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An all-star lineup of Indianapolis chefs will get creative with a wild onion and raise funds for three causes when Ramp Fest is presented April 21 in the Windsor Park neighborhood.
The ramp onion, a harbinger of spring known for its strong odor and a taste suggestive of garlic, will be featured in small-bite dishes prepared by more than a dozen chefs who work at restaurants such as Bluebeard, Kan-Kan, Chef’s Oya’s The Trap and Julieta Taco Shop.
An informal version of Ramp Fest launched a few years ago at a family farm in Bloomington, said Demian Hostetter, president of the event’s organizing committee.
“The family had been in the Indianapolis food scene as consumers for a long time and as friends with chefs,” Hostetter said. “They found ramps in their yard, realized what they were and invited chefs to come down.”
That foraging party and communal meal became a tradition until it phased out a year or two before the pandemic. The public version of Ramp Fest debuted in 2023 on Nowland Avenue near Kan-Kan Cinema & Brasserie and Amelia’s Bread, drawing 250 attendees.
For 2024, Ramp Fest has a goal of selling 400 tickets to raise funds for the Culinary Crossroads Chef Greg Hardesty Scholarship, ACLU of Indiana and Flanner House.
Last year’s event featured ramp accents in empanadas as well as oyster and lamb dishes, Hostetter said. For a $100 ticket purchased at eventbrite.com, attendees will have the chance to sample each chef’s creation.
The chef lineup:
- Josh and Julie Baker, The Open Fire
- Whitney Barnett, Positive Foodie Vibes
- Brittney Baxter, Eat Surreal
- Chris Benedyk, Love Handle
- Youssef Boudarine, Bluebeard and J’adore Pastry
- Michael Conley, Kan-Kan
- Paul Dickens, Paul’s Kitchen
- Brady Foster, Foster’s Catering
- Becky Hostetter, formerly of Duos Indy
- Erin Kem and Logan McMahan, Nicole Taylor’s Pasta + Market + Backroom Eatery
- Samir and Rachel Mohammad, 9th Street Bistro
- Lindsey Nowlin and Lauren Warfield, The Model Chef
- Erin Oechsle, Area 31 Career Center
- Esteban Rosas and Gabriel Sanudo, Julieta Taco Shop
- Alan Sternberg, Bluebeard
- Oya Woodruff, Chef’s Oya’s The Trap
Any tips for the chefs will be shared, Hostetter said. After the event’s costs are covered, all proceeds will be donated to the Hardesty scholarship fund, the ACLU’s defense of civil liberties and Flanner House’s initiatives for community development, food access and sustainable urban farming.
Hostetter, son of Duos co-founder Becky Hostetter and former St. Elmo server David Hostetter, said camaraderie among chefs is a highlight of Ramp Fest.
“It’s a hard business and profits are low,” said Hostetter, brand manager for wine and spirits distributor Crossroad Vintners. “Everybody’s competing for a small section of the population. But I think the more we can do things collaboratively, the more we can be a community. It helps everybody and we’re friends with each other.”
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