Prior to co-hosting, we asked Charlie Kimball what his favorite local restaurant was, and he responded with Bluebeard, so we asked Chef/Owner Abbi Merriss & Sous Chef Bryan Kanne to be in our kitchen today! 

Chef Abbi & Chef Bryan prepare popular menu items, such as Corn Pancakes and Miso Beets & Shishitos. Bluebeard is a restaurant and bar located in the historic Holy Rosary Neighborhood on the southeast edge of downtown Indianapolis.  Abbi Merriss has joined up with longtime friends Tom and Eddie Battista to create a unique food-focused experience.  The menu offers contemporary American cuisine featuring the best local produce and meat their farms have to offer.  The space, a renovated 1924 factory warehouse, features a family dining room, a bar room, a private dining room and a courtyard.

Abbi Merriss was born and raised in Evansville, Indiana and began her cooking career in Norfolk, Virginia in 2001 at The Ten Top Cafe and Restaurant Cora. She returned home to be closer to her family in 2005 and went to work for her mentor Greg Hardesty for 3 years at Elements Restaurant. While working at Elements she received a presidential scholarship to the Chef’s Academy in 2007 and earned a degree in Baking & Pastry after completing an internship at P*Ong and working at Falai in NYC. After returning, she cooked at R Bistro and became an assistant instructor briefly at the Chef’s Academy followed by a 2 ½ year reunion with Greg Hardesty at Recess. In 2012, she opened Bluebeard & Amelia’s as a co-owner & operator with her longtime friends Ed Battista, Tom & Sherry Battista and Charlie & Tiffany McIntosh. Bluebeard was named as a James Beard Best New Restaurant Award Semifinalist in 2013. Abbi has been named as a James Beard Award Semifinalist for Best Chef: Great Lakes in 2016, 2017 & 2018 and has earned many mentions in national press such as Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, Midwest Living, Business Insider, Condé Nast Traveler, & The New York Times.​​​​​​​Bluebeard is located at 653 Virginia Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46203. 

Lunch Service:
Monday – Friday: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Dinner Service:
Monday – Saturday: 5 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Sunday: 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Bar Service:
Monday – Thursday: 11 a.m. – 12 a.m.
Friday: 11 a.m. – 1 a.m. or later
Saturday: 5 p.m. – 1 a.m. or later
Sunday: 5 p.m. -12 a.m.

Go to www.bluebeardindy.com for the daily menus and more information, and follow Bluebeard on social media: 
Instagram- @bluebeardindy
Facebook- BluebeardIndy

Miso Beets & Shishitos
10-12  raw, uncut shishitos
1 cup peeled, roasted, cubed beets (golden or red)
1/4 cup Julienne white onion
1T minced garlic
3T soy sauce
2T white miso
2T vegetable oil
2T sesame seeds
scallion, cut on bias & cilantro leaves to garnish 

Heat oils in a pan until very hot. Add onions and sautee quickly. Add shishitos and turn heat down, sauteeing until blistered on all sides, but still retain their structure. Add garlic and give the pan a few tosses. Remove pan from heat and deglaze with soy sauce & miso. Toss pan and add beets. Warm beets through, toss in seeds. Place in serving dish, garnish with scallions and cilantro.