The menu at One Ten Craft Meatery reads like a tome of all my innermost desires; a beautiful book that holds all the words I cherish most. My own delicious thoughts and dreams–black ink on paper. An entire page is dedicated solely to various cuts of steak and beckons to me: “Would the princess prefer the Wagyu Tomahawk Ribeye, a Grassfed Filet, or a Bone-In Dry-Aged New York Strip this evening?” The princess would prefer not to choose. I hate making choices; especially ones that force me to decide on one single star from a constellation comprised of all I love most in this universe. No matter what I choose: I know I will enjoy the choice, yet still regret missing the things I did not choose to enjoy. While Duck Fat Fries, Flights of Bacon, and masterfully crafted plates of Wild Boar all call to me like some sort of foodie siren song, there are few things I’m more fond of than a gorgeous steak (on the rare side) with a glass of perfectly paired red wine. The varietal of choice will always depend on the cut of steak being served, but I tell you, there are many brilliant options on offer at One Ten Craft Meatery to satisfy this particular craving. Reading over their menu is poetry for my hungry soul. My eyes eagerly devour every decadent word on the page describing the delectable dishes; yet there is a phrase on the menu offering no description at all. The words are small and could be easily overlooked–but, the text remains perched on page–like an ancient incantation waiting to be discovered, to be read, to be realized. To utter the words is to seal your fate, a destiny written in the stars for only the most adventurous of gourmandizers: The One Ten Experience.
The One Ten Experience is a five course tasting menu with optional wine pairing. I was recently contacted by One Ten Craft Meatery and offered the auspicious opportunity to sample their tasting menu, with wine pairings included, on the house. Their only request: that I write about the experience. Believe me, this is one of those moments where it’s very much not lost on me how lucky I am. I was, and remain to be, beyond grateful to be offered this opportunity by One Ten Craft Meatery. The One Ten Experience has long been on my bucket list of meals to try; but on my writer’s salary (ha…what salary?), it can be difficult for me to indulge in this class of luxe feast as often as I might wish. The five course dinner is $75 per person, with the additional wine pairings priced at $55 per person. When I announced online that I would be writing about this special dinner, I was immediately privately contacted by a local food influencer who expressed that they were eager to hear my thoughts, as they’d previously heard the meal was “pricy for what you get.” I immediately became infuriated on behalf of One Ten Craft Meatery–not at the influencer, but at the expressed sentiment.
I’m getting really sick of people saying things like, “It’s expensive for what you get. I could make this at home for less.” No. You couldn’t. (Yes, I’m sure there are some who could–but, with few exceptions, I stand by my words.) You don’t have the talent required to make these skillfully crafted dishes, Jeff–that’s why you’re a CPA and not an executive chef. You think salt is something you only need sparingly, Carol. You find black pepper to be “too spicy,” Mike. Nobody should trust your opinions or your cooking skills because you’re really all just a bunch of bitter Karens with bland palates. Yes, I know, I am the girl who continues to say that taste is deeply personal–but, at some point we have to admit, there is good food and then there is food that’s not so good. One Ten Craft Meatery is an almost entirely scratch kitchen, meaning basically everything they serve, they hand-craft. They are immensely thoughtful about sourcing their ingredients–utilizing local produce as much as possible and supporting ethical farming practices. You are paying for high quality ingredients that are painstakingly prepared and served by accomplished professionals. The food and the effort put into its preparation–and I mean every step taken from farm to table–is entirely worth the price being asked. Yes, I had the privilege of enjoying this meal at no cost to me–but I will more than happily go back and pay for this experience again. It’s something I will gladly budget for because I understand that it’s more than worth the price tag. As far as I’m concerned, this experience is unparalleled in Indiana. A bold claim from a girl who has only lived in the Midwest for two years–but I said what I said. The One Ten Experience is a dining delight that stands up against meals I’ve been served by Michelin Star Chefs. It’s the sort of meal I’d expect somewhere like New York City–not something I ever expected to experience once I moved to Indiana. It’s special.
I arrived at One Ten Craft Meatery on a Friday evening; my senses buzzing in anticipation of the meal to come. Often, when we go to a restaurant, we have some idea of what we’re going to eat. Likely, we’ve at least perused a menu before arriving–I mean, that’s what I typically do. (Is that weird? Because I’d rather be weird than disappointed in my dinner.) The thing about The One Ten Experience that might shake a less adventurous diner is: there’s no glimpse of the future provided. With no prescribed menu to look at beforehand, no indication of what flavors the night might bring, there’s a lot of uncertainty that accompanies the experience–giving way to a mix of excitement and just a little twinge of nervousness. If the unknown is something you simply can’t face, you don’t necessarily have to skip the tasting menu. Our server, who was boundlessly warm and kind, actually asked if we’d prefer to be surprised or get a heads up about what dishes would be coming our way. I think you need to make whatever choice is best for you, but ultimately I’d like to emphasize my belief that the element of surprise is essential in properly experiencing a meal like this.
When you’ve built trust with a restaurant, it’s easy to throw your hands in the air, relinquish your sense of control, and just enjoy the delicious journey. So, I showed up to One Ten Craft Meatery with an open mind, an eager mouth, and an overwhelming abundance of something that doesn’t always come easily to me: trust. But, I tell you, they have earned my trust through many positive dining experiences. At worst, previous meals there have been great. At their best, they set a standard that I will compare future dining experiences against. For me, the One Ten Experience is a new gold standard. While the five course tasting menu may be akin to a trust fall for the senses, the high that accompanies the payoff of relinquishing control of your meal to a brilliantly talented chef is exquisite and elevates each and every bite of surprise cuisine to previously unknown levels of lusciousness. If you simply let go and let chef, your faith will be rewarded.
Our delicious adventure began with an amuse-bouche of sesame cucumber salad. Never before have I so enjoyed cucumber that wasn’t specifically a half-sour pickle. Spicy and fresh–for a little bite, it packed a big flavor. A single spoonful was more than enough to tantalize my tastebuds. Not to spoil the little dopamine hit that we, as humans, get whenever we experience a tiny, unexpected, happy surprise: but an amuse-bouche is part of every meal at One Ten Craft Meatery. Even knowing that it’s something I should expect when dining there, I’m always still delighted to experience this tiny taste. I’ve spoiled no big secrets, as the single spoonful of ingredients is constantly changing. It’s the experience of the amuse-bouche that helped me to gain confidence and trust in the culinary craftsmanship of One Ten Craft Meatery. No matter what they serve up on a spoon to start my meal, it is always–without exception–scrumptious.
The first plate of the evening was their Cherries and Cheese appetizer. Gorgeous, plump marinated cherries dressed with Fresno chiles and a delicate chiffonade of mint were served upon a lush–and more than generous–mountain of whipped goat cheese. House-made, grilled focaccia served as the vessel to transport this decadent bite to your mouth. This is the first time I’ve truly, deeply fallen in love with cherries. The gobs of goat cheese that were there to ease the introduction certainly aided the formation of this new love affair. The plate was sweet enough, but also complex enough, that I’d be delighted to begin or end a meal with it. To compliment, a sparkling Italian rosé. I believe it was the Pizzolato Italian Spumante, but don’t quote me on that. I’m pretty good when it comes to wine, but there will always be more for me to learn. The wine was gorgeous and pale pink in color. Lazy bubbles in the glass were much more assertive on my tongue–with notes of apple and strawberry. This wine was ideal to compliment the ultra creamy, soft goat cheese. I would go back just to enjoy this plate and wine together again–but I could say that of any of the pairings I enjoyed as part of the One Ten Experience.
For the second plate of the evening, we were presented with a dish by the chef. It was something that I’ve not personally seen on their menu before–at very least, I can say with absolute certainty that it is not currently offered on their menu. The chef explained that the plate of local Kosciusko mushrooms were prepared in a variety of ways. Chanterelle, chicken of the woods, and oyster mushrooms were all present in this dish. I believe the oysters were braised, the chanterelles roasted, and the chicken of the woods breaded and fried–but again, don’t quote me. I went fully swoony upon first bite, so the exact details got a bit lost in my haze of enjoyment. I do know with absolute certainty that the mushrooms were served atop a bed of two sauces: a Brie Mornay and a pine nut romesco. I can also say that this was–beyond a shadow of a doubt–the absolute best mushroom dish I’ve ever eaten in my entire life. It completely changed my perception of mushrooms. Before I get ahead of myself, let me just be clear–the Brie Mornay was heavenly, but the romesco…sheeeeeeesh! When the kids say, “Goated with the sauce,” this must be the sauce they’re talking about. I deeply love the whole dish but the wine pairing really elevated the experience–as a good pairing should. I’ve said before that fried foods and bubbly are best friends, but breaded and fried chicken of the woods mushrooms should marry the Blanc de Blancs I was served with this dish. What is Blanc de Blancs? As you may (or may not) know, Champagne is typically made with white and black grapes: namely Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. A Blanc de Blancs, as the name suggests, is made with no black grapes–the term can apply to Champagne or to bubblies produced elsewhere. The glass I enjoyed alongside the mushroom dish was a dazzling straw hue, effervescent, and similar in flavor to a typical Champagne while specifically being not-a-Champagne. I think I was detecting the familiar notes of lemon and toast. The pairing was exquisite and really set a high standard for the remainder of the evening.
Next, a well-loved menu item at One Ten Craft Meatery: the Stoned Duck. A mouthwatering union of succulent, perfectly cooked duck–with just a taste of crispy skin–stone fruit salsa, pickled red onion, a delicate bed of spinach, and a tempting schmear of blackberry goat cheese punctuated with crispy prosciutto. This is a highly craveable menu item for a reason. As someone who doesn’t typically choose duck (especially not when steak is an option) I believe my praise of this dish should carry serious clout. I challenge you to find a more fulfilling plate of duck than this. (Spoiler: you won’t.) This dish is so well-crafted that it could make me question whether or not I wanted to feast upon duck or steak. At this point, I have to tell you about Javin. A server, though not technically my server, who stopped by the table throughout the evening to chat a bit. A big, vibrant personality–the kind of person who makes a room better just by being in it–Javin stopped by the table to ask if I was told how they make the Stoned Duck. I was intrigued. His explanation: “We become really good friends with the duck, take it up to Michigan and go to a dispensary…” I’m hooked: on both Javin and this duck.
By this point in the evening I realized that, with the amount of goat cheese I was consuming in one single sitting, I will probably never need an antidepressant again–I’m cured. Nothing provides pure dopamine quite like goat cheese does. But, if the cheese wasn’t enough to fulfill the pursuit of happiness, the wines of the evening certainly would carry me across the finish line to foodie nirvana. Our server kept commenting that she was impressed with my dining companion and me: we didn’t ask to box anything and continued to clean our plates throughout the evening. Apparently, most people box at least a few bites when partaking in the One Ten Experience: foiled by eyes larger than their stomachs. Not us. We ate, ravenously, determined to relish in all that the night had to offer–the promise of gourmandizer’s heaven always looming on the horizon. Valhalla, I am coming! The Stoned Duck was accompanied by the 2021 Belle Glos Pinot Noir; the third pairing of the evening and it was a real treat. I’m a girl who loves all wines. I don’t discriminate. But red wine will always hold a special place in my heart. This Pinot Noir had lush notes of dark fruit, with some red fruit–perhaps cherry, but more like a cherry cola. Velvety in my mouth and acidic enough to balance the succulent duck dish; I urge you, if the five course menu is outside of your comfort zone, at very least: try this pairing. It’s simply too good to miss.
The most “me” taste of the evening was the final savory dish: the penultimate plate. Nearing our final destination, the fourth (before the fifth) was a picanha steak–the tip of the sirloin–upon a bed of seasoned rice and bedecked with elote style corn and vibrant, green, herbaceous chimichurri. Steak is one of my love languages and my trysts with One Ten Craft Meatery always leave me satisfied. Their steaks are–without exception–exceptional, with the perfect amount of pink, and primped with all the best, most scrummy accompaniments. Those who know me well can attest that I have this silly little habit of dancing when I eat something that really pleases me. Even seated at my table, while eating the picanha, I could not control myself from performing a boogie in my chair. My mouth was busy chewing and my bootie was busy grooving. I uttered, “We’re about to get nasty. I’m about to ‘Yes, Chef’ my steak,” and “Please don’t tell the Stoned Duck that I’m cheating on it.” I can’t act right when I’m really vibing with my food. It didn’t help that I was also entirely smitten with the wine pairing for this plate. A 2021 Tempranillo from Spain, it was–without a single hesitation–my favorite wine of the evening. Fruity, but with hints of baking spice and perhaps even just a tiny suggestion of orange zest, this wine left me wanting a second pour. This is the one I’d buy a bottle of for the sake of simply enjoying at home–but that all comes down to personal preference. I was flirting with my wine; talking to it, trying to figure it out and decipher its layers. My dining companion, jealous and feeling left out, asked if I wanted to include them in the conversation. To this I said, “This is an A and B conversation and you can C your way out.” I am nothing if not a child; a steak-and-wine-obsessed child. But, don’t blame me–blame the excellent cuisine. It’s not hard to fall in love with the food at One Ten Craft Meatery. Javin quipped, “Half the reason I work here is just to get half-off the food.” If delicious cuisine doesn’t drive your decision making, I don’t know if we can be friends. But Javin is cool. We can hang.
The final plate of the evening was, of course, dessert. Like all good love affairs, all truly excellent meals should end on a sweet note and The One Ten Experience is nothing if not a truly excellent meal–and, for those of us predisposed to falling in love with all things ephemeral and delicious, it’s a pretty good short-lived love affair, too. A chocolate cake inspired by the very cake Chef Jason’s grandmother used to prepare: the Dotty Cake. Cream cheese meringue and brandied cherries accentuate the heavenly, chocolatey slice of cake–dense and rich enough to feel decadent, but not so heavy as to sit like a rock in your tummy after an already sizable and sinful meal. To pair, a small sip of 2006 Vinsanto Del Chianti. Of all wines, dessert wines are the ones I enjoy least of all–though I do still enjoy them. When it comes to wine, I do prefer dry to sweet, but I still feel that there is a time and place for sweet wines. The end of a big meal is really the ideal time to partake in the sipping of dessert wine. Of all dessert wines: Vinsanto is by far my favorite. It tends to have really interesting notes of dried fruits, caramel, and scrumptious nuttiness. Oddly enough, I have a bottle of 2006 Vinsanto Del Chianti sitting on my personal wine rack just waiting to be opened and enjoyed–perhaps this winter I’ll crack it open.
The life of a food and wine writer is folly. Last night, I was eating one of the most exquisite meals I’ve ever had the pleasure of enjoying, with exceptional wines to accompany and compliment the feast. Today I’m munching on Totino’s Pizza Rolls, quaffing a mediocre locally-crafted Petite Sirah, and trying to find all the right words to elucidate the all-time-highs of the utterly unmatched dining experience of the evening prior. Last night’s meal will remain in my mind as a benchmark that I will compare future meals against. Well done, all–you have created a genuinely magical experience. What is so perfect about this five course tasting menu is that it lacks pretense–nothing is deconstructed or fussy. There’s no scientific gastronomy at play; no foams and gels to confound the senses. It’s just good, real, whole food prepared exceptionally well with evident skill, attention to detail, and heart. Of note–Chef Jason was the first chef to ever reach out to me directly after my first write-up on One Ten Craft Meatery. He made sure I understood that my words had an impact–and his kindness has informed how I’ve written about food and wine ever since. On Friday, when I finally got to feast upon The One Ten Experience, it was the official one year anniversary of Plonk & Pleasure. I can think of nowhere in the world that I would have rather celebrated this delicious journey. The timing, though unintentional, was impeccable. I am so grateful for the experience. The biggest, most heartfelt thank you to Chef Jason and the entire team of One Ten Craft Meatery. Each and every one of you is a masterful artist of your craft–thank you for sharing your skills and talents with me. I will forever, endlessly, await my next taste of the perfection you unfailingly bring to the table.
Plonk & Pleasure 
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