Indy north
Northside: King Park
Goose the Market (shown here), 2503 N. Delaware St., goosethemarket.com. Goose, run by Chris Eley and his wife, Molly, has become the go-to place for top-quality smoked and cured meats, cheeses and fresh, Indiana-raised pork, poultry, beef and lamb. Goose also offers fantastic gelato, but it’s the sandwiches that make the place stand out. Regulars often gather downstairs in the Enoteca for a glass of wine or champagne and a cheese and charcuterie board. Lunch, pre-dinner.
Northside: Meridian-Kessler
Barking Dog Café, 115 E. 49th St., barkingdogindy.com. When you want a French-inspired dish with an indulgent sauce or something wonderful simmered in wine, you’ll find it at this little cafe owned by Jeff and Mary Beth Gahimer. Jeff handles much of the cooking; Mary Beth makes the decadent desserts. On warm evenings, sit under a sidewalk umbrella table; with its water bowl for neighborhood dogs, the patio is more casual than the indoor dining area. Lunch, dinner.
Café Patachou, 4911 N. Pennsylvania St., cafepatachou.com. Long before “local food” became a buzzword, Martha Hoover — an attorney with no restaurant background — would pack up her Volvo station wagon and make the rounds at farm stands and meat markets to buy ingredients for Café Patachou, the flagship restaurant she opened in 1989. Today it’s considered a local favorite for its use of simple, quality ingredients and funky personality (omelets have names like Hippie With a Benz, while the restaurant’s tagline is “a student union for adults”). Breakfast, lunch. Voted Best Brunch in 2011.
Napolese, 114 E. 49th St., (317) 925-0765. Martha Hoover’s artisanal pizza was a hot prospect (as in 1,200 degrees hot) from the moment it opened around the corner from her flagship Café Patachou. We don’t know if it’s the rustic atmosphere, the thick, chewy pepperoni or the scent of stone-baked dough, but Napolese has figured out how to bring a bit of Italy to Indy. Dinner.
Oh Yumm Bistro, 5615 N. Illinois St., (317) 251-5656. Dinner here starts with a basket of warm pretzel rolls served with an ingenious mustard-seed butter. Owner Patti Crahan keeps the delights coming — BBQ baby back ribs with sweet potato fries or chicken breast stuffed with arugula, gorgonzola and prosciutto — all enjoyed in a narrow dining room decorated with French vintage posters. Lunch, dinner.
