Antilogy restaurant aims for best for both worlds

The origin of the name Antilogy is simple: anti-logical.

Co-owners Bob Sendelbach, Rachel Sendelbach, Andrea Roegner and Willie Roegner wanted to open a restaurant that serves not just as a brunch spot but can host date nights as well. Their vision of a restaurant that defies convention came to fruition Monday when they cut the ribbon on Antilogy, located at 5867 N. State Road 135, just south of Smokey Row Road.

The restaurant has a brunch menu that includes items such as jalapeño deviled eggs, chicken and waffles, Johnny cakes and smoked Norwegian trout, and a marinated Portobello sandwich, among dozens of other offerings. The evening menu has beef tenderloin crostini, crispy burrata, bourbon candied bacon, a charcuterie board and more. Patrons can choose between flourless chocolate cake and crème brûlée cheesecake for dessert.

The plates aren’t intended to serve as full meals, but instead as sharable options, meaning a group of four people could order four plates and sample from each of them. Along with food, the restaurant also has a bar, serving coffee all day and alcohol in the evening. The bar serves primarily wine and bourbon with a small beer selection, Bob Sendelbach said.

“Nobody would ever put a brunch place and a bourbon and wine place in the same restaurant,” he said. “It’s contradicting concepts.”

The seeming contradiction seemed perfectly sound for the four co-owners, who all have roots in the Center Grove area and wanted a unique gathering place without having to travel to downtown Indianapolis, especially for couples who have children to take care of, he said.

“For the last handful of years we went out and saw things we liked, we didn’t like and things we wanted to replicate,” Bob Sendelbach said. “We didn’t want people to have to drive half an hour to get a nice evening date night.”

The 3,500-square-foot restaurant is more than a year in the making. The two couples met through Emmanuel Church in Greenwood, said Andrea Roegner, whose husband, Willie, also serves as a chef and has worked in the restaurant industry since 1996. Willie Roegner now brings his expertise to the wide variety of dishes the restaurant offers.

The restaurant is Willie Roegner’s first venture in restaurant ownership, as is the case with the other three co-owners. The restaurant will help fill a need in the community, Andrea Roegner said.

“We wanted a space in the community people could gather, and men and women could meet as small groups, especially after church to grab a coffee, have a conversation and a good meal,” she said. “It’s brunch by day and a bourbon and wine date night at night. It’s bright and fun during the day and cozy and comfortable at night, but it feels upscale. It’s classy but comfortable.”

While the work itself, which included hiring staff and designing the space took just over a year, the dream started much earlier than that, Rachel Sendelbach said.

“We met in church 10 years ago, dreaming this up,” she said. “It’s fun to see this come together. We brought together local artists and talents. We’re pretty excited about our partnership with Bovaconti Coffee in Fountain Square, bringing their craft coffee to the Southside.”

The local talent also includes about 60 workers, including kitchen staff, bartenders, baristas, servers, hostesses and a general manager, she said.

Reservations aren’t required yet, but the co-owners envision a future where the space holds private events and is looked at as a prime option for a night out in the Greenwood and Center Grove area, Bob Sendelbach said.

“We’re excited about being here and being part of Center Grove, a community we live in,” he said. “It’s a way to give back and maybe we’ll do another one of these somewhere else or stay focused on here. Time will tell.”

The restaurant can also develop into a destination for future generations, such as the children of the current owners, Rachel Sendelbach said.

“We believe in building up the community to create a space encouraging gathering together, building up marriages and friendships, reconnecting at the table and creating a great work environment for local people,” she said.

Antilogy is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. Brunch is served from opening to 4 p.m. each day except Sunday. Dinner is served from 4 p.m. to closing, Monday through Saturday.