Nicole-Taylor's Pasta Reopens Under a New Name: Corridor

New and Improved 

For years locals have known Nicole-Taylor’s Pasta and Backroom Eatery for its Italian fare, chef’s dinners, and fresh pasta. With the new year and a complete redesign, Nicole-Taylors has stepped away from its Italian roots and has emerged as “Corridor”, focusing on cuisine from the Mediterranean corridor- Southern Europe to North Africa.  Home to bold spices, rich flavors, and complex combinations of savory, sweet, and tangy elements, the new menu is meant to inspire and ignite your senses.

As soon as you enter the dining room you will know you are in for an adventure. The dark green walls, the intricately woven rugs, and the ornate hanging lanterns beckon you into a new world of flavor and discovery. And it won’t take long for you to understand that a lot of time, thought, and energy has gone into creating a space that reflects a brand-new dining experience.

The Chefs

As fate would have it, chef Erin Kem began her career working with Tony and Rosa Hanslits at Tavola di Tosa. And even after she moved on to R Bistro under the guidance of Regina Mehallick she kept in touch with them. So when the Hanslits were ready to sell Nicole-Taylor’s 20 years later, they reached out to Kem to see if she would be interested.

Turns out that Kem and self-taught chef Logan McMahan had been sampling dishes for a new concept they called Corridor since 2021. When the opportunity presented itself in 2023 they teamed up and already had a plan for the direction their new restaurant would take. So with the Hanslits blessing, they began to showcase Mediterranean dishes alongside the Nicole-Taylor standards.

“Over the course of 2024 we started to incorporate more and more Mediterranean options,” Kem says. “We will always have some pasta options, something simple and delicious like Aglio e Olio. It may just feel a little less Italian.” 

”We want to expand the small plate offerings to have more mezze (small dish) options too,” Mcmahan says, “they can add to their entree or order all of them with a friend: grilled bread, multiple dips, and marinated things.” As a well-known vegan chef, he says Mediterranean food lends itself well to being vegan and vegetarian naturally.  

“Tabbouleh, falafel, hummus, bread, are easy to make and taste delicious,” he says. And when Koshary (a national dish of Egypt made of rice, lentils, tomatoes, chickpeas, and pasta) did so well on Nicole Taylor’s final menu they knew this style of food was really resonating with their customers. 

The Food

The winter menu is broken down into mezze, mains, salads, soups, and sweets. So thoughtfully curated, your biggest challenge will be what items to order first. 

The “Carrot and Pistachio Fritters” with lemon tahini were my favorite surprise. The crispiness of the fritters contrasts beautifully with the soft chewiness of the interior. And while the sweetness from the carrots, the warmth of the spices, and the rich butteriness of the nuts is complex it’s also well-balanced and when paired with the lemon tahini, packs a delightful umami punch. 

You may mistake the vegan “Maitake Shawarma” sandwich for its meatier counterpart as the mushrooms are so expertly prepared in a bright herbaceous Chermoula (a North African zesty pesto-style sauce with preserved lemons, garlic, parsley, and spices) combined with a Lebanese garlic sauce (Toum).  If you think vegan dishes are typically underwhelming you will need to prepare yourself for the wild ride this dish has in store for your tastebuds. 

The roasted sweet potato wedges are a comforting side to pair with these bolder flavors. The melt-in-your-mouth tahini butter, chickpeas, and dukkah (a nut and spice blend from Egypt) make this soothing mezze an absolute necessity. 

And if you are still pining for Nicole-Taylor of old, the cappelletti (hat-shaped pasta) stuffed with pumpkin, leek, and sage is both nostalgic and luxurious. With lemon brown butter, fried sage, and toasted pumpkin seeds you’ll feel completely satisfied with this perfect blend of comfort and discovery. 

I’d pair this with the freekah tabouleh with cauliflower, shaved fennel, citrus, and herbs. Its light, zesty crunchiness is the perfect counterpart to the rich creaminess of the cappelletti.

The Market

You will be happy to know that chefs Kem and McMahan will continue to offer Nicole-Taylor pasta under the Nicole-Taylor brand, in the storefront at Corridor, to restaurants across the city, and at farmer’s markets. And they are keeping the Nicole-Taylor favorites too, like tiramisu, meatballs, marinara, and lasagna for sale in the cold cases upfront. 

The market has been expanded to include Mediterranean corridor favorites like preserved lemons, pomegranate molasses, harissa, an array of  olive oils and vinegars, sauces, relishes,  and Spanish tin fish. But you will still find prosciutto and capicola in the meat and cheese case along with Manchego, provolone, and pecorino among others. 

The Dinners

And, of course, they will still host Chef’s Dinners 4 nights a week, Wednesday through Saturday.  These highly sought after dinners are booked a year in advance, with 4-courses around the giant butcher block table in the kitchen so you are entrenched in the magic. “We have never repeated a menu,” Kem says. Every dinner is unique and although it is more work for them it keeps the art of creation fun and exciting for the chefs and the patrons.  Because these dinners sell out so fast they have added a Second-Saturday dinner too. These dinners include welcome hors d’oeuvres and four plated courses paired with wine the second Saturday of every month. Seating is communal for up to 40 people and reservations are required. Check their socials for details. 

What’s Next?

They have already had opportunities to expand but don’t want to expand too quickly.  

“Right now we can just focus on what we are doing and doing it very well”, says McMahan. In the future they may move pasta-making to a production facility offsite and start making their own breads to sell. They are open to possibilities. 

To be sure, Corridor is not just an evolution in dining, it’s an educational experience. Where most restaurants in Indy may Americanize their menus to make customers feel more comfortable, chefs Kem and McMahan invite you to step outside your comfort zone to experience the real essence that is the Mediterranean corridor. It’s a bold move and one that demands applause and deserves to be celebrated. 

Corridor and Nicole-Taylor’s Pasta

1134 E. 54th St. 

Indianapolis IN 46220

(317)257-7274

Hours:

Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m. -4 p.m. 

Lunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday