Photograph by Tony Valainis
A CHEF shuffle for the first time in the 12-year-history of this Best Restaurants standby concerned us. Could the award-winning restaurant stay the course without its longtime kitchen lead? Thankfully, the answer is “yes,” as new chef Alan Sternberg has maintained the excellence established by co-founder Abbi Merriss—and is slowly bringing his point of view to the James Beard–recognized venue’s menu.
Lunch, dinner, and brunch are now a balance of longtime favorites (house-made chips and dips, bright pastas, seasonal salads) and new items (a recent menu boasted multiple boar dishes and a sweet hamachi crudo). Desserts are worth staying for; Bluebeard’s co-founders also started local pastry and bread juggernaut Amelia’s and know what they’re doing on the sweet side of things. All this is served inside the Kurt Vonnegut–inflected dining room or—when the weather is fair—a dreamy, dog-friendly front patio.
653 Virginia Ave., 317-686-1580, bluebeardindy.com
