Aladdin Pita
3750 W. 80th Lane, Merrillville
(219) 736-5204
A restaurant that provides some of the freshest Middle Eastern food in the region at reasonable prices. The family recipes, from Jordan and the East Bank, are authentic and carefully prepared. Hot, fresh pita bread with hummus and three other appetizers are served as you are seated. No alcohol is permitted on the premises but the iced tea, orange juice and hot teas are delicious. Entrées, all of which come with a cup of light, flavorful soup, consist of various charcoal-broiled kabob plates or combinations thereof, stews, stuffed grape leaves and daily specials. There also are sandwiches served in heated pita bread. Desserts include hareesah, thin farina cake flavored with coconut, almonds and syrup, and muhallabiah, traditional vanilla custard. Open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Reservations: Not necessary but accepted
Smoking: Yes
Kids menu: Yes
Price: $
Bar: No
Tip: Pita baked on premises in the attached bakery.
Anthony's Café
2936 Highland Ave., Highland
(219) 923-2075
A well-designed interior and al fresco dining patio make this Highland charmer a pleasant stop for either a relaxed lunch or dinner. Menus change every week and the kitchen takes full advantage of the seasons. The chef's repertoire is eclectic with many Italian and European overtones. Try the excellent bruschetta made with toasted Labriola bread, extra-virgin olive oil and fresh basil ($5); cellantani pasta with grilled chicken breast and mushrooms in a spicy rosemary-garlic butter sauce ($7.50) or the outstanding grilled steak salad ($8) among many other menu items. More than 50 domestic and imported specialty beers and more than 100 wines, many offered by 1- or 2-ounce taste, a 6-ounce glass or by the bottle. Open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays, for lunch; 5 to 9 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, for dinner; 5 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, for dinner.
Cuisine: Upscale casual/Italian
Reservations: For dinner
Smoking: No
Kids menu: Accommodated
Price: $$
Bar: Beer and wine
Tip: Great Labriola bread, menus change weekly.
The Baker's House Bakery, Café and Catering
6004 Miller Ave., Gary
(219) 938-9931 or (866) YUMMY-SCONES
Owners Angela McCrovitz and Ramona McCrovitz have taken St. Mary of the Lake's former convent-turned residence and transformed it into a yellow fantasy cottage of culinary delights. If the McCrovitz name rings a bell, it's because they also own the Merrillville Florist Shop and Tea Room at 7005 Madison St. Yep, that means all the great scones (touted to be only 90 calories each), mile-high quiche and chicken pot pie you've come to know and love. But, oh, there's so much more. The pastry case is amazing -- Chocolate Velvet Moon, Mountain Torte, Lemon Charlotte Royale, Cognac Pumpkin Cheesecake, to name a few -- and everything is made from scratch. Oh, all right, the breads, doughnuts and croissants are from region-favorite Labriola Bakery. Soups ($2 to $4), salads ($4.95), sandwiches ($5.50), entrees to go, hors d'oeuvres, catering -- it's all here. The White Gull (smoked salmon, cream cheese, tomato, red onion and capers on a bagel), the Beechwood (grilled seasonal vegetables, tomato,
Swiss cheese and olive pesto on grilled marble rye), and daily soups like Lobster Bisque (with a free dill-Cheddar scone) are said to be sell-outs. Whipped cream and buttercream celebration cakes, mousse cakes and specialty items like tiramisu, dobosh torte, cannoli cake and more are yours for the asking. Private parties up to 25 are accommodated upstairs. In the cozy downstairs rooms, don't expect china and fancy linens. The effort is solidly placed in the taste and appearance of the food. There are 52 varieties of scones, albeit not offered at the same time. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Cuisine: Upscale casual
Reservations: No
Smoking: No
Kids menu: No but accommodated
Price: $$
Bar: No
Tip: Don't pass up the Cape Cod Cranberry Scone with mango and pineapple.
Bamboo Blue
18147 Harwood Ave., Homewood
(708) 799-4700
This charming Homewood restaurant is one you don't want to miss. Owners Jeanne McInerney and Tami Mizrahi, and chef Jerry Binford, have crafted a delightful menu that blends authentic with Asian-influenced American dishes. If you want the real thing, there's a crispy, sweet-and-salty Korean short ribs appetizer masquerading as Very Feng Chewy Ribs ($7.50), Pad Thai ($8.95 to $9.95) spiced to your tolerance, and Chap Chae ($8.95 to $9.95), a Korean dish of cellophane noodles with vegetables in a sweet, dark soy sauce. On the fusion side, you'll find nachos with Thai peanut sauce, fried wontons with black beans and cheese, and Asian Quesadillas ($7.95 to $8.95). Fish dishes include Tempura Halibut, Wasabi Pea Crusted Salmon and Red Snapper in Hong Kong Vinaigrette. And if you're into sushi, no need to look further. It's all here. From classic sushi rolls (Spicy Tuna, California, Veggie Maki, New York, Unagi, Mexi Maki, Negi Hamachi) to more unique combinations like the Caterpillar Roll
with eel and hamachi. The full-service bar features imported and domestic beers, hot sake, cocktails and martinis like the Hanoi Jane made with gin, blue-cheese-stuffed olives and seedless cucumbers. The tea offerings are nearly as extensive as the wine list (by the glass or bottle, $4.50 to $32), which includes a plum wine from Japan. Don't miss the Pineapple Upside Down Cake ($6) with hot caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream and a dollop of whipped cream. The portions are large, the presentation is beautiful and the prices are affordable. Just go already. Hours are noon to 8 p.m. Mondays; noon to 9 p.m. Tuesdays to Thursdays; noon to 10 p.m. Fridays; 3 to 10 p.m. Saturdays and 4 to 8 p.m. Sundays. Range from $3.50 for appetizers to $23 for most expensive entrée.
Cuisine: Asian fusion
Reservations: On weekends
Smoking: No
Kids menu: Yes
Price: $$
Bar: Full bar
Tip: The tea offerings are nearly as extensive as the wine list.
Benny's Home Cookin'
Horseshoe Casino
777 Casino Center Drive, Hammond
(866) 711-SHOE
Benny's Home Cookin' at Horseshoe Casino Hammond features hearty portions of comfort food at affordable prices. The à la carte sit-down and to-go restaurant serves up down-home offerings that hearken back to Mom's kitchen and warm fuzzies. Consider lightly cornmeal-breaded catfish ($6.99), St. Louis BBQ ribs ($8.99), fall-off-the-bone-tender braised beef short ribs, mammoth buffalo chicken wings, and rotisserie chicken, the last three ringing in at $4.99. Sides ($1.99 each) are four-cheese mac 'n cheese, fingerling potatoes, and mashed and baked sweet potatoes. Vegetables ($1.99 each) include buttered sweet corn, broccoli and cheese, sautéed spinach and delicious sweet-and-meaty baked beans. Nine cold salads ($1.99 each) run the gamut of creamy cole slaw to country potato salad to pickled beets and more. Desserts ($3.99 each) easily can serve three. The slab of mile-high coconut cake is to die for. Also look for carrot and chocolate cakes, bread pudding, Boston cream pie and fruit
cobbler. The restaurant is open to the public. Gambling is optional. Open noon to midnight daily. Entrées range $4.99 to $8.99, sides are $1.99 and desserts are $3.99.
Cuisine: Southern/soul food
Reservations: No
Smoking: No
Kids menu: No
Price: $
Bar: No
Tip: Drinks from other parts of casino can be brought into restaurant.
Bentwood Tavern at the Marina Grand Resort
600 W. Water St., New Buffalo, Mich.
(877) 945-8600 or (269) 469-9900
Bentwood Tavern at the Marina Grand Resort is a dining jewel at the end of the 1,000-slip New Buffalo Harbor on Oselka Marina. The restaurant, owned by Robert and Collette Kemper, has a contemporary, nautical, Scandinavian feel with Michigan hickory at every turn.
Chef Jenny Drilon, owner of New Buffalo's now-defunct Jenny's Restaurant, is working her magic in the kitchen with the aid of an Italian wood-burning oven. "Jenny brings to us her expertise from Café Ba-Ba-Reeba!, Ambria and the Corner Bakeries in Chicago," he says. The artisan comfort food, sophisticated pub grub if you will, is made from scratch, prepared à la minute, and served by a smiling, gracious staff. Two starters to watch for are the three-onion dip with housemade pub chips, and baked asiago and goat cheese with, again, housemade flatbread. For lunch, you can't go wrong with the juicy half-pound burger with grilled onions, mushrooms and Swiss cheese on black bread. Pizza from the wood-burning oven is available all day. A superior sweet-and-salty choice is the prosciutto with fig. If you have room, the fresh-fruit pavlova is the way to go for dessert. The meringue shell is the crispiest I've had anywhere, rivaling even my own. The wine list is pleasantly eclectic. Hours are 5
to 10 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays; noon to 10 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Cuisine: Upscale pub grub
Reservations: On weekends
Smoking: No
Kids menu: Yes
Price: $$$
Bar: Full bar
Tip: The fig and prosciutto flatbread pizza is a great choice.
Billy Jack's Café and Grill
2904 N. Calumet Ave., Valparaiso
(219) 477-3797
A well-matured menu with a lot of Southwestern accents. We say matured because it avoids any of the awful blow-your-brains-out hot clichés found in so many attempts to bring the Tex-Mex, Native American and Southwest culture to diners. For example, the black bean soup with chorizo sausage has been made into a silky smooth purée with a simple cross of sour cream decorating the top. The sides to the grilled meat and chicken dishes have distinct textures and tastes, needing only a touch of the homemade sauces. Although the place is informal and the bar is a most relaxed spot for lunch, the wine list is pretty aristocratic and almost worth the visit alone for some vinous exploring with very modestly priced wines by the glass. Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, until 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Closed Sundays.
Cuisine: Upscale Southwest
Reservations: On weekends
Smoking: In bar
Kids menu: Yes
Price: $$
Bar: Full bar
Tip: Modestly priced wines by the glass.
Bistro 157
157 W. Lincolnway, Valparaiso
(219) 462-0992
A delightful storefront American bistro with French overtones serves up consistently excellent, imaginative dishes from chef-owner Nicole Bissonnette who earned her stripes with a Cordon Bleu degree and time in French restaurant kitchens. Seasonal menu. A signature starter that never disappoints is the crab cakes. Mains run the gamut from an authentic cassoulet in winter to perfectly grilled fish in summer. Many menu choices, including sandwiches and main course salads at lunch, reasonable wine list with many by the glass. Efficient, friendly service. Lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays; dinner 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays; until 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Dinner 4 to 8 p.m. Sundays. Entrées $14 to $27.
Cuisine: Upscale eclectic
Reservations: Recommended
Smoking: No
Kids menu: Accommodated
Price: $$$
Bar: Full bar
Tip: Open for lunch and dinner
Bit of Swiss Artisan Breads and Pastries
4333 Ridge Road, Stevensville, Mich.
(269) 429-1661
How can you miss at a place that has rolling pins for door handles? Tim and Pat Foley's Bit of Swiss Artisan Bread and Pastries has been featured on the Food Network, and Tim was part of Team America which took the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie (World Cup of Baking) in Paris in 2005. The couple's artistry is phenomenal. From crusty breads to Danish and mousse cakes, the work is exquisite. And if you're committed to bagging some rays, Bit of Swiss has two outdoor tables perfect for grabbing a coffee and pastry. Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
Cuisine: Upscale pastries and breads
Reservations: No
Smoking: No
Kids menu: No
Price: $$$
Bar: No
Tip: The crusty breads and flaky pastries are superior
Bon Femme Café
66 West Lincolnway, Valparaiso
(219) 531-0612
This is an upscale version of the original Bon Femme Café in Merrillville with an expanded menu. Well-spaced tables and an array of diaphanous white sashes decorate the ceiling, the atmosphere is attractive and comfortable. Expect pleasant, efficient service paired with a great menu and several daily specials with an emphasis on seafood. It is in the entrées and evening specials where this restaurant shines. South Pacific Salmon with a light crème fraiche sauce, Sauteed Grouper in butter, garlic and white wine or Grilled Gulf Shrimp with lemon butter, are all $18.95. Duck is pan-seared with a Moroccan orange glaze, $19.95. Steaks from $23.95 to $35.95. Nice selection of wines. Full bar. Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, until 10 p.m. Fridays, 5 to 10 p.m. Saturdays; 4 to 8 p.m. Sundays.
Cuisine: American/French
Reservations: Recommended
Smoking: No
Kids menu: No
Price: $$$
Bar: Full bar
Tip: Open for lunch and dinner, handicapped accessible.
