Food Traveler Magazine Winter 2013 | Page 41

Northern WINTER DESTINATION The tomato bon-bons stole Food Network star Guy Fieri’s heart. citrus and candied nuts. The setting - concrete walls and floors, plastic 70’s-style chairs – belies the sophisticated menu of seasonal ingredients. If casual, cheaper and more choices is your thing, Hardesty’s Room Four is next-door. Here, the cheeseburger comes with smoked mozzarella, caramelized leeks, Dijonnaise sauce and local beef, and a taco (pork belly, halibut or chicken) is $6. At Black Market, a new gastro pub, eclectic comfort food with occasional ethnic twists, like a soul-satisfying chicken pozole, a Mexican stew with hominy, chiles and lime juice or a Thai-spiced red vegetable curry KELLEY JORDAN PHOTOGRAPHY The Batali Goose the Market made with turnips, rutabagas, and pea shoots are served in an industrial-style setting of exposed brick and lots of black. A well-curated liquor list offers 60 wines, 60 craft beers, 20 aged rums from Martinique, Haiti to Nicaragua, rum and bourbon flight, and cocktails whimsically named for “The Big Lebowski” quotes (some folks pick up on this immediately). At Zest, whose vividly-colored walls are splashed with art, the tomato bonbons – cherry tomatoes with Asiago cheese and ground sausage – stole Food Network star Guy Fieri’s heart. For me, “it was the shredded beef sandwich roasted in red wine, with blue cheese mousse and onion jam, and crème brulee French toast”. At night, this lively brunch and lunch spot turns into Cinderella: candlelight and soft jazz. Named one of the nation’s top sandwich shops by Bon Appetit, Goose the Market is a gourmet food shop/deli/ sandwich spot combo. A popular sandwich is The Batali - an ambrosial mix of soppressata, coppa and provolone. For a classic in Indy since 1902, St. Elmo Steak House is the place for steak, a shrimp cocktail in a fiery horseradish-heavy sauce, lobster and surf ‘n turf (lobster tail and filet mignon). A 15,000-bottle wine cellar offers 1,100+ selections, many large-bottle formats, like Methusalehs, included. 1913 Restaurant OMNI SEVERIN HOTEL Ideally located in the heart of downtown Indianapolis, the Omni Severin Hotel stands as the city’s longest running luxury hotel and a beautifully restored piece of the city’s history. The hotel elegantly combines the grandeur of the early 1900’s with the modern amenities and superior service of today, and offers memorable experiences that are within walking distance to many leisure, business and cultural attractions. GUEST ROOMS & SUITES The Omni Severin Hotel’s 424 elegantly appointed guest rooms and suites are personalized with the amenities and modern conveniences that have come to be the signature of Omni hospitality. DINING n 1913 Restaurant: A rustic, farm-totable restaurant in downtown Indianapolis, 1913 Restaurant features local and regional food influenced from restaurant menus that one would have experienced in the ea &ǒ