Several Bloomington kitchens build menus around local and regional ingredients, and some say so by name on their own menus. This guide covers restaurants and caterers that cook seasonally, plus the farms, bakers and co-op that supply them or sell prepared food directly.
Restaurants and caterers
FARMbloomington
Chef Daniel Orr and his kitchen write seasonal dinner menus and daily specials around what local growers have available. The restaurant sits in the Oddfellows Building on Kirkwood and has run on that local, seasonal idea since it opened in 2008.
The Elm Restaurant
This Elm Heights restaurant serves a seasonal dinner menu Wednesday through Saturday. Its printed menus name Fischer Farms beef and Tulip Tree cheese, and the kitchen builds dishes like steaks, burgers and brunch plates around those regional suppliers.
Chef Lee – In Your Home
Chef Lee cooks private dinners at a client's home or at his downtown space on South Walnut. His site says he works with local products as much as possible and describes the food as fresh, seasonal and local, with dietary requests accommodated.
One World Catering & Events
One World is a chef-led catering company in the Woolery Mill that cooks from a scratch kitchen. Executive Chef Corbin Morwick sources ingredients locally whenever possible, and the company says it supports Bloomington nonprofits where it can.
Planted Bloomington
Planted is a plant-based restaurant and caterer that says its menu changes often to feature local and seasonal produce. It uses organic ingredients where possible, sources as locally as it can, and avoids single-use plastic.
Upland Brewing Company
Upland has brewed in Bloomington since 1998. The downtown brewpub pairs its beer with a menu that its own site says uses locally sourced ingredients, with plenty of creative choices for vegetarians. The brewery also runs two other taprooms in town.
Truffles Restaurant & 56 Degrees Bar
Truffles is an east-side fine-dining room that calls itself chef-driven, with a menu running from classic steakhouse cuts to international plates and a 56 Degrees wine and cocktail bar. It makes no farm-sourcing claim, so it is here for upscale dining only.
Pollo Molino
Chef Jorge Ruiz runs this food truck around wood-fired rotisserie chicken and heirloom corn tortillas. His site says the corn comes through partnerships with Somos Maiz and Maizaya that pay native-corn farmers fairly. Ruiz also cooks from a background in fine dining kitchens.
Markets and producers
Sobremesa Farm
Sobremesa is a permaculture farm on North Mount Gilead Road that describes itself as part of the farm to table movement. It grows with organic and regenerative methods and sells produce at an on-farm market on Sundays and through a CSA.
Muddy Fork Bakery
Muddy Fork bakes bread and pastries in a wood-fired oven on land in northern Monroe County. Baking happens early Saturday and the loaves go to the Bloomington Community Farmers Market at Showers Common and to local stores.
Red Frazier Bison
Red Frazier Bison raises about 70 bison on a ranch in Greene County and sells steaks, roasts and ground meat. It sells at the Bloomington Community Farmers Market and runs a mobile food trailer for local events. The ranch's site presents bison as a locally available alternative to mass-produced beef.
Bloomingfoods Market and Deli West
Bloomingfoods is a member-owned co-op that says it has aimed to provide locally sourced food since 1976. The Near West store near the downtown square has a deli and hot bar alongside local and organic groceries. It sits a block from the downtown square.
The Butcher’s Block
This east-side butcher shop and smokehouse says its buying choices weigh support for local farms, seasonality, animal welfare and raising methods. It makes its own sausage and smoked meats and sells specialty seafood. The shop has served the east side since 2004.
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