Hedge Row on Mass Ave

Earlier this month, The Kitchen Restaurant Group announced the opening of Hedge Row, a relaxed American Bistro featuring rustic dishes from a wood-fired oven. The restaurant—named after the farm where cofounders  

Jen Lewin, Hugo Matheson and Kimbal Musk first sourced ingredients for Boulder, Colorado’s The Kitchen—will serve fresh, seasonal, exceptionally high quality food entirely sourced from American farmers. Later this year, two Hedge Row bistros will open; one in Denver’s high-end shopping district and neighborhood, Cherry Creek, the other in Indy’s Mass Ave Arts District, downtown.

“In Hedge Row, The Kitchen pays tribute to its sourcing roots—and to all American farmers that produce high quality food ingredients,” said Don Degnan, President of The Kitchen Restaurant Group. “We are excited to join the Cherry Creek and Mass Ave food scenes and add wood roasted dishes served in a high-energy space to the mix.”

Signature items on the Hedge Row menu will include Mole Braised Short Ribs with Polenta & Spring Radish, Wood Roasted Trout with Almond Brown Butter & Celery, Charred Chinese Broccoli with Caramelized Lemon and Chili & Garlic, and Cookie Jar for the Table.

Sound divine? Yes, yes it does. So mark your calendars for August and be sure you plan a visit to Hedge Row.   And while you’re waiting, here’s a little inside information from Matheson and Musk into what one could call the genius behind a sublime, locally-sourced menu.

SN: Do you remember when you first ate at a farm-to-table restaurant? What was that like? What did you eat? And did the experience help feed (no pun intended) your desire to get into the field (again, no pun intended)?

M/M: My first farm-to-table experience was eating at Hugo's house when he cooked the most delicious meal I've ever had. The fish had roasted eggplant. The eggplant came from Hedgerow farm. (Hedgerow was the first farm both Kimbal and Hugo worked with when they opened The Kitchen.)

SN: How often will your menu change? And will you incorporate any childhood-inspired favorites like mom’s mac & cheese or something along those lines?

M/M: Hedge Row’s menu is seasonal so we anticipate seasonal changes three to four times a year based on what's available and growing in Indiana and nearby states. It will feature wood roasted real food. Food that is simply prepared with as few as ingredients as possible.

SN: How do you create a menu? Where do you find inspiration for combining foods on one plate—especially foods that perhaps most people might not have thought about putting together?

M/M: We have a very talented culinary team at Hedge Row who design the menu based on seasonal availability of produce and proteins. We work closely with our farmers and growers and take their recommendations to learn which foods are at the peak of the season and absolutely delicious. We like to combine foods that are sweet and savory for that unexpected, yet delightful culinary experience.