Monon Food Company, Indianapolis

The rotisserie oven at Monon Food Company is kept busy all day, slow-cooking and smoking the slabs of meat that will go into barbecue rib and pulled-pork dishes. Rather than with a deep fryer and hydrogenated oils, the culinary team cooks its health-conscious dishes in extra-virgin olive oil before topping them off with homemade sauces, salsas, and dressings made from in-house recipes. Together, those elements make for the 10-ounce slice of grilled Cajun meatloaf and gourmet tacos topped with ingredients including pesto cream cheese, pineapple-mango salsa, and spiced buffalo chicken. To wash down meals, barkeeps decant more than 60 beers and ales including new releases, limited releases, and pent-up-anger releases from local and national breweries. Feasts unfold in a spacious, hardwood-floored dining room adorned with work from local artists or from a wrap-around porch overlooking the Monon Trail.