Mostly Moxie: Cerulean: A Vegetarian's Feast

If you know Indy at all, you know we are not the most vegetarian-friendly state. I have a few favorites that I can count on for a healthy, vegetarian meal that isn't just a heavy pasta dish. Three Sister's Cafe (the best hummus, hands down), Cafe Patachou (the best granola, hands down) and Season's 52 (not local, but seriously tasty) are among my favorites.

Lucky for me, two nights ago I had the opportunity to visit Cerulean, a new restaurant in downtown Indianapolis, for a Vegetarian Feast. Cerulean chef/owner Caleb France and his wife, Courtney, opened the restaurant in November and the buzz hasn't stopped since. Just do me a favor and imagine this: a six-course all vegetarian meal made with fresh, local ingredients and accompanied with four glasses of the best wine you will ever drink and a glass of champagne. Phew.

The Indiana artisan cheese board was a fabulous first impression: creamy bleu and goat cheeses, mostardo jam, tomato jam and delicious buttery (fried!) toast. Next up was a salad of bitter greens and huckleberry jam, followed by celery root soup that had hints of fennel. I know what you're thinking: celery soup? Blech. But this soup was creamy, refreshing, light, and surprisingly filling all at the same time. It tasted vegetably and decadent, but not too rich. Another plate, artfully decorated with carrot and beet puree, was a mixture of some of my favorite foods: parsnips, sweet potatoes and various squash. The entree course was a medley of mushrooms with a hearty and creamy mushroom custard.

My favorite course was, take a guess, dessert. Parsnip and ginger ice cream (heaven on a plate) was surrounded by chocolate sprinkles. Flourless chocolate cake bites sat amid a honey and ginger puree and fingerfruit that resembled caviar. If you can find ginger and parsnip ice cream anywhere, please let me know and save me a few pints will you?

The main visual feature of the restaurant is "The Nest," a rounded hut made of birch that encloses a small dining area. Part of the kitchen is openly visible, a sort of "lab" area, where guests can spy on the restaurant's pastry chef, Pete Schmutte, assembling his artistic creations. The understated, neutral decor with Mid-century modern touches is simply perfect. But the decor gives way to the true star at Cerulean: the food. And don't let the online menu fool you. If you're a vegetarian, the team will make sure you're taken care of. Because vegetarians deserve that kind of special treatment.