Irvington’s 25-year-old Dairy Queen has closed. Owner David Atherton announced on Facebook that he shuttered the 6245 E. Washington St. business, saying, “I am going to enjoy retirement.” The Star notes that it remains unclear if the business will be put on the market following the closure.
His Place Eatery is the latest local spot with a feature on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. The soul food restaurant (one of our best of the year) will appear on the Guy Fieri–hosted Food Network series at 9 p.m. on Friday, October 11, it announced on Instagram. This season, the show has also featured Argentinian restaurant Che Chori, Pa & Ma’s Backyard BBQ, and Mexican restaurant Tlaolli. You can see what all the His Place fuss is about at two locations: 6916 E. 30th St. (317-545-4890) and 1411 W. 86th St. (317-790-3406).
A weekend fire that scorched the Sunshine Breakfast House and Grill is being investigated as an arson. WTHR reports that the Indianapolis Fire Department has ruled that a series of October 6 and 7 blazes that damaged seven homes, as well as the restaurant at 5116 W. 38th St., were set intentionally. Via Facebook, Sunshine’s owners say the business is temperately closed, but patrons can visit the restaurant’s other location at 884 U.S. Highway 31 N in Greenwood.
Did you know that Indy was once a hot tamale hot spot? Mirror Indy dropped a super fun history of the turn-of-the-century sensation, during which over 300 local venues offered tamales on their menus. These weren’t the masa treats familiar to present-day fans of Latinx food—instead, these 1900s-era dishes were “made with a cornmeal dough, then filled with meat, wrapped in a corn husk and boiled in a spiced brine.”
Stacey & Rick’s Soul Food is struggling to stay afloat. Rickey Allen Fowler, the owner of the 20-year-old comfort food destination at 3399 N. Sherman Dr. (317-541-1929) tells WRTV that pandemic-era losses have left him “overwhelmed in debt” and “paying out more on my lenders than what actually needs to go into my store.” He’s concerned that without a windfall, the business might be forced to close down and wonders, “What are my options? Who can I turn to?”
Seven people were injured when a driver slammed into Greensburg’s Carriage On the Square Smokehouse. According to a Facebook post by Greensburg police, officers responded to the popular spot on Tuesday after a driver—identified by Fox 59 as former Indiana State Representative Cleo Duncan—allegedly drove a Honda Passenger into the outdoor dining space of the business at 117 N. Broadway St. Two patrons were trapped under the vehicle and were transported to the hospital in critical condition. Carriage on the Square’s owners hope to reopen the restaurant by next week.
The “coming soon” news keeps coming this week. Here are the new Indianapolis restaurants to look forward to in the coming months:
· Fernando’s Mexican & Brazilian Cuisine, a standout on our annual Best Restaurants list, is opening a second location at 888 Massachusetts Ave. That’s the spot that last housed short-lived Mass & Belle Taphouse and, before that, Rooster’s Kitchen. Co-owner Cristiano Rodrigues tells the IBJ that the larger venue will allow them to take on more catering work but that the original location at 834 E. 64th St. (317-377-4779) will remain open. The new outpost’s opening date is TBA.
· Lone Pine, a spinoff of lauded 10th Street restaurant Beholder, will open in Carmel next month. The business, which is planned for 710 S. Rangeline Rd., promises “perfectly aged steaks that are sourced from the best ranches and cooked with intention.” It’s led by Beholder co-owner Josh Mazanowski (high-profile Beholder chef Jonathan Brooks has “no involvement in this new venture” but wishes “these guys nothing but the best,” he says) and is set to open in November.
· The opening date for the Cunningham Restaurant Group’s playfully intended Shin Dig is near, it announced on Instagram this week. The 1351 Roosevelt Ave. (317-907-6100) spot is a casual, family-focused venue that will serve lunch and dinner in a rehabbed warehouse space. Expect pizza, wings, and sandwiches.
· Brazilian steakhouse chain Terra Gaucha will open a Keystone at the Crossing outpost. The open flame grill company launched in Jacksonville in 2015 and aspires to “make its way into the hearts and minds of locals and tourists alike throughout the country.” Its location at 8487 Union Chapel Rd. will open the first week of December, a company rep told IM via email.
