Let Us Pray

Kudos to the Sunday brunch staff at Pikk’s Tavern for jumping into action this weekend when an uninvited guest kamikazed from a nearby tree into a delicious plate of chilaquiles served on the eatery’s wooded outdoor patio. And by “uninvited guest,” we mean the queen of all praying mantises, a beast nearly as long as a toothbrush. “Wow … I’ve never seen one that big,” our server commented as he calmed our screams, gently escorted the insect the premises, and replaced the dish within minutes with another one as savory and ample as the original. Thank goodness it didn’t land on the crab cake eggs Benedict or prime rib hash. 4939 E. 82^nd St., 915-9990.— Julia Spalding

It’s the Little Zings

Hooray for Zing’s delicious $3 mojito with a sweet hint of guava. We didn’t love the beans and sausage in a French-Caribbean fusion cassoulet, but the chicken thighs were delicious, as were chorizo stuffed dates wrapped in bacon, wonderfully delicate Asian meatballs, and delicate curried turkey burgers. 543 Indiana Ave., 636-7775  —Terry Kirts

Creole, Creole World

Although new downtown franchise J. Gumbo’s hails from Kentucky, it features original Cajun recipes from founder Billy Fox Jr.’s grandmother, a Louisiana native. Creole, gumbo, jambalaya, and etouffee, scooped onto white rice and accompanied by garlic bread, star here in the old BadaBoomz Ale House & Grill digs. The interior remains very similar to that of the slick previous eatery with the addition of a few bayou-inspired die cuts. The menu is divided into categories of spiciness—sweet & mild, medium zesty, and hot & spicy—appealing to tame taste buds and fire-breathers alike. Lunch specials feature $5 bowls of down-home favorites with staples like sweet onions, bell peppers, red beans, sausage, shrimp, and plenty of jalapenos guaranteed. Take that, Gustav. 15 Maryland Street, 522-2666, jgumbos.com — Carrie Boyd

Top Pikk

During a stop at Adobo Grill (4939 E. 82nd St., 915-9990) for one last meal at the northside location before it packs up its guacamole carts and migrates downtown, we noticed that management had already set out menus for the new Pikk’s Tavern that will go in the spot late this year. Duck-sausage corn dogs sound promising, as do mussels with red curry and coconut milk, steak tartare (though they spell it wrong on the menu, sigh), and a muffuletta. Looks like we can expect East-meets-Tuscany-meets-New Orleans-meets-pub grub from Adobo’s daVinci Group sibling. – Terry Kirts

Tchop Tchop

Dave Lee, the omnipresent owner of Broad Ripple’s Naked Tchopstix (6253 N. College Ave., 252-5555), has caught the franchise bug. Plans are in the works for a restaurant in downtown Chicago, and three more Indy spots—a satellite at 96^th Street and Keystone Avenue, set to open this month; a location at the new airport terminal; and a 7,500-square foot restaurant in Hamilton Town Center. South Korean-born Lee hopes to maintain the lounge-y vibe of his popular Broad Ripple restaurant as the company expands. -- Catherine Fata

Something Cold, Something New

The re-opening of Glendale Town Center has brought some much-needed attention to the area, and Squeeze Fresh Smoothies(6155 N. Keystone Ave., 259-9200)deserves some of the credit. Owners Eric and Darlene Phillips opened the colorful fro-yo spot in April after discovering their love for the Colorado-based franchise’s product, rounding out only 12 shops in the country. “Squeeze is also very community-based,” says Eric. “I buy a lot of local product.” A note to those new to the fro-yo movement: The treat actually tastes like frozen yogurt, not soft-serve ice cream, and the stuff is healthy and delicious. Try a dollop of green tea yogurt with some fresh mango mixed in. Or, for $4.85, we suggest the generous, Original-sized Strawberry Hill smoothie (strawberry juice, strawberries, bananas, and frozen yogurt). Supplements such as calcium, whey protein, fiber, and energy boosters can be blended into any one of the vibrantly colored smoothies for an added kick. – Anne D. Purcell

All’s Fair

A trip to the Indiana State Fair to try out Urick Concessions’ deep-fried bananas Foster cheesecake on a stick (voted the fair’s signature food of 2008) brought mixed reviews. Some of us had expected real bananas (or at least more banana flavor) from what turned out to be small squares of pre-made cheesecake that were battered, fried, skewered, and served with a swirl of soft-serve ice cream nearly three times the size of the cheesecake. More unanimously satisfying was the second-place finisher, a smoked pulled-pork barbecue sandwich offered by Barto's Catering & Concessions. Slathered in barbecue sauce with Brown County's own shagbark hickory syrup, a mound of utterly tender slices—not shreds—of pork made fair dining seem almost elegant. Lamb burgers, UFO-sized tenderloins, and duck brats also delighted us. How about you? – Terry Kirts

Little Sushi Sunshine

Tatami rooms with privacy curtains have been installed along one side of the dining room, and plenty of red lampshades and gauzy fabric panels have been hung to distinguish Oishi Sushi & Grill (6929 E. 10th St., 356-8880) from its former life as a Ponderosa. Though there’s not much to set this Irvington sushi spot apart from the all the other fledglings going in around town. (See also: Miyagi and Tegry Bistro’s new Traders Point location.) From the list of Oishi’s special rolls, we chose the tomaru maki, which paired tempura eel and shrimp in a surprisingly light sweet potato coating with spicy mayonnaise and fish roe. By contrast, a spicy scallop roll was a tad soft in texture, though the flavors were pure and fresh. Tuna tataki was nicely seared with a crust of black sesame seeds and a nest of daikon threads. A big crunchy tempura soft-shell crab, perhaps the highlight of the evening, came with a tasty, sweet-and-sour ponzu sauce. Beef negimaki, on the other hand, didn't have the kind of char-grilled edges we had hoped for, but the bite of green onions inside and a judicious drizzle of teriyaki made this another dish we’ll probably revisit next time we stop in. – Terry Kirts

Sandra Day

More evidence that Sandra Rice & Noodles (10625 Pendleton Pike, 823-8323) is leading the way in creating some of Indy's most authentic Vietnamese and Southeast Asian specialties came in a special preview of the new menu on Sunday. Regulars got a chance to taste some one-time specials that had been perfected, as well as completely new dishes soon to appear on the revised menu. Not to be missed are delicious tuna rolls, crispy egg roll skins wrapped around marinated tuna, as well as a refreshing warm tuna salad with a kicky chili oil dressing and sliced cucumbers. Mussels in a lemongrass and ginger-spiked broth; an especially delicate soup of rice noodles, tomatoes, crab, and pork; and beef wrapped in bacon are additional highlights among the new starters. Entrees include a hearty Vietnamese beef stew, big meaty prawns with a chili sauce, and an unexpected pork loin caramelized in sugar, cooked in coconut soda and fish sauce, and spiked with whole boiled eggs. – Terry Kirts

Dot Dot Dot

Dippin’ Dots—those tiny BBs of ice cream sold by the scoop at snack bars and shopping mall kiosks—are still the most scientifically perfect summertime food around, as far as we’re concerned. We gained even more appreciation for DD’s classic Banana Split combo (chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, and banana pellets jumbled together) after sampling Connecticut-based MiniMelts’copycat version at Brownsburg’s charming Bulldog Ice Cream & Sub Shop (521 E. Main St., 858-3385) over the weekend. Our cup held a mishmash of shapes and sizes—not the tidy orbs that make Dippin’ Dots so fun to eat. In fact, one spoonful of MiniMelts presented a pencil eraser-sized nib of ice cream that was part chocolate and part banana, with a miniscule core of strawberry, making it more like the Turducken of cryogenically frozen ice creams than the OCD treat we have grown to love. – Julia Spalding

Still Fresh

Gone are Grandma’s potato salad, Can’t Stop pickles, and colorful hand-drawn signs offerings special prices when you buy three items. But while fans and former customers of the old Atlas Supermarket are bound to feel a twinge of nostalgia going into the newly opened Fresh Market (5415 N. College Ave., 259-9270), they probably won’t miss the cramped aisles or the logjam at the deli. The long-awaited gourmet emporium is clearly a hit. Parking, even on the rooftop deck, can still be a bit hard to come by. That comes as no surprise, given the variety of baked goods, prepared entrees, wines, cheeses, gourmet teas and coffees, and hard-to-find ingredients like rhubarb and celery root. Be sure to check out the wide selection of retro pops—everything from glass bottles of Mexican Coke to such blasts from the past as Moxie, Bubble Up, and Frosty’s root beer. —Terry Kirts

Fry, Fry and Fry Again

There is something about summer that, when we aren’t tending to our grills, makes us want to drop things into deep fryers. Think crinkle-cut fries and battered mushrooms at drive-ins, the iconic carnival corndog, and …

• A recent stop at Shelby Street Diner (3623 Shelby St., 783-9590) had us in a particularly summery mood when we ordered a big plate of crispy fried okra alongside classic onion rings. We passed on the ranch dressing for the okra, and it held its own. Shelby Street’s plate-sized tenderloin is another epic treat—and the bun actually fits the Frisbee-sized cutlet.
• Our inaugural summer visit to Mug ‘n’ Bun (5211 W. 10th St., 247-9186) for a frosty mug of its musky, not-too-sweet root beer revealed some new fried menu options. Their Buffalo Chips are lightly spiced chip-like fries, and the Tenderloin Dippers, little fried nuggets, are perfect for, well, dipping. (Skip the honey-mustard dressing and get the barbecue sauce or a side of mayo.)
• The Indiana State Fair made news last year for banning trans fats from its vendors’ fryers, but you can bet there will still be plenty of fried delicacies to try out this August. In a recent poll to select the signature fair food for 2008, the contenders included a deep-fried maple latte, fried maple twists on sticks, and deep-fried bananas foster. We’ve only just heated up the (trans fat-free!) oil here. What are your favorite summertime fried items? And where do you go to get them? – Terry Kirts
  
  

Milking It

The August issue of Food & Wine includes the Fleur de la Terre aged cheese from Zionsville’s Traders Point Creamery (9101 Moore Road, 733-1700) in its Eco Checklist piece (15 Easy Ways to Live Better). Editor in Chief Dana Cowin also mentions the distinctive washed-rind cheese—made from the milk of hormone- and antibiotic-free, grass-fed cows—in her Editor’s Letter, calling it out as one of the “items we’d love even if they weren’t eco-friendly.” — Julia Spalding 

Let's Take This Outside

Zionsville newcomer Noah Grant's (65 S. 1st St., 732-2233) boasts what may be the most charming alfresco dining in the suburb. Nestled behind the main drag, the eatery’s front porch—hung with white linens to shade the sun—overlooks a sleepy small-town street that belies the chic restaurant found inside.  It may be the coolest addition to Zionsville since the Bentley dealership.  — DSC

Mistaken Identity

Make no mistake, there is only one Maria’s Pizza, and right now you will find her at her new Fountain Square digs (1106 Prospect St., 786-9283). We (and, apparently, many other pizza diehards) assumed that the 50-year-old southside landmark’s former Shelby Street location still had the original goods. Can you blame us? Though the new occupants hung a new shingle, they kept “Maria’s” in the name and only switched one digit in the phone number. Fool us once, shame on us. Fool us twice…. Well, you know the rest. 

Safari, So Good

We tried to have lunch at Donique African Restaurant (4150 Lafayette Road, 280-8009) at the old Tadkaa spot, where a new sign indicated that it is now serving Liberian food—but no one was even stirring inside, well after their posted lunch hours. So instead, we stopped off for a first course of pupusas, wonderful masa patties filled with beans, at the Salvadoran food counter at Saraga International Grocery (3605 Commercial Drive, 388-9999), and followed up with the always-reliable lunch buffet at Cairo Cafe (3047 Lafayette Road, 926-2233). Though only one waitress was on hand, and there was none of the delicious fava bean falafel on the buffet, the beef and chicken stews, koshary (lentils, pasta, and rice with caramelized onions), fava bean dip, and soothing om ali (bread pudding) were just the ticket—if from the other side of Africa than we had hoped to explore.

Oh Danny Boy

Indy burger chain Mr. Dan’s (4390 N. Keystone Ave., 377-1944) has its eyes on a new 16^th Street location. The spot, between downtown and Speedway, is still in the permit phase; Franchise owner Dick Hogshire says the Westside will have to wait another six months before the patties, dogs, and fries hit the neighborhood. (That’s plenty of time to get a refill on Lipitor.)

Coming Attraction

While strolling past Theatre on the Square (627 Massachusetts Ave., 685-8687) last week, we noticed a bright orange sign in the window, and we liked what it previewed. TOTS is applying for an alcoholic beverage license and will have its hearing on July 7^th. Booze and live theater: well played.