'Coda' Means New Beginning, Not End for Indigo

Coda: 1. Music: The concluding passage of a movement or composition. 2. A conclusion or closing part of a statement.

In the case of one Maplewood watering hole and eatery, "Coda" means a new beginning.

The new Coda Kitchen & Bar—formerly Indigo Kitchen & Bar, which opened on Maplewood Avenue early in 2009—is going through a few changes.

First, there's the name. The change to "Coda," says executive chef and limited partner Luke Finn reflects a shift in leadership and some tweaks to the menu: "One partner decided to leave and we thought it was a good time to change, head in a new direction."

Finn said that Coda (the name change became official on August 1) is continuing Indigo's creed of "fair-value, recession-fighting" prices, but is broadening the menu to include some higher-end entries and more global fare.

A case in point is the Grilled Baseball Cut Sirloin for $22 (with potato-goat cheese tortilla, sauteed spinach and roast-tomato bearnaise for that Spanish flare, says Finn). Then there's the Thai Hot Pot ($16). "That's our most extreme departure," said Finn. This seafood stew of mussels, shrimp, scallops, crab and calamari in a "hot, spicy, sweet" Thai sauce of lemon grass and ginger with Sushi rice is helping Coda "infuse more global flavors."

Still, the original mission of providing barbeque in an up-to-date fashion (BBQ shrimp with grits fries, anyone?) remains. For example, the very popular slider menu remains, but with a notable addition. You can still order Angus beef, Cuban, BBQ duck, crab cake, brisket and other sliders, but add to that the new Thai tuna slider with red curry mayo (they're all $9 with "coda chips" and homemade potato buns).

That's the other big change: All the bread is baked fresh on the premises. Could Finn and partners be thinking of opening a bakery? "Only if this guy stays," joked Finn.

Whether named "Coda" or "Indigo," business has been good. "We're as busy now as we were a year ago," said Finn, with diners coming in from Summit and Short Hills as well as Maplewood, Millburn and South Orange. A peek in the window on an evening shows a diverse crowd at the bar, a flavor Indigo brought to Maplewood Village when it moved from Springfield Avenue a year and a half ago.

Coda Kitchen & Bar is open seven days a week. Serving Lunch Tuesdays to Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. t0 3 p.m. and Dinner from 5-9:30 p.m. on weekdays (including Sunday night)  and 5-11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Visit the Coda Facebook page for a full menu.