Absolute Living

Absolute Living

A LIFE LIVED SWEETLY Lori Sonner And DeBrand Fine Chocolates MODERN FARMHOUSE THE LATEST TREND SWEEPING HOME DESIGN

APRIL 2019

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CONTENTS

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A LIFE LIVED SWEETLY Lori Sonner and DeBrand Fine Chocolates

Photography By Eduardo Peña

22

2019 WEDDING SUPPLEMENT

34 40

CAFFÉ BUONDÌ MODERN FARMHOUSE Volume 12. Issue 03. (#137

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By Matthew Hume | Photography By Eduardo Peña | Artwork By Ismael Peña

A Life Lived Sweetly

Lori Sonner and DeBrand Fine Chocolates

I

consider myself to live boldly—at least when it comes to culinary experiences. I seek out bold flavors and unusual combinations of ingredients that invariably surprise and delight my palate.

“Our Connoisseur Collection of chocolates is what you’re after, then,” Lori divined. And did she ever hit the nail on the head by encouraging me to try the Raspberry Balsamic chocolate from that collection. Lori wanted me to have the perfect chocolate-tasting experience that day, and only partly because I was writing a story about her and the partnership she holds with Cathy Brand-Beere, founder and president of DeBrand Fine Chocolates in Fort Wayne. Lori Sonner explains that her greatest joy in life is seeing joy in others. “It just makes me so happy to see people smiling,” she says. And in the calmly sophisticated café environment that the store has cultivated to perfection, paired with the stellar quality and taste of their sweet

offerings, Lori gets to see a lot of happy people day in and day out. (Shortly after we started talking, a toddler burst onto the scene with his family, running here, running there, smiling, laughing and living out his childhood chocolate dreams.)

We sat at one of the sleek, whitemarbled high-top café tables in the store’s front seating area, and while I could tell from our brief e-mail and phone exchanges in setting up this interview that Lori loved talking and sharing, she remained quiet for a bit when I started asking questions. It turns out that while Lori does love to talk, she hates the spotlight. “I love talking to people in a small, casual setting, but put me in a crowd, and I get sick to my stomach!” she explains. “The few times I’ve been on TV for the store were just awful for me.” Lori is not about being a star. She would much rather spend her hours off the clock being with her family, watching Butler

ABSOLUTELIVING

DeBrand Fine Chocolates

basketball, or communing with nature. “I absolutely love gardening,” she tells me. “I have more than 30 plants in our house—I’m surrounded by succulents and palms out on our porch!” Then there are the birds. “I’m a bird fanatic,” Lori laughs. “We have swallows, hummingbirds, and a family of bluebirds that come back every year to nest in our backyard.”

Still, Lori says she’s always been an entrepreneur at heart. Having run a highly successful Pampered Chef business out of her home for two decades, she first had an inkling to partner with DeBrand 19 years ago when she and her husband visited DeBrand as customers in Fort Wayne. At the time, she and her family lived in the Chicago area, and Lori wanted to bring the DeBrand experience to Northwest Indiana. What was it about them that she so immediately latched on to?

“It’s not just chocolate here,” she tells me. “It was and is an experience with chocolate and friends and family. When we first visited all those years ago, we thought it was fun, and I wanted to bring that feel to our region.” As it turns out, Lori would have to wait a while to fulfill this dream.

A DREAM IN DARK CHOCOLATE In a conversation with Cathy Brand-Beere, founder and president of DeBrand Fine Chocolates, I asked why it took 20 years to bring DeBrand to Indianapolis.

“We’re very particular about how we do things,” she explains, “from research and development, to everything involved in creating, packaging and selling the chocolates, and it’s just difficult to manage something so far away.” As for having Lori as a partner, Cathy explains that it came as a bit of a surprise, but was most definitely an honor, when Lori approached her again after all those years. “We welcome the partnership, and we appreciate that Lori has as much passion for the product as we do.”

Cathy and Lori certainly share their passion in the “pursuit of excellence in

ABSOLUTELIVING

the art and business of gourmet chocolate,” as the company mission statement goes. However, while Lori’s obsession with the DeBrand product and overall culture began with a store visit and an out-of-this-world experience, Cathy’s love of the confectionary arts, and specifically the art of chocolate making, began when she was a very young girl. “My family ran a small business and taught the art of cake baking,” Cathy recalls for me. “I learned early on that I did not want to be in the cake business—but chocolate was another story.” Opening DeBrand Fine Chocolates when she was in her 20s, Cathy’s motivation was quite simple—she loved creating beautiful pieces of chocolate, and subsequently selling them. “I really wanted to start this business to be the creator of the products,” Cathy says.

To this day, creating new products is still her favorite

DeBrand Fine Chocolates

8685 River Crossing Blvd.

Indianapolis, In 46240 317.669.0955 debrand.com

Among DeBrand’s delectable offerings is their version of the chocolate bar—the “tasting bar.” The newest addition to this product line celebrates Indiana pride. “It’s a combination of popcorn and chocolate we call Indiana Popcorn,” Cathy says. “When people come in and buy our chocolates, they’re proud that this an Indiana product. Sometimes they take it on their European travels or offer our chocolate to friends from out of town. It’s fun to have a product named after our state.”

part. I asked her how new chocolates find their way into the display case. It’s all about inspiration, she says. “When that inspiration to experiment with new flavors hits, we give it a try and have lots of people taste it to make sure it’s something people will love.”

those who like unique combinations of flavors, like chocolate infused with jasmine tea, or our ‘Aztec,’ made with crushed pecan brittle and chili powder, dipped in milk chocolate.” No matter your chocolate preferences, DeBrand has you covered.

QUALITY FOR ALL And how can they not love this chocolate?

As for me, temptation met me at the door, and Lori’s plan to lure me to solidly acclaim that this was the best chocolate I’d ever had didn’t stop with the raspberry balsamic piece I had from the Connoisseur Collection.

No, there also was the Strawberry Rhubarb Caramel from the Classic Collection— and lest we ignore the Key Lime Pecan truffle, coated in white chocolate, with a gold flourish painted on. “We have three collections of chocolate—the Connoisseur, the Classic, and the Truffle,” Lori tells me.

“We also have a collection of caramels and a variety of chocolate ‘tasting bars,’ as well as homemade ice cream with homemade toppings and coffee drinks.”

And none of their sweet offerings contain any preservatives or artificial ingredients.

I asked Cathy to reflect more on the brand’s philosophy of chocolate making.

“In everything we do, we strive for the best quality and most pleasing appearance, but we also work to create chocolates that will appeal to anyone who likes chocolate at all,” Cathy says. That explains the diverse product lines. “The Classic Collection is designed with traditional favorites in mind, and the Truffle line is for true chocolate lovers, with chocolate inside and out.”

Perhaps the Connoisseur Collection is the most unusual, however. “It’s created for

Surely Lori’s spirit of perfectionism has helped her to succeed in her stewardship of the Indianapolis DeBrand location. “I’m very much a perfectionist and like things to be done the right way,” Lori says. It also helps to have the full support and guidance of DeBrand’s flagship store, as she relies on them for all aspects of product development, training, marketing, and the store’s look-and-feel. “I’m so happy to have DeBrand’s full support in this partnership,” she says. Part of that support includes helping to foster good vibes in the community, including charitable work with such organizations as the Make-a-Wish Foundation, the Women’s Fund of Central Indiana, and the Indiana Canine Assistant Network (ICAN).

DeBrand Fine Chocolates in Indianapolis has only been open for a year-and-ahalf—and that’s just a drop in the chocolate bucket in terms of DeBrand’s legacy. But with as loyal and well-deserved following as the brand has, and with the impassioned dedication Lori Sonner brings to her role in this partnership, DeBrand’s location on Indy’s north side will certainly be bringing the best kind of fulfillment to chocolate lovers’ dreams for a long time to come. As for me, my allegiance to DeBrand has been whetted and forged for all eternity.

I resisted as long as I could—I mean, how could I interview and take notes while losing myself in this chocolate? I admitted I felt awkward eating a chocolate while giving an interview. “Everyone always says that,” Lori laughed. “I say, just eat it!” And so I did.

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Caffé Buondì Say Buongiorno to Carmel’s Newest Breakfast and Lunch Hot Spot

I

Matthew Hume | Photography By Eduardo Peña | Artwork By Ismael Peña

f you yearn for a fresh, innovative, and expansive take on authentic Italian dinner cuisine, then you may already know about Convivio Italian Artisan Cuisine (11529 Springmill Road, Carmel; 40 S. Main Street, Zionsville). But what if your taste buds, your heart, even your very soul, cry out for an Italian culinary excursion as soon as the sun rises in the east? Then Emilio Cento and Andrea Melani, the pair behind Convivio’s success, say to you, “Buon dì!” and invite you to experience their latest culinary endeavor.

Both Andrea and Emilio were born into the Italian restaurant business, and together, they can boast roughly 50 years of restaurant experience between them. Emilio, a second-generation Italian-American, spent his childhood learning the business in his father’s Beech Grove restaurant, and he’s been a restaurateur in his own right since 2003, when he opened Il Villaggio in Zionsville. (Later, Il Villaggio became Ciao by Villaggio, and in 2017, Emilio and Andrea reinvented the space to be a second Convivio location.)

Andrea comes originally from the heart of Liguria, a region of Italy famed for the birth of pesto, where his parents fed legions of diners in their family’s establishments. When he moved to Indiana in 2000, he initially wanted out of the restaurant business—but he admits that was easier said than done.

“It was just the natural thing for me to do,” he smiles. “I worked for local restaurants—including with Emilio at his father’s restaurant, L’Opera, in Noblesville. I went back to school, and I managed a couple of corporate restaurants, too.” The two stayed in touch as they pursued their respective paths, and a few years ago decided to partner up to bring their combined expertise to appreciative Carmel diners with Convivio. And Carmel’s Italian food scene skyrocketed even higher with the opening of Caffé Buondì.

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“Buon dì,” is one of many ways that Italians say “good day,” and Caffé Buondì, right next door to Carmel’s Convivio location, has been bringing a taste of Italian breakfast and lunch to its guests since early February 2019, with a generous breakfast selection of frittatas, toasts, waffles, pancakes, crepes, and unique “Buondì creations.” The lunch menu expands to include wholesome and filling salads, baked pastas, Italian panini, pizzas, and soups. You also can’t help but notice the gleaming espresso bar as it offers its caffeinated welcome upon entering the space. “We designed a bright, sleek, modern and inviting atmosphere that gives you energy in the morning,” Andrea says. “Of course, we’re also Italians, so we created our own special niche with the espresso bar.” The pair are proud to serve Lavazza, Italy’s preferred brand of coffee.

LavAzza

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I asked Andrea and Emilio to describe the inspiration, the vision behind the food they’re bringing to patrons of Caffé Buondì. “We wanted to bring an innovative and fresh twist to basic breakfast elements,” Andrea says.

“Like with Convivio, we’ve created a space where our guests can experience a comfortable, European feel, and where they can enjoy high-quality and unique interpretations on food that uses ingredients they can relate to.” Take their

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“Buon dì” potato waffle with sausage and egg, topped with a house cheese sauce

“Buon dì” lemon ricotta pancake lemon ricotta pancake, for example—or the potato waffle with sausage and egg, topped with a house cheese sauce. Emilio says they also wanted to incorporate the fresh pasta made at Convivio into their daytime offerings. They do this in the “Rafa,” a dish of fresh spinach pasta layered with eggs, bacon, and béchamel sauce. And don’t miss the “pasta

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al forno” on the lunch menu—from baked lasagna to stuffed, savory crepes.

Buongiorno Carmel!

With three eateries now to fill north siders’ cravings for Italian cuisine and culture, what’s next for this dynamic pair? And will other Indianapolis neighborhoods be treated anytime soon to their innovative take on classic Italian dishes? “We’re really operating as a small restaurant group now, with six managers between the three locations,” Andrea says.

“There’s definitely a desire to grow, and we’ve talked already about bringing Convivio into the Fishers market.” The pair have also been approached regarding a new concept on downtown Indianapolis’s thriving Mass Ave. “I think that in time we’ll do more,” he says. For now, though, Andrea and Emilio assure me that the goal is to continue providing warm and inviting spaces for diners to come together with friends and family for top-notch Italian food. So come on over and see what these two have cooked up for you at Buondì and Convivio. “To me, a restaurant is about comfort, it’s about being in a place you feel special,” Andrea says. Caffé Buondì’s menu says it best: “Io bevo, io mangio, io amo.”

In English, “I drink, I eat, I love.”

Caffé Buondì

11529 Spring Mill Rd. Ste 250 Carmel, In 46032 317.564.8092 caffebuondi.com 38

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HOME&STYLE

MODERN FARMHOUSE

The latest trend sweeping home design It’s no secret that Modern Farmhouse Style has swept the country. In addition to the actual architecture of the exterior and interior, the decor has become immensely popular. What’s great about modern farmhouse style is that it can be grand or small! Even if you don’t have a modern farmhouse home, you can easily incorporate many elements of this style in your house.

WHITE EXTERIOR – Most,

not all, Modern Farmhouses are all white. Occasionally you will see some rustic touches of natural wood, such as the front door, shutters and the garage doors. But in general, the siding is white and runs vertically in some areas and horizontally in others.

LOT OF WINDOWS – A Modern Farmhouse is characterized by a lot of windows to let in as much natural sunlight as possible. Many modern farmhouses have open floor plans which makes light a very important element to make the space feel light and airy.

LARGE FRONT DOOR – The doors are usually one of four colors: black, grey, white or blue.

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Barn Style Lighting Exterior lighting choices for the Modern Farmhouse are fairly limited (if you want to stay true to the style). Barn style or Porch Lights are the two most popular.

CARRIAGE-STYLE GARAGE DOORS – this style of garage door is very popular in Modern Farmhouse architecture. A carriage-style door is characterized by the appearance that the doors “swing out” just like they do in traditional farm barns. They typically include curved windows and one diagonal piece or two diagonal pieces of wood to create the “X” shape.

ABS O LUT E L IV IN GM AGAZ IN E .COM

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