On the Menu: New Chipotle to open in Bloomington; restaurants share holiday menus

Carol Kugler
·4 min read
This Feb. 8, 2016, file photo shows a sign on the window at a Chipotle Mexican Grill in Brandon, Fla.
This Feb. 8, 2016, file photo shows a sign on the window at a Chipotle Mexican Grill in Brandon, Fla.

Bloomington will be getting another Chipotle restaurant in the former Monroe County Pizza location at 3151 W. Third St. in the westside Whitehall Plaza shopping center. A plan recently presented to the city plan commission includes tearing down the current structure to build a new 2,411-square-foot restaurant. The new restaurant would include a drive-thru pickup lane on the west side and 21 parking spaces on the east side.

The proposed project must still meet city regulations and no timeline was presented for when construction would begin.

FARM offers holiday menus

Elf's Favorite Spaghetti is one of the special dishes available at FARMbloomington now through Dec. 30.
Elf's Favorite Spaghetti is one of the special dishes available at FARMbloomington now through Dec. 30.

FARMbloomington has created special menu items tailored around ""Elf the Musical", being staged through Dec. 31 at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.

On the menu is winter squash bisque with roasted chestnuts and salted maple foam, a red and green salad of radicchio and escarole, blue cheese, dried cranberries, candied pumpkin seeds and orange poppyseed vinaigrette and a Coca-Cola glazed smoked pork chop served with mashed potatoes with leeks and green tomato chutney. Dessert options are Elf’s Favorite Spaghetti (like in the movie) of sweet spaghetti, orange zest crème anglaise, strawberry red sauce, maple syrup, coconut snow, berries and Christmas stocking candy; or chocolate crunch cookies served with milk. FARM's Elf specials are available now through Dec. 30.

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FARMbloomington will be offering a Christmas Eve brunch from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 24 and be closed Dec. 25.

A special New Year’s Eve menu will be available 6-9 p.m. Dec. 31. Reservations are needed; go online to www.farm-bloomington.com. The a la carte menu includes five entrees, five desserts and appetizers.

Soups will be New England clam chowder and winter squash bisque. Other starters include smoked salmon with arugula and salmon roe served with biscuit biscotti, a red and green salad and bacon-wrapped apricots.

Entrees will be roasted prime rib served with smashed sweet potatoes sorghum; Julia Child’s beef bourguignon served with egg noodles and mushrooms; roasted salmon with sautéed greens, confetti vegetables and caviar; smoked pork with mashed potatoes with leeks and green tomato chutney; stuffed eggplant roll-ups with wild rice, pine nuts and Parmesan stuffing; and roasted chicken breast with mushroom and truffle cream and fettuccini with vegetable pasta. For dessert, there will be champagne and citrus granite (ice) with berries and Chantilly cream.

FARMbloomington is at 108 E. Kirkwood Ave.

Truffle's offers New Year's Eve dinner

Truffles restaurant will offer a four-course New Year’s Eve dinner designed by Chef Robert Adkins. A selection of champagne and libations to complement the menu will be available. Cost for the dinner is $75 per person or $100 per person with wine included. Call 812-330-1111 for reservations.

The first course options are red lentil and vegetable soup, seafood and sweet corn chowder, Caesar salad, greens salad or sockeye gravlax salad. Options for the second course are oysters on the half shell, shrimp cocktail, lamb and Wagyu beef meatballs, Spanakopita, New Orleans style barbecue shrimp, and potato and sweet pea samosas.

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That will be followed by a choice of 8-ounce grilled beef filet served with smashed potatoes, truffle spinach and Bearnaise sauce; halibut cheeks a la piccata served with brown rice pilaf and broccoli; bison ribeye with loaded potato gratin, roasted root vegetables and roasted garlic butter; herb-roasted chicken breast supreme with red wheat berry risotto, roasted Brussels sprouts and basil pesto; a surf and turf fettucine with shrimp, scallops, beef tips, mushrooms, spinach and cream sauce; and cauliflower steak with spaghetti noodles, tomato gravy, Parmesan Reggiano, mozzarella, herbed panko and basil pesto.

Dessert options are key lime pie with chocolate crust and Chantilly cream, flourless chocolate torte with dark sweet cherries, lemon sorbet with fresh berries and red velvet sabayon with biscotti and espresso cocoa dust.

Truffles is at 1131 S. College Mall Road.

Hilltop Restaurant announces holiday hours

Hilltop Restaurant, at 2434 U.S. 231 just north of Spencer, will be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas day but will remain open Dec. 21-23. Hilltop will be open for New Year's Eve and Jan. 1 but will then close Jan. 2-31 for a winter break, reopening on Feb. 3.

Irish Lion to be closed for holidays

The Irish Lion Restaurant and Pub is following its annual holiday closure. The restaurant at 212 W. Kirkwood Ave. is closed now through Jan. 6.

Other area restaurants will be closing for holidays to allow their employees time off, so you'll want to check before heading out to eat at your favorite places.

Contact Carol Kugler at ckugler@heraldt.com, 812-331-4359 or @ckugler on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: 3rd Bloomington Chipotle planned; restaurants share holiday menus