Pack Leader
Natalie Wolfe is at the forefront in creating 10-01 Food & Drink
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When life handed her lemons, Natalie Wolfe turned them into something far more substantial than a glass of lemonade. She crafted Broad Ripple’s newest restaurant, 10-01 Food & Drink.
A Lawrence North High School and Indiana University graduate, Wolfe began her career as an elementary school teacher. While teaching one day in early 2000, Wolfe received a visit from a police officer who said she needed to come with him.
“I immediately thought someone broke into my house,” Wolfe recalls.
Instead, he took her to her child-care provider, where Wolfe learned her 3-month-old daughter Reagan, who had been laid down for a nap on her stomach, had asphyxiated.
“That was the pivotal moment of my life that changed the way I think about things and the direction I wanted to go,” she says. “It set the tone for everything else I did.”
Wolfe, who started advocating for at-home child care providers, decided to stay home with her and her husband Todd’s daughter, Samantha. She began helping Todd grow their debt-collection company by getting involved in corporate training.
The couple divorced, however, and the company was sold.
The restaurant world
“After the divorce, I decided that I really wanted to do something on my own,” Wolfe says. “I would never have imagined myself owning a restaurant and being in this setting.”
She loved to cook. And she loved wine. But she knew those two don’t always translate into a successful business plan.
About a year ago, Wolfe, along with managing partner Jeff Cart and business consultant Mike Spalding, started thinking about opening a restaurant. Specifically, one that would offer Broad Ripple diners Midwestern comfort food with a culinary twist, a cozy environment, top-notch service and outdoor seating at a reasonable price.
It may have been a tall order, but Wolfe jumped in, crunched the numbers and realized that it could work.
“It was about finding this perfect team, looking to see if the numbers worked and then having the right concept for the right area. As we started doing the due diligence, those things started falling together so seamlessly that we thought, This is the perfect fit.”
Another seamless match was the building in which 10-01 resides. At the corner of Winthrop and Broad Ripple avenues, it formerly held a community medical center and restaurant Provincial Kitchen. Even before the interior and exterior makeover and patio addition, Wolfe immediately knew it was the right place.
“The minute we walked in, the vision hit me, like, Oh yeah, this is going to work.”
10-01 offers both lunch and dinner and is open till 3 a.m. daily. Popular items since its opening June 30 include the ahi tuna margarita (not a drink, but an appetizer); the 10-01 cocktail with prosecco, St. Germain and raspberries; and the tenderloin BBQ sandwich, Wolfe says.
Team leader
Spalding says Wolfe’s commitment to excellence is her best trait.
“When she first came to me, I warned her of the personal sacrifice she’d have to make,” he says. “She performed beyond my expectations.
“She is intelligent, focused, honest and totally committed. She does her due diligence on every task at hand, and she draws on the experience and expertise of others in areas that are new to her.”
Wolfe, a mother of three, says there always are challenges to being a woman in the business world, let alone among the vast cohort of male restaurant owners.
“In this industry, you don’t see a lot of female business owners,” she says. “To me, that’s a big deal.
“I think the idea that I can make this work, that I can lead this team –– of men –– to victory, is something that I’m sure some folks are waiting to see,” she says. “I lead by example and am willing to do any job here, from going back on the line to cook, to cleaning the restrooms or sweeping the parking lot.”
Wolfe routinely makes the rounds, meeting guests and asking for their feedback.
“I really want to show that we can do a great job here, we have a great product and we can pull it off,” she says. “From the service to consistency in our products to delivering the best quality product to being financially sound in the end –– I’m excited to show people we can get that done.”
Top Choices
Choosing the menu item she likes best is like picking her favorite child, says Natalie Wolfe, owner and operator of 10-01 Food & Drink. Instead of picking just one, Wolfe gave a few of her top picks:
- Andouille Sausage Lasagna
- Scallops with Sake-Risotto Cakes
- Catfish Fries with Smoked Tomato Aioli
Recommended!
Roasted Jalapeño Cornbread with Cranberry Compote
Makes 12 portions
For the bread:
1 1⁄4 cups corn meal
3⁄4 cups flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3⁄4 cup butter, melted
1⁄3 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
16 ounces creamed corn
1 1⁄2 cups roasted jalapeños, diced
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
For the cranberry compote:
2 cups sun-dried cranberries
2 1⁄2 cups red wine
1⁄4 cup sugar
In a large mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Mix well. In another mixing bowl, combine melted butter, eggs and milk. Whip until well mixed. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, and mix until smooth. Fold in creamed corn. Fold in cheddar and jalapeños. Pour into well-greased 2-inch half pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
To prepare the compote, add the cranberries to the red wine in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the berries have become soft again, add the sugar. Stir and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and purée in food processor. Cool and spoon over cornbread.
10-01 Food & Drink serves this appetizer with fried brie pieces, but even without them, it makes for a great way to start your meal.
