The town of Chesterton recently opened a new southern food restaurant, Root and Bone. The much-loved restaurant is known for its excellent fried chicken, perfect biscuits, and comfortable environment. The southern comfort food eatery has multiple locations across the country and the chains are owned and operated by Chefs Jeff McInnis and Janine Booth, a husband and wife duo. Both chefs are alumni of NBC Bravo’s well-known cooking show, Top Chef. The pair initially met and became business partners in Miami before marrying and starting their own family. Now, the couple is working on building a culinary empire with multiple restaurants in their names. 

Chesterton is the most recent location the culinary couple set their eyes on. They have expanded their chain of restaurants after taking over what was previously an Italian cuisine restaurant called Abbiocco with a rooftop bar called Luna Kitchen + Cocktails. Root and Bone will vacate only the main floor, with no current plans for the rooftop area. After the grand opening on December 27, 2023, many Chesterton residents have made their way over to try the new southern-style restaurant. In a small town, word spreads fast and so have mixed feelings about the restaurant. I decided to try it for myself to determine if Root and Bone is truly worth the hype or if I should look elsewhere when searching for an upscale restaurant. 

One key component of a good restaurant, besides the food, is the theme. The interior design and decorations. The way restaurant owners choose to design their restaurants can set the tone for the whole dining experience. Immediately upon arriving at Root and Bone, I was in complete awe of the environment that had been created. Walking in the dining area, tables and booths were set with dinnerware that could be found in a grandmother’s house. The unique floral designs and colors on each set of plates felt familiar and nostalgic to me. The painted colanders filled with beautiful flower arrangements hanging from the ceiling were a stunning touch to the restaurant’s charm. Overall, Root and Bone did a phenomenal job creating an enjoyable atmosphere to dine in, setting my expectations high for the meal I was about to endure.

Root and Bone has a lengthy menu with a plethora of options for all dietary needs so each customer can feel included. The restaurant offers a supper, desserts, drinks, and brunch menu, with brunch being served on the weekends only. On the supper menu, Root and Bone offers starters, salads, entrees, and sides. One determining factor when eating out at any restaurant for me is the price. Each menu item was accompanied by a somewhat hefty cost which only made my expectations greater. If the food was pricey but tasted out of this world, I can justify the expenses. Some menu items were justifiable, while others were not so much. For starters, I ordered the Crab Cakes for $15 and Grandma Daisy’s Angel Biscuits for $8. Service was speedy and it wasn’t long after ordering that our table got the appetizers. On two separate plates arrived two large biscuits and two crab cakes. The biscuits were dense and heavy and came with a delicious honey chicken jus, the juices that come off a chicken while it’s being cooked, for dipping. The crab cakes came paired with a pile of coleslaw as well as a remoulade, a mayonnaise-based sauce, made in-house. Both appetizers were delicious and very filling, and I would recommend starting a meal with these two appetizers.

For the main course, our table ordered a Peach Salad for $14, Salmon for $28, and Mac and Cheese for $10. I had the salad for my main course and had very high hopes since I find it hard to mess up a salad. Unfortunately, I was met with a disappointing dish that didn’t taste right. The peppery, arugula salad was topped with cornbread croutons, grilled peaches, a spicy honey vinaigrette, and burrata cheese. The croutons were soggy and lacked any flavor. The peaches were somewhat decent and probably the only thing that saved the dish. The burrata, a ball of mozzarella filled with cream, was one of the main reasons I ordered this salad as it’s one of my favorite cheeses. Unfortunately, the salad lacked burrata and only a few pieces were sitting on top, which was more of a garnish than a salad mix-in as I had anticipated. I only had a few bites of salmon, just to try it, and as someone who doesn’t go out of her way to order fish, I considered it to be pretty tasty. The salmon came on top of a bed of black rice risotto and was topped with a savory hazelnut pesto. The fish was light and flavorful. Overall, not too bad for a main course. The final dish ordered for the entrees was a skillet of Mac and Cheese. The Mac came topped with crushed biscuits and was garnished with herbs. The pasta dish was so perfectly cheesy and had just the right amount of seasoning. If it weren’t for this plate, I would have been left somewhat disappointed by Root and Bone. For salmon lovers, the fish is a great choice for a main course plate. For someone interested in an upscale Mac and cheese, this restaurant might be the place to find it. Anyone looking for a salad, I would strongly suggest looking someplace elsewhere.

Finally, for dessert, our table ordered the Banana Pudding Crème Brûlèe for $10. The pudding was smooth, not overpowering with an artificial banana flavor, and was the perfect size for two to share. The caramelized bananas on top of the pudding had an excellent crunchy shell with a soft interior. The dessert was sweet and decadent, and the most perfect way to end a dining experience. As a banana lover and someone with a sweet tooth, the dessert course was by far my favorite. Leaving Root and Bone, my tummy was full to the brim, but in the best way possible. 

Trying Root and Bone was an exciting experience. Many dishes I felt were executed perfectly such as the Banana Pudding Crème Brûlèe and Grandma Daisy’s Angel Biscuits, while others need some adjusting. The grand total for dinner including gratuity was $120.93. A big splurge on Root and Bone should only be a once-in-a-while thing, but the food is definitely worth a try. Only time will tell how much the town appreciates the southern soul food restaurant. Root and Bone has a lot of potential, and I will be a returning patron someday.