Liz Biro|IndyStar
If you think downtown Indy’s Mass Ave. has a lot of restaurants now – around 50 in all – just wait until the giant food hall opens at Bottleworks District, where 16of 26 expectedvendors havesigned up to serve everything from ice cream to oysters, tacos and poké bowls.
More vendor announcements are coming, said Rob Gerbitz, president of Hendricks Commercial Properties, which is redeveloping the former Coca-Cola bottling plant into Bottleworks District.
The rambling, 500-seat food hall, akin to Cleveland’sWest Side Marketor L.A.’sGrand Central Market, is scheduled to open in spring 2020 inside two old garages. Below is a full list of tenants who have booked what Gerbitz said would be 300- to 800-square-foot units in an open-floor-plan space.
Called “The Garage,” the hall won’t be a food court or resemble lunch-focusedIndianapolis City Market. You mightlinger over cappuccino and cupcakes in the morning, grab a bite to go anytimeor sample craft beer flights at communal tables while a live band plays. When you want to cook at home, there will be grocers stocking raw ingredients and heat-and-eat dishes.
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A rooftop bar, stores, even a barber shop are also part of the overall Bottlework District project. The $300 million, 12-acrecomplex, 850 Massachusetts Ave., includes a hotel, office spaces and a 240 condo and apartment units.
La Chinita Poblana
Fans adored George Munozfor the Asian fusion tacos he served at La ChinitaPoblana taco standin Broad Ripple. He closed the place in November 2017 to puchase Festiva Mexican restaurant, but Munoz never gave up the La Chinita Poblana brand. La Chinita Poblana's top-seller was ayellow curry blackened tilapia taco with chipotle lime mayo and napa cabbage slaw in ginger dressing. Munoz is a Chicago native. His family hails from Jalisco, Mexico, but he fell for Asian flavors while working for Chicago-based Lettuce Entertain You restaurant group and its former Windy City restaurant Ben Pao.
Blu Point Oyster Bar
Ambrosia’s Gino Pizzi ran an oyster bar by the same name years ago in Broad Ripple. The walk-up counter at Bottleworks will bea spin-off of the56-seat Blue Point Oyster Bar restaurant, scheduled to open this summerat 5858 N. College Ave., at Kessler Boulevard. The preliminary menu lists raw East Coast oysters, clam bakes, lobster rolls, chowders, clams casino, oysters Rockefeller, mussels steamed in red chili broth, from-scratch linguini with fresh clams, scallop ceviche with chili and orange and grilled baby octopus with asparagus, puffed rice and red pepper sauce.
PokéGuru
Entrepreneur and self-proclaimed "foodie at heart" Adam Odgaard sources and cuts fish for tuna and salmon poké bowls and poké nachos on crispy wontons. His Bottleworks location will offer a similar menu, plus beer,sake and a few bar seats.Odgaard'sfirst poké stand opened in July 2018 at Indy City Market. Findbuild-your-own bowls with fresh additions such as daikon, cucumbers and pineapple and from-scratch dressings inspired byThai peanutandKorean barbecue sauces.
Lick Ice Cream
With off-beat ice cream flavors like Cedar and Whiskey or Balsamic Dark Chocolate, Lick is hardly the average ice cream company. Sisters Meredith Kong and Kelly Ryan launched Lick in 2010. They'vehad their eyes on downtownsince at least 2015. They'll continuemaking ice cream at Circle City Industrial Complex on the Near Eastside, but retail operations will relocate to their 350-square-foot Bottleworks stand, Meredith Kong said.
Simply Divine Cupcakes
What started as a cupcake food truck that parked in front of Irving Theater or at farmers markets took up Indy City Market digs in late 2018. At Bottleworks, owners and bakers Sarah and David Duffy will serve signature cupcakes such asmint chocolate, Boston cream pie, caramel cappuccino andhot fudge sundae, but also a rotating list of desserts such as cheesecakes, brownies, cookie bars and layer cake, Sarah Duffy said. The stand would be open for lunch and dinner daily, she said maybe earlier on weekends for breakfast pastries, muffins and cinnamon rolls.
The Tartine Station
Contemporary cooking meets a mash-up of Palestinian and Filipino influences in open-face sandwiches like nothing Gerbitz said he has ever seen. The independent restaurant is from Alex Khoury of Indianapolis, Gerbitz said.
Cunningham Restaurant Group
The old bottling plant grabbed CRG founder Mike Cunninghamwhen he touredthe complex’s Art Deco remnants a couple years ago. He has yet to reveal his plans there, and Gerbitzsaid, "We’re still working with Mike." In March, Cunningham told IndyStar that CRG'sBottleworks unit"has to be something new for us. We can’t do something we’ve already done.“We’re kind of leaning toward an Asian-American concept, but it’s very early in development.”
Daredevil Brewing Co.
A 70-seat taproom is planned at the food hall’s north end, which opens to 10th Street.Known as one of Indy's best craft beer makers, Daredevil’s list at The Garage will includeJ.W.P American Stout, Muse Belgian Golden, Rip Cord DIPA, Vacation Kölsch and carry-out beer.
Clancy's Hamburgers
The latest restaurant to sign on at budding Bottleworks District food hall on Mass Ave. is an old-school, Noblesville-born burger chain that promoted “100% pure ground beef” when most of America was chasing whatever McDonald’s put between a bun, no questions asked. Clancy’s Burgers were so delicious that people in Noblesville still crave them 15 years after that original Clancy’s closed in 2004. Clancy’s signature Topper is a double burger with American cheese, lettuce and tartar sauce. “Golden brown” fries and “extra-thick” shakes remain obligatory accompaniments after all these years.
J's Lobster & Seafood Market
The lobster roll food truck that started rolling around Indianapolis in May brings traditional split-top lobster rolls on buttery toasted buns filled with claw and knuckle meat folded together with mayonnaise. Shredded lettuce also goes into the rolls before the whole things are drizzled with melted butter. Lobster macaroni and cheese, seafood salads and a seafood market open at The Garage in summer 2020.
Hard Truth Distilling Co.
An offshoot of Big Woods Restaurant Group, which also operates Big Woods brew pubs in Speedway, Westfield, Bloomington and Nashville, Hard Truth Distilling uses Indiana-grown corn, rye, and wheat to produce its spirits. The company had bottled gin, vodka and rum, including cinnamon vodka, toasted coconut rum and aged rum. At the Hard Truth co*cktail bar planned at The Garage, bartenders will use thespirits in creative and experimental drinks such as smoked co*cktails. The bar opens in summer 2020.
AbbioccoItalian restaurant
Abbiocco will have a more modern and upscale vibe than owner Carla McDaniel’s Mauricio’s Pizzeria and Mambo’s Cheesesteak Grill, both inside Indy City Market. The 670-square-foot Bottleworks space, with patio seating. will offer wood-fired pizza, personal size or slices,and various pastas made fresh to order.Cooks will stretch homemade dough and prepare sauces from scratch. Also look for dishes influenced by McDaniel’s South American background. She was born in Peru
Gaucho's Fire
Gaucho’s Fire food truck has been serving Brazilian street food since wife-and-husband team Ruby and Rogerio Tregnago launched the business in 2014. Their 250-square-food Bottleworks location will offer flavors from Brazil's different regions and some Italian dishes.The truck’s best-selling steak sandwich isfull of center-cut top sirloin, grilled onions, provolone cheese, mayonnaise and housemade vinaigrette. Popularchimichurri fries come smothered in grilled steak, provolone cheese and chimichurri sauce. Both are planned at Bottleworks.
Keto, Paleo, vegan, gluten-free
Herculean Meal Prep will feature grab-and-go healthy meals that fit various diets. Founders and brothers Ben and Nathan Canary started with personal goals to live healthier lifestyles. Their efforts evolved into plans for the business. Theystarted sellinglow-fat, high-protein meals containing complex carbohydrates in 2016.Herculean is setto release three to four new meals, including breakfast options and the addition of smoked meats. Bottleworks will be the Indianapolis-based business’ second location. The other is on the north side, 3832 E. 82nd St.
Furious Spoon ramen
Chicago-based Furious Spoon is one of the Windy City’s hottest ramen restaurants, landing on both Eater and TimeOut best lists over the past two years. The place makes ramen noodles from scratch for all its locations. Wide noodles infused with kimchi chilies can be added to unconventional ramens like Duck Duck Noods with duck confit in duck fat broth. Traditional, straight, stretchy noodles are more suitable for the “WTF?!” bowl, a special featuring truffles, truffle oil and sliced Wagyu sirloin in garlic shoyu broth. Besides ramen, the restaurant serves rice bowls, sake, beer and nibbles like steamed or fried dumplings and the fried panko-crusted “crab bomb” under a dollop of scallion aioli.
Azucar Morena
The Venezuelan restaurant specializes in arepas. The griddled corn cakes are split and stuffed with a combination of fillings that may include meat, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and other tasty tidbits. Andreina Paredes Angulo and her children, Juan and Matilda, who came to Indianapolis from Venezuela 3½years ago, will run Azucar Morena.
The Harbour
“It has always been a dream of mine to open a traditional British chippie like the ones I’d see in every town back home,” ScotsmanStuart Robertson said of this sister to his popular Mass Ave. bar and restaurant MacNiven's. The Harbour is less than a mile away from the mother ship, and it will serve some of the same Scottish favorites includinghaggis, but breaded and battered fried fish, shrimp and calamari will be the focus.Expect hard-to-find British and international candies, too.
Not just restaurants
Here are businesses other than restaurants and bars that have signed leases at Bottleworks District.
Brick & Mortar barber shop
Old-school haircuts and handmade products are central to this hip shop established in 2015 by Brandon Burdine. He said he plans a four-chair barbershop with lots of retail, for sure, and maybe a café that would make the place similar to Burdine’s part barber shop, part coffee shop Commissary Barber & Barista downtown, at 304 E. New York St.
Square Cat Vinyl
Bottleworks District will be the second location for the Fountain Square record and coffee shop. Three-year-old Square Cat also sells craft beer and hosts live music. Craft beer won't be available at the Bottleworks location.
Pins Mechanical
Foosball, pinball, bocce, Ping-Pong and duckpin bowling plus beer, wine and co*cktails including the Rosé All Day with rosé vodka, lemonade, rose water and Rhinegeist Bubbles fruited ale. Oh, and there are spiked punches in bowls to share with your crew, too. Yes, you’ll have to drink your meals here.
Living Room Theaters
The upscale, eight-screen cinema will show indie, foreign and local films in intimate, living room-style theaters. Expect a full bar and in-theater food and beverage servers delivering the likes of fried artichokes or pan-seared mahi with cherry wine glaze to your seat. When you’re not up for a movie, try live music in the lobby bar and lounge.
West Elm Hotel and roof-top bar
A rooftop barand local artwill be part of the150-room hotel. The upscale homewares store announced Bottleworks plans in 2016. The Brooklyn-basedretailer aims forthoughtful design at its hotels. Spaces celebrate the heritage and energy of each property and its local community.
YogaSix
YogaSix, is a nationalXponential Fitnessyoga brand.The studio will deliver a full sensory experience through its six core classes: Y6 101, Y6 Restore, Y6 Slow Flow, Y6 Hot, Y6 Power, and Y6 Sculpt & Flow.
Witch Hazel Salon
The full-service salon will relocate from its Virginia Avenue space in Fountain Square. At Bottleworks, the businesswill be bigger and expand services. Witch Hazel specializes in extensions and offers advanced training for stylists.
Follow IndyStar food writer Liz Biro on Twitter:@lizbiro, Instagram:@lizbiro, and on Facebook. Call her at 317-444-6264.
