Milktooth | Facebook | T: @milktoothindy | IG: @milktoothindy
534 Virginia Ave. (map it!)
Indianapolis, IN 46203
(317) 986-5131
Open daily (except Tuesday), 7a-3p (coffee & pastries 7-9a, full service brunch 9a-3p)
Visited: Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at 10:30 a.m.
Do you know the way from Columbus to St. Louis? You just get onto Interstate 70 west… and get off at St. Louis. It’s a straight, 6.5-hour shot down the highway from one city to the next, passing through some beautiful (although a little repetitive) countryside. Fortunately, you have stops like Indianapolis along the way, and double fortunately, Indianapolis has places for brunch like Milktooth.
It might be easy to dismiss Milktooth as a hipster dive: it’s situated in an up-and-coming neighborhood with breweries, distilleries, coffee shops, etc. It’s housed in a renovated gas station…
…with lots of retro decorations and old lighting fixtures, it has a full bar for all your boozy brunch needs…
…a bookshelf loaded with books and retro kitsch…
…and a full espresso bar.
I’d be easy to dismiss it as a hipster dive, but the lively atmosphere, the decor, and the creative menu give the place a wonderful character, and it has us looking forward to stopping by on our next trek to or from St. Louis.
We arrived mid-morning on a Wednesday. Milktooth was busy, although we were seated right away at one end of a large common table. The day was leaning toward warm, so we ordered an iced coffee, which was very smooth and clean.
The coffee menu features a variety of roasters, including local Tinker Coffee. They offer a full espresso bar, cold brew, pour-overs, and a specialized menu of coffee cocktails.
The food menu features eclectic but approachable creations that you don’t really see elsewhere. Always refreshing, especially when a place bills itself as specializing in brunch. We didn’t know until our server told us that they have a kid’s breakfast plate, and both of our boys went for it. It features soft scrambled eggs, a choice of bacon or sausage, toast, jam, and fruit.
I also ordered a shot of espresso from the brew bar. Wonderfully smooth and silky.
Mrs. Breakfast w/Nick loves smoked or cured salmon, so their house pastrami cured salmon was an easy choice. It’s served on a house-made rye bialy (a bagel without a hole in the middle, that’s not boiled before baking), and topped with spinach, whipped cream cheese, and fried capers.
I was drawn to the Dutch baby, because we love making these custardy baked pancakes at home, and you don’t often see them in restaurants.
This was one of the stand-out tastes of the meal. The Dutch baby forms a sweet base that plays nicely with the savory roasted asparagus, hard boiled eggs, shallots, greens, sunflower seeds, and a tangy hollandaise. A really delightful mix of flavors.
In full disclosure, we didn’t eat this dish and the next one, but the strangers sitting next to us at the common table asked if we want to snap a pic of their meals. This is the grilled cheese sandwich with black truffle honey and a gorgeous fried duck egg.
And this is the lamb steak burger with fried egg, caramelized onions and peppers, Swiss, and a horseradish cream.
Whether you’re passing through Indy or staying there a while, it’s worth adding Milktooth to your list. We’ll certainly keep it in mind during our next drive to or from St. Louis!
