Restaurants in Zionsville

Inside Pam's Tea Shoppe, a glass case brims with jars of more than 60 kinds of tea. New tea accessories, including handcrafted mugs and mesh infusers, fill shelves next to a table set with vintage teapots, cups, and saucers. The shop's knowledgeable owner is often on hand to help clients pick leaves or to plan onsite tea parties complete with tiny barbells for strengthening lifted pinkies.

Guests step into another world when they sit down at Riviera Maya Bar & Grill. The dining room shrouds guests in reincarnated ancient decor, as the food acts as a time-travel device that can be swallowed, like a photo of the '88 family reunion. In this winsome space, the staff serves tender strips of steak sizzling on a heaping fajita plate, loaded with grilled onions, tomatoes, and peppers. A variety of seafood adds a maritime flavor, such as camarones a la diabla, or shrimp possessed by the demon of spiciness. The kitchen team's dedication to authentic recipes is evident in modern creations such as Armando’s pizza, a mexican pizza that swaps in flour tortillas as the crust and supports toppings of beans, steak, and tomatoes.

Although the sushi chefs at Wasabi on 82nd can expertly fashion traditional rolls, their skill shows even more when slicing their own creations. The Kiss of Fire roll marries cream cheese and asparagus tempura with eel and smoked salmon in an eight-piece serving. The Mistake roll, a favorite of many local diners, surprises tongues with spicy tempura tuna made spicier with the house secret sauce. All in all, the chefs can create more than 40 rolls, each with a special addition, from fresh tuna and tangy sauces to exotic eel and bite-activated confetti cannons.

Sushi on the Rocks pleases the palates, eyes, and ears of patrons with fresh Japanese fare, refreshing libations, and live jazz tunes. Owner John J. Lee crafts nearly 80 nigiri and maki options that range from sweet fresh fruit sushi to elaborate specialty rolls, such as the spicy tuna, tempura shrimp, and asparagus bundled into the Playboy roll. Entrees include grilled chicken drenched in teriyaki sauce, teriyaki steak or chicken options, and new specialty rolls such as the Mexican roll with shrimp tempura, and mixed crab, which is topped with spicy tuna, avocado, and mango. Thirst-quenching hot sake can warm chilled throats and the hearts of fish-loving misers, while more than 10 varieties of wines spare diners the arduous task of juicing their own raisins. Melodies swim through the elegant dining room Thursday and Saturday evenings, tickling eardrums with the sounds of jazz.

The ovens at Mancino's Pizza & Grinders work overtime. They burn each day, turning out batches of the Lyell family's signature breadsticks, hot meat-and-cheese-covered grinders on freshly baked bread, and, of course, specialty or build-your-own pizzas. The ovens' interiors breathe thermal life into concoctions whose histories stretch far back in time. Their grinders were born—according to Mancino's menu—on the East Coast during World War I, when Italian immigrants served hearty sandwiches to shipyard workers who were grinding off rivets for warships. Near the ovens, cooks cover spaghetti and lasagna in handcrafted marinara sauce using an old family recipe known only to Grandma Lyell and her hairdresser. In addition to hardworking ovens, the restaurant's new location boasts four large-screen TVs and an ice-cream bar to cool down well-heated palates.

Inside Brunchies, servers carry plates of traditional American diner food, though many were prepared with health in mind. In keeping with the restaurant's name, chefs prepare breakfast and lunch dishes throughout the day. Their signature creations range from a skillet stuffed with cheddar, hash browns, and sausage topped with egg to french toast coated in corn flakes and topped with fruit. They also craft plates of buttermilk pancakes and egg-white omelets, and they stack sandwiches with steak, breaded pork tenderloin, or health-focused ingredients such as grilled chicken and avocado.