After travelling to Paris and falling in love, as one does, with the brasseries and bistros, the steak frites and red wine demi-glace, Ryan and Kristy Rans wanted to have a Parisian oasis here in Northern Indiana, where they grew up. We can benefit from the realization of their yearning at Brasserie 23 in Granger. This restaurant, unique to our area, transports diners to a Parisian streetcorner, with its cheery red awnings, woven bistro chairs, sophisticated wine program and menu of authentic dishes.
The couple, who own the Prime Hospitality Group (The Exchange bar in South Bend and Ruth’s Chris in Granger are other properties), had opened a small bistro and wine shop on the spot in 2017. With a more casual and general European menu, it was initially called Bin 23.
In the transformation leading to the launch of Brasserie 23 in 2024, the pizza oven behind the bar was removed, the lights were dimmed and the ambiance became more refined. The menu now features French classics such as moules marinières (mussels in white wine garlic butter), frisée and bacon salad, short rib Bourguignon, croque madame (a ham and Gruyère sandwich with béchamel sauce and a fried egg on top) and steak frites, with its 24-hour demi-glace sauce. Everything is made from scratch, including—every morning—labor-intensive puff pastry for the show-stealing chicken and leek puff pastry dish.
Discovery is the emphasis of the wine and cocktail menu. Steven Stelzer, manager of Brasserie 23, was brought in to elevate the program, along with bar manager Peyton Cavanaugh. “We aim to be different, to be the place where you can get things you can’t get anywhere else,” says Stelzer. He focuses on smaller wineries, “allocated” wines that are made in small quantities—and thus limited in their distribution—and “wines with a story behind them, something that stands out for its flavor profile or minerality.” French wines dominate the list by the glass, but the choice of bottles ranges widely. Recent tastings have introduced wines from less traditional regions, such as Baja, California; Nashik, India; Tasmania; Northern Anatolia, Turkey; and County Clare, Ireland.
Handsome rooms lined with wood and wine bottles are set aside for special wine dinners and tastings. For the dinners, occurring quarterly, Stelzer devises a theme, then works with a wine distributor to select intriguing wines and with executive chef David Mann to create perfect food pairings. One such dinner, dubbed “Fire and Ice,” showcased dynamic contrasts: sweet with spicy, crisp with rich. The pièce de résistance was a meltingly tender Moroccan braised lamb shank paired with a South African cabernet sauvignon. “A lot of thought and care goes into planning those dinners,” says Stelzer.
Wine and spirits tastings take over at happy hour twice each month. This winter, look for Cabs of the World and the Beautiful and the Damned Bourbon tastings. Brasserie 23 will also host Miracle, a Christmas-themed pop-up bar with signature cocktails and festive decor, starting November 17.
“It’s a fun place to work,” says Cavanaugh, as the restaurant continues its creative evolution. New this fall is a wine club monthly subscription of unique wines, offered at different tiers starting at $40. You could stash those in a glass-encased wine locker, holding up to 24 bottles, now available to rent. “When customers find a wine they like at a tasting, they can buy a case and keep it in their locker to drink when they come in,” explains Stelzer. Also new is Wine Wednesday, when bottles are 23% off all day.
Next summer, Brasserie 23 will partner with Dablon Vineyards & Winery in Baroda, Michigan, to serve dinners paired with their wines in the lush meadows around the vines.
With its reinvention, Brasserie 23 has brought fresh inspiration to the Old World charm the Rans sought to emulate. “It is definitely different than anywhere else I have ever worked,” says Stelzer. “They have been very good about giving us a lot of leeway in taking ideas and running with them, building programs and making this place unique.”
Proving that even the classics can benefit from revamping now and then, especially when the results so deliciously mingle time-honored tradition with the delight of discovery.
Brasserie 23
120 Perspective Dr., Ste. 150
Granger, IN
574.318.8000
brasserie23.com
Lisa Barnett de Froberville is a French teacher and translator and the managing editor of Edible Michiana.
