GOODNESS GRACIOUS Wholesome Goodness. Delivered 317.316.2121 ilovegoodnessgracious.com
JOY IN A BASKET
Goodness Gracious Picnic Basket Catering is a Big Hit Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photographer / Kelli White
When Tobi Mares moved to Carmel, she was impressed by all the community had to offer - especially outdoor events like concerts in the park. A season ticket holder to Conner Prairie’s Symphony on the Prairie, she began putting together picnic baskets to take to the popular event. Fellow concertgoers soon noticed her baskets and asked if they could purchase one.
When people learn of her picnic basket business, reactions tend to be positive. “They’re in love with the picnic and the whole idea behind it,” Mares says. “That motivates me even more.”
Mares has always dreamed of opening her own restaurant, and began doing “Families were getting off of work and apprenticeship work in local eateries to grabbing something quick at Kroger to learn the ropes. Last spring she was set to take to these outdoor events,” says Mares, sign a lease for her own place when the who was eventually inspired to launch coronavirus led to government-mandated Goodness Gracious, a picnic basket shutdowns. Though the restaurant dream catering business. was temporarily on hold, she continued Mares delights in crafting dishes like lemon making picnic baskets all summer for folks who were eager to have picnics in their dill tuna salad sandwiches, teriyaki tofu front yards while socially distancing club sandwiches, Italiano skewers, Greek with neighbors. salads and more. Every sandwich comes with fruit, a side, and a fun, fancy fortune cookie with an inspirational message. Side With fall approaching, Mares has launched a new line of homemade soups, which she choices include sweet potato chips, white delivers to customers’ doors in glass jars bean hummus, German potato salad and so they can simply heat and eat. Options more. include Hungarian mushroom, a ketofriendly sweet potato puree, chicken and Mares, who can easily spend six hours pasta, a dense beef bourguignon, and her a day in her own kitchen creating food, grandpa’s recipe for cream of onion. maintains that simple is better when it comes to cooking. In addition, Mares has a wellness basket that includes a homemade, high-nutrient “I’m not into foo-foo cooking and while I bone broth, which can be enhanced with appreciate culinary cuisine, honestly one noodles, chicken or vegetables. This basket of my favorite meals is a fried bologna sandwich,” Mares says. “But I do add Cajun also includes coffee cups, antioxidant green tea, vitamins and more. seasoning.” 6 / FISHERS MAGAZINE / OCTOBER 2020 / atFishers.com
“I took the concept of mind, body and spirit, and put it in a basket,” says Mares, who credits her husband Brad for providing the love and support she needs to always forge ahead. “Honestly, 2020 would have been disastrous were it not for Brad, my biggest cheerleader.” During the pandemic, Mares has used her spare time to pen a book called “Goodness Gracious,” which is a memoir about food, struggle and perseverance. She hopes the launch of her book will coincide with the opening of her restaurant, as she’s considering opening her own eatery after all - at 146th Street and Hazel Dell Parkway. It would offer breakfast, brunch, lunch and baskets. For Mares, Goodness Gracious is about keeping her grandmother’s spirit alive with picnics and comfort food, by way of old family recipes. “The whole concept of Goodness Gracious is really about keeping the quilt of America alive through the sharing of food,” Mares says. To order from Goodness Gracious, call 317-316-2121, email ilovegoodnessgracious@gmail.com, or visit ilovegoodnessgracious.com.
