The patio at Bluebeard. Credit: Tony Valainis/Indianapolis Monthly
Dean’s Steak & Seafood has officially arrived downtown, bringing luxe red meat (including a $250 Brush Creek Wagyu tomahawk ribeye), bourbon, and Rat Pack opulence to the ground-level restaurant space inside the JW Marriott. Unrecognizable from its previous life as OP Italian, the restaurant is owned by Merrillville’s White Lodging hospitality company. 10 S West St., 317-860-5777
Bluebeard debuts a new Sunday supper club series, Player Piano, on November 23. Focused on “honest, Italian-inspired cuisine paired with Hoosier hospitality,” the monthly dinners will max out at 38 guests and feature four courses of family-style dishes plus an optional wine add-on. 653 Virginia Ave., 317-686-1580
This month, downtown Fishers sports bar Parks Place Pub will launch a companion, cocktail-focused Parks Place Lounge next door, hinting that patrons should “think of it as Parks Place Pub’s classy cousin, same great people, just wearing a nicer shirt.” 8594 E. 116th St., Fishers, 317-284-1159
The Spice & Tea Exchange opens its new Noblesville shop on November 14, bringing the brand’s 15-year sprinkling of small-batch spices and loose-leaf teas to Hamilton County. 950 Logan St., Noblesville
Another Noblesville newcomer, Blé French Bistro said bonjour on October 17, serving sweet versions of the Pépin-approved classics: steak au pouvre, French onion soup, and garlic-buttery escargot. 16771 Clover Rd., Noblesville, 317-764-2219
Hawaiian comfort food has landed on the west side at KauKau Hawaiian BBQ. Located inside the Speedway Shopping Center on Crawfordsville Road, the family-run restaurant that takes its name from the island word for “eat” offers all the plate-lunch favorites alongside treats like crispy panko musubi, grilled Spam and eggs, and Korean-style short ribs. 5808 Crawfordsville Rd., Speedway, 317-390-4590
… And fans of sourdough darling Moonlight Baking Company, which operates out of the Milky Way Complex in Avondale Meadows, can get a taste of the bakery’s newest limited-edition creation, white chocolate macadamia nut twice-baked croissants, at this weekend’s Carmel Farmers Market and Broad Ripple Farmers Market.
Dining and Cooking