Coming Together Over Food
Dear Reader,
Food. It nourishes and sustains us. It evokes memories that tantalize our taste buds and warm our hearts. It also brings us together.
I am on a personal mission to bring back the dining room. I am baffled as I hear people talk about removing the dining room from their home because they never use it. Personally, the dining room is my favorite room in our home. I love setting a mood with decor that enhances the meal and creating memories with friends and family. When I sit in our dining room, I am filled with gratitude as I have a chance to look across the table and see people I love enjoying delicious food alongside their favorite beverage. The Food and Beverage issue is special to me because it connects us all to sharing food with those we love and creating memories.
That’s one of the reasons that The Restoracy of Carmel serves meals around a dining table where residents can come together like a family as we talk about in “A Taste of Home.”
But food doesn’t have to be shared in a formal dining room. It can be shared in the kitchen or in the backyard. In “A Perfect Autumn Evening,” we offer tips from experts about hosting an outdoor gathering and give you a peek into a private party at a show home that was part of the recent Home-a-Rama in Promontory of Zionsville.
Connections can also be made over a meal at a local restaurant, like the three new spots we feature in this issue—Aroma Experience, Hanami Sushi & Sake and Tre on Main. It can also be shared over drinks, like wine from Peace Water Winery or non-alcoholic options like Bollygood from Loren’s AF.
It doesn’t really matter where or how you host a gathering. It can be as elegant or as casual as you like because, at the end of the day, your guests don’t come to a party for the space, the decor or even the food. They come because of you. Dig in and enjoy!
ANDREA KULSRUD, PUBLISHER @CARMEL.CITY.LIFESTYLE
October 2024
PUBLISHER
Andrea Kulsrud | andrea.kulsrud@citylifestyle.com
PUBLICATION DIRECTOR
Amy Adams | amy.adams@citylifestyle.com
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Logan Clark (Thynk Creative), Brianna Richardson Photography
Corporate Team
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Matthew Perry
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HR Janeane Thompson
AD DESIGNER Branden Cooper
LAYOUT DESIGNER Kathy Nguyen
Learn how to start your own publication at citylifestyle.com/franchise.
city scene
WHERE NEIGHBORS CAN SEE AND BE SEEN
1: Three “witchy” sisters pay a visit to Kits & Kaboodle. 2: Pooja Garg makes a point to visit Spencer Farm at peak sunflower season every year. 3: Dr. Kristen Blume is not as scary as she looks in her spooky Halloween garb. 4: Peanut and Banana show off cowboy costumes by TherAplay volunteer Stephanie Harrell. 5: This pair is “nuts” about the Great Squirrel Stampede at Coxhall Gardens. 6: These bumblebees are ready for some treats at Clay Terrace Boo ‘n Brew. 7: City Councilmember Jeff Worrell and his wife Shari step out in style for Discovering Broadway.
business monthly
Boger Cabinetry Celebrates 10th Anniversary
For 10 years, Boger Cabinetry & Design has delivered high-quality cabinetry at affordable prices. Over the years, partners Jake Boger and Steve Ash and their team have used their industry knowledge and strategic partnerships with exceptional vendors to deliver custom quality without custom prices, with more than 100 unique styles and colors before getting into custom options. Visit the Boger showroom at 9721 Kincaid Dr., where you'll find a wide selection of cabinetry and flooring options.
Scan to read more
Elite Health Resort Announces New Services
Elizabeth Cain has been a licensed massage therapist in Carmel for more than seven years. Now, Elite Health Resort has added a wealth of healthy options to its services menu, including the only Blue Cube CoreChill3 Elite Cold Plunge in Indiana. The newly patented Halo Vitality Booth Plus provides red light panels, UV light and salt generation. In addition, the Clearlight Sanctuary 2 Infrared Sauna can be combined with chromotherapy. Make your appointment today.
The Picklr Is Sure To Be a Big Hit
Since 2021, The Picklr has become an indoor pickleball sensation with 365 locations open or coming soon across the U.S., with six being in the Indianapolis area, including new locations opening this fall and winter at 3810 E. 82nd St. in Keystone and at 9847 Cumberland Pointe Blvd. in Noblesville. The Picklr locations will feature courts, locker rooms and showers, court reservations and drop-in play, plus tournament opportunities and more. Get in on a founding membership now.
Dr Kristen Blume
CLAY TERRACE’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY
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Putting Flavor ON THE MAP
NEW LOCAL RESTAURANTS BRING INTERNATIONAL CUISINE TO CARMEL’S FOODIE LANDSCAPE
BY
BY
From Italy to Japan and from fine dining experiences to lunch on the go, three new restaurants bring cuisine from around the world to Carmel’s doorstep. Aoma Experience, Hanami Sushi & Sake Bar and Tre on Main have dishes to please every palate.
ARTICLE
AMY ADAMS PHOTOGRAPHY
LOGAN CLARK (THYNK CREATIVE)
“I grew up in a family where food brought us together.”
Vinita Singh has been in the food industry on and off for around 10 years.
“My passion and my destiny brought me back,” Singh says. “I grew up in a family where food brought us together. That is where we built our best memories. We want to bring that to our guests.”
After finding success with three restaurants in Indianapolis that serve North Indian food, including two locations of Aroma Indian Cuisine and Bar, Singh wanted to bring a new upscale, fine dining experience to Carmel.
Serving the classics people love at Aroma Indy but also creating new dishes unique to Carmel, Singh took a year to develop the menu for Aroma Experience, which also offers a delicious selection of milder menu choices for those who don’t like curries.
“Everything in this menu, I love,” Singh says. “If I don’t love it, I’m not going to serve it.”
While Delhi Butter Chicken is the most popular item on the menu, Singh recommends diners try Golden Rogan Josh with lamb or goat or a lentil dish like Muradabadi Dal Tadka.
“Everything is fresh,” she says, describing going through hundreds of pounds of onions, garlic and ginger every week. “We want to be authentic.”
In addition to dining in the elegantly appointed restaurant, Aroma Experience offers lunches designed with grab-and-go in mind and services the catering needs of area corporations.
Saowalux Fary owns restaurants throughout the Indianapolis area. After opening 14 Thai restaurants in as many years, Fary decided to partner with friends, including Dao Richmond and Wilai Johnson, to open their first Japanese restaurant. The friends even visited Japan to explore authentic food.
Hanami has fresh fish shipments coming in daily. Two of the most popular sushi items on the menu, Prime de Lobster and King of the Sea, incorporate real, whole lobster.
Partner Nuttapol Suktad, an experienced sushi and Japanese cuisine chef, brings diners an array of traditional Japanese choices, such as Ramen and Yakisoba. One of the recipes on the menu that guests won’t find anywhere else in the area is Buta Kakuni, a slow-cooked pork belly. And, of course, diners will find one dish that pays tribute to the owners’ Thai heritage—Pad Thai.
In addition to a robust menu and beer and wine selections, Hanami offers sake and sake cocktails.
Hanami means “flower viewing” and most often refers to the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Japan. In keeping with the theme, Fary has filled the restaurant with the rosy blossoms and carries the traditional Japanese theme through the decor, including original paintings by partner Natchapat Tongsri Boutenet’s husband, artist Guillaume Boutenet.
Closed on Sundays, the restaurant offers weekday lunch specials and is often full on Friday and Saturday evenings.
“We are so lucky to have regular customers who are our cheerleaders.”
Hanami
Sushi & Sake Bar 703 Veterans Way, Ste. 130
“We have art, design, food and hospitality.”
Born and raised on the east coast of the Apulia region in Italy, Frencesco Settanni, director of operations, brings to Tre on Main the taste of Southeast Italy. He also brings his vast experience in New York City, where he managed restaurants, including Scarpetta on Madison Avenue.
After moving to Indiana in 2018 to raise his children closer to his wife’s family, he began working with owner Chris Evans at Sangiovese Ristorante. Even then, the idea of opening a fine Italian restaurant in Carmel was on the table.
Evans designed an upscale interior incorporating the vibrancy of the coast seen in the Mediterranean blue front doors and an artwork package called La Vita, “The Life,” by local artist Jason Mayer.
“The menu is different from most Italian restaurants,” Settanni says. “It is more like ‘classic meets modern Italian cuisine.’”
For example, one menu item has been inspired by Chef Gualtiero Marchesi who brought the first Michelin star dish to Italy. Golden Risotto, a risotto carbonara with pancetta, boasts the brilliant color of saffron topped with an egg yolk covered with 24-carat gold leaf.
The wine list, curated by Settanni, received the 2024 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.
“We have art, design, food and hospitality,” Settanni says. “Think of the best restaurant you’ve been to in your life. Think of how you felt when you left. That’s why you come back.”
ARTICLE BY AMY ADAMS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY LOGAN CLARK (THYNK CREATIVE)
Evening A Perfect Autumn
FROM OUTDOOR FURNITURE DESIGNED WITH ENTERTAINING IN MIND TO DECOR AND MORE, HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED FOR HOSTING THE PARTY OF THE SEASON
EXTERIOR DESIGN, AXIS HOME
A perfect outdoor gathering begins with a well thought-out design that flows nicely, providing space for homeowners and guests to sit, mingle or just relax—a space that accommodates the seasons, offering fire pits to stay warm and shade to keep cool.
Jesse Riley of Axis Home will tell you that designing your outdoor space in a way that meets your needs and invites entertaining doesn’t have to cost you a fortune.
When Riley and his wife Kelly finished their personal pool in 2020 and began looking at outdoor furniture to fill the space, they realized they didn’t want to spend $150,000. Having had a boutique in Broad Ripple in the past, the Rileys still had connections in manufacturing, and they were able to find companies to build exactly what they wanted for less.
Today, the family-owned business provides that same service and discount to customers across the area. Having branched into lighting and landscaping, as well, Axis Home offers everything clients need to create the outdoor space of their dreams.
Rather than approaching their outdoor design with a complete plan, many people look for pieces they can find in stock and within their budget. Riley says they often end up settling, planning to upgrade as soon as possible.
CONTINUED >
“People have gotten used to throw-away furniture,” Riley says. “They’ll spend $5,000 to $10,000 on stuff they plan to replace in a few years.”
Riley says many people skimp on shade because stock umbrellas can be expensive, so people buy one when they might need three. He also sees homeowners buy what’s in demand in stores without thought to durability. He says aluminum is popular right now, but it won’t last as long as other options.
Axis Home focuses on quality and longevity. For example, Riley encourages clients to consider teak because it’s timeless and will last.
Rather than giving people a limited choice of existing pieces, Riley helps clients envision what they really want, designing their dream pieces to seamlessly blend their indoor and outdoor aesthetic.
“We’ve taken the approach to do fully custom work,” Riley says. “We build furniture to fit spaces, and it’s no more expensive.”
CHARCUTERIE, THE BOUNTIFUL BOARD
Charcuterie is perfect for any gathering because it appeals to a wide range of palates, can easily accommodate any theme and can even serve as decor.
Christy Johnson, owner of The Bountiful Board, says she has catered weddings and events where an entire table is covered in colorful, richly textured charcuterie.
Far more than throwing snacks together on a tray, from elaborate boards to cute cups, charcuterie is an art form. Here are Johnson’s tips for the perfect palette:
1. Shop your fridge and pantry before going to the store.
2. When you go shopping, look for multi-packaged items like crackers and meat trays.
3. Keep in mind that charcuterie cups are easy to serve but time-consuming to put together.
Johnson also encourages incorporating herbicide- and pesticide-free flowers, like those from Growing Hope Blooms.
Jesse and Kelly Riley of Axis Home
FLOWERS, GROWING HOPE BLOOMS
Floral elements bring life to any gathering, indoor or out. Amy Koepkey of Growing Hope Blooms suggests choosing blooms that speak to the season, and that doesn’t just mean sunflowers. For example, deep reds can evoke warmth on a cool fall evening.
Koepkey has these suggestions when putting together an arrangement:
1. Stick with one or two shades for a monochromatic look.
2. Choose a focal bloom and pull coordinating colors from that.
3. Mix bloom shapes like disks, spikes, clusters and plumes.
After a party, consider sending a few blooms home with guests or donating them to your local nursing home. Koepkey’s business began by giving away 200 bouquets of flowers during the Covid-19 pandemic and evolved from there, and she still loves to give away flowers.
“It just makes people’s day,” Koepkey says.
WINE, PEACE WATER WINERY
Like good food, good wine brings people together.
But for Scott and Laura Burton, providing customers with good wine isn’t enough. They are intent on giving back to make the world a better place. That’s why 50 percent of all net profit from Peace Water Winery goes to support charities, both local and worldwide.
Here are recommendations when selecting wine for your fall party:
1. Choose both red and white wines for any gathering.
2. Rosé pairs well with a variety of cheeses and cured meats.
3. Always offer a non-alcoholic selection.
But Burton’s number one rule? Drink what you like.
“Pairing wine with food can be fun,” Burton says. “But the most important thing is to just like what you drink.”
A rosé like Inspire by Peace Water Winery pairs well with the tastes of the season. Cheers to autumn!
Charcuterie provides a perfect palette for every palate at this fall party.
The layout of this outdoor space includes balconies, covered porches, multiple seating areas and a fire pit by the lake.
WELCOMING SENIORS
All private rooms in a bright and spacious home-like setting with the highest caregiver-to-patient ratio
Rehabilitation
Long-Term Skilled Care
Memory Care
The Restoracy of Whitestown 6712 Restoracy Dr, Whitestown, IN 46075
The Restoracy of Carmel 616 Green House Way, Carmel, IN 46032
DRINKING U P Good VIBRATIONS
ARTICLE BY AMY ADAMS PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIANNA RICHARDSON PHOTOGRAPHY
Carmel resident Maxine Henderson spent her childhood summers with her large extended family in southern India, where her parents grew up. Her memories are filled with the tantalizing sights, sounds and tastes of those summers in India.
“One of the drinks I fell in love with was Nimbu Pani,” Henderson says. “It’s a beverage known for centuries made from lemon or lime, water, sugar and Indian spices. It was very hot there, and it was so refreshing.”
Having loved it as a child herself, Henderson made it for her own four children. In 2017, her husband, former IU and NBA player Alan Henderson, nudged her to share it with everyone. Eventually, Bollygood was born, a certified woman- and minority-owned company offering the first Indian-inspired canned beverage in the United States.
In 2021, Henderson started selling two flavors online: Lemon Ginger Mint and Lime Basil Cumin.
“It’s based on the recipe my grandmother and aunties passed down to me,” she says.
However, Henderson has added a modern twist to the traditional drink. For instance, Bollygood is a sparkling beverage, which is something you won’t find in Nimbu Pani in India.
CONTINUED >
“IT’S A BEVERAGE KNOWN FOR CENTURIES MADE FROM LEMON OR LIME, WATER, SUGAR AND INDIAN SPICES,” HENDERSON SAYS. “IT’S based ON THE recipe MY GRANDMOTHER AND AUNTIES passed down TO ME.”
While traditional Nimbu Pani contains 40 or more grams of sugar, Bollygood has only 50 calories per serving with seven grams of sugar. Henderson calls that the “better for you” of her creation.
She spent approximately nine months focusing on lowering the sugar and salt content and having all of her clean ingredients vetted to become certified through the Non-GMO Project. Henderson relaunched Bollygood last fall with a new taste, new packaging and two new flavors: Lemon Mango Turmeric and Lemon Pomegranate Cardamom.
It’s really hard for Henderson to pick her favorite flavor. While the original two flavors bring back nostalgic memories, her late father helped her formulate the Lemon Pomegranate Cardamom, so that flavor is really special to her.
“My foodies like the Lemon Basil Cumin because it’s so different,” Henderson says. “But the Lemon Pomegranate Cardamom is just so beautiful. The taste really comes together with floral notes that you can smell as well.”
In addition to being available at bollygood.com and on Amazon, the beverage is available at more than 210 stores across the U.S., such as grocery store chains like Giant and Fresh Market, including the one on Rangeline in Carmel. It’s even sold at a quick-serve Indian restaurant, EET, at Disney Springs in Florida.
Bollygood is currently in the process of seeking funding to help fuel a retail expansion and make strategic hires.
Loren’s AF, on Main Street in Carmel and in the Village of WestClay, carries Bollygood individually and in packs. Owners Andee Simpson and Kristin Patrick recommend mixing Bollygood with zero proof Cut Above, which is based on a clean, neutral London dry gin.
“It’s great at enhancing the flavor profile that’s already there in Bollygood,” Simpson says.
Try the recipe below to create an amazing mocktail.
BOLLYGOOD EVENING
• 6 oz., ½ can, Bollygood, any flavor
• 2 oz., Cut Above Zero Proof Gin
• Pour Bollygood over ice.
• Add Cut Above Zero Proof Gin.
• Garnish with fresh mint or a dried orange.
• Stir and enjoy.
A Taste of Home
One Meal At a Time, The Restoracy Helps Residents Feel Like Family
ARTICLE BY AMY ADAMS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY LOGAN CLARK (THYNK CREATIVE)
“Hey, how do you want your eggs this morning, Virginia?” Lead Cook Tonya Maguire asks as she takes two eggs from the carton.
“How about over easy?” Virginia calls from her seat at the dining table just on the other side of the kitchen bar.
“No problem. You want toast with that?”
This is not a conversation you would overhear at most nursing homes. But at The Restoracy, it happens every day as part of the skilled care facility’s goal to bring personalized care to seniors.
“It’s an essential part of our process in how we serve people,” Culinary Manager Jay Baker says. “We get to know the people because we’re serving the same people every day.”
A private, family-owned company, The Restoracy of Carmel and its sister location in Whitestown are designed like neighborhoods to provide skilled nursing care through a home-modeled design. Each of six brightly colored houses in Carmel is home to 12 residents, each with his or her own room and with care ranging from rehabilitation to long-term and even memory care. The goal of staff is to restore health, dignity and familiarity for seniors.
One part of instilling that sense of familiarity is the way meals are prepared in home and served at a family dining table.
“Residents can literally see and talk with the person making their food just like they would at home.”
Maguire and Baker are busy preparing dinner.
The beautiful flowers for the meal were donated by Sweet Peas Flower Farm.
“We don’t have a central kitchen,” Admission Coordinator Molly Schulz says. “Residents can literally see and talk with the person making their food just like they would at home.”
Each day, cooks prepare three hot meals in the home kitchens. The cooks begin the meal in one house and then move next door to finish any last minute preparations to make sure that food is served hot and fresh.
Both Schulz and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Katie Galvin have worked at more traditional nursing homes in the past.
“One of the top problems we would hear is, ‘My food is cold,’” Schulz says. “We have solved that problem.”
The Restoracy complies with diet requirements, such as for renal patients or those with congestive heart failure. The cooks also provide various textures as needed and can accommodate food allergies.
Galvin says that while there is a set menu, the residents can always choose and that options at The Restoracy go beyond what residents would find at other nursing facilities. For example, each month a food council meeting is open for anyone to attend.
“They can bring up issues, make requests and offer suggestions,” Galvin says. “As a group, they decide and vote on holiday meals. We get the flexibility to change the menu to fit the culture.”
When some residents wanted to add taco salad to the menu, the staff came up with a way for those who needed softer options to have beef soft tacos so the residents who wanted it could have taco salad.
“We get to know the people because we’re serving the same people every day. It’s an essential part of our process.”
One resident desperately wanted some ribs, but ribs are difficult to eat even when you don’t have special texture needs. Baker figured out a way to make a rib meal work for everyone.
“Sam, I got you ribs!” Baker told him.
“No way!” Sam exclaimed.
Sometimes, residents and staff contribute outside recipes. In fact, one of the most popular menu items is Bryan’s Italian Chicken, which is a recipe that comes from the family of Bryan Lindsay, founding partner and executive director of The Restoracy of Whitestown.
Family and friends can even bring in food they have prepared at home, and it can be saved in the refrigerator for up to three days.
“You would not be able to do that in a traditional nursing home,” Galvin says.
Schulz says that other facilities often serve 50 people in a dining room.
“It’s like staying at a hotel and having a continental breakfast with a bunch of people you don’t know,” she says. “This is more like family.”
And as with a family home, there are no set visiting hours at The Restoracy. “I tell people, ‘It’s like home,’” Schulz says. “‘When you’re here, treat it like home.’”
Galvin helps a resident with her food.
A SELECTION
OCTOBER 6TH
More
Than a Tailgate
Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center, 7001 W. 56th St., Indianapolis | 12:30 PM
At the 7th Annual More Than a Tailgate hosted by More Than a Phone, attendees can watch the Colts take on the Jaguars while enjoying gourmet tailgate-inspired fare, games, entertainment and more. All proceeds support More Than a Phone’s mission to keep survivors of domestic violence connected with free smartphones and data service. Find more information at morethanaphone.org/events.
OCTOBER 6TH
Indiana Wind Symphony “Fanfare For a New Era”
The Palladium, 1 Carter Green, Carmel | 4:00 PM
Join the Indiana Wind Symphony to celebrate the season’s inaugural concert, signaling a new era for the IWS led by Music Director Jay Gephart. Also, don’t miss “Old Wine in New Bottles” on Saturday, October 19, at 7:30 p.m. at The Studio Theater. Find ticket links at indianawindsymphony.org/events
OCTOBER 12TH
The
Arts in Autumn
Midtown Plaza, Indiana Design Center, Carmel Arts & Design District | 2:00 PM
This fun fall festival will stretch from Midtown Plaza to the Indiana Design Center with food and beverage vendors, arts and crafts merchants, trick-or-treating and other family activities, even an Instagram costume contest for dogs. The event, which lasts until 6 p.m., will lead into the Arts & Design District for Meet Me On Main from 4 to 8 p.m.
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