Hot Schotz, Tea, and What $2000 a Plate Gets You

Hot Schotz Rides Again: Cory notes over at Property Lines that Hot Schotz is open again in the former Bennigan's space in Fishers. After a pretty major fire, they lost Hans -- their beer guy -- to Pikk's Tavern, but at least they are up and running again. Grand opening planned for October 18.

Chicken or Beef? Any news on who's doing the food for the IMA's $2000-a-plate 125th Anniversay Gala?

Wonder If They Have Wireless? Tea Cozy, the new tea shop at 50 N. Illinios, has their grand opening on October 15 at 10:00 a.m. They will sell loose leaf and packaged teas, teapots, cups and mugs as well as soups, sandwiches, salads, tea lattes, smoothies, and desserts in the Tea Cafe.

Jonah's Seafood Market at Geist

For those of you out at Geist, you've finally got your own meat and fish market to enjoy -- Jonah's Market at Fall Creek and Brooks School Road in the Flagstar Bank building on the corner. Rebecca and Brad have a terrific selection of fresh meat, seafood, pre-made fish dishes (like bacon wrapped scallops and their crab cakes and housemade remoulade) and a solid wine selection. (My favorite treat so far? The crab, chutney and cream cheese spread -- addictive.)

There's only one drawback: If you're looking for local meat, you won't find it here -- not even Viking Lamb. But, if you ask them for it, I'll bet they'll eventually find a way. Similar to a couple of other groups in town, they'll do a custom clam bake for around $50 a person. Just in time for fall!

Q: Where to eat in Fishers?

A reader writes:

"We are wondering if you have a recommendation for a couple great places to eat and not have to spend a fortune. We need something different and are spoiled foodies, since we came from Chicago. Any recommendations?? We live in Fishers, but would go anywhere nearby to have a great meal!"

Fishers is a bit far afield for me, but I know there must be a few hidden gems up there for foodie residents. Any ideas?

Noblesville, Breaking Away, and a Healthy Victory

Who Wants to Open in Noblesville? Who says we food folks don't all talk? A few prominent food lovers have noted the availability of some prime restaurant space right on the Noblesville square in the former Lake and Lodge Outfitters space. (A recent Star article.) Matteo Di Rosa and his wife, Emily, are currently renovating the space and looking for someone who wants to open a restaurant in the ground floor. They are also still operating their eponymous eatery, Matteo's.

The Best Breakaway Blog: Eric Gower, one of the coolest chefs and cookbook authors I know, finally has his own blog, Breakaway Cook! Gower's latest cookbook, The Breakaway Cook and one of my all-time favorites, The Breakaway Japanese Kitchen, takes traditional cuisines and adds updated and unique ingredients for a fresh and flavorful approach. Plus, he almost singlehandedly brought matcha back in style last year with his amazing salts. Check out his knock out recipe for umami salt. Drool....

Indiana Anti-Milk Labeling Bill Defeated: In a victory for small Indiana diarys and customers who want to buy artificial hormone-free milk, the sponsor of Indiana House Bill 1300 withdrew the bill last week due to a lack of support. The bill would have made it illegal for dairies in Indiana to label milk as "Artificial Growth Hormone Free" putting small producers who make a point to keep natural herds at a disadvantage. Natural small dairies often only milk one to two times per day -- and some follow seasonal schedules allowing their herds to "go dry" in the winter months before calving season begins. Mega-dairies often milk cows as often as three times a day --year round -- with the aid of artificial growth hormones to stimulate production. The bill is off the table for this House for this session but opponents are keeping an eye on the Senate docket. Special thanks for rallying the troups to Todd Jameson at the Carmel-based CSA Balanced Harvest. (And Christine Barbour for getting it out to her list.)

Checking in and Pointers

I have been a bad, bad blogger this week! Thanks again to all of you who keep checking in here every day (about 330 of you today!) Fear not! I will be out of the work bunker shortly and eating again before you can say "Hey, where's braingirl?" In looking at stats, we're getting lots of hits of Harry and Izzy's (of course), Bahama Breeze closing, and a few other miscellaneous bits of randomness. But the coolest news is all new local and regional blogs popping in Muncie, Anderson, Noblesville and more. Thanks for the pointers and thanks for reading!

Chef Thom England will be checking in shortly with his dispatches from the CIA (that's Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY) where he's spending a month back in the kitchen.

And in the meantime, I leave you with one tidbit -- again from Cory Shouten at Property Lines. (Hey, Cory, thanks for filling in for me -- you're doing a great job! You're going to be a food blogger before you know it.)

Yat's has opened their third location in Fishers! Now you northsiders can pop in for a great $6 plate of etouffe or jambalaya. A tip? If you need a big order for a group, order ahead and take it home frozen. They send you home with sealed packages of food and rice with great instructions on how to reheat. Voila! Cory tells us it's at 8352 E. 96th St., "next door to a Blockbuster half a mile east of Interstate 69."

Three Latest and Best

And now, in case you're getting a little sick of hearing about foie gras, we return you to your regularly scheduled snark-a-licious restaurant programming. And while I may have been grossing out some of you vegetarians -- and flexitarians -- here are a few notes for you eaters of sea creatures. Three Latest and Best -- The All-Crustacean Edition!

Shrimp-tastic Burgers at Alcatraz: Wednesday, we attended the launch of a new menu at Alcatraz Brewing Company downtown at Circle Center Mall. Alcatraz has been in Indianapolis for nearly 10 years, once part of a chain but now with only two remaining locations. While I was all excited that we might have a good chef coming to town to run the operation, we found that Tavistock, the corporation that owns Alcatraz as well as quite a few other decent eateries around the US, has a new corporate chef, Bobby Varua, who will be based in Chicago. He's redone the menu at Alcatraz but won't be on site day-to-day. So, while the bad news is that we have yet another absentee landlord for a not-quite-a-chain restaurant trying to make it, the good news is that the menu is really pretty good. My favorite? The Shrimp Burgers -- think crab-cakes-with-shrimp, think deep-fried, think sweet sauce on a soft bun. Also good were the flatbreads, oh, and the cocktails.

I Love Shrimp Tempura Rolls: While one doesn't always associate Fishers with good sushi, their new little place, I Love Sushi! is getting good press. Right on 116th across from the Nickle Plate, look for decent lunch specials with an assortment of nigiri, maki, miso soup, and salad. My favorite? What they called "white fish" and a shrimp tempura roll even though it was garnished with eel sauce. But on a cool and rainy day? The miso soup hit the spot.

Shrimp, Lobster, They all Have Tails: Check out the winning soup from the Indianapolis Dine magazine Best Soup in Indy competition. Sure, it's been a Karl Benko love fest around here lately, but I can't miss a mention of his superb lobster bisque with his housemade infused oils and perfectly cooked lobster. The soup from Peterson's was the clear winner in two days of tasting nearly 70 entries. My favorites were also the two winners from Brix (the coconut curry and BLT) and the tomato bisque from Ripple Bagel and Deli. (What I won't do for the craft. Just order me the ba-donk-a-donk-butt, extra flabby, with the side of thunder thighs.)

Two-Minute Warning: Oh, where to begin, dearest Vitesse. Before, while your food was found lacking, you were a warm hotel lobby bar, a beacon in the night, never crowded until you had loud "jazz" music. Now you are but a hotel coffee shop. Gone are the cushy chairs. Gone are the comfortable couches grouped around the faux fire. Gone are the lengthy wine lists and considerate waiters. Oh, wait. You didn't have that before. But, still, gone are the dishes that at least *tried* to pretend they belonged in a swanky-wanna-be downtown bar. Vitesse, we hardly knew you. OK, we knew you and didn't like you very much, but we liked you better then.