25 BEST RESTAURANTS
THE CELEBRITY CRUSH
OSTERIA BY FABIO VIVIANI
A GROCERY STORE lunch spot with celebrity backing isn’t exactly a formula for authenticity. Yet everything about the tastefully appointed osteria that Top Chef darling Fabio Viviani quietly installed in the former Table by Market District space in Carmel late last fall shows the chef’s personality and precision, from by-the-book Neapolitan pies to rarely seen pastas, such as squid-ink lumache lavished with the fruits of the sea. Even the ubiquitous Caesar salad takes on new character with oven-dried tomatoes and wafer-thin rye crisps in place of croutons. Entrees such as chicken-thigh marsala and a steakhouseworthy bavette slathered in chimichurri that rolled out in July make this place not just a Hollywood novelty, but a “yes it’s that good” recommendation to anyone who has longed for a knockout Italian place to rise above the checkered tablecloths and gallons of red sauce. 11505 N. Illinois St., Carmel, 317-689-6330, osteriacarmel.com
THE BOMBSHELL
Nesso Italian Kitchen
THERE’S LITTLE about Cunningham Restaurant Group’s Italian flagship on the ground level of The Alexander that screams trattoria or ristorante. Indeed, just about everything, from the exterior wood to the plush palette of interior browns to the scaled-back menu featuring short ribs, swordfish, and a beet salad is more in character with the polished Cunningham brand than a fancy spaghetti haunt. Which is what makes a meal there all the more delightful when your arancini, cacio e pepe, and osso buco have the quality-overquantity appeal of something you might eat on a trip to the Adriatic. Even the service is more buttoned-up and Frenchinflected, with tightly plated dishes arriving all at once, seemingly with the entire staff to deliver them. One of the few chances to get a little messy comes with the dessert course’s bombolino, what used to be labeled simply “ricotta donuts.” Split an order of the crisp, sweet, richly satisfying fried nuggets, and don’t worry if you end up with a little bit of lemon curd on your face. 339 S. Delaware St., 317-643-7400, nesso-italia.com
Festiva
THE SMALL WONDER
star George Muñoz took over Festiva in 2018, having shuttered his popular stand-up taqueria in Broad Ripple the year before, this vibrantly painted, patio-and-booth Latin pleaser on East 16th Street slowly took on a new character, with Muñoz often at the front and adding regional favorites from his recipe files to the menu. He has since returned to stuffing tortillas at La Chinita Poblana’s revival inside The Garage Food Hall at Bottleworks, but that hasn’t been a distraction. Thankfully, the city’s most impressive carne asada platter and spicy-sweet ribs are as enjoyable as ever. The brunch huevos motuleños with black bean tostadas, ham, and plantains continue to impress, as do the accompanying margaritas and palomas. And nightly specials of steamed braised beef, cilantro-marinated scallops, and an eye-popping achiote-seasoned pork chop
