Photograph by Tony Valainis
IT’S RARE to find fine dining this unfussy or loose, but Tinker Street manages to thread that needle with an exacting kitchen and deceptively casual dining room service. A lot of this can be attributed to a game-changing staff strike that prompted a sweeping leadership shift in 2018; the reset in culture has had a noticeable positive impact on the entire dining experience.
Chef Tyler Shortt changes the menu on the regular, but this doesn’t seem like cheffy self-indulgence—instead, it’s a way to keep the restaurant’s deep bench of regular customers entertained. That showmanship comes out in, for example, the clever presentation of the caviar dip, with creme fraiche hidden in the fish eggs’ tin. Every dinner feels like a special occasion at Tinker Street, but it’s a party that lets you relax and unwind.
402 E. 16th St., 317-925-5000, tinkerstreetrestaurant.com
