The City of Carmel may be landlocked, but one local restaurant is bringing coastal cuisine to its tables. Fork and Ale House Kitchen and Brewery recently changed its menu, and it was important to Owner Jeff Blair to add one of his New Orleans favorites, unique and flavorful chargrilled oysters, to the list. The new menu also offers fresh fish, grilled asparagus, roasted parmesan cauliflower and roasted Brussels sprouts, alongside sandwiches, salads and burgers.
“I’ve worked in the restaurant industry for over 25 years in different capacities,” Blair says. “I served as vice president of culinary operations for Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in New Orleans. One of my favorite New Orleans foods is chargrilled oysters, and you don’t see them in the Midwest, so I thought they would be a perfect addition to our menu at Fork and Ale.”
Blair purchased the restaurant in 2023 after previously working with it as a consultant through his company, Blair Culinary Consultants. After a few months of working with the previous owners who were looking to retire, Blair decided to buy the restaurant, vowing to make minor changes along the way.
“The ‘fork’ in Fork and Ale is really crucial because I wanted to make sure people thought of us as more than just a brewery, and also as a scratch kitchen,” Blair says. “The new menu has much more influence on fresh seafood and healthier items. I wanted to offer more than just fried food.”
Alongside serving up tasty bites, Fork and Ale is a local brewery, making its own handcrafted brews. Blair says it is important to him that Fork and Ale beers stand up to the competition. He nudged local master brewer, Mike Abel, to enter competitions, which led to a first-place accolade for his Pilsner by Nature in the Beastside Brewfest. He said the acknowledgment of Abel’s hard work helped instill confidence in the staff.
Another significant focus of change for Blair was attention to efficiency, hospitality and customer service. He says previously, the staff didn’t have dedicated hosts, but rather, everyone pitched in as a team. Blair says it’s important each customer is greeted upon arrival, and acknowledged and thanked upon leaving. He says a high level of service is what sets a great restaurant apart from competition.
Blair says he’s working on adding a private room to the existing space for larger groups. He also renovated the kitchen in order to offer those chargrilled oysters two ways. The first is Ale House style, basted with garlic herb butter, topped with parmesan and mozzarella cheese. The other is aptly titled Jacked Up, with Monterey Jack cheese, jalapeño, bacon and garlic butter. He’s also started selling Fork and Ale merchandise, including apparel, tumblers, koozies and mugs.
Blair says he’s also expanded liquor offerings, adding a wide variety of cocktails and offering happy-hour deals Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. He says he likes offering daily features for his customers to keep things fresh and exciting.
Fork and Ale Houses Kitchen and Brewery is located at 50 Veterans Way, Suite 150 in Carmel. For more information, visit forkalehouses.com.
