianapolis are experienced in working with venues, making them a perfect choice for large-scale events.

2. Buffet-Style Catering for Casual Events

If you're hosting a more casual or relaxed event, buffet-style catering is a fantastic option. These services allow guests to help themselves to a variety of dishes, making it easy for everyone to try something different. Many catering companies in Indianapolis offer buffet options that include a variety of cuisines, from traditional comfort food to international flavors. This style of catering is particularly popular for events like birthdays, office parties, and casual receptions, where guests can mingle and enjoy a more laid-back atmosphere.

3. Corporate Catering for Business Events

Corporate catering services specialize in providing meals for business meetings, conferences, and company parties. These caterers understand the importance of professionalism and efficiency and offer a wide range of menu options that are easy to serve in office settings. From breakfast buffets to lunch boxes, plated meals, and coffee breaks, corporate caterers in Indianapolis can meet the specific needs of your workplace event. Many companies also offer customizable options to cater to dietary preferences and restrictions, ensuring all guests are satisfied.

4. Specialty Catering for Dietary Needs and Preferences

One of the growing trends in catering services is the ability to cater to specific dietary needs, whether it’s vegan, gluten-free, keto, or allergen-friendly options. Many Indianapolis caterers now offer specialized menus that accommodate various dietary restrictions without sacrificing flavor or quality. Whether you’re hosting an event with a diverse group of guests or simply want to ensure everyone is well-catered for, choosing a catering service with experience in dietary preferences ensures that every guest will enjoy the meal.

5. Food Trucks for Unique Catering Experiences

For a fun and unique twist on traditional catering, consider hiring food trucks for your event. Food trucks are increasingly popular in Indianapolis for outdoor events, weddings, festivals, and parties. They bring a vibrant, interactive experience to your event, allowing guests to choose from a variety of delicious foods made right on the spot. Food trucks can offer everything from tacos and gourmet burgers to wood-fired pizzas and ice cream, making them a great option for casual gatherings and social events.

6. Family-Style Catering for Intimate Gatherings

If you’re hosting a smaller event, such as a family reunion, anniversary party, or intimate dinner, family-style catering may be the perfect choice. This catering style allows dishes to be served in large portions at each table, encouraging guests to share and enjoy the meal together. Family-style catering services in Indianapolis often offer homestyle cooking, such as roasted meats, seasonal vegetables, and classic comfort food dishes. It’s a great way to create a warm, communal dining experience that makes everyone feel at home.

7. Dessert Catering for Sweet Celebrations

No event is complete without a selection of delicious desserts. Many catering companies in Indianapolis specialize in sweet treats, offering everything from custom cakes and pastries to cookie stations and dessert tables. Whether you’re looking for a wedding cake, cupcakes for a birthday party, or a variety of sweets for a corporate event, dessert catering services can help you create a memorable and indulgent finale to your celebration.

8. Cocktail and Beverage Catering

For events where drinks are just as important as the food, beverage catering services can help elevate the experience. Many Indianapolis caterers offer cocktail services, with bartenders who can create custom drinks and serve a wide variety of beverages, from wine and beer to specialty cocktails. Beverage caterers can also provide non-alcoholic options, ensuring that every guest has something to enjoy. This type of catering is perfect for weddings, happy hours, and social gatherings where drinks take center stage.

Conclusion

Indianapolis offers a variety of catering services that can accommodate events of all sizes, styles, and budgets. Whether you’re planning an elegant wedding, a corporate conference, or a casual backyard BBQ, the right catering service can help make your event memorable and stress-free. From full-service catering and specialty diets to food trucks and beverage services, there’s no shortage of options to ensure your guests enjoy delicious food in a setting that suits your event’s tone. Choose a catering service that aligns with your vision, and you’ll have an unforgettable experience.

[amaraindy]

Amara Indian Cuisine and Bar in Indianapolis is a must-try for anyone looking to experience the authentic flavors of India. Located in the heart of the city, this restaurant boasts a menu featuring all of your favorite traditional Indian dishes, as well as some unique and innovative creations. There are plenty of options for both meat-lovers and vegetarians, and the expert chefs use the freshest ingredients and authentic spices to bring the flavors of India to life.

In addition to the food, Amara also has a fully stocked bar with a selection of signature cocktails and a variety of wines and beers. Whether you're in the mood for a classic Indian lassi or a more modern concoction, there's something for everyone to enjoy.

If you're planning a special occasion or just want to treat yourself to a delicious meal, consider booking a table at Amara Indian Cuisine and Bar. The ambiance is warm and welcoming, and the service is always top-notch. You'll leave feeling satisfied and already planning your next visit.

Overall, Amara Indian Cuisine and Bar is a great choice for anyone looking to experience the flavors of India in the Indianapolis area. Don't miss out on this delicious dining experience.Regenerate response

[wiremagazine]

DESTINATIONS: BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA

By Joey Amato

In the heart of Pence country lies a gay oasis that needs to be on everyone's list of places to visit. Bloomington, Indiana is one of the most welcoming and gay-friendly small cities I have ever traveled to, partially due to Indiana University and the LGBTQ initiatives they have implemented over the past few decades. This coupled with a bohemian lifestyle among residents makes it a great destination to visit for a weekend getaway.

One of the coolest attractions in the city is the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center. I would never have known that Bloomington was home to such a rich Tibetan culture, but, as I would soon discover, the city is extremely diverse in its cultural offerings, especially when it comes to culinary establishments. Downtown is rich in its offering of international restaurants. From Thai to Indian to Burmese cuisine, there is something for everyone.

Upon entering the grounds of the Cultural Center, one is instantly transported to a foreign land. Tibetan Stupas, a Choekor Pagoda and The Kumbum Chamtse Ling Monastery welcome guests as they wander the beautifully manicured property. While there, take the time to meditate and learn about Buddhist culture. To continue your tour of Tibet, head to Little Tibet, a restaurant located on 4th Street in Downtown Bloomington. I recommend trying the Tibetan Cha tea, Mo Mo (pan-fried dumplings) and Temo Sha Tsel, stir-fried vegetables in a garlic sauce served with jasmine rice. Tibetan cuisine is slightly reminiscent of Thai cuisine.

After dinner, check in to The Graduate Hotel, a fairly new property located in the heart of the city, easily in walking distance to most places of interest. The college-themed décor of the hotel is a bit different and takes some time to get used to – especially if you graduated from college in the early part of the decade – but the hotel chain is catering towards university students and their families, so it works for their target audience. That being said, my room was incredible and featured a huge dining room, living area, walk-in shower and a king size bed that I didn't want to move from each morning.

The first stop on my trip of LGBTQ Bloomington was the Rainbow Bakery. Don't expect any fancy lattes here. Instead, order a drip coffee and one of their delectable doughnuts. I opted for the maple bacon doughnut and it was as delicious as it sounds. The bakery staff is welcoming, and the establishment is one of the favorite morning destinations among locals. The city of Bloomington has enacted a nondiscrimination policy which provides all citizens an equal opportunity for education, employment, access to public accommodations and housing. This policy is on top of Indiana University's policy, making Bloomington a very welcoming and safe place for LGBTQ people to live, work and study.

Not too far from campus is the Bloomington Salt Cave. It's not actually a cave, but it is the perfect place to unwind. A session includes a relaxing 45-minute stay in a room made up of Himalayan rock salt. The therapy is a proactive way to achieve overall health and wellness through the use of negative ions. Eastern Europeans have been using dry salt therapy for generations and there are now therapeutic salt caves all over the world.

Bloomington is also home to The Kinsey Institute for Sex Research. Named for Dr. Alfred Kinsey, the Institute had two primary goals: to continue the team's research on human sexual behavior; and to administer research resources, including research materials, a library, case histories, and other related materials. Drs. Alfred Kinsey, Wardell Pomeroy, and Clyde Martin developed the Heterosexual-Homosexual Rating Scale – more commonly known as "The Kinsey Scale," which showed people did not fit into exclusive heterosexual or homosexual categories. Guests can visit The Kinsey Institute Collections, which encompass print materials, film and video, fine art, artifacts, and photography collected from six continents and spanning more than 2,000 years of human history.

Indiana University also boasts an active LGBTQ+ Alumni Association, whose goal is to improve the quality of life for LGBTQ+ students, faculty, staff, and alumni of IU on all eight campuses of the university. The organization sponsors educational activities, provides information on activities and events of interest to the IU LGBTQ+ community and award grants to deserving LGBTQ+ students and student organizations.

If you need a break from your culture and history tour of Bloomington, head to Cardinal Spirits, a local distillery, and creator of Pride Vodka. While there, order one of their delicious hamburgers, which were cooked to perfection and quite filling. You won't leave hungry!

In the mood for a drag show? Head to The Back Door, the city's only official gay bar. I say 'official' because many bars in the city are LGBTQ friendly and some locals mentioned a few others, but The Back Door is the only bar that bills itself as a gay establishment. While there, I had front row seats at their RuPaul's Drag Race-inspired competition, where they appointed Bloomington's next drag superstar.

Bloomington is located about an hour outside of Indianapolis, so if you are visiting from the east or west coast, it would probably be easiest to fly into Indy and rent a car. I love exploring small LGBTQ-friendly towns and cities and Bloomington definitely didn't disappoint. It's surely one of the blue dots in Indiana.

Enjoy the journey!

Joey Amato is the publisher of Pride Journeys, a website dedicated to LGBTQ travel. Joey has spent over a decade in LGBTQ media and public relations and currently resides in both Nashville, Tennessee and Indianapolis, Indiana. He can be reached at joey@pridejourneys.com.

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Issue 13.2019

[bullmiddle5-blog]

America’s 38 Essential Restaurants

Plenty of smart, useful articles appear each year directing people to the nation’s buzziest restaurants, highlighting emerging trends and up-and-coming chefs. This annual guide, compiled after 34 weeks of travel and almost 600 meals in 36 cities, aims to accomplish something else: It’s a distillation of the foods and the communities to which I’ve borne witness. The undertaking has defined my work — my life, really — for nearly the last five years as Eater’s national critic.

The one-word mantra that steers my thinking, and also the city-based Eater 38 maps upon which the list is modeled, is essential. Which places become indispensable to their neighborhoods, and eventually to their towns and whole regions? Which ones spur trends, or set standards for hospitality and leadership, or stir conversations around representation and inclusivity? Which restaurants, ultimately, become vital to how we understand ourselves, and others, at the table?

Every year, the list changes substantially; this time around, we welcome 17 newcomers. They’re the places where I had especially meaningful aha moments, where I thought, “Of course New Mexican cuisine should be lauded,” or “Absolutely this is the one Korean barbecue restaurant where everyone should eat,” or “It’s crazy how perfectly these Pakistani-Texan dishes summarize the heart of Houston dining.” The bleeding-edge vanguards among this crew include a Los Angeles maverick where the chef grafts cuisines from around the world with astounding grace, a San Antonio barbecue upstart ushering Mexican flavors to the forefront, and America’s most impactful Southern restaurant — which happens to be in Seattle.

This being the fifth of these roundups I’ve agonized over, I’ve also observed, over these years, a shifting national consciousness, where diners from many backgrounds increasingly embrace cuisines with which they were previously unfamiliar. It’s the new paradigm, not an exception. Coded culinary language denoting “them” and “us” — as “American” or “other” — is slowly but inexorably dissolving. Each of these restaurants cooks American food; I can’t imagine our dining landscape without them. Sure, they’re wonderful places to eat. But they all engender belonging, possibility, and connection — things we surely need in our country right now.

★ – an Eater 38 Icon, on this list five consecutive times

The 2017 list | The December 2016 list | The January 2016 list | The 2015 list

2M Smokehouse, San Antonio, TX | Al Ameer, Dearborn, MI | Atelier Crenn, San Francisco, CA | Bad Saint, Washington, DC | Bateau, Seattle, WA | ★ Benu, San Francisco, CA | Bertha’s Kitchen, North Charleston, SC | ★ Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills, NY | Brennan’s, New Orleans, LA | Compère Lapin, New Orleans, LA | FIG, Charleston, SC | ★ Franklin Barbecue, Austin, TX | The Grey, Savannah, GA | Here’s Looking At You, Los Angeles, CA | Highlands Bar & Grill, Birmingham, AL | Himalaya, Houston, TX | Jose Enrique, San Juan, PR | JuneBaby, Seattle, WA | Kachka, Portland, OR | Koi Palace, Daly City, CA | Mariscos Jalisco, Los Angeles, CA | Mary & Tito’s Cafe, Albuquerque, NM | Milktooth, Indianapolis, IN | Momofuku Ko, New York, NY | Mud Hen Water, Honolulu, HI | n/naka, Los Angeles, CA | Palace Diner, Biddeford, ME | Parachute, Chicago, IL | Park’s BBQ, Los Angeles, CA | ★ Prince’s Hot Chicken, Nashville, TN | Smyth & the Loyalist, Chicago, IL | Spoon & Stable, Minneapolis, MN | Staplehouse, Atlanta, GA | Superiority Burger, New York, NY | Via Carota, New York, NY | Xi’an Famous Foods, New York, NY | Xochi, Houston, TX | ★ Zahav, Philadelphia, PA

2M Smokehouse

San Antonio

In an ever-more-crowded genre, pitmaster Esaul Ramos and fellow San Antonian Joe Melig transcend the Texas smoked-meats melee by also serving a frictionless combination of dishes that express their Mexican-American heritage. The uniformly blackened, near-custardy brisket rivals the efforts of the Austin superstars; chopped poblanos and blots of queso Oaxaca punctuate their stellar pork sausage. Fold them into speckled flour tortillas, topped with pickled nopales and interspersed with forkfuls of borracho beans and “Chicharoni Macaroni” (mac and cheese dusted with fried pork skins). This is how the leading edge of Lone Star barbecue looks, smells, and tastes. 2731 South WW White Road, San Antonio, TX, (210) 885-9352, 2msmokehouse.com

Atelier Crenn

San Francisco

With an artist’s sense of constant reinvention, Dominique Crenn has been bending flavors and meditating on design since her flagship restaurant’s 2011 debut. More masterfully than ever, Crenn and her team (including pastry chef Juan Contreras) mine the middle ground between intellect and emotion, between heady presentation and flat-out deliciousness. Crenn focuses the modernist kitchen on seafood and vegetables, using impeccable Bay Area ingredients while musing over her upbringing in Brittany, France, for inspiration. Stunning black-walnut tables, part of the dining room’s 2017 renovation, show off swirling wood grains that resemble turbulent cloud patterns; the effect is mirrored in tableside theatrics like platters of billowing dry ice that soon reveal tiny geoduck tarts. 3125 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA, (415) 440-0460, ateliercrenn.com

Brennan’s

New Orleans

Ralph Brennan and his business partner, Terry White, rescued this French Quarter monolith in 2014, shepherding $20 million worth of reconstructive surgery on a building the size of a small cruise ship. Among the city’s Creole restaurant institutions, Brennan’s now takes the lead with its balance of timeless pageantry and relevant, finely honed cooking. Executive chef Slade Rushing nails the classics — eggs Sardou laced with creamed spinach for breakfast, snapper amandine or blackened redfish for dinner, bananas Foster for dessert any time of day — but also rotates in fresh twists like frog legs with basil tempura and tomato escabeche. 417 Royal Street, New Orleans, LA, (504) 525-9711, brennansneworleans.com

Here’s Looking At You

Los Angeles

Beef tartare at Here’s Looking At You

Wonho Frank Lee

Jonathan Whitener, the chef who owns HLAY with front-of-house ace Lien Ta, is arguably the country’s most creatively energized practitioner of the “global plates” aesthetic. Salsa negra, smoked beef tongue, nam jim, carrot curry, blood cake, almond dukkah, sprouted broccoli, New Zealand cockles: All have a place on his menu; all make sense in his electric, eclectic compositions; all reflect Los Angeles’s wondrous pluralism. The cocktail menu takes cues from Tiki culture but spirals off in similarly wild and amazingly cohesive directions. 3901 West 6th Street, Los Angeles, CA, (213) 568-3573, hereslookingatyoula.com

Himalaya

Houston

Effervescent, always-present owner Kaiser Lashkari and his wife, Azra Babar Lashkari, turn out nearly 100 distinct dishes at their boxy strip-mall restaurant in the city’s Mahatma Gandhi District. Numerous curries, including Hyderabadi chicken hara masala coursing with green chiles, evince several regional Indian cuisines, but it’s key to order the gems inspired by Kaiser Lashkari’s native Pakistan. He excels in “hunter beef,” a preparation similar to pastrami, best served cold in thick slices with head-clearing mustard. He links the Pakistani affinity for beef with Texas in specials like his weekend-only smoked brisket masala. The restaurant’s excellent, mildly spiced fried chicken bridges cultures just as successfully. 6652 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX, (713) 532-2837, himalayarestauranthouston.com

Jose Enrique

San Juan, PR

Jose Enrique’s whole fried fish over yuca

There is no sign outside the self-named restaurant of Jose Enrique Montes Alvarez; there’s also no missing the building, a cottage spangled with Art Deco geometries and painted bright pink. Jose Enrique served as the initial headquarters for José Andrés and his World Central Kitchen, which eventually served over 3 million meals in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria’s destruction in 2017. And it rightly remains the island’s most lauded dining destination. Whiteboards propped around the dining room list the daily-changing menu, a narration of the island’s comida criolla in which local seafood keeps diners rapt. Build a meal around an Enrique classic: whole fish fried into a kinetic sculpture, crowned with a chunky salsa of papaya and avocado and set over mashed yam. The crowd is drinking local rum. Join them. 176 Calle Duffaut, San Juan, Puerto Rico, (787) 725-3518, joseenriquepr.com

JuneBaby

Seattle

Edouardo Jordan grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida, with family roots in Georgia, but it wasn’t until he opened his second Seattle restaurant, in the spring of 2017, that he chose to focus professionally on the foods of the South and his African-American heritage. The decision, and the restaurant’s immediate success, has made him one of the nation’s towering figures of Southern cooking. Among the menu’s familiar, gorgeously rendered comforts, the truest treasures (oxtails, vinegared chitterlings, collard greens with ham hock) are the ones that most resonantly invoke Jordan’s upbringing. 2122 Northeast 65th Street, Seattle, WA, (206) 257-4470, junebabyseattle.com

Koi Palace

Daly City, CA

Dim sum is among my favorite meals; I took a particularly obsessive deep dive through the Bay Area and greater Los Angeles this past year while researching the Eater Guide to California. A Sunday jaunt to the original Koi Palace (the flagship of its three locations) reminded me why it’s the indispensable cornerstone among the region’s many stellar dim sum options. Once you wade through the chaotic crowds, a euphoric whirlwind of food and service awaits. In a blur of dumplings, noodles, congees, sweet and savory cakes, piled greens, and crisp-skinned meats, a through-line of freshness and craftsmanship gives the feast cohesion. Finish with the last dregs of tea and the custardy fritters called “Sugar Egg Puffs.” 365 Gellert Boulevard, Daly City, CA, (650) 992-9000, koipalace.com

Mary & Tito’s Cafe

Albuquerque

The foodways of New Mexico are even more regionalized and misconstrued than Texas’s Tex-Mex traditions. In restaurants, New Mexican cuisine boils down to the quality of two dominant chile sauces: the dusky, fruity, slightly spicy red variation, made from dried pods, and the chunkier, vegetal roasted green chile version. There is no better indoctrination into the state’s culinary nucleus than the cafe started by Tito and Mary Ann Gonzales in 1963. Both have died, but their daughter Antoinette Knight, her family, and the restaurant’s longtime cooks keep the recipes and spirit alive. The crucial dishes: carne adovada (pork marinated in bright, silky, near-perfect red chile sauce and then baked) and stacked blue corn enchiladas with both red and green chiles — which is to say, “Christmas” style. 2711 4th St NW, Albuquerque, NM, (505) 344-6266, no website

Momofuku Ko

New York

The wit and technical command behind the tasting menu at David Chang’s toniest outpost perpetually makes Ko one of Manhattan’s worthiest splurges. A course of frozen foie shavings, melting on the tongue like otherworldly snowflakes, is a forever trademark; it’s hard to look at the split shape of the “Ko egg” and not envision an alabaster Pac-Man gobbling dots of caviar. But this past year the restaurant hoisted itself to another dimension by adding a walk-ins-only bar with a separate, experimental, and sneakily brilliant menu by executive chef Sean Gray and his team. Consistent pleasures have included quadruple-fried chicken legs, served cold. They’re so outrageously good, Harland Sanders only wishes he were picnicking on them in the afterlife. 8 Extra Place, New York, NY, (212) 203-8095, ko.momofuku.com

Palace Diner

Biddeford, Maine

In 2014, Chad Conley and Greg Mitchell took over a decades-old, 15-seat restaurant housed in a Pollard train car built in 1927 and turned it into the ideal realization of a daytime Americana diner. Eating here haunts me: I can’t find better light, lemony, buttery pancakes, or a more precisely engineered egg sandwich, and theirs is the only tuna melt I ever hunger after. Location plays a charming role: Sleepy but quickly burgeoning Biddeford, Maine (also home to Rabelais, one of the country’s finest food-focused booksellers), sits about 20 miles south of Portland. It’s all worth the trek. 18 Franklin Street, Biddeford, ME, (207) 284-0015, palacedinerme.com

Park’s BBQ

Los Angeles

Tabletop barbecue and banchan at Park’s BBQ

Wonho Frank Lee/Eater

In America, the meaty magnetism of Korean barbecue restaurants often serves as a gateway to the country’s cuisine. Park’s, ensconced in a Koreatown strip mall, is more of a journey’s culmination — the pinnacle of the genre. Certainly the tabletop-grilled meats (especially the kalbi, or short ribs, and anything offered as an American wagyu upgrade) deliver with sizzling edges and smoky depths. Before the main event, tiny plates of chef-owner Jenee Kim’s meticulous banchan (kimchi; gyeran mari, or rolled egg; battered slices of squash) rev the appetite. The cooking alone distinguishes the restaurant; the engaged, near-telepathic staff propels the experience even higher. 955 South Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, (213) 380-1717, parksbbq.com

Smyth & the Loyalist

Chicago

Chicago is a stronghold of tasting-menu restaurants all nearly on par in their intellectual heft. At Smyth, husband and wife John Shields and Karen Urie Shields certainly show off brainpower through 12 courses that uniquely coalesce Japanese, Nordic, and Southern-American flavors and techniques. But their close relationship with a farm 20 miles south of the city in Bourbonnais, Illinois helps give Smyth’s cuisine a literal and spiritual grounding. I taste the honest Midwest in dishes like end-of-summer green gooseberries paired with uni. At the Loyalist downstairs, the duo apply their formidable know-how to the Americana fare, including killer biscuits with cheddar and what may be the most righteous cheeseburger in Chicago. 177 North Ada Street, Chicago, IL, (773) 913-3773, smythandtheloyalist.com

Superiority Burger

New York

Brooks Headley departed from his top-of-the-food-chain gig as pastry chef at Del Posto in 2015 to channel his punk-musician origins into a solo project: a seditious, moshing, 270-square-foot Lower East Side restaurant that specializes in a remarkably gratifying vegetarian burger. The place is an ever-rarer reminder of individuality and tenacity in New York City. At its busiest moments, the crowd streams from the six-seat storefront out onto the sidewalk, a breadth of humanity sharing the moment as they consume meat-free sandwiches and spontaneous vegetable creations, straight from the farmers markets. Every menu item costs under $10. Headley doesn’t entirely abandon his previous title: He channels every ounce of his dessert genius into two transcendent gelato and ice cream flavors that change daily and come squashed together in a paper cup. 430 East 9th Street, New York, NY, (212) 256-1192, superiorityburger.com

Via Carota

New York

I’ll just say it: This is my favorite place to eat in New York. While no one “quintessential Manhattan” restaurant exists, Via Carota exquisitely inhabits one version of the mythology. It’s the filtered, shifting light that seeps through the picture windows overlooking a narrow West Village street. It’s the crowd’s smart air (especially at lunch, the ideal time to drop in). And it’s certainly the assured Italian cooking, heavy on vegetable dishes but also with soul-soothing pleasures like tagliatelle showered with Parmesan and draped with prosciutto. An unusually harmonic partnership animates the place: Chef couple Rita Sodi and Jody Williams each started still-successful restaurants nearby before combining forces on their joint darling. I always feel cheered by their doting brand of culinary co-parenting. 51 Grove Street, New York, NY, (212) 255-1962, viacarota.com

Xi’an Famous Foods

New York

Jason Wang and his father, David Shi, began their success story out of longing: The dishes they first served out of a basement stall of the Golden Shopping Mall in Flushing, Queens, channeled signatures of their native Xi’an, the capital of China’s northwestern Shaanxi Province. Hand-ripped noodles with spicy cumin lamb (its complexly seasoned chile oil reflective of Xi’an’s Eastern point along the spice routes), liangpi “cold skin” noodles, and a lamb burger stuffed in a hamburger-bun-shaped bao became phenomenons. Now with over a dozen locations in three New York boroughs, the chain remains in the family, and the food — remarkable in its consistency and affordability — rightly persists as a cult obsession. 41-10 Main Street, Flushing, NY, (212) 786-2068, and other locations, xianfoods.com

Xochi

Houston

Chicken tacos at Xochi

Each of Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught’s four Houston restaurants lend distinction to the world-class greatness of the city’s dining scene. Since opening in early 2017, Xochi quickly ascended as the finest of their bellwethers. Ortega and his chefs delve into Oaxaca’s earthy, exhilarating, spicy-sweet cuisine, with its color wheel of moles and its masa-based specialties shaped into irresistible geometries. Look for memelas (a thicker tortilla cradling roasted pork rib), tetelas (blue-masa triangles stuffed with house-made cheese), and molotes (crisp oval cakes painted with creamy and spicy sauces). Lunch ranks equal to dinner in excellence, a blessing for Downtown’s visitors and local workers alike. 1777 Walker Street, Houston, TX, (713) 400-3330, xochihouston.com

Among those reappearing on the list, only five standouts remain from the original guide Eater published in January 2015. The quintet — consider them Eater Icons — comprises the progenitor of hot chicken, the nation’s ranking barbecue lodestar, two luminaries where I’d most readily recommend celebrating a special occasion, and the restaurant that shifted how many of us perceive Middle Eastern foods. These are the places that I could never bring myself to rotate out. They all exemplify cuisines and ideas that dominated the decade, but their influence also clearly surpasses momentary fad.

Al Ameer

Dearborn, Michigan | Among Dearborn’s cache of Lebanese restaurants, this is the paragon. Kahlil Ammar and Zaki Hashem’s family business includes an in-house butcher facility, so the unrivaled stuffed lamb (and also lamb liver, a traditional breakfast dish) exhibits exceptional freshness. 12710 West Warren Avenue, Dearborn, MI, (313) 582-8185, alameerrestaurant.com

Benu

San Francisco

“Thousand year old egg” at Benu

No culinary leader in America deserves the honorific of “chef’s chef” more than Corey Lee. Easy labels don’t stick to his visionary cooking. Lee runs three San Francisco restaurants, including the bistro Monsieur Benjamin and In Situ at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, but it’s at his flagship where his virtuosic talents most hold sway. Lee was born in Korea, and he most often summons the cuisines of China, Japan, and his native country for his intricate, striking dishes. Lobster coral soup dumplings, mussels stuffed with glass noodles and layered vegetables, a combination of potato salad and caramelized anchovies that recalls two staples of banchan: After thousands of meals consumed for Eater, I don’t know another place in America that serves food more dazzlingly, gratifyingly singular than Benu. Master sommelier Yoon Ha’s beverage pairings keep pace with Lee’s kitchen — another of the restaurant’s near-impossible achievements. 22 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA, (415) 685-4860, benusf.com

Bad Saint

Washington, D.C. | The challenge: a no-reservations policy, 24 seats, and a line that begins several hours nightly before opening. The payoff: Tom Cunanan’s peerless Filipino cuisine. Inspirations like piniritong alimasag (fried soft-shell crab in spicy crab-fat sauce) also brilliantly signal the Chesapeake region in which he cooks. 3226 11th Street NW, Washington, D.C., no phone, badsaintdc.com

Bateau

Seattle | At Renee Erickson’s revolutionary overhaul of the American steakhouse, she and her partners dry-age the beef they raise on nearby Whidbey Island. Servers maintain a nightly running list of steaks on a chalkboard; lesser-known cuts like gracilis (the lean top round cap) receive equal billing with New York strips and ribeyes. Gallic-accented sides (kale gratin) and desserts (baba au rhum) trumpet the country’s renewed obsession with French cuisine. 1040 East Union Street, Seattle, WA, (206) 900-8699, restaurantbateau.com

Bertha’s Kitchen

North Charleston | Sisters Sharon Grant Coakley, Julie Grant, and Linda Pinckney carry on the culinary traditions of their deceased mother, Albertha Grant, serving red rice and shrimp, garlic crabs, lima beans, okra stew, and other specialties of the Gullah, former slaves who made their home in South Carolina’s Lowcountry. 2332 Meeting Street Road, North Charleston, SC, (843) 554-6519, no website

Blue Hill at Stone Barns

Pocantico Hills, NY

Squash in the guise of guacamole at Stone Barns

If pushed to pinpoint one restaurant that I consider to be the “best” in America, I will time and again name Dan Barber’s Westchester County destination, the centerpiece of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture. Four-hour-plus meals here are elegant, interactive experiences: They begin with the front-of-house staff asking about interests and appetites, and then the first bites comprise a procession of “vegetables from the field” served raw and impaled on spikes with the lightest gloss of vinaigrette. From there… who knows? Barber and his seasoned improvisers run the show, orchestrating scenarios of experimental squash varietals and no-waste animal cookery; perhaps there’s a mid-evening field trip to the bakery or a course or two in the refurbished manure shed (yes, it’s a thing) or the kitchen. Diners ultimately leave with altered definitions of place and time around food. What Barber creates is a life-affirming reset of what a restaurant can and should be. 630 Bedford Road, Pocantico Hills, NY, (914) 366-9606, bluehillfarm.com

Compère Lapin

New Orleans | Nina Compton, a native of St. Lucia, revives New Orleans’s often-forgotten connections to the Caribbean; at her three-year-old restaurant, she knits together cultures with dishes like snapper with vinegary pepper escovitch and carrot beurre blanc. 535 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans, LA, (504) 599-2119, comperelapin.com

FIG

Charleston | The first place you should eat in Charleston? And maybe the last? Mike Lata and Jason Stanhope’s ever-creative, always-consistent fixture, where the daily catch from Southern waters steers the nightly menu. 232 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC, (843) 805-5900, eatatfig.com

Franklin Barbecue

Austin, TX

A classic spread at Franklin Barbecue

Courtney Pierce/Eater

Things Americans willingly wait in line for: rides in Disney theme parks, Black Friday sales, the latest iPhone, Aaron Franklin’s sublime array of smoked meats. I’d argue the latter leads to the greatest rewards. Texas barbecue functions as a ferocious, intensely observed sport unto itself; who crafts the most rapturous beef rib or the snappiest sausages fuel constant debate. What isn’t disputed is how Franklin raised the discourse around barbecue when he and his wife, Stacy, stoked the first pit at their barbecue trailer in 2009. (The business moved to its current midcentury modern digs in 2011.) His brisket alone altered my brain chemistry, and did the same for a lot of other souls, forever changing our expectations of that Lone Star staple. A spread of brisket, ribs, pulled pork, potato salad, and pinto beans still merits the wait, which every omnivore should brave once in their lives. 900 East 11th Street, Austin, TX, (512) 653-1187, franklinbarbecue.com

The Grey

Savannah, GA | Eater’s 2017 Restaurant of the Year resides in a former Greyhound bus station, restored to its original 1938 Art Deco grandeur in a multimillion-dollar renovation. Mashama Bailey culls Southern port city flavors into a jubilantly personal expression, with triumphs like salt-preserved grouper on toast and quail scented with Madeira. 109 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Savannah, GA, (912) 662-5999, thegreyrestaurant.com

Highlands Bar & Grill

Birmingham, AL | A victorious year, with James Beard Awards for Outstanding Restaurant (after nine previous nominations) and a long-deserved win for pastry chef Dolester Miles, only emphasizes the timeless relevance of Frank and Pardis Stitt’s affable Southern-French haven. 2011 11th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL, (205) 939-1400, highlandsbarandgrill.com

Kachka

Portland, OR | Bonnie and Israel Morales recently moved their Belarusian-Georgian-Russian restaurant to a larger, splashier space without displacing an ounce of its inimitable spirit; their new lunch service offers the same signature dumplings, caviar, and newly supersized blini, and world-class vodkas. 960 SE 11th Avenue, Portland, OR, (503) 235-0059, kachkapdx.com

Mariscos Jalisco

Los Angeles | Raul Ortega’s mariscos truck, parked in LA’s Boyle Heights community, serves what is arguably the most perfectly constructed taco in the whole blessed country: The taco dorado de camaron, filled with spiced shrimp, emerges sizzling from the fryer before being swathed with salsa roja and avocado slices. 3040 East Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, (323) 528-6701, no website

Milktooth

Indianapolis | Dutch baby pancakes with fluffernutter and grape jelly, sourdough-chocolate waffles with oolong-infused maple syrup, bacon and beef sloppy Joes: Jonathan Brooks is a mad genius of the morning meal. There’s no more inspired destination for relentlessly inventive breakfasts in America. 534 Virginia Avenue, Indianapolis, IN, (317) 986-5131, milktoothindy.com

Mud Hen Water

Honolulu | Hawaiian food exists in its own delicious, swirling cosmos. In dishes like his version of grilled squid lūʻau, whole fish cooked in coals, and chicken long rice croquettes, O‘ahu native Ed Kenney connects the cultural dots like no one else on the islands. 3452 Waialae Avenue, Honolulu, HI, (808) 737-6000, mudhenwater.com

n/naka

Los Angeles | Reservations open three months in advance and book out instantly, but tenacity rewards with the country’s most poetic kaiseki meal. Niki Nakayama and Carole Iida’s menus careen through cooking techniques (sashimi, steaming, frying, searing), but the whole is a meditation on the ties between culinary tradition and individual imagination. 3455 Overland Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, (310) 836-6252, n-naka.com

Parachute

Chicago | Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark’s dishes crisscross continents in their exceptionally vivid flavors, but the road always leads back to Korea with seasonal journeys like dolsot bibimbap and sesame-laced beef stew. 3500 N Elston Avenue, Chicago, IL, (773) 654-1460, parachuterestaurant.com

Prince’s Hot Chicken

Nashville

The one-and-only hot chicken at Prince’s

Nashville-style hot chicken can no longer be considered a trend or a local delicacy; its countrywide popularity over the last five years cemented its place in the foundation of American dining. But no matter how many people succumb to the masochistic pleasures of capsaicin and the endorphin rush that follows, or how many restaurant groups fashion their own variations, credit for the dish should — and will — always go straight back to the business that made it famous. James Thornton Prince founded the restaurant in the 1940s; his great-niece André Prince Jeffries remains the guardian of the recipe. The heat levels range from plain to “XXX Hot.” The “Hot” version is as far as I go, and as a full-body sensory happening, it’s plenty. Everyone should visit North Nashville and face the flames for themselves. 123 Ewing Drive, Nashville, TN, (615) 226-9442, princeshotchicken.com

Spoon & Stable

Minneapolis | This is the Twin Cities’ restaurant of the decade. Gavin Kaysen brought New York star power back to his native Minnesota but keeps himself grounded with local ingredients and compelling yet comforting plates. Pastry chef Diane Moua echoes the Midwest charm with creations like root-beer semifreddo. 211 North First Street, Minneapolis, MN, (612) 224-9850, spoonandstable.com

Staplehouse

Atlanta | Ryan Smith crafts the right-now model of the mid-priced tasting menu, serving a dozen or so constantly evolving courses; dishes might involve modernist mousses and powders but never spiral too far from an end goal of accessible pleasure. Co-owners Jen Hidinger and Kara Hidinger (Smith’s wife) lead the front of house with Southern graciousness. 541 Edgewood Avenue Southeast, Atlanta, GA, (404) 524-5005, staplehouse.com

Zahav

Philadelphia, PA

Smoked lamb shoulder with chickpeas at Zahav

The recent limelight on Middle Eastern foods in America, which is overdue and still very much emerging, can in part be traced to Michael Solomonov, the chef who owns Zahav (and about a dozen other restaurants) with Steve Cook. Solomonov, born in Israel, brings a respectful and contemporary translation of that nation’s clearinghouse adaptation of its region’s varied cuisines. Dinner should always begin with salatim — warmly spiced vegetable salads that light up the table in their shades of red, green, gold, and purple — and Solomonov’s justly lauded hummus, maybe in a Turkish variation bathed in melted butter. Grilled duck hearts, roasted carrots with labneh, the signature smoked lamb shoulder lacquered with pomegranate molasses, riffs on kanafeh (a shredded phyllo dessert) with seasonal fruits: These communal plates all foster kinship, further cultural understanding, and of course bring immense enjoyment. 237 St James Place, Philadelphia, PA, (215) 625-8800, zahavrestaurant.com

Editor: Erin DeJesus Art director: Brittany Holloway-Brown Shooter: Gary He Video editor: Murilo Ferreira Photographers: Katie Acheff, Joshua Brasted, Frank Wonho Lee, Reese Moore, Courtney Pierce Social media editors: Milly McGuinness, Adam Moussa Copy editor: Emma Alpern Special thanks to: Matt Buchanan, Amanda Kludt, Francesca Manto, Stefania Orru, Stephen Pelletteri, Mariya Pylayev, and Eater’s city editors

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Source: https://www.eater.com/best-american-restaurants-review/2018/11/13/18071890/best-restaurants-america-2018

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Get Food Delivery From The Best Indianapolis Restaurants

In a fast-paced world where time is of the essence, online food delivery services in Indianapolis, Indiana, have become a game-changer for busy individuals and families looking for a convenient and delicious dining experience. Whether you're craving comfort food, international cuisine, or a quick and healthy bite, these services have you covered. In this blog, we'll explore the convenience and culinary diversity that Indiana online food delivery services offer

The Rise of Online Food Delivery in Indiana

Indianapolis, the capital of Indiana, is a city known for its vibrant food culture. With the rise of online food delivery services, residents and visitors can now access a vast array of culinary options without leaving their homes or offices. Here are some compelling reasons why online food delivery services in Indianapolis have become so popular:

Convenience: Ordering food online is incredibly convenient. With a few taps on your smartphone or clicks on your computer, you can have a delicious meal delivered to your doorstep or prepared for pickup.

Diverse Cuisine: Indianapolis is a melting pot of culinary traditions. Online food delivery platforms offer a diverse range of cuisines, from Italian and Mexican to Thai and Indian, allowing you to explore new flavors or enjoy your favorite dishes.

Time-Saving: Online ordering saves you time and effort. You can avoid the hassle of cooking or waiting in long restaurant queues by having your meal delivered at your preferred time.

Special Diets: Many online food delivery services cater to specific dietary preferences and restrictions, offering options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and other dietary needs.

Popular Online Food Delivery Services in Indianapolis, Indiana

Shakers Good Eats: Our very own Shakers Good Eats offers online food delivery with a diverse menu of American classics and comfort food favorites. From loaded burgers to fresh salads, we provide a range of options to satisfy your cravings.

Uber Eats: Uber Eats is a widely used platform in Indianapolis, partnering with various local restaurants to offer a broad selection of cuisines and menu items.

Grubhub: Grubhub is another popular choice, connecting customers with local restaurants and providing easy online ordering and delivery services.

DoorDash: DoorDash offers a wide range of food options and has gained popularity for its quick delivery services and user-friendly app.

Postmates: Postmates delivers not only food but also groceries and other essentials, making it a versatile option for those looking for convenience.

Experience the Culinary Delights of Indiana

Indiana online food delivery services are transforming the way people dine, providing access to a world of flavors without leaving their homes. Whether you're a local looking for a quick meal or a visitor eager to explore Indianapolis' diverse culinary scene, online food delivery makes it all possible. So, the next time hunger strikes, consider ordering your favorite meal through one of these convenient services and savor the deliciousness of Indiana cuisine from the comfort of your own space.

To know more about indiana online food delivery please visit the website.

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America’s 38 Essential Restaurants

Plenty of smart, useful articles appear each year directing people to the nation’s buzziest restaurants, highlighting emerging trends and up-and-coming chefs. This annual guide, compiled after 34 weeks of travel and almost 600 meals in 36 cities, aims to accomplish something else: It’s a distillation of the foods and the communities to which I’ve borne witness. The undertaking has defined my work — my life, really — for nearly the last five years as Eater’s national critic.

The one-word mantra that steers my thinking, and also the city-based Eater 38 maps upon which the list is modeled, is essential. Which places become indispensable to their neighborhoods, and eventually to their towns and whole regions? Which ones spur trends, or set standards for hospitality and leadership, or stir conversations around representation and inclusivity? Which restaurants, ultimately, become vital to how we understand ourselves, and others, at the table?

Every year, the list changes substantially; this time around, we welcome 17 newcomers. They’re the places where I had especially meaningful aha moments, where I thought, “Of course New Mexican cuisine should be lauded,” or “Absolutely this is the one Korean barbecue restaurant where everyone should eat,” or “It’s crazy how perfectly these Pakistani-Texan dishes summarize the heart of Houston dining.” The bleeding-edge vanguards among this crew include a Los Angeles maverick where the chef grafts cuisines from around the world with astounding grace, a San Antonio barbecue upstart ushering Mexican flavors to the forefront, and America’s most impactful Southern restaurant — which happens to be in Seattle.

This being the fifth of these roundups I’ve agonized over, I’ve also observed, over these years, a shifting national consciousness, where diners from many backgrounds increasingly embrace cuisines with which they were previously unfamiliar. It’s the new paradigm, not an exception. Coded culinary language denoting “them” and “us” — as “American” or “other” — is slowly but inexorably dissolving. Each of these restaurants cooks American food; I can’t imagine our dining landscape without them. Sure, they’re wonderful places to eat. But they all engender belonging, possibility, and connection — things we surely need in our country right now.

★ – an Eater 38 Icon, on this list five consecutive times

The 2017 list | The December 2016 list | The January 2016 list | The 2015 list

2M Smokehouse, San Antonio, TX | Al Ameer, Dearborn, MI | Atelier Crenn, San Francisco, CA | Bad Saint, Washington, DC | Bateau, Seattle, WA | ★ Benu, San Francisco, CA | Bertha’s Kitchen, North Charleston, SC | ★ Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills, NY | Brennan’s, New Orleans, LA | Compère Lapin, New Orleans, LA | FIG, Charleston, SC | ★ Franklin Barbecue, Austin, TX | The Grey, Savannah, GA | Here’s Looking At You, Los Angeles, CA | Highlands Bar & Grill, Birmingham, AL | Himalaya, Houston, TX | Jose Enrique, San Juan, PR | JuneBaby, Seattle, WA | Kachka, Portland, OR | Koi Palace, Daly City, CA | Mariscos Jalisco, Los Angeles, CA | Mary & Tito’s Cafe, Albuquerque, NM | Milktooth, Indianapolis, IN | Momofuku Ko, New York, NY | Mud Hen Water, Honolulu, HI | n/naka, Los Angeles, CA | Palace Diner, Biddeford, ME | Parachute, Chicago, IL | Park’s BBQ, Los Angeles, CA | ★ Prince’s Hot Chicken, Nashville, TN | Smyth & the Loyalist, Chicago, IL | Spoon & Stable, Minneapolis, MN | Staplehouse, Atlanta, GA | Superiority Burger, New York, NY | Via Carota, New York, NY | Xi’an Famous Foods, New York, NY | Xochi, Houston, TX | ★ Zahav, Philadelphia, PA

2M Smokehouse

San Antonio

In an ever-more-crowded genre, pitmaster Esaul Ramos and fellow San Antonian Joe Melig transcend the Texas smoked-meats melee by also serving a frictionless combination of dishes that express their Mexican-American heritage. The uniformly blackened, near-custardy brisket rivals the efforts of the Austin superstars; chopped poblanos and blots of queso Oaxaca punctuate their stellar pork sausage. Fold them into speckled flour tortillas, topped with pickled nopales and interspersed with forkfuls of borracho beans and “Chicharoni Macaroni” (mac and cheese dusted with fried pork skins). This is how the leading edge of Lone Star barbecue looks, smells, and tastes. 2731 South WW White Road, San Antonio, TX, (210) 885-9352, 2msmokehouse.com

Atelier Crenn

San Francisco

With an artist’s sense of constant reinvention, Dominique Crenn has been bending flavors and meditating on design since her flagship restaurant’s 2011 debut. More masterfully than ever, Crenn and her team (including pastry chef Juan Contreras) mine the middle ground between intellect and emotion, between heady presentation and flat-out deliciousness. Crenn focuses the modernist kitchen on seafood and vegetables, using impeccable Bay Area ingredients while musing over her upbringing in Brittany, France, for inspiration. Stunning black-walnut tables, part of the dining room’s 2017 renovation, show off swirling wood grains that resemble turbulent cloud patterns; the effect is mirrored in tableside theatrics like platters of billowing dry ice that soon reveal tiny geoduck tarts. 3125 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA, (415) 440-0460, ateliercrenn.com

Brennan’s

New Orleans

Ralph Brennan and his business partner, Terry White, rescued this French Quarter monolith in 2014, shepherding $20 million worth of reconstructive surgery on a building the size of a small cruise ship. Among the city’s Creole restaurant institutions, Brennan’s now takes the lead with its balance of timeless pageantry and relevant, finely honed cooking. Executive chef Slade Rushing nails the classics — eggs Sardou laced with creamed spinach for breakfast, snapper amandine or blackened redfish for dinner, bananas Foster for dessert any time of day — but also rotates in fresh twists like frog legs with basil tempura and tomato escabeche. 417 Royal Street, New Orleans, LA, (504) 525-9711, brennansneworleans.com

Here’s Looking At You

Los Angeles

Beef tartare at Here’s Looking At You

Wonho Frank Lee

Jonathan Whitener, the chef who owns HLAY with front-of-house ace Lien Ta, is arguably the country’s most creatively energized practitioner of the “global plates” aesthetic. Salsa negra, smoked beef tongue, nam jim, carrot curry, blood cake, almond dukkah, sprouted broccoli, New Zealand cockles: All have a place on his menu; all make sense in his electric, eclectic compositions; all reflect Los Angeles’s wondrous pluralism. The cocktail menu takes cues from Tiki culture but spirals off in similarly wild and amazingly cohesive directions. 3901 West 6th Street, Los Angeles, CA, (213) 568-3573, hereslookingatyoula.com

Himalaya

Houston

Effervescent, always-present owner Kaiser Lashkari and his wife, Azra Babar Lashkari, turn out nearly 100 distinct dishes at their boxy strip-mall restaurant in the city’s Mahatma Gandhi District. Numerous curries, including Hyderabadi chicken hara masala coursing with green chiles, evince several regional Indian cuisines, but it’s key to order the gems inspired by Kaiser Lashkari’s native Pakistan. He excels in “hunter beef,” a preparation similar to pastrami, best served cold in thick slices with head-clearing mustard. He links the Pakistani affinity for beef with Texas in specials like his weekend-only smoked brisket masala. The restaurant’s excellent, mildly spiced fried chicken bridges cultures just as successfully. 6652 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX, (713) 532-2837, himalayarestauranthouston.com

Jose Enrique

San Juan, PR

Jose Enrique’s whole fried fish over yuca

There is no sign outside the self-named restaurant of Jose Enrique Montes Alvarez; there’s also no missing the building, a cottage spangled with Art Deco geometries and painted bright pink. Jose Enrique served as the initial headquarters for José Andrés and his World Central Kitchen, which eventually served over 3 million meals in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria’s destruction in 2017. And it rightly remains the island’s most lauded dining destination. Whiteboards propped around the dining room list the daily-changing menu, a narration of the island’s comida criolla in which local seafood keeps diners rapt. Build a meal around an Enrique classic: whole fish fried into a kinetic sculpture, crowned with a chunky salsa of papaya and avocado and set over mashed yam. The crowd is drinking local rum. Join them. 176 Calle Duffaut, San Juan, Puerto Rico, (787) 725-3518, joseenriquepr.com

JuneBaby

Seattle

Edouardo Jordan grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida, with family roots in Georgia, but it wasn’t until he opened his second Seattle restaurant, in the spring of 2017, that he chose to focus professionally on the foods of the South and his African-American heritage. The decision, and the restaurant’s immediate success, has made him one of the nation’s towering figures of Southern cooking. Among the menu’s familiar, gorgeously rendered comforts, the truest treasures (oxtails, vinegared chitterlings, collard greens with ham hock) are the ones that most resonantly invoke Jordan’s upbringing. 2122 Northeast 65th Street, Seattle, WA, (206) 257-4470, junebabyseattle.com

Koi Palace

Daly City, CA

Dim sum is among my favorite meals; I took a particularly obsessive deep dive through the Bay Area and greater Los Angeles this past year while researching the Eater Guide to California. A Sunday jaunt to the original Koi Palace (the flagship of its three locations) reminded me why it’s the indispensable cornerstone among the region’s many stellar dim sum options. Once you wade through the chaotic crowds, a euphoric whirlwind of food and service awaits. In a blur of dumplings, noodles, congees, sweet and savory cakes, piled greens, and crisp-skinned meats, a through-line of freshness and craftsmanship gives the feast cohesion. Finish with the last dregs of tea and the custardy fritters called “Sugar Egg Puffs.” 365 Gellert Boulevard, Daly City, CA, (650) 992-9000, koipalace.com

Mary & Tito’s Cafe

Albuquerque

The foodways of New Mexico are even more regionalized and misconstrued than Texas’s Tex-Mex traditions. In restaurants, New Mexican cuisine boils down to the quality of two dominant chile sauces: the dusky, fruity, slightly spicy red variation, made from dried pods, and the chunkier, vegetal roasted green chile version. There is no better indoctrination into the state’s culinary nucleus than the cafe started by Tito and Mary Ann Gonzales in 1963. Both have died, but their daughter Antoinette Knight, her family, and the restaurant’s longtime cooks keep the recipes and spirit alive. The crucial dishes: carne adovada (pork marinated in bright, silky, near-perfect red chile sauce and then baked) and stacked blue corn enchiladas with both red and green chiles — which is to say, “Christmas” style. 2711 4th St NW, Albuquerque, NM, (505) 344-6266, no website

Momofuku Ko

New York

The wit and technical command behind the tasting menu at David Chang’s toniest outpost perpetually makes Ko one of Manhattan’s worthiest splurges. A course of frozen foie shavings, melting on the tongue like otherworldly snowflakes, is a forever trademark; it’s hard to look at the split shape of the “Ko egg” and not envision an alabaster Pac-Man gobbling dots of caviar. But this past year the restaurant hoisted itself to another dimension by adding a walk-ins-only bar with a separate, experimental, and sneakily brilliant menu by executive chef Sean Gray and his team. Consistent pleasures have included quadruple-fried chicken legs, served cold. They’re so outrageously good, Harland Sanders only wishes he were picnicking on them in the afterlife. 8 Extra Place, New York, NY, (212) 203-8095, ko.momofuku.com

Palace Diner

Biddeford, Maine

In 2014, Chad Conley and Greg Mitchell took over a decades-old, 15-seat restaurant housed in a Pollard train car built in 1927 and turned it into the ideal realization of a daytime Americana diner. Eating here haunts me: I can’t find better light, lemony, buttery pancakes, or a more precisely engineered egg sandwich, and theirs is the only tuna melt I ever hunger after. Location plays a charming role: Sleepy but quickly burgeoning Biddeford, Maine (also home to Rabelais, one of the country’s finest food-focused booksellers), sits about 20 miles south of Portland. It’s all worth the trek. 18 Franklin Street, Biddeford, ME, (207) 284-0015, palacedinerme.com

Park’s BBQ

Los Angeles

Tabletop barbecue and banchan at Park’s BBQ

Wonho Frank Lee/Eater

In America, the meaty magnetism of Korean barbecue restaurants often serves as a gateway to the country’s cuisine. Park’s, ensconced in a Koreatown strip mall, is more of a journey’s culmination — the pinnacle of the genre. Certainly the tabletop-grilled meats (especially the kalbi, or short ribs, and anything offered as an American wagyu upgrade) deliver with sizzling edges and smoky depths. Before the main event, tiny plates of chef-owner Jenee Kim’s meticulous banchan (kimchi; gyeran mari, or rolled egg; battered slices of squash) rev the appetite. The cooking alone distinguishes the restaurant; the engaged, near-telepathic staff propels the experience even higher. 955 South Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, (213) 380-1717, parksbbq.com

Smyth & the Loyalist

Chicago

Chicago is a stronghold of tasting-menu restaurants all nearly on par in their intellectual heft. At Smyth, husband and wife John Shields and Karen Urie Shields certainly show off brainpower through 12 courses that uniquely coalesce Japanese, Nordic, and Southern-American flavors and techniques. But their close relationship with a farm 20 miles south of the city in Bourbonnais, Illinois helps give Smyth’s cuisine a literal and spiritual grounding. I taste the honest Midwest in dishes like end-of-summer green gooseberries paired with uni. At the Loyalist downstairs, the duo apply their formidable know-how to the Americana fare, including killer biscuits with cheddar and what may be the most righteous cheeseburger in Chicago. 177 North Ada Street, Chicago, IL, (773) 913-3773, smythandtheloyalist.com

Superiority Burger

New York

Brooks Headley departed from his top-of-the-food-chain gig as pastry chef at Del Posto in 2015 to channel his punk-musician origins into a solo project: a seditious, moshing, 270-square-foot Lower East Side restaurant that specializes in a remarkably gratifying vegetarian burger. The place is an ever-rarer reminder of individuality and tenacity in New York City. At its busiest moments, the crowd streams from the six-seat storefront out onto the sidewalk, a breadth of humanity sharing the moment as they consume meat-free sandwiches and spontaneous vegetable creations, straight from the farmers markets. Every menu item costs under $10. Headley doesn’t entirely abandon his previous title: He channels every ounce of his dessert genius into two transcendent gelato and ice cream flavors that change daily and come squashed together in a paper cup. 430 East 9th Street, New York, NY, (212) 256-1192, superiorityburger.com

Via Carota

New York

I’ll just say it: This is my favorite place to eat in New York. While no one “quintessential Manhattan” restaurant exists, Via Carota exquisitely inhabits one version of the mythology. It’s the filtered, shifting light that seeps through the picture windows overlooking a narrow West Village street. It’s the crowd’s smart air (especially at lunch, the ideal time to drop in). And it’s certainly the assured Italian cooking, heavy on vegetable dishes but also with soul-soothing pleasures like tagliatelle showered with Parmesan and draped with prosciutto. An unusually harmonic partnership animates the place: Chef couple Rita Sodi and Jody Williams each started still-successful restaurants nearby before combining forces on their joint darling. I always feel cheered by their doting brand of culinary co-parenting. 51 Grove Street, New York, NY, (212) 255-1962, viacarota.com

Xi’an Famous Foods

New York

Jason Wang and his father, David Shi, began their success story out of longing: The dishes they first served out of a basement stall of the Golden Shopping Mall in Flushing, Queens, channeled signatures of their native Xi’an, the capital of China’s northwestern Shaanxi Province. Hand-ripped noodles with spicy cumin lamb (its complexly seasoned chile oil reflective of Xi’an’s Eastern point along the spice routes), liangpi “cold skin” noodles, and a lamb burger stuffed in a hamburger-bun-shaped bao became phenomenons. Now with over a dozen locations in three New York boroughs, the chain remains in the family, and the food — remarkable in its consistency and affordability — rightly persists as a cult obsession. 41-10 Main Street, Flushing, NY, (212) 786-2068, and other locations, xianfoods.com

Xochi

Houston

Chicken tacos at Xochi

Each of Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught’s four Houston restaurants lend distinction to the world-class greatness of the city’s dining scene. Since opening in early 2017, Xochi quickly ascended as the finest of their bellwethers. Ortega and his chefs delve into Oaxaca’s earthy, exhilarating, spicy-sweet cuisine, with its color wheel of moles and its masa-based specialties shaped into irresistible geometries. Look for memelas (a thicker tortilla cradling roasted pork rib), tetelas (blue-masa triangles stuffed with house-made cheese), and molotes (crisp oval cakes painted with creamy and spicy sauces). Lunch ranks equal to dinner in excellence, a blessing for Downtown’s visitors and local workers alike. 1777 Walker Street, Houston, TX, (713) 400-3330, xochihouston.com

Among those reappearing on the list, only five standouts remain from the original guide Eater published in January 2015. The quintet — consider them Eater Icons — comprises the progenitor of hot chicken, the nation’s ranking barbecue lodestar, two luminaries where I’d most readily recommend celebrating a special occasion, and the restaurant that shifted how many of us perceive Middle Eastern foods. These are the places that I could never bring myself to rotate out. They all exemplify cuisines and ideas that dominated the decade, but their influence also clearly surpasses momentary fad.

Al Ameer

Dearborn, Michigan | Among Dearborn’s cache of Lebanese restaurants, this is the paragon. Kahlil Ammar and Zaki Hashem’s family business includes an in-house butcher facility, so the unrivaled stuffed lamb (and also lamb liver, a traditional breakfast dish) exhibits exceptional freshness. 12710 West Warren Avenue, Dearborn, MI, (313) 582-8185, alameerrestaurant.com

Benu

San Francisco

“Thousand year old egg” at Benu

No culinary leader in America deserves the honorific of “chef’s chef” more than Corey Lee. Easy labels don’t stick to his visionary cooking. Lee runs three San Francisco restaurants, including the bistro Monsieur Benjamin and In Situ at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, but it’s at his flagship where his virtuosic talents most hold sway. Lee was born in Korea, and he most often summons the cuisines of China, Japan, and his native country for his intricate, striking dishes. Lobster coral soup dumplings, mussels stuffed with glass noodles and layered vegetables, a combination of potato salad and caramelized anchovies that recalls two staples of banchan: After thousands of meals consumed for Eater, I don’t know another place in America that serves food more dazzlingly, gratifyingly singular than Benu. Master sommelier Yoon Ha’s beverage pairings keep pace with Lee’s kitchen — another of the restaurant’s near-impossible achievements. 22 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA, (415) 685-4860, benusf.com

Bad Saint

Washington, D.C. | The challenge: a no-reservations policy, 24 seats, and a line that begins several hours nightly before opening. The payoff: Tom Cunanan’s peerless Filipino cuisine. Inspirations like piniritong alimasag (fried soft-shell crab in spicy crab-fat sauce) also brilliantly signal the Chesapeake region in which he cooks. 3226 11th Street NW, Washington, D.C., no phone, badsaintdc.com

Bateau

Seattle | At Renee Erickson’s revolutionary overhaul of the American steakhouse, she and her partners dry-age the beef they raise on nearby Whidbey Island. Servers maintain a nightly running list of steaks on a chalkboard; lesser-known cuts like gracilis (the lean top round cap) receive equal billing with New York strips and ribeyes. Gallic-accented sides (kale gratin) and desserts (baba au rhum) trumpet the country’s renewed obsession with French cuisine. 1040 East Union Street, Seattle, WA, (206) 900-8699, restaurantbateau.com

Bertha’s Kitchen

North Charleston | Sisters Sharon Grant Coakley, Julie Grant, and Linda Pinckney carry on the culinary traditions of their deceased mother, Albertha Grant, serving red rice and shrimp, garlic crabs, lima beans, okra stew, and other specialties of the Gullah, former slaves who made their home in South Carolina’s Lowcountry. 2332 Meeting Street Road, North Charleston, SC, (843) 554-6519, no website

Blue Hill at Stone Barns

Pocantico Hills, NY

Squash in the guise of guacamole at Stone Barns

If pushed to pinpoint one restaurant that I consider to be the “best” in America, I will time and again name Dan Barber’s Westchester County destination, the centerpiece of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture. Four-hour-plus meals here are elegant, interactive experiences: They begin with the front-of-house staff asking about interests and appetites, and then the first bites comprise a procession of “vegetables from the field” served raw and impaled on spikes with the lightest gloss of vinaigrette. From there… who knows? Barber and his seasoned improvisers run the show, orchestrating scenarios of experimental squash varietals and no-waste animal cookery; perhaps there’s a mid-evening field trip to the bakery or a course or two in the refurbished manure shed (yes, it’s a thing) or the kitchen. Diners ultimately leave with altered definitions of place and time around food. What Barber creates is a life-affirming reset of what a restaurant can and should be. 630 Bedford Road, Pocantico Hills, NY, (914) 366-9606, bluehillfarm.com

Compère Lapin

New Orleans | Nina Compton, a native of St. Lucia, revives New Orleans’s often-forgotten connections to the Caribbean; at her three-year-old restaurant, she knits together cultures with dishes like snapper with vinegary pepper escovitch and carrot beurre blanc. 535 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans, LA, (504) 599-2119, comperelapin.com

FIG

Charleston | The first place you should eat in Charleston? And maybe the last? Mike Lata and Jason Stanhope’s ever-creative, always-consistent fixture, where the daily catch from Southern waters steers the nightly menu. 232 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC, (843) 805-5900, eatatfig.com

Franklin Barbecue

Austin, TX

A classic spread at Franklin Barbecue

Courtney Pierce/Eater

Things Americans willingly wait in line for: rides in Disney theme parks, Black Friday sales, the latest iPhone, Aaron Franklin’s sublime array of smoked meats. I’d argue the latter leads to the greatest rewards. Texas barbecue functions as a ferocious, intensely observed sport unto itself; who crafts the most rapturous beef rib or the snappiest sausages fuel constant debate. What isn’t disputed is how Franklin raised the discourse around barbecue when he and his wife, Stacy, stoked the first pit at their barbecue trailer in 2009. (The business moved to its current midcentury modern digs in 2011.) His brisket alone altered my brain chemistry, and did the same for a lot of other souls, forever changing our expectations of that Lone Star staple. A spread of brisket, ribs, pulled pork, potato salad, and pinto beans still merits the wait, which every omnivore should brave once in their lives. 900 East 11th Street, Austin, TX, (512) 653-1187, franklinbarbecue.com

The Grey

Savannah, GA | Eater’s 2017 Restaurant of the Year resides in a former Greyhound bus station, restored to its original 1938 Art Deco grandeur in a multimillion-dollar renovation. Mashama Bailey culls Southern port city flavors into a jubilantly personal expression, with triumphs like salt-preserved grouper on toast and quail scented with Madeira. 109 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Savannah, GA, (912) 662-5999, thegreyrestaurant.com

Highlands Bar & Grill

Birmingham, AL | A victorious year, with James Beard Awards for Outstanding Restaurant (after nine previous nominations) and a long-deserved win for pastry chef Dolester Miles, only emphasizes the timeless relevance of Frank and Pardis Stitt’s affable Southern-French haven. 2011 11th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL, (205) 939-1400, highlandsbarandgrill.com

Kachka

Portland, OR | Bonnie and Israel Morales recently moved their Belarusian-Georgian-Russian restaurant to a larger, splashier space without displacing an ounce of its inimitable spirit; their new lunch service offers the same signature dumplings, caviar, and newly supersized blini, and world-class vodkas. 960 SE 11th Avenue, Portland, OR, (503) 235-0059, kachkapdx.com

Mariscos Jalisco

Los Angeles | Raul Ortega’s mariscos truck, parked in LA’s Boyle Heights community, serves what is arguably the most perfectly constructed taco in the whole blessed country: The taco dorado de camaron, filled with spiced shrimp, emerges sizzling from the fryer before being swathed with salsa roja and avocado slices. 3040 East Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, (323) 528-6701, no website

Milktooth

Indianapolis | Dutch baby pancakes with fluffernutter and grape jelly, sourdough-chocolate waffles with oolong-infused maple syrup, bacon and beef sloppy Joes: Jonathan Brooks is a mad genius of the morning meal. There’s no more inspired destination for relentlessly inventive breakfasts in America. 534 Virginia Avenue, Indianapolis, IN, (317) 986-5131, milktoothindy.com

Mud Hen Water

Honolulu | Hawaiian food exists in its own delicious, swirling cosmos. In dishes like his version of grilled squid lūʻau, whole fish cooked in coals, and chicken long rice croquettes, O‘ahu native Ed Kenney connects the cultural dots like no one else on the islands. 3452 Waialae Avenue, Honolulu, HI, (808) 737-6000, mudhenwater.com

n/naka

Los Angeles | Reservations open three months in advance and book out instantly, but tenacity rewards with the country’s most poetic kaiseki meal. Niki Nakayama and Carole Iida’s menus careen through cooking techniques (sashimi, steaming, frying, searing), but the whole is a meditation on the ties between culinary tradition and individual imagination. 3455 Overland Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, (310) 836-6252, n-naka.com

Parachute

Chicago | Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark’s dishes crisscross continents in their exceptionally vivid flavors, but the road always leads back to Korea with seasonal journeys like dolsot bibimbap and sesame-laced beef stew. 3500 N Elston Avenue, Chicago, IL, (773) 654-1460, parachuterestaurant.com

Prince’s Hot Chicken

Nashville

The one-and-only hot chicken at Prince’s

Nashville-style hot chicken can no longer be considered a trend or a local delicacy; its countrywide popularity over the last five years cemented its place in the foundation of American dining. But no matter how many people succumb to the masochistic pleasures of capsaicin and the endorphin rush that follows, or how many restaurant groups fashion their own variations, credit for the dish should — and will — always go straight back to the business that made it famous. James Thornton Prince founded the restaurant in the 1940s; his great-niece André Prince Jeffries remains the guardian of the recipe. The heat levels range from plain to “XXX Hot.” The “Hot” version is as far as I go, and as a full-body sensory happening, it’s plenty. Everyone should visit North Nashville and face the flames for themselves. 123 Ewing Drive, Nashville, TN, (615) 226-9442, princeshotchicken.com

Spoon & Stable

Minneapolis | This is the Twin Cities’ restaurant of the decade. Gavin Kaysen brought New York star power back to his native Minnesota but keeps himself grounded with local ingredients and compelling yet comforting plates. Pastry chef Diane Moua echoes the Midwest charm with creations like root-beer semifreddo. 211 North First Street, Minneapolis, MN, (612) 224-9850, spoonandstable.com

Staplehouse

Atlanta | Ryan Smith crafts the right-now model of the mid-priced tasting menu, serving a dozen or so constantly evolving courses; dishes might involve modernist mousses and powders but never spiral too far from an end goal of accessible pleasure. Co-owners Jen Hidinger and Kara Hidinger (Smith’s wife) lead the front of house with Southern graciousness. 541 Edgewood Avenue Southeast, Atlanta, GA, (404) 524-5005, staplehouse.com

Zahav

Philadelphia, PA

Smoked lamb shoulder with chickpeas at Zahav

The recent limelight on Middle Eastern foods in America, which is overdue and still very much emerging, can in part be traced to Michael Solomonov, the chef who owns Zahav (and about a dozen other restaurants) with Steve Cook. Solomonov, born in Israel, brings a respectful and contemporary translation of that nation’s clearinghouse adaptation of its region’s varied cuisines. Dinner should always begin with salatim — warmly spiced vegetable salads that light up the table in their shades of red, green, gold, and purple — and Solomonov’s justly lauded hummus, maybe in a Turkish variation bathed in melted butter. Grilled duck hearts, roasted carrots with labneh, the signature smoked lamb shoulder lacquered with pomegranate molasses, riffs on kanafeh (a shredded phyllo dessert) with seasonal fruits: These communal plates all foster kinship, further cultural understanding, and of course bring immense enjoyment. 237 St James Place, Philadelphia, PA, (215) 625-8800, zahavrestaurant.com

Editor: Erin DeJesus Art director: Brittany Holloway-Brown Shooter: Gary He Video editor: Murilo Ferreira Photographers: Katie Acheff, Joshua Brasted, Frank Wonho Lee, Reese Moore, Courtney Pierce Social media editors: Milly McGuinness, Adam Moussa Copy editor: Emma Alpern Special thanks to: Matt Buchanan, Amanda Kludt, Francesca Manto, Stefania Orru, Stephen Pelletteri, Mariya Pylayev, and Eater’s city editors

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Source: https://www.eater.com/best-american-restaurants-review/2018/11/13/18071890/best-restaurants-america-2018