Cerulean Fits Into The Village At Winona’s Scene
December 4, 2019 at 8:24 p.m.
By -
In the case of Cerulean, it is a fantastic one. A beginning that intertwines with the start of not only a movement, but also has had a part in defining an era’s legacy.
The new modern era which began in the mid-1990’s brought to the town of Winona Lake a shopping district known as The Village at Winona. Dane Miller envisioned a balanced Village with Cerulean on the south side and The Boathouse Restaurant to the north.
Miller connected with Flying Fish Catering and Caleb France, and together they forged a new high-end dining experience in 2006.
What Cerulean offered this whole town was affordable yet high end farm fresh dishes made from scratch. Since farm to table restaurants had not yet made their mark in the area, Cerulean truly paved a new path while wonderfully showcasing Winona Lake when they opened a second store in Indianapolis.
The first five years in Winona Lake were bliss and magical. Their first year saw 50,000 guests.
Cerulean has remained timeless and successful and is now going on their 14th year. They have won The Journal Gazette of Fort Wayne Best Restaurant of the Year and Best Restaurant of five years. While Indy was successful, managing the distance of the two restaurants was quite heavy on their already busy daily lives. When the lease was finished, they decided to focus on home base. The main focus of the business model is to strengthen what they already have and keep it impactful to their community.
I asked Caleb, “Did you know how successful It was going to be?” His reply was, “No idea.” In fact, they thought they were done when they had to turn away the rest of the construction workers on the first soft-opening night due to running out of food. Everyone returned for a second night.
Caleb also mentioned his love for this village. Most towns do not host everything. Here we have a beautiful network of greenways, the lake, history, and the park. We literally offer so much as a community. Winona Lake continues to keep alive a legacy as a destination vacation spot to thousands of local and tourists, and of course Dane Miller’s legacy as well.
Cerulean is set right along the canal with a heated porch and a nautical modern take on decor and food. They aspire to educate with a few new ingredients showcased in traditionally styled offerings.
The food is truly outstanding. Cerulean offers many styles of dishes including bento boxes and sushi rolls. A bento box is a packed luncheon Japanese culture with convenient entree and sides. My favorite is the panko chicken with broccolini and Asian style noodles. They even have a bento box on the kids menu!
Caleb is really excited to bring back one of his favorite experiences. He explained that the Sea Bass plate, which will be done with scallops this time around, was an old school Cerulean dish, one that many people fondly reminder.
Enjoy your holidays and the new decade at Cerulean, making the most of your time here at The Village at Winona Lake.
Ashley Miller has lived in Kosciusko County all of her life, and has been cooking for over a decade. Although she studied Business Administration, Ashley pursues her passion of food culture by educating her community through events, classes, photography and journalism.
In the case of Cerulean, it is a fantastic one. A beginning that intertwines with the start of not only a movement, but also has had a part in defining an era’s legacy.
The new modern era which began in the mid-1990’s brought to the town of Winona Lake a shopping district known as The Village at Winona. Dane Miller envisioned a balanced Village with Cerulean on the south side and The Boathouse Restaurant to the north.
Miller connected with Flying Fish Catering and Caleb France, and together they forged a new high-end dining experience in 2006.
What Cerulean offered this whole town was affordable yet high end farm fresh dishes made from scratch. Since farm to table restaurants had not yet made their mark in the area, Cerulean truly paved a new path while wonderfully showcasing Winona Lake when they opened a second store in Indianapolis.
The first five years in Winona Lake were bliss and magical. Their first year saw 50,000 guests.
Cerulean has remained timeless and successful and is now going on their 14th year. They have won The Journal Gazette of Fort Wayne Best Restaurant of the Year and Best Restaurant of five years. While Indy was successful, managing the distance of the two restaurants was quite heavy on their already busy daily lives. When the lease was finished, they decided to focus on home base. The main focus of the business model is to strengthen what they already have and keep it impactful to their community.
I asked Caleb, “Did you know how successful It was going to be?” His reply was, “No idea.” In fact, they thought they were done when they had to turn away the rest of the construction workers on the first soft-opening night due to running out of food. Everyone returned for a second night.
Caleb also mentioned his love for this village. Most towns do not host everything. Here we have a beautiful network of greenways, the lake, history, and the park. We literally offer so much as a community. Winona Lake continues to keep alive a legacy as a destination vacation spot to thousands of local and tourists, and of course Dane Miller’s legacy as well.
Cerulean is set right along the canal with a heated porch and a nautical modern take on decor and food. They aspire to educate with a few new ingredients showcased in traditionally styled offerings.
The food is truly outstanding. Cerulean offers many styles of dishes including bento boxes and sushi rolls. A bento box is a packed luncheon Japanese culture with convenient entree and sides. My favorite is the panko chicken with broccolini and Asian style noodles. They even have a bento box on the kids menu!
Caleb is really excited to bring back one of his favorite experiences. He explained that the Sea Bass plate, which will be done with scallops this time around, was an old school Cerulean dish, one that many people fondly reminder.
Enjoy your holidays and the new decade at Cerulean, making the most of your time here at The Village at Winona Lake.
Ashley Miller has lived in Kosciusko County all of her life, and has been cooking for over a decade. Although she studied Business Administration, Ashley pursues her passion of food culture by educating her community through events, classes, photography and journalism.
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