Pioneer

Very very great

Oh, Pioneer. You caught my eye with your bright, flashy sign and you stole my heart with your Spätzle.
I visited Pioneer with a few friends and had full intentions of trying out the pasta. First course included the Solid State — a wonderful gin cocktail. My group laughed at the huge shrub of rosemary that came with it, but it was extremely tasty. All of their cocktails were enticing, but i’m pretty partial to gin. It didn’t disappoint.
Did I mention that I was hungry? My waiter may have anticipated my potato pancake (Kartoffelpuffer) to be shared, but… uh… no. That was for me. It was also delicious.
I enjoyed the Spätzle as my main dish. Described as, «Kale, Squash, Chicken Jus» in the menu, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. What is Chicken Jus? Am I fancy? No. I am not.
Originally I had requested the Cavatelli, but my server encouraged me to branch out. Not to say he was pushy, he just tempted my adventurous side. I’m all about it.
I guess i’ll have to be back to try more food and another cocktail. Their beer list was also unique and enticing… maybe next weekend.

Food and drinks were rich with flavor! I ordered the cavatelli plate and the solid state cocktail. I would definitely recommend both. Typically I don’t order drinks with gin, but the cocktail sounded good. It had a smooth taste with a nice hint of rosemary. The cavatelli was creamy without being overpowering of other flavors.
The atmosphere was perfect for the group of 5 I was with. We didn’t feel cramped and could easily converse. Our waiter was attentive and thorough when talking about the menu and answering our questions. Extremely friendly as well.
I give pioneer a 4 star just because it was on the pricier side for somewhat small portions. It’s not somewhere I could go hang out regularly for food and drinks, maybe just drinks. Overall my first visit was a positive experience.

What a great addition to Fountain Square! It’s got a modern-​industrial vibe and the food has a great European flair (spaetzle, cavatelli, etc!!). They make almost all of their ingredients — including their sausages — in-​house. The only thing they outsource is their bread… from down the street at Amelia’s :)
Good cocktails, too… recommend the Illmatic!
I tried this gem the other day on the recommendation of a friend, and I think I’ve found my new downtown area go-​to!
Short & sweet review for a place that gets a well-​deserved 5 stars from me. I will definitely be back!

I love the uniqueness of this restaurant with flavorful dishes inspired from German, Italian and Austrian influences. I enjoy sharing dishes with my dining partners and when you’re with great food company like Allison F. & Ben M. the four of us ate our way through the menu.
Drinks:
Intriguing beer selection with Evil Twin on the menu. Additionally, they have beers specific to the region — Czech/​Austrian/​Italian/​German varieties. The House cocktails, wine, and beer cocktail list also looked impressive.
Dishes (Favorites)
*Carrots: roasted and paired nicely in a flavorful brown butter herb sauce
*Braised Pork Belly: the curry pickled mustard seed & pork belly pairing — bravo
*Kale & Squash Spatzle: pasta was lightly browned which gave it great texture and flavor
*Home Made Sausage Plate: two types of homemade sausage, braised apples, with gravy sat nicely on a mashed potato pillow — not for long! This was my favorite dish of the evening, I’m still thinking about it.
The dishes were perfect for sharing however some worked better then others. The carrots for example, made a nice side dish for two but the Sausage Plate worked well between 3 – 4. I think the menu could use a small tweak explaining the portion sizes.
Looking forward to returning to try other dishes like the — Olive Oil Cake & the Hungarian Farmers Cheese and Toast!

I did not have much in the way of expectations, but wow! The space is super cool and I dig the aesthetic. The food was superb! Perfectly executed dishes and the spaetzle was unbelievably good. This place is yet another spot that establishes Indy as a food destination.

My hubby and and I made a date of coming to try Fountain Square’s newer eatery (yay!). The décor and the building itself is outstanding! They did a lovely job renovating and its larger than expected!
At the suggestion of our see or, we got a small plate and two pastas (because there was no way I WASN’T gonna eat my weight in pasta that night.) Here’s what we got:
–Potato Cakes with Apple Compote
–Cavatelli
–Gnocchi
We also got a couple beers to wash it all down with. I sampled the Hefeweizen (so freaking tasty), which I would recommend to anyone who digs wheat beers.
The food though, let’s talk about that! By far the best dish was the Cavatelli. With the kale and cheese atop, our little pasta loving hearts were all a flutter. House Made, we were impressed by its tenderness and the fact that it was not overcooked (which is always a tragedy.)
The gnocchi wasn’t our favorite, though the actual execution of the pasta itself was on point. Tender and had a lovely texture. The sauce was what we got hung up on.
The potato cakes were pretty good. The apple compote that paired with it was a surprisingly great combination!
Looking forward to trying the desserts next time round!

So excited about this new place. It seems to be a unique fusion of German and Italian. They have a GREAT beer selection. I want to give them props for having their act together with regard to service when it wasn’t busy and very new! It’s so rare that I’ve learned to give new restaurants a few tries to get the front of the house set!
The pork belly appetizer was beautiful and delicious! Cavatelli with white wine sauce, which was creamier than expected but delicious. My companion had the gnocci, which was equally delicious, but a smaller portion.
I can’t wait to come back and try their next menu revision. The server informed us that they keep everything such that it can be sourced fresh and locally!

German/​Italian/​French fusion… not really a cuisine you would think of in the restaurant industry. But, having been to this region of Europe myself, I can tell you that there is a legit style to this area of the world and the chef of Pioneer has it down! Yes, they have spätzle. But, it’s an updated version to the typical buttered spiral noodles complete with kale and squash! Yes, they have gnocchi, but it’s unlike any traditional version you’ve had before. And these dishes are only just the tip of the iceberg.
Pioneer’s chef has crafted a menu that is a wonderful mix of dishes typical to this alpine region. We tried the broccoli rabe and German potatoes cakes to start. Both appetizers were very colorful and exceptionally well-​balanced in terms of flavor combinations. We knew our waiter, Mike, and he was kind enough to bring us the Hungarian toast on the house. So good! Amelia’s rustic bread with a creamy, spreadable cheese.
For the main, we choose the sausage plate. It came out with house-​made light and dark sausages arranged on top of creamy mashed taters and kraut. Our table of four demolished it! Perfectly cooked on the inside with crisp skins on the outside.
And you can’t leave without trying the apple strudel and the olive oil cake for dessert. Both were light and just enough sweet to cap off a rich meal. The olive oil cake was quite surprising. It was more like a lemon cake with a hint of olive oil. So moist! And the strudel… well all I can say is you may want to lick the plate!
Overall, we had a great experience. Good was better than expected and service was excellent. I want to come back when they have live entertainment on their stage.

Pioneer is a nice addition to the Fountain Square area.
The space itself is much larger than I would have expected. The restaurant is separated into 3 sections. The main dining area is a large open area with low top tables with a small stage towards the back. The bar area, which is separated by a wall, has some lower level seating as well as counter top seating. When the weather is nice, there is a pretty decent size patio that provide additional seating.
The menu might seem relatively small; however, there is a nice variety of choices. One of the best things about Pioneer’s menu is how they label their dishes. They have extremely clear labels to denote gluten free, vegetarian, contains nuts, contains fish, and raw food items.
The number of gluten free selections relative to the number of items offered is relatively high. They did a good job in terms of making sure that gf meals are flavorful, but handled to minimize the risk of cross contamination.
Overall, Pioneer offers a safe and tasty dining option in the Fountain Square area.

The pasta. It’s all about the pasta.
Made in-​house pasta is hard to come by in Indy… until now, that is. Spaetzle with mustard seed mixed in? Yes, please. The kale, squash and chicken jus took this seasonal dish to the next level. No matter what you order, make certain the spaetzle makes the cut.
I spent six months living in Lugano, Switzerland so when I heard there was a Swiss/​Austrian/​Italian eatery coming to Fountain Square, I couldn’t have been giddier. This specific region is often overlooked as a culinary region but if you pull out a map, you’ll understand how easily the the cuisine of these countries cross paths and make for delicious flavor combinations.
Pioneer is the combination of a spacious and sexy cocktail bar with a menu that leaves you plotting your next visit and begging your dining partners to share. Per usual, we opted for family style: gnocchi, spaetzle, and broccoli rabe. As for the drinks, I was really impressed with the beer menu — they boast several European imports that will leave beer geeks taking notes.
Next time: I’m going to tango with the Hungarian Farmers cheese. Oh, and the Vienna Style Kasekrainer. (heavy, I know)

After spending a summer in Austria and having a couple of bopabouts in Europe, «alpine cuisine» is pretty near and dear to my heart. This is the girl who used to go into withdrawal without my frequent fill of sausage and potatoes (it was one of my happier and fatter times).
On a recent double date with Brooke K. & Josh K, we were pretty excited about Pioneer’s menu for a couple of reasons. First, there were extensive, beer fan-​approved beer options and Nitro Miller High Life. Second, there was a menu that gave us the opportunity to share all kinds of provisions inspired by Northern Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria.
Here’s what we ordered:
Roasted Walnuts, Broccoli Rabe, Carrots, German Mustard Braised Pork Belly, Spatzle, and the House Made Sausage Plate
Here’s what made me thankful to love food as much as I do:
Roasted Walnuts, Broccoli Rabe, Carrots, German Mustard Braised Pork Belly, Spatzle, and the House Made Sausage Plate
Here’s what I would order again:
Roasted Walnuts, Broccoli Rabe, Carrots, German Mustard Braised Pork Belly, Spatzle, and the House Made Sausage Plate
Okay, so six items is outrageous (and expensive). If I had to narrow it down I’d say you can’t go without the spatzle and pork belly. Both were fantastic, delicious dishes, not to mention that spatzle is a dish straight from the Alpine region. You also won’t be able to tackle the big honking sausage plate on your own in one sitting, so make sure you bring a friend (or three).
It’s time to get pumped about alpine cuisine, Indianapolis. Thank you, Pioneer, for paving the way!