What culinary trends are you seeing around Indianapolis?
The farm-to-table movement has really taken off. Ten years ago it was a new trend, now it’s expected. To enter the market and succeed, you must source locally and sustainably. Going uber-local is even better. Restaurants are challenging themselves to see how much they can get from urban gardens and urban chicken coops.
We do this at Cerulean by working with 18 different farms and farmers on a regular basis, and we’ve built strong relationships. Traditionally, most restaurants have gone to farmers to demand what they needed, but we’re trying to flip the conversation. Now, we go to them and say, “What can I get from you this week? What’s fresh?” We let their offerings guide us. It’s a creative challenge, and it helps us provide fresher dishes to our customers.
I think we’ll continue to see the uber-local movement strengthen, especially in downtown Indianapolis. Bluebeard, Black Market and Milktooth are some other restaurants that do a really good job with their sourcing. I take pride in seeing their work and others’ in downtown.
What makes the city a great destination food-wise?
The food scene has just exploded so quickly. I would venture to say there are 10 to 20 new restaurants opening every six months to a year. This fast growth creates so much energy and excitement. People are trying new things and taking risks.
It’s been cool to see how shoulder industries are growing as a result. Donuts have been really big lately, with places like Rocket 88 Doughnuts and General American Donut Company. There are also more coffee roasters. When my restaurant, Cerulean, opened almost three years ago, there were hardly any coffee roasters in Indianapolis. Now, I can think of five or six.
What are the specialties at your restaurant that you recommend for visiting groups?
Our five-course and seven-course tasting menus are a fantastic experience for larger groups. With our tasting menus, you’re not locked into one meal. You get to go on a journey with us and try a lot of different things. We also offer wine pairings with our tasting menus, so the host doesn’t have to worry about ordering.
We recently did a tasting menu for an executive group that spent a couple of days in Indianapolis. It was a huge hit. Everybody had fun sampling new things. When you’re in town for multiple days, it’s nice to have a memorable experience like that. It gives you a taste of everything Indianapolis has to offer. We make sure you’re going to remember the meal.
When we do a tasting menu, I love hearing, “Wow, I didn’t know Indianapolis could taste so good.” To me, that’s the best compliment we can receive. It makes me really proud—not just of our food but also of our local farmers. Indiana hasn’t always been a food destination, so I love presenting items that shock people in a good way and show them the quality our city has to offer.
What is one of your favorite places to get a bite or drink?
I really love Black Market on Massachusetts Avenue. They do a really great job with everything there. They have a fantastic selection of rum. They also have fabulous specials, and their burger is an Indianapolis staple.