Didn't make it to Rev? Here is some of the best food you missed.
Tickets for Rev this year sold out pretty quickly and if you were among the many who couldn't get a ticket, you missed out on a small culinary marvel. But don't worry: I brought an appetite big enough for all of us. All in the name of journalism, of course.
More than 50 chefs from around Indiana descended on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to serve up a feast unlike any other. In roughly two hours, I cleaned just shy of 30 small plates — wasting food isn’t in my DNA, no matter the stomach ache — spanning sandwiches, sweets and an unfortunate number of meats wrapped in bacon.
Here are some of the best dishes I tried.
Korean fried chicken, 9th Street Bistro
56 S. 9th St., Noblesville, 9thstbistro.com
Despite a complete lack of scientific evidence, I remain convinced the flavor of fried chicken directly correlates to how loud it crunches when you bite into it. Chef Samir Mohammed’s crispy Korean-style chicken was a master class in seasoning and breading, meeting my teeth with a small drumroll. Spicy mayo, molasses-heavy barbecue sauce and crisp homemade pickles completed what felt like an homage to the best roadside fried chicken joint you could stumble upon during a long car trip.
Beef massaman curry, Bodhi
922 Massachusetts Ave., bodhi-indy.com
The multigenerational chef trio of Nicky and Taelor Carmine and Pen Phojanasupan prepared a massaman curry that had me seriously weighing the consequences of being seen licking a tiny plastic plate at a black-tie event.
The herby coconut sauce was decadent yet refreshing. The potato slices held together for a split second before going soft and fluffy in my mouth, and the meat was nearly as tender. There’s a reason getting into Bodhi on a Friday or Saturday night seemingly requires Navy SEAL levels of planning and execution. The food is that good, and Bodhi’s Rev entry was no exception.
Smoked carnitas torta ahogada, American Culinary Federation (Northwest Indiana Chapter)
Amid a festival full of tidy bites, I deeply admired chef Gabriel Rosado’s decision to go extremely sloppy. There was no way to get through Rosado’s torta ahogada — literally “drowned sandwich” — without jeopardizing one’s shirt cuffs. Spiced vinegar drenched smoked carnitas in bright, acidic flavors while the bolillo roll hung on for dear life. Awaiting the eater beneath the torta was a bed of sweet street corn, a more than worthwhile reward for surviving the untamable sandwich.
Fried parmesan cheese ball, Gomez BBQ
2827 E. 10th St., gomezbbq.com
What happens when you ball up and fry parmesan cheese, smoked balsamic grapes, chicken skin, fermented honey and Caesar salad seasoning? Honestly, I’m still not sure.
Chef Michael Gomez’ culinary quandary was deeply savory, powerfully salty and undeniably funky. It crunched between my teeth like a rice cracker, then went chewy like ciabatta bread, yanking my taste buds through a labyrinth of barely recognizable yet pleasant flavors.
Charred asparagus and kimchi fondu, Bluebeard
653 Virginia Ave., bluebeardindy.com
Seemingly every member of the animal kingdom was represented in Rev’s dishes, but Bluebeard executive chef Alan Sternberg’s entry was refreshingly vegetal. The charred and chilled asparagus brought a pleasant snap to each bite, while the bitey kimchi sauce packed alternating punches of tang and funk. Adrift in a sea of meat and cheese, I was immensely grateful to eat something that came out of the ground.
Moroccan barbecue pork shank, Circle City Soups
Part of Circle City Sweets at 1220 Waterway Blvd., circlecitysweets.com
Chef Roger Hawkins, who will represent Team Indiana at the 2024 World Food Championships, crafted a celebration of smoked meat with his Moroccan pork shank. The slow-cooked pork abandoned its bone with the urgency of someone ditching a bad date, leaving tender ribbons of meat pocked with caramelized bits of sweet, smoky sauce. The earthy notes of ginger and turmeric aren’t exactly Sweet Baby Ray’s, but maybe American barbecue sauce should take notes.
Grilled meats and potato salad, Fogo de Chao
117 E. Washington St., fogodechao.com
Faintly spicy sausage that crumbles in your mouth. Smoky seared picanaha steak with a ruby-red inside. Juicy bacon-wrapped chicken breast that should probably be kind of gross but somehow works. Al dente chunks of potato salad that might actually have some fiber.
Go ahead, tell yourself you’re too good for a chain Brazilian steakhouse. Everyone’s tough until they’re faced with a plate of delicious grilled meat.
Shrimp and grits shooter, Gallery Pastry
Various locations, sobro.gallerypastry.com
There were plenty of twists on shrimp cocktail to go around at Rev, but I thought the humble shellfish shined the most in chefs Michael Burgin and Emmanuel Torres’ savory shooter. The spiced grilled shrimp popped with a twinge of tongue-teasing heat. Creamy gouda grits smothered the spice, creating a flavor that was upscale yet familiar. I’m typically a cheapskate at the bar, but maybe I’d change my tune if the shot glasses came with shrimp and grits in them.
Chocolate caviar, J’Adore pastry
Currently available at pop-ups, instagram.com/jadorepastry
Despite being modeled after a famously upper-class dish, Bluebeard pastry chef Youssef Boudarine’s chocolate caviar evoked the simple pleasure of popping a Nestlé Crunch into one’s mouth. Airy chocolate pearls instantly crunched to pieces, giving way to a velvety flourless chocolate cake. Boudarine’s dish might not win any beauty pageants — even in chocolate form, caviar still looks like fish eggs — but the flavor spoke for itself.
Exhausted Parent ice cream, Fundae’s
Various locations north of Indianapolis, visitfundaes.com
After dish No. 26, I was strongly reconsidering my choices from the previous two hours. Still, I wasn’t done making questionable decisions — not until I’d had some ice cream.
The Exhausted Parent from Fundae’s is a blend of espresso-spiked ice cream and bitter chocolate chips, the perfect nightcap for someone who tolerates coffee but would like it a lot more if it were mostly cream and sugar.
My mother has often said there’s no such thing as “too full for ice cream.” Meat sweats and heartburn aside, I must admit she’s right.
Contact dining reporter Bradley Hohulin at bhohulin@indystar.com. You can follow him on Twitter/X @BradleyHohulin.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: The best food from Rev festival at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
