Southern Indiana has gained a dozen new bars and restaurants in 2018

Bailey Loosemore | Courier Journal

Show Caption Hide Caption New Southern Indiana restaurants to try in 2018 These five restaurants have opened across Southern Indiana in 2018, including Longboard's Taco & Tiki and Roadrunner Kitchen.

A dozen restaurants and bars have already opened in Southern Indiana this year.

Recent openings include Longboard's Taco & Tiki and Geraldine's Kitchen.

The renaissance of Southern Indiana has been well-documented in recent years. So we won't pretend that the dozen new restaurants and bars that have popped up across the area this year have come as a surprise.

But it's always worth noting: Southern Indiana has a lot to offer on the food front. And the restaurants that have opened since January have added yet another layer of mouth-watering creativity to the culinary scene.

Eight months into 2018, the area has already seen the additions of a locally sourced lunch spot, a Mediterranean market and a funky taqueria.

There's more to come, including a New Albany location of Heine Brothers' Coffee.

But with a handful of bars and restaurants opening in the past month, we thought we'd take a look at what's already available.

Related: Louisville already has 70 new restaurants, bars in 2018

ALADDIN'S CORNER MARKET

37 Bank St., Suite 2, New Albany | Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday; noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sunday | aladdinsindiana.com

Aladdin's Mediterranean & Middle Eastern Cuisine has been serving international fare in New Albany since 2013. But now, owners Mike and Zein Sajaja want to help you make their dishes at home with a new small market, located next to the restaurant's entrance.

The market sells a variety of shelf-stable Mediterranean and Middle Eastern ingredients, along with jars of pickled vegetables made by Zein Sajaja. Soon, it will also have a fresh juice bar for people who want healthier options.

"People always ask, 'Where'd you get this? Where'd you get this?'" Mike Sajaja said. "They love the stuff we make. ... You're not going to find it anywhere else."

GERALDINE'S KITCHEN

402 Wall St., Jeffersonville | Hours: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday | facebook.com/GeraldinesKitchenJeff

Bob and Christa Hoyland have long wanted to open their own restaurant. So when they heard that the owner of Wall Street Cafe was planning to retire, they worked out an agreement to take over his space.

In July, Geraldine's Kitchen — named for Bob's mother — launched its breakfast and lunch menus in an area already filled with a breadth of dinner options.

"We originally thought about keeping the same name, but we decided to make it our own," Christa Hoyland said. "... We already have a large number of regulars. And one thing we offer is carryout. Previously, Wall Street Cafe had not taken credit cards. But we are fully modern with credit cards and carryout."

Another new business: Mesa opens second cooking school just for kids

LONGBOARD'S TACO & TIKI

302 Pearl St., Suite C, New Albany | Hours: 5-11 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday-Saturday; 3-8 p.m. Sunday | tacoandtiki.com

If there's one word to describe Longboard's, the third restaurant from Brand Hospitality, it's fun.

"It's a place to let your hair down and have a good time," said creative director Matt Simpson, standing in the building's basement tiki bar. "Especially down here in this room. When the lights go dim and the neon comes up, the music starts jamming on a Friday night, it's got to have that atmosphere like you're on a beach."

Longboard's is made up of two parts: An upstairs dining area where families can grab a quick taco, and a downstairs bar where adults can sip on carefully crafted draft cocktails.

The draft cocktails are especially new to the Metro area. To make them, general manager Zach Ruoff said the Longboard's staff created drinks that they could mix in large batches and keep fresh in rotating kegs.

"My favorite is our margarita," Ruoff said. "We worked really hard on that recipe. I think it's a very good balance of sweetness and sour with tequila coming through."

ROADRUNNER KITCHEN

145 E. Main St., New Albany | Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday | roadrunnerkitchen.com

If local, fast and fresh are your things, Roadrunner Kitchen is the place for you.

Like Geraldine's Kitchen, Roadrunner Kitchen saw a hole in the community's lunch offerings. So co-owners Sarah Hastings and Stacie Bale attempted to fill it with their grab-and-go concept.

Hastings said Roadrunner has already built a following since it opened in February, and it hopes to attract more business when it launches breakfast hours this week.

Hastings said both she and Bale grew up in New Albany, and they're excited to be part of the downtown revitalization.

"It's just hometown pride," Hastings said.

Bailey Loosemore: 502-582-4646; bloosemore@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @bloosemore. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: http://www.courier-journal.com/baileyl.

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SOUTHERN INDIANA'S NEW RESTAURANTS AND BARS

New Albany

► Aladdin's Market, 37 Bank St., Suite 2. The 5-year-old cafe expanded with a small market that sells a variety of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern ingredients.

► Double Barrel, 147 E. Main St. This bar is like your living room — but cooler.

► The Grain Haus, 129 W. Main St. An extension of Floyd County Brewing Co. that has its own 25 taps.

►Longboard's Taco & Tiki, 302 Pearl St., Suite C. Grab a quick dinner (and soon lunch) at the latest restaurant from Brand Hospitality, the company behind Brooklyn & The Butcher and The Exchange.

► Pints & Union, 114 E. Market St. Embrace the old world at this downtown bar that features creative small plates and comfort beers.

► Roadrunner Kitchen, 145 E. Main St. Local, fresh and fast are the keywords for this breakfast and lunch spot.

Jeffersonville

► American Smokehouse Stadium, 5580 Highway 62. Get your barbecue wrapped in a tortilla, by the pound or piled on a bun.

► Bridge & Barrel, 700 W. Riverside Dr. #300. This sit-down restaurant replaced Bristol's Bar & Grille in the Sheraton hotel.

► Geraldine's Kitchen, 402 Wall St. Grab breakfast or lunch at this new, old-school diner.

► Ramiro's Cantina Express, 253 Spring St. Try Tex-Mex dishes like stuffed burritos and quesadillas.

Clarksville

► Storming Crab, 1360 Veterans Parkway. This Cajun seafood restaurant is the second from a Tennessee-based company.

Georgetown

► 812 Pizza Company, 7600 Highway 64. Technically this restaurant opened in December 2017. But it's a welcome addition for those wanting a bite before taking in the Georgetown Drive-In.

► Lazy Sundaes, 9280 State Road 64. This ice cream stand serves more than sweet treats. Since March, it's offered everything from chili dogs to smoked turkey.