A panorama of flavors perfectly combined in inspired dishes keeps diners coming back to Cerulean, located just south of downtown in Cityway. Kick off the parade of flavors with strawberry gazpacho with serrano and crab or Spanish-style octopus with artichokes and chipotle flavor. Indiana’s own Gunthorp Farms pork teases the taste buds with mole, smoked grape seasoning and smooth polenta, while cherries, escarole, fresh corn and turnips add to the roast lamb. The tasting menu of five or seven courses includes the possibility of combining drinks. There is an ample selection of wines by the glass and bottle, and competent servers assist in the selection. Complete your meal with a cup of French press coffee and blackcurrant yoghurt mousse or a delicious box of homemade sweets.

Cerulean sets itself apart from other upscale restaurants in the Indy region with a combination of highly stylized flooring, modern minimalist decor and a creative menu that incorporates some of the elements of molecular gastronomy that defined the restaurant when it opened in November 2012.

Sternberg came on board in 2014, softening the culinary chemistry and adding his distinctive modern Midwestern style to dishes such as the corn ravioli with eggplant and truffle oil that actress Diane Keaton had two nights in a row earlier this year.

In 2016, the James Beard Foundation, the national organization that presents the Oscars of the food world, named Sternberg a semifinalist for its Rising Star Chef Award. Later that year, Sternberg joined three other Central Indiana chefs to cook at a dinner at the James Beard House in New York City. In 2015, Schmutte cooked there.

During December, Cerulean will be open during regular business hours. According to the chef, in the last weeks, visitors will be able to try the unfinished Sternberg restaurant, which will be a little more fun, warmer and calmer than Cerulean. Cerulean’s latest menu features more pasta and adventurous pastas. Look for dinner specials and a Common House pop-up that will herald Sternberg’s plans for food and drink at his establishment.

While Indy may not have been ready for Cerulean five years ago, Sternberg said the city’s culinary scene has evolved rapidly since then.

“I have every ambition to have a fine dining experience at some point in Indy. With the first restaurant, we want to separate me from Serulean, create my own identity,” Sternberg said.