Jonathan Brooks

The Path

At Milktooth in Fletcher Place, Indianapolis (2014–2026), Jonathan Brooks used ownership to build more than a menu: he built a restaurant with a clear point of view, one that was shaped by place and by repeatable work over time. The years there formed the base of his standing in Indianapolis, where the cooking carried a deliberate hand and a steady sense of control. That same approach continues in his current roles as chef and owner of Beholder and chef and co-owner of Arlene's, where Brooks remains a fixed presence in the city’s dining life.

The Work Today

Beholder and Arlene’s show how ownership can function as part of the craft itself. Brooks is still working in Indianapolis, and that continuity matters: the restaurants read as part of the city rather than apart from it. His work has the character of stewardship as much as authorship, with restaurants built to hold their place through regular use, neighborhood context, and the discipline of showing up every day.

Signature

Jonathan's signature dishes include Dutch Baby pancakes, signature latkes, and quail egg-topped grilled cheese. The range says something direct about Brooks’s cooking: comfort, crispness, and careful finishing, all in dishes that carry familiar forms without staying flat. There is attention here to contrast and placement, to the way a dish can feel straightforward while still showing a precise hand.

In Their Words The quote reads like a practical local’s defense of a place that has earned its keep. It points to a taste for institutions that hold up under repetition and keep delivering the same core pleasure. “I was one of the first young people [in Indianapolis] to own a restaurant as opposed to just being a chef.” That line defines the shift Brooks made early: not only cooking in Indianapolis, but taking responsibility for the room, the operation, and the longer shape of the work. It places him among the people who widened what ownership could look like in the city.

Acclaim

Jonathan's honors include James Beard Award semifinalist (2016) and Best New Chef (2015). The recognition tracked a period when Brooks’s work drew attention beyond Indianapolis, while still being rooted in the city where that reputation was built.