By Shari Rudavsky

My parents are New York foodies who follow chefs' comings and goings the way some fans follow sports teams. So whenever they visit Indianapolis, I strive to introduce them to a new gastronomic experience that involves neither a pork tenderloin nor a chain restaurant.

The arrival of a Broad Ripple restaurant that billed itself as preparing mostly local foods in creative ways sounded like the perfect place for their next visit. But just to be sure, I wanted to check out L'explorateur for myself.

The Food

With no appetite-distracting bread in the offing, our dinner began with an amuse-bouche of a quarter-sized crisp risotto croquette with a basil flourish.

Next was a salad of grilled baby romaine topped with a scattering of diced tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and a piquant dressing ($7). The ingredients melded marvelously with each bite, with the lukewarm lettuce anchoring the taste.

Still, I almost regretted not ordering the chevre and vidalia onion tart ($8) on my companion's plate. The sweet caramelized onions danced against the goat cheese in our mouths and the tart was gone before I knew it -- and before I could snag a second bite.

Intrigued by the name, I opted for a dish labeled "there's more than corn in indiana but . . .," a trio of corn-based dishes ($19) for my entrée. Arrayed on a long rectangle of a plate, the sampler tasted every bit as whimsical as it sounded.

A light corn and black bean tamale proved the most substantial item on the dish. Next to it sat a mound of wonderful fresh sweet corn salad atop a juicy tomato slice.

Finishing off the dish were two meatless corn dogs that struck me as more like spicy corn fritters than corn dogs, notwithstanding the sharp mustard accompanying them.

Meanwhile, my companion feasted on a slab of fresh tuna ($24) served with a flourish of a potato chip and a side of greens.

A dessert of a grapefruit sorbet with tarragon spritzer ($7) offered a tart and cool ending to the meal. (We passed up the other option, a "beetsicle" with beet-flavored ice cream.)

But at first the tarragon spritzer, served in a small black cup with a short black straw, had us flummoxed. We experimented with using the straw to drizzle syrup on the sorbet but then, with a hint from the waiter, switched to sipping on it for a refreshing end to the meal.

The Atmosphere

Almost as much attention has been given to the setting as to the food. Clean crisp lines and plenty of natural light give this restaurant an airy feel.

The Service

Dishes arrive via a parade of sorts, with as many servers as there are diners, marching out, each carrying a plate. Once they reach the table, they hover, and, in sync and with a flourish, deliver the dishes simultaneously in a rather pretentiously choreographed dance.

The Price

Not cheap; just under $100 for two with tax and tip.

Next Time

No doubt: I'll bring the fussy parents here. And they may even like it.

Call Star reporter Shari Rudavsky at (317) 444-6354.