When Youssef Boudarine, founder of J’Adore Pastry and prominent pastry chef in Indianapolis, first formulated the idea for Epicurean Indy, he had no idea the scope of the festival he was building.
“Every day I would check socials and talk to people, and it would say, ‘Sold out, sold out, sold out,’” Boudarine said. “That shows that Indiana has this amazing culture about food.”
Boudarine transformed The Stutz Building into a culinary hub last Friday, uniting global chefs and local artisans. Boudarine’s vision for the inaugural event brought together a rich variety of flavors, paired with live music and art, and offered a multi-sensory experience.
The festival featured a stacked lineup of international restaurants and local favorites like Salamat Cookies, Sakura Express, The Little India Restaurant and Julieta Taco Shop. Crowds of people squeezed into the narrow brick alleys throughout the festival to line up for plates.
“People love it because that’s what we need, something different” Boudarine said. “There’s these incredible opportunities to gather, to taste, to come together, so I really think (Epicurean) is such a beautiful expression of that.”
Aside from the array of chefs and restaurants, Epicurean featured local artists, florists and musicians representing countries from all over the world. Mexico, Ireland, Syria. Jordan, Vietnam, Sudan and more were represented through art, sculpture, mosaic and florals.
The festival also boasted a high honor for foodies by holding a James Beard Benefit Dinner inside the Stutz Car Museum during the festival. Chefs like Abbi Marriss, Samir Mohammad, Steven J. Oakley, Patrick Russ, Alan Sternberg and more crafted small versions of their stylized creations for guests.
“(The James beard Benefit Dinner) just couldn’t be any better,” said Izabela Wojcik, the director of special fundraising initiatives for the foundation. “There’s so much love in the room. The food is outstanding, the cars, the results, the history in this place. It’s just a perfect way to spend this moment.”
The dinner benefited the James Beard Foundation, whose mission is good food for good, anchored in talent, equity and sustainability.
“I think a deeper level of what this community has — the resources, the talent and this opportunity to all work together — you don’t need James Beard to put stars and spotlights. You have all the magic,” Wojcik said.
The James Beard Benefit Dinner also served as the introduction to the World Food Championships Nov. 4-8 downtown. Mark Conway, the producer, spoke to the attendees about the growth the international market has seen in Indy in the last decade.
“I was floored by the fact that I could drive in any direction in the state of Indiana and get a product grown by (Hoosiers),” Conway said. “Some of the best food in the world is grown right here in Indy.”
The inaugural event is already promising a return in 2025, with the addition of more international restaurants and a glimpse into the expanding restaurant industry Indy has to offer.
“This is why I say I am proud to be an immigrant,” Boudarine said. “I am going to do it again even bigger than this.”
For more information about Epicurean, visit epicureanindy.com.
To read more about Indy restaurants, click here.
Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
Hanna Rauworth is the Health & Environmental Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, where she covers topics at the intersection of public health, environmental issues, and community impact. With a commitment to storytelling that informs and empowers, she strives to highlight the challenges and solutions shaping the well-being of Indianapolis residents.
