Groundbreaking chef Jonathan Brooks of Windsor Park’s Beholder (1844 E. 10th St., 317-419-3471) has once again landed in the national culinary spotlight, earning a place on this year’s list of semifinalists for The James Beard Awards, under the category of Best Chef: Great Lakes. This marks the third time that Brooks, a Best Restaurants fixture whose “messy genius” was once profiled in the pages of this magazine, has received recognition from the foundation, following his semifinalist nods in 2016 and 2017 for his innovative menu at gourmet brunch spot Milktooth. His competition for this year’s honors includes 19 other chefs from restaurants around Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio.
Though Brooks is the only specific Indiana chef in the queue to receive one of the “Oscars of the culinary world,” the James Beard team of judges, mostly made of regional food writers and restaurant industry insiders, also recognized local favorite Bluebeard (653 Virginia Ave., 317-686-1580) as one of this year’s nominees for Outstanding Hospitality. That award will go to the country’s best “restaurant, bar, or other food and drinking establishment that fosters a sense of hospitality among its customers and staff that serves as a beacon for the community and demonstrates consistent excellence in food, atmosphere, hospitality, and operations.” No stranger to the Beard awards, Bluebeard also received a Best New Restaurant nod in 2013, and its former chef, Abbi Merriss, made the list of semifinalists in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2023. Finalists for the Beard restaurant and chef awards will be announced in early April, while winners will be named at a live Chicago event on June 16. —Julia Spalding
Disclosure: An IM staff member is part of the voting body for the James Beard Awards; they did not participate in the reporting for the above item.
The toast is on in Zionsville. 6 AM City caught the advent of The Baker’s House, a sourdough-specific operation at 365 S. Main St. (463-348-2299). Co-owner Allie Rijfkogel has a sales background but turned to baking last March, while co-owner Carl Ceresoli is the CTO for the Indiana Pacers. So an interesting backstory there! The current menu boasts loaves, pizza dough, and crackers, with more offerings promised soon. —Eve Batey
Bloomington is mulling the future of outdoor dining. How the college town’s council is capable of thinking about eating outside during this cold snap feels wild, but I get it—deciding if they’ll continue the pandemic-era closure of Kirkwood Avenue during the summer is something that needs to be squared away soon. An alternative plan would involve the construction of parklets (temporary dining areas located over parking spots), but leaving the road open for vehicle traffic, Indiana Public Media reports. —EB
Sorry, Florence Welch, but Westfield’s dog days have just begun. As we teased last June, former Indianapolis Zoo staffer Meg Schaffer will open her dog-centric restaurant and bar, Crate Escapes, on Friday, January 24, at 5 p.m. As with anything involving our oft-unpredictable furry friends, a visit to the business at 18595 Carousel Ln. has some complexities: Dogs must be registered with the business, and day passes or memberships are required to bring them on a visit to the bar. Details on what’s offered on the menu have yet to be revealed, but “delta drinks and zero proof selections, as well as a cafe with coffee, tea, and nitro” are part of the plan. —EB
La Margarita is shuttering its Fountain Square location. Via press release, the long-standing Mexican spot said that it will serve its last pitchers at 1043 Virginia Ave. on February 8. Its owners are working to open another location in the Factory Arts District (née the Circle City Industrial Center) in March, but it won’t be quite the same, as that new venue will primarily be a restaurant from the La Marg folks called Daisy Bar, a 3,200 square foot “comfort food” spot at 1011 Massachusetts Ave. Eventually, they’ll also open a 20-seat La Margarita outpost inside the new building’s food hall, and the legacy business’ satellite spots at Sun King’s Carmel and downtown taprooms also remain. —EB
A tenderloin specialist just opened in Carmel. Nine-year-old DTC brand Swayzee Tenderloins has opened its first-ever restaurant at 7241 E. 146th St., in what owner Jim Cruea has said will be part of a 15-restaurant effort over the next few years. Expect multiple breaded pork sizes and flavors, as well as edgier options such as a 10-ounce tenderloin “pizza” topped with cheese and marinara, the IBJ reports. —EB
The nation’s vegetarians just kissed Steak & Shake farewell. The Indy-headquartered chain was founded in Illinois in 1934; it moved its operations to Indy when a local company bought it in one of its multitudes of acquisitions over the years. These days, nearly every Steak & Shake location is owned by a franchisee, current owner Biglari Holdings told the SEC in a 2018 filing. And all those franchisees, it appears, are expected to fall in line with a recent company mandate requiring all locations to cook their french fries in beef tallow, as opposed to the vegetable oil that the company has been using for decades.
The company says it’s making the change for flavor purposes (some chefs say fries cooked in beef taste better, while others disagree), but the tallow versus oil debate is also one of the many culture war flashpoints recently ignited by followers of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a self-anointed health and wellness pundit known for platforming false conspiracies and misinformation in his pursuit of higher office. Kennedy has argued that tallow is a healthier cooking choice than plant oils, a stance many doctors—specifically, cardiologists—dispute. Then again, no one’s going to Steak & Shake for healthy food, so perhaps its rejection of medical convention (or customers who eschew meat) is academic. According to a press release from the company, expect a full fat conversion by the end of February. —EB
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