Rune: perfection in the 07…

Rune is the newest darling of the 07. Headed by local James Beard nominated Chef Sean Richardson: maybe you’ve attended, or at least heard of, the Rune pop-ups that he’s delighted Fort Wayne diners with over the last few years. Well, this is the brand new brick and mortar home for his sensational cuisine. With a focus on locally sourced ingredients, Chef Sean sees value in supporting local farms and crafting an ever-changing menu around whatever ingredients are seasonally available to us in the Hoosier state. (Because our local produce is just as good–if not better–than what’s available to larger cities with more renowned culinary scenes. Hyper local in NYC means something very different than it does in Fort Wayne, Indiana.) Rune even has a licensed forager on staff, literally scouring the fields and forests of Indiana to bring flavors to Rune that you won’t find on most menus. (How often are you dining on shagbark syrup and white pine, people?) 

I was there for the opening night of Rune with one of my favorite dining companions: Fort Wayne famous egg-enthusiast and barista extraordinaire, who has literally never once missed a Rune dinner and has the stash of menus to prove it, the incomparable Volchy. He’s the best tour guide for new dining experiences in Fort Wayne; he knows everyone which means that he knows everything. Aside from being a wealth of knowledge, his palate is très bon. When we dine together, it’s always a happy time–and a yappy time. So, my dining companion and I arrived at Rune for our 5:30 reservation; the weather perfect, the sunshine radiant, and our bellies empty and eager. We were seated at the tiniest, cutest little two-top on this side of town and began our adventure as most good adventures shared by good friends begin–with wine. 

The wine list is nothing short of impressive. There are lots of exciting things to sip at Rune. Presently, they have multiple bottles on the menu from producer Las Jaras. Out of California, if you watched Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! then you’re already familiar with one of the brains behind Las Jaras–Eric Wareheim. Though maybe best known amongst my generation for his comedy chops, there’s nothing funny about Las Jaras wines. Volchy and I sprung for a bottle of Superbloom. I’ve enjoyed this wine before and will always jump at the opportunity to revisit it. With a rainbow burst label reminiscent of Jenny Lewis in her Voyager era, this bottle is a stunner. Corked and sealed with pretty aqua blue wax, the small amount of sediment that remains in this natural wine creates galaxy swirls when poured. This sip is neon strawberry hued and tastes like red Jolly Ranchers and jalapeños with intense salinity. This will always be a favorite summer sip for me. Since today was the sunniest, warmest day we’ve had in quite awhile–the wine was a fitting choice to celebrate the pleasant weather. 

When ordering, Rune requests that you order all food at once–they will take care of timing your meal out perfectly. Trust the process. They know what they’re doing. So, naturally, we ordered all of our plates at once. (When in Rune.) The first plates brought to us were the two appetizer-sized bites that we requested: the Rustic Chicken Liver Pâté and the Soft Boiled Eggs. When I attended the media cocktail hour for Rune, pre-official opening, the Chicken Liver Pâté was served. Volchy had even tried this nibble before at other previous Rune events. Though I’d just eaten it recently, I wanted to have it again. Honestly, I’d been craving it. I am a pâté girl. I love a good pâté and that’s precisely what they’re serving up at Rune. Think the most soft, luscious, flavorful chicken liver pâté you’ve ever enjoyed served with an array of pickles–from radishes to cornichon–a side of fresh sesame crackers for spreading, and a bed of house-made rosé mustard for extra awesomeness. This mustard is fire, y’all. Crafted with Big Salt Rosé, from producer Ovum out of the Willamette Valley, this is not the honey-mus you dip your chicken nuggies in–but in your wildest dreams you trade out your silly honey-mus for this rosé mustard and you live your best life. Of course, since I was dining with Volchy, there was simply no way we’d be skipping the Soft Boiled Eggs with mayo and fried kale because, well, eggs. The soft boil left the yolks jammy. The mayo coating this entire dish was luscious, rich, intensely creamy, and bordering on buttery. The fried kale was enough to make me feel like it was okay that I was taking forkfuls of eggs and mayo to the face–because there was a bit of leafy green to balance the bacchanal bites. I am not as much of an egg-enthusiast as Volchy is, but I did enjoy this nibble. It was odd because we both agreed that it left us feeling immediately very full–but with how Rune expertly paced our meal, we were ready to eat again by the time that the next plate arrived at our table.

I insisted on ordering a pasta dish. Presently, there are two on the menu. Rune has a pasta extruder in the kitchen and is cranking out their own fresh noodles. This is exactly what I’ve wanted to see in the 07 neighborhood. I imagine I will be back often for wine and fresh pasta: especially if the pasta plate that I ate tonight is any indicator of the caliber of pasta dishes that we can expect Rune to crank out. The spaghetti and roasted peanut pesto is quite possibly one of the most impressive pasta dishes I’ve ever enjoyed–and it just happens to be vegan! The spaghetti noodles that they’re crafting are maybe just a smidge thicker than what you buy at the grocery store: but I am here for the added girth. The texture is, frankly, dreamy. I kind of hate to toss the word “perfect” around, but if the perfection fits, wear it. Al dente and optimally chewy, the noodles are tossed in a roasted peanut pesto. I won’t begin to pretend that I understand exactly what is in that sauce. It is lightly herby with a warm, round, earthy undertone provided by the roasted peanuts. I am fully obsessed with this dish. When it, eventually, leaves Rune’s menu–as all dishes at seasonally focused restaurants must–I will possibly cry. Rune is a restaurant where everything is good. No matter what you order, the food will be good. This pasta dish, however, is exceptional. 

On to the Pork Chop with Sauce Robert and Polenta. This was Volchy’s pick. Are you surprised? If you’ve read even one or two of my other blogs, you probably already know–I am a red meat girl. I like steak. That’s not to say that I don’t like pork. It’s only to say that it probably wouldn’t be the thing that I’d choose when presented with multiple options. But this is why I so value dining with friends and sharing food. Friends will force you to break patterns. Friends will hold your hand as you venture outside of your comfort zone. Friends will order a dope pork chop and then let you enjoy it with them. If I say the pork was cooked expertly, who would be shocked? No one. This is Rune. We basically expect perfection when we know that the project is headed by James Beard nominated Chef Sean Richardson and his sous, the brilliantly talented–if you don’t know his name already, learn it–Kody Aswegan. So, naturally, the pork chop was superb. Topped with sauce Robert; for the uninformed, this is a French sauce composed of onions, mustard, and white wine simmered in demi-glace. As we know, there are five French mother sauces–and this ain’t one of them–but it is closely related to Espagnole sauce. The Americans should throw out their steak sauce, the Brits should throw out their HP sauce, and we should all spend more time dousing our food in sauce Robert–because it’s delicious. However, in this male-dominated world, I do find myself wondering who I have to blow to get a sauce named after me. I’m not above it. We all have to leave our legacy somehow. 

We ended our meal on a sweet note. Right now, there are two dessert options–plus an array of after-dinner drinks, but I’m not going to delve into that at this time. For the media cocktail hour, I was able to sample the Carrot and Sweet Potato Tea Cake with Butterscotch and I loved it. Chef Sean has a reputation for producing good cakes and this is no exception. I want to eat this again. Hopefully soon. But, since I’d already had it, Volchy and I decided to sample the other dessert offering: a White Pine Pot de Crème with Shagbark Maple Syrup and Peanut Brittle. The tea cake is a safe offering. The Pot De Crème, full of foraged flavors, may seem like it’s only for the more adventurous eaters but–I’m telling you now–it’s an adventure worth taking. This dessert is ultra creamy and sweet without being cloying. The white pine notes are subtle: I promise, it doesn’t taste like you’re eating a Christmas tree, if that’s something you’re worried about. All of the flavors swirl and dance together in a dizzying waltz–turning this dish into a symphony of harmonious notes, rather than a fugue of fighting flavors. Everything plays together really nicely–whether the comfortable but complex shagbark maple, the earthy and crunchy peanut brittle, or the strong though unfamiliar herbal pine.

The 07 isn’t a huge neighborhood, and it starts seeming even smaller when we talk about fine dining experiences. Bravas and Chance Bar basically have the market cornered, though Friendly Fox occasionally hosts wine dinners, and there is also our friendly Italian corner market, Antonuccio’s (I know they’re not on a corner, I said it for the wordplay, don’t DM me.) It’s also my neighborhood, so maybe I’m biased. If Rune wasn’t walking distance from my house, maybe I wouldn’t be as stoked as I am about their addition to our landscape. If the team wasn’t as innovative and brilliant as they all are, maybe I wouldn’t be singing their praises to you quite so emphatically in 12-point font. If the menu wasn’t locally-focused and delicious as it is, maybe I wouldn’t already be planning my next trip. But guess what: it is, they are, and I am.