It’s the newest restaurant project by Rootstock Hospitality Group, LLC, and is meant to bring a unique experience to Indianapolis’s north side.
Aberdeen Social House opened on December 2 and is the work of business partners Andrew Vudis and Ryan Craig, restaurateurs behind Another Broken Egg, Capri and others.
“Our company is always looking to open something that fits our brand and when this property became available, we really created a concept to fill a need in the area,” Vudis said. “When Chef Bruce Starr and I talked about the direction we wanted to go in, we knew people were used to the steakhouse or Chinese, etcetera, so we went with world fusion and American comfort classics with a contemporary twist.”
Think high-end restaurant and large-scale venue with something on the menu for everyone.
“Everyone has a different palate,” Vudis said. “I do more of the culinary part of our company and enjoy taking something that sounds fancy but is really pork belly pared with this or that. It’s creating dishes you wouldn’t find anywhere else.”
Starr is the culinary director for Rootstock and will serve as opening chef at Aberdeen. He’s bringing a couple of Capri favorites to the new restaurant, including lasagna and the popular appetizer, stuffed pepper.
“We wanted people to know that we’re part of the same family and it fit with what we were doing at Aberdeen,” Vudis said.
Of course there will be several new items too.
“One of our bestselling appetizers is the A-5 Wagyu Pierogi,” Vudis said. “The Smoked Short Rib and the Seasonal Salmon are both crowd favorites.”
The menu includes prime ribeye, a smash burger, chicken – and don’t forget the wine selection. Much like their menu, the Rootstock team carefully selected the perfect wine parings for each dish, including timeless classics to bold new discoveries.
For the foodies out there, Vudis said the brunch menu includes the Shogun Benedict and the Shakshuka – maybe not for everyone, but everyone can find something.
One of their main goals was not to have top-selling appetizers and entrées. Every item on the menu is worth a try.
“I’ve worked in restaurants and when I go to a restaurant, I’ll often ask the server to bring me their favorite thing on the menu – not what everyone else orders, not the number-one seller, just whatever you think is best on the menu,” Vudis said. “They’re typically really in tune to what’s good, and I think if you asked five servers at Aberdeen the same question, you’d get at least four different answers.”
Vudis said he and Craig worked with Starr in the past. Bringing him in for such a large undertaking was important because he shares a passion for food and, more importantly, a passion for the entire concept.
“Together we are taking decades of restaurant experience and thinking through every little detail,” Vudis said. “We’ve received a lot of compliments about the decor. It’s different; it’s beautiful. From the art on the walls to the music we play, I think it’s something fresh for this area and looks like it belongs in a bigger, East Coast city.”
So far the smart-casual dress code has brought in plenty of locals, and news of the new arrival is spreading by word of mouth.
Vudis said they want Aberdeen Social House to serve as that place you can go without a special occasion.
“This is not a stuffy place,” he said. “You won’t feel underdressed and you don’t need a reason to go and have a lobster or a steak on a Tuesday evening. We want to be different but very approachable. If you look at how we prepare some of these meals, it’s not something you’d typically see, and I think that’s part of the appeal. For example, a lot of people like the Tuna Tartare. We looked at how to upgrade it a bit and our tuna comes with saffron, one of the most luxurious ingredients you can get.”
No longer do residents on the northside have to travel to downtown Indianapolis or Keystone at the Crossing for upscale dining options.
“We’ve been hearing people say they’re excited to have a place closer to home,” Vudis said. “We want to give them a great space to come and have a great meal, enjoy the art, enjoy the music and enjoy time together.”
Aberdeen Social House is located at at 150 West 96th Street in Indianapolis. For more info, visit aberdeensocialhouse.com.
