Acclaimed chef Jonathan Brooks has bid farewell to his much-loved breakfast bistro. The luminary behind the Food & Wine’s Best New Chef awardee has willingly shelved his renowned breakfast spread for more traditional dinner fare.

The beloved Indianapolis-based restaurant, Milktooth’s reputation was built on inventive breakfast dishes during its 12-year tenure. However, the ship is setting sail with its last service on April 26. Brooks plans to steer in a new direction with Arlene’s, a "meat-and-three" southern joint scheduled to open on April 30, named as a tribute to Brooks’ mother.

Jonathan Brooks explains, “After 12 years, you just want to flex some different culinary muscles.” Housed in Milktooth’s familiar location, formerly a car dealership situated in Indy’s Fletcher Place neighborhood, Arlene’s may not present a drastically different ambiance. The open kitchen still stands prominently by a wall, most of Milktooth’s staff remains, and dinner service will continue to be absent. Evening pop-up events are, however, a possibility.

The core of Arlene’s menu are main dishes like meatloaf, fried chicken, and blackened walleye, complemented with three side dishes. Patrons customize their orders by picking a primary protein and three side dishes. The meat-and-three endemic was birthed in the early 1900s, providing rapid and filling meals for hourly wage workers. Its roots are commonly attributed to Nashville, but it became ubiquitous across southern cities quickly.

Brooks, 41, spent much of his time growing up in Tennessee, with Southern cuisine influencing his culinary trajectory. Hence, Arlene’s menu is a tribute to this heritage. The chicken is marinated overnight and fried in a salty batter free from gluten and dairy. Brooks personally recommends the butter-braised green cabbage paired with white wine as one of the sides.

Arlene’s will feature a rotating repertoire of smoked roast beef, wagyu hot dogs, smoked ribs, shoulder wings, fried catfish, and pork chops along with the staple chicken, meatloaf, and blackened fish. Among the permanent side offerings are green beans, cornbread, turnip greens with ham hocks, and mac and cheese. Corn on the cob, fried green tomatoes, okra, and house pickles are seasonal features. The dessert options include a key lime pie with a unique green cardamom crust, red wine cake, and possibly a Jell-o salad.

Arlene's is dedicated to delivering Southern staples using seasonal local products, says Brooks. The brunch menu on weekends might feature some Milktooth favorites but the renowned Dutch babies are expected to be on hold for the foreseeable future.

Milktooth’s Dutch babies, uniquely filled with versatile combinations like Manchego cheese and brussels sprouts, or chorizo and fingerling potatoes, solidified the restaurant's culinary panache. Its adventurous and versatile breakfast menu won the hearts of many locals, contributing to the nationwide surge in quirky spins on conventional breakfast menus.

In 2015, shortly after Milktooth opened, Brooks was given the honor as Food & Wine's Best New Chef, the same year when Milktooth made it to Bon Appetit’s Hot 10 list of best new restaurants. The poplar dessert honey-whey cake was also named as one of the best desserts of the year. Honoring Milktooth's success, Indianapolis assigned Oct. 2, 2015, as Milktooth Day. Milktooth further received recognition from Conde Nast Traveler’s best restaurants in the world the following year.

Despite the multiple accolades, Brooks felt the need for a change.

“There’s certainly a wider choice in brunch option in Indianapolis,” says Brooks, “But there’s not any meat-and-three options.”

Until now, that is.