The United Steelworkers union is demanding to meet with U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt about over alleged contract violations regarding the company's proposed $14.9 billion sale to Nippon Steel.
The union is making the case that its contract gives it a say over who the Pittsburgh-based company sells to.
"As you know all too well, we are accustomed to fighting with the USS management as it cherry-picks which parts of our labor agreements it follows and which it ignores," USW District 7 Director Mike Millsap and International President David McCall said in a letter to members. "We saw this on full display when it announced its sale to Nippon in December, an agreement it made in violation of our Basic Labor Agreements. Now, as we have in the past, we must fight to enforce the full measure of our contracts."
The union has thrown its backing behind Cleveland-Cliffs, a rival steelmaker the union says it's had an easier time dealing with, and which offered to buy U.S. Steel for $7.3 billion, leading U.S. Steel to put itself up for sale rather than face a protracted hostile takeover attempt from its biggest rival.
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The USW sent a letter to Burritt outlining what it says are contractual violations and requesting a meeting to start a dispute resolution process.
"The letter in particular addresses our right to bid clause, which is one of several protections that we negotiated to safeguard steelworker jobs and benefits in the event of the proposed sale," Millsap and McCall wrote. "These violations include refusing to provide the union with any information about the sale process that its board of directors started in August, including simple things such as important deadlines or timetables. USS also failed to provide the USW with the information about the bids it received, to which we are also entitled under our BLAs, even as it entered into a contract to merge with Nippon's Houston-based holding company. It did all this while ignoring our attempts to negotiate a reasonable confidentiality agreement."
The USW has previously sought to enforce the right to bid clause to protect jobs and workplaces.
"U.S. Steel's shareholders always have the right to sell their stock and invest their money elsewhere, and U.S. Steel executives can take golden parachutes and leave for other positions. This means USW members are the only real long-term stakeholders in this company," Millsap and McCall wrote. "This is why we, as the only long-term interest, negotiated our right to bid clause, so that we have the right to organize our own transaction or to assign our rights to a bidder of our choosing. We know from experience that it is vital to have top management that considers its responsibilities to all stakeholders, including workers and retirees."
The union assigned its right to bid to Cleveland-Cliffs in August because it believed it was the company most committed to manufacturing in the United States and supporting USW jobs.
"Part of our letter to Burritt is an extensive request for all of the information that the board of directors considered in choosing to pass over Cleveland-Cliffs' bid and instead take the Nippon offer," Millsap and McCall wrote. "Our BLA not only entitles us to this information but also spells out the factors the board must take into account, which means USS may have further violated our contract in how it selected Nippon."
The union said it has outstanding concerns about the sale of U.S. Steel, the world's first billion dollar company, which founded Gary as a company town in 1906 and remains one of the Region's largest employers.
"Our contracts include extensive commitments, ranging from pensions and retiree health care to profit sharing, promised capital expenditures and more. USS insisting on its right to sell out American workers without notification does nothing to address the USW's even greater concerns about how the change in ownership to a foreign-owned company will impact these and other key elements of our contracts," Millsap and McCall wrote. "Nippon said that its Houston-based holding company would assume our labor, pension and retiree insurance agreements. However, unlike U.S. Steel, which publicly reports its financials, there is no public financial information for Nippon's holding company, leaving us with no idea how it would be able to stand behind our contracts. This is, of course, not good enough. Our union will continue to pursue these questions and will keep you informed every step of the way."
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Maple + Bacon, deli and Divalicious Desserts Bakery & Cafe opening
Open
The legendary late entertainment impresario W.F. "Bill" Wellman, who founded the Bridge VU Theater in Valparaiso and helped launch the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville, used to take regular strolls through downtown Valparaiso.
He often passed by the downtown restaurant Radius and chatted with its owner, the chef Chris Pavlou. He told Pavlou, a longtime friend, that Valparaiso really needed another good breakfast place.
Pavlou, a Chefs of Steel winner who's president and CEO of the Pavlou Restaurant Corp., set out to make it happen.
So he launched his latest venture, Maple + Bacon.
"I wanted to make his dream come true," Pavlou said of Wellman.
The breakfast and brunch restaurant at 210 S. Aberdeen Drive in Valpo specializes in modern, creative cuisine and also has a coffee lounge for quick to-go bites, caffeine and lounging.
As the name implies, Maple + Bacon often blends sweet and savory on a menu that includes avocado toast, chicken and Belgian waffles, breakfast tacos, chorizo biscuits and gravy with cheddar jalapeno biscuits, and a Nashville hot chicken benedict. It has two different types of maple syrup, including blueberry maple syrup, and Billion $ Bacon, which is candied, drizzled with maple syrup and only costs $12, or $15 if you want candied pecans with it.
"I don't want to say it's upscale but it's unique and modern with different flavors for every tastebud," Pavlou said. "We bread our chicken in-house. We make our biscuits homemade. Everything is great."
Pavlou has owned 18 different restaurants over the years and currently owns five. He owns Radius, Sandwich City and Pav's Place and co-owned Tommy B's Clubhouse, The Aberdeen Inn and The Abbey.
He describes Maple + Bacon as Radius with a breakfast menu. It has some of the same Bloody Marys that have garnered Radius accolades and a significant amount of attention on social media. It has an innovative menu that includes French toast stuffed with strawberries and mascarpone cheese and a biscuit sandwich with fried chicken topped with grape compote and hot honey.
People can order eggs their way or build their own omelets.
"All my restaurants have different concepts," Pavlou said. "I love the challenge and I love creating something new."
Open
He said such an eatery is needed on the south side of town south of U.S. 30 because it's underserved by restaurants.
"The residents of Valpo are great. They're great customers," he said. "It's a good opportunity for the residents of Aberdeen and neighboring subdivisions, as well as of other cities and towns. People need to eat good food with good quality. That's what I based all my restaurants on: great food, great service and great atmosphere."
The restaurant seats about 140 people and has three outdoor patios. It has a coffee lounge where people can grab coffee, espresso drinks, smoothies, pastries, muffins, scones and cookies. It's grab-and-go, but people also are invited to lounge.
"People can come in and sit down and relax or get some work done on the computer," Pavlou said.
Maple + Bacon has a special house blend that uses beans imported from Guatemala and Costa Rica. It has a Brownie Batter Nitro Cold Brew with cold foam and chocolate drizzle. It will soon offer locally roasted coffee from Fluid, including bags of beans for sale.
The restaurant has an extensive cocktail menu for brunch that includes elaborate Bloody Marys, mimosas, Blueberry Pancake Mules, an espresso martini and a Fruity Pebble cocktail with whipped cream, vodka, raspberry liquor and a sprinkling of crunchy Fruity Pebbles. For golfers, it has a Dirty Bird Arnold Palmer with housemade lemonade and tea spiked with Grey Goose.
"My bartender Priscilla experimented with different kinds of drinks, knowing what I was looking for," he said. "I have a very creative barista who also came up with top-notch drinks. I came up with what I wanted to be on the menu. We all came up with something different to create a destination. It's a great breakfast place. I'm Greek. I like to feed my people."
Open
Lunch options include a Smashburger on brioche toast and an avocado spicy BLT. He also has his beloved chicken salad from his first restaurant that features white meat, almonds, cranberries, celery and special seasoning. It's served as a sandwich in a croissant with arugula.
Pavlou said he would tinker with the menu based on what customers like.
"It's a lot of food. It's something different. You're not going to be disappointed," he said. "It's a fun atmosphere with great food. If you come into my house, I'm good to feed you and make you feel good. I love what I do. I love what I make."
The restaurant employs about 25 to 30 people.
"I care about my people. I care about my employees," he said. "We have a great staff and give great service."
He did extensive renovations to the space.
"It's modern, cozy and exciting," he said.
Maple + Bacon has a meeting room for private sections, such as meetings, bridal showers and birthday parties. It can be rented out for special events after-hours.
The restaurant is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
For more information, call 219-242-8738, visit mapleandbacon.com or find the business on Facebook and Instagram.
Coming soon
A new deli will soon be slicing up meats in Whiting.
Buzzin BBQ at 1423 119th St. has been chafing at the seams and was looking for a larger kitchen space.
It obtained the old Whiting Cantina and Cafe space at 1320 119th St. in Whiting, owner Antonio Cisneros said.
"We'll have more space in the commercial kitchen for smoking. They have a huge kitchen, which will help us here with the barbecue," he said. "We'll have a second storefront so we thought about opening something that would generate revenue. We were thinking of what Whiting needs."
They settled on the idea of a deli that will sell cold cuts, sandwiches and soups. It emerged from a St. Patrick's Day special in which they offered corned beef and pastrami.
"It was a hit," Cisneros said. "People kept asking for it. We just didn't have room. But with more smokers over there we can make the barbecue and sandwiches."
The menu is still being worked out. It will definitely have pastrami and barbecue, as well as cured meats like prosciutto and capicola that people will be able to enjoy in sandwiches and get freshly sliced to take home by the half pound or pound.
It will help Buzzin BBQ keep up with demand. It often sells out for the day.
"I'll be able to do more briskets," he said. "Summer's here and people are asking for more food. We'll be able to do more ribs and more pork belly. That's been a hit. We just need more space and bigger smokers to keep up with the volume."
It also will help with catering.
"I get phone calls at night where they ask for barbecue tomorrow morning. We currently can't do that," he said. "We'll be able to accommodate more catering within a reasonable period, 48 hours or so."
The deli will be open Monday through Saturday. Cisneros is hoping two have it open two months from now.
Open
Divalicious Desserts Bakery & Cafe is serving up something sweet in Gary's Glen Park neighborhood.
The bakery and cafe at 4144 Broadway serves a variety of desserts like cheesecakes, cakes, cupcakes and banana pudding. Shant-e Wilson, the head chef, won a cupcake wars contest at ArtHouse: A Social Kitchen with her banana pudding cupcake, which then-Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson served at a dinner at the Genesis Center.
She and Angela Wilson are chefs at the restaurant, which is owned by Sherman Wilson and Shawn Wilson.
Popular desserts include peach cobbler, banana pudding, German chocolate cake and cheesecakes.
"The cheesecakes are very popular," Shant-e Wilson said. "It's not a set menu. It changes day-to-day. I put out popular items and throw out there what I want."
She gets some of her ideas from social media and is constantly looking to see what chefs are doing elsewhere and what food items are popular.
"It can be based on requests we get," she said. "People tell us they'd like to see this dish. We see what response we get from customers, and that helps decide what we serve in the restaurant."
Open
The restaurant also offers a food menu that includes items like shrimp and grits, fish, spaghetti and soul food dinners. It includes unique items like soul food eggrolls stuffed with smoked turkey, collard greens, yams and mac and cheese.
"I'm creative with my food," she said. "It's food that tastes good together."
She's always loved cooking.
"People enjoy my dishes and everything I bake," she said. "People said I should open a restaurant. I wanted to incorporate baking and cooking so it would be a one-stop shop."
They picked a spot in Glen Park that used to be a church and then an insurance office. They did extensive renovations.
"It's a central location close by the university," she said. "It's somewhere people can go during their lunch break. It's on Broadway, the main street. It's convenient to get to from the highway."
Open
It's a to-go restaurant but they're looking to add outdoor seating in the future.
"If you love homecooked meals and homestyle desserts, this is the place," she said. "We believe in giving our customers the absolute best food and customer service. We want to help build the community and see the community grow with us."
Divalicious Desserts Bakery & Cafe has a private dining room and will do catering for up to 100 people with at least two weeks' notice.
For more information, call 219-239-2698 or find the business on Facebook or Instagram.
219 News Now 6/16/23
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Pierogi stand, Brown Skin Coffee and Alpha Family Resale opening; Ixxa and Dan's Pierogies updating
Pierogi Fest featured on Indiana Festival Guide cover
Pierogi Fest in Whiting is the first festival from Northwest Indiana to be featured on the cover of the Indiana Festival Guide, a widely distributed tourist brochure.
The statewide booklet is a staple at rest stops, museums, hotels and tourist attractions across the Hoosier State. A half million copies of the 116-page publication are distributed at 1,200 locations across Indiana.
“We are proud to earn the distinction of the front cover," said Tom Dabertin, chairman and co-founder of Pierogi Fest. "Pierogi Fest has won a number of accolades as one of the best festivals in the nation; the front cover is a confirmation of the hard work that more than 600 volunteers undertake annually to make it a success."
The Indiana Festival Guide is distributed across all 92 counties in Indiana, from Lake Michigan to the Ohio River and from Terre Haute to Richmond. It tells people about festivals, fairs, gatherings and special events like the 500 Festival, the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival, the Fort Wayne Water Lantern Festival and the Lotus Music and Art Festival in Bloomington.
“This is the first time a festival in Northwest Indiana has ever been featured on the front cover," said Heather Becerra, chief marketing officer of the South Shore CVA and associate board member of the Indiana State Festivals Association. "Each year an event from a different region of the state is showcased. The covers have already been approved through 2030. The next opportunity for a Northern Indiana festival to be featured won’t be until 2036. This is a great opportunity to highlight one of the most unique festivals in all the Midwest.”
Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, Pierogi Fest will take place from July 26 to July 28 this year. More than 75 food booths will serve pierogi, halupki, buttered noodles, Polish sausage and 1,200 other menu items along 119th Street in downtown Whiting.
It kicks off with the polka parade featuring Mr. Pierogi, the buscias and the Precision Lawnmower Drill Team. The weekend-long festival features seven live entertainment stages, two beer gardens and 55 arts and crafts vendors.
A copy of the Indiana Festival Guide is available at 7770 Corinne Drive in Hammond
For more information, visit www.indianafestivals.org.
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Maple + Bacon, deli and Divalicious Desserts Bakery & Cafe opening
Open
The legendary late entertainment impresario W.F. "Bill" Wellman, who founded the Bridge VU Theater in Valparaiso and helped launch the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville, used to take regular strolls through downtown Valparaiso.
He often passed by the downtown restaurant Radius and chatted with its owner, the chef Chris Pavlou. He told Pavlou, a longtime friend, that Valparaiso really needed another good breakfast place.
Pavlou, a Chefs of Steel winner who's president and CEO of the Pavlou Restaurant Corp., set out to make it happen.
So he launched his latest venture, Maple + Bacon.
"I wanted to make his dream come true," Pavlou said of Wellman.
The breakfast and brunch restaurant at 210 S. Aberdeen Drive in Valpo specializes in modern, creative cuisine and also has a coffee lounge for quick to-go bites, caffeine and lounging.
As the name implies, Maple + Bacon often blends sweet and savory on a menu that includes avocado toast, chicken and Belgian waffles, breakfast tacos, chorizo biscuits and gravy with cheddar jalapeno biscuits, and a Nashville hot chicken benedict. It has two different types of maple syrup, including blueberry maple syrup, and Billion $ Bacon, which is candied, drizzled with maple syrup and only costs $12, or $15 if you want candied pecans with it.
"I don't want to say it's upscale but it's unique and modern with different flavors for every tastebud," Pavlou said. "We bread our chicken in-house. We make our biscuits homemade. Everything is great."
Pavlou has owned 18 different restaurants over the years and currently owns five. He owns Radius, Sandwich City and Pav's Place and co-owned Tommy B's Clubhouse, The Aberdeen Inn and The Abbey.
He describes Maple + Bacon as Radius with a breakfast menu. It has some of the same Bloody Marys that have garnered Radius accolades and a significant amount of attention on social media. It has an innovative menu that includes French toast stuffed with strawberries and mascarpone cheese and a biscuit sandwich with fried chicken topped with grape compote and hot honey.
People can order eggs their way or build their own omelets.
"All my restaurants have different concepts," Pavlou said. "I love the challenge and I love creating something new."
Open
He said such an eatery is needed on the south side of town south of U.S. 30 because it's underserved by restaurants.
"The residents of Valpo are great. They're great customers," he said. "It's a good opportunity for the residents of Aberdeen and neighboring subdivisions, as well as of other cities and towns. People need to eat good food with good quality. That's what I based all my restaurants on: great food, great service and great atmosphere."
The restaurant seats about 140 people and has three outdoor patios. It has a coffee lounge where people can grab coffee, espresso drinks, smoothies, pastries, muffins, scones and cookies. It's grab-and-go, but people also are invited to lounge.
"People can come in and sit down and relax or get some work done on the computer," Pavlou said.
Maple + Bacon has a special house blend that uses beans imported from Guatemala and Costa Rica. It has a Brownie Batter Nitro Cold Brew with cold foam and chocolate drizzle. It will soon offer locally roasted coffee from Fluid, including bags of beans for sale.
The restaurant has an extensive cocktail menu for brunch that includes elaborate Bloody Marys, mimosas, Blueberry Pancake Mules, an espresso martini and a Fruity Pebble cocktail with whipped cream, vodka, raspberry liquor and a sprinkling of crunchy Fruity Pebbles. For golfers, it has a Dirty Bird Arnold Palmer with housemade lemonade and tea spiked with Grey Goose.
"My bartender Priscilla experimented with different kinds of drinks, knowing what I was looking for," he said. "I have a very creative barista who also came up with top-notch drinks. I came up with what I wanted to be on the menu. We all came up with something different to create a destination. It's a great breakfast place. I'm Greek. I like to feed my people."
Open
Lunch options include a Smashburger on brioche toast and an avocado spicy BLT. He also has his beloved chicken salad from his first restaurant that features white meat, almonds, cranberries, celery and special seasoning. It's served as a sandwich in a croissant with arugula.
Pavlou said he would tinker with the menu based on what customers like.
"It's a lot of food. It's something different. You're not going to be disappointed," he said. "It's a fun atmosphere with great food. If you come into my house, I'm good to feed you and make you feel good. I love what I do. I love what I make."
The restaurant employs about 25 to 30 people.
"I care about my people. I care about my employees," he said. "We have a great staff and give great service."
He did extensive renovations to the space.
"It's modern, cozy and exciting," he said.
Maple + Bacon has a meeting room for private sections, such as meetings, bridal showers and birthday parties. It can be rented out for special events after-hours.
The restaurant is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
For more information, call 219-242-8738, visit mapleandbacon.com or find the business on Facebook and Instagram.
Coming soon
A new deli will soon be slicing up meats in Whiting.
Buzzin BBQ at 1423 119th St. has been chafing at the seams and was looking for a larger kitchen space.
It obtained the old Whiting Cantina and Cafe space at 1320 119th St. in Whiting, owner Antonio Cisneros said.
"We'll have more space in the commercial kitchen for smoking. They have a huge kitchen, which will help us here with the barbecue," he said. "We'll have a second storefront so we thought about opening something that would generate revenue. We were thinking of what Whiting needs."
They settled on the idea of a deli that will sell cold cuts, sandwiches and soups. It emerged from a St. Patrick's Day special in which they offered corned beef and pastrami.
"It was a hit," Cisneros said. "People kept asking for it. We just didn't have room. But with more smokers over there we can make the barbecue and sandwiches."
The menu is still being worked out. It will definitely have pastrami and barbecue, as well as cured meats like prosciutto and capicola that people will be able to enjoy in sandwiches and get freshly sliced to take home by the half pound or pound.
It will help Buzzin BBQ keep up with demand. It often sells out for the day.
"I'll be able to do more briskets," he said. "Summer's here and people are asking for more food. We'll be able to do more ribs and more pork belly. That's been a hit. We just need more space and bigger smokers to keep up with the volume."
It also will help with catering.
"I get phone calls at night where they ask for barbecue tomorrow morning. We currently can't do that," he said. "We'll be able to accommodate more catering within a reasonable period, 48 hours or so."
The deli will be open Monday through Saturday. Cisneros is hoping two have it open two months from now.
Open
Divalicious Desserts Bakery & Cafe is serving up something sweet in Gary's Glen Park neighborhood.
The bakery and cafe at 4144 Broadway serves a variety of desserts like cheesecakes, cakes, cupcakes and banana pudding. Shant-e Wilson, the head chef, won a cupcake wars contest at ArtHouse: A Social Kitchen with her banana pudding cupcake, which then-Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson served at a dinner at the Genesis Center.
She and Angela Wilson are chefs at the restaurant, which is owned by Sherman Wilson and Shawn Wilson.
Popular desserts include peach cobbler, banana pudding, German chocolate cake and cheesecakes.
"The cheesecakes are very popular," Shant-e Wilson said. "It's not a set menu. It changes day-to-day. I put out popular items and throw out there what I want."
She gets some of her ideas from social media and is constantly looking to see what chefs are doing elsewhere and what food items are popular.
"It can be based on requests we get," she said. "People tell us they'd like to see this dish. We see what response we get from customers, and that helps decide what we serve in the restaurant."
Open
The restaurant also offers a food menu that includes items like shrimp and grits, fish, spaghetti and soul food dinners. It includes unique items like soul food eggrolls stuffed with smoked turkey, collard greens, yams and mac and cheese.
"I'm creative with my food," she said. "It's food that tastes good together."
She's always loved cooking.
"People enjoy my dishes and everything I bake," she said. "People said I should open a restaurant. I wanted to incorporate baking and cooking so it would be a one-stop shop."
They picked a spot in Glen Park that used to be a church and then an insurance office. They did extensive renovations.
"It's a central location close by the university," she said. "It's somewhere people can go during their lunch break. It's on Broadway, the main street. It's convenient to get to from the highway."
Open
It's a to-go restaurant but they're looking to add outdoor seating in the future.
"If you love homecooked meals and homestyle desserts, this is the place," she said. "We believe in giving our customers the absolute best food and customer service. We want to help build the community and see the community grow with us."
Divalicious Desserts Bakery & Cafe has a private dining room and will do catering for up to 100 people with at least two weeks' notice.
For more information, call 219-239-2698 or find the business on Facebook or Instagram.
219 News Now 6/16/23
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Pierogi stand, Brown Skin Coffee and Alpha Family Resale opening; Ixxa and Dan's Pierogies updating
Pierogi Fest featured on Indiana Festival Guide cover
Pierogi Fest in Whiting is the first festival from Northwest Indiana to be featured on the cover of the Indiana Festival Guide, a widely distributed tourist brochure.
The statewide booklet is a staple at rest stops, museums, hotels and tourist attractions across the Hoosier State. A half million copies of the 116-page publication are distributed at 1,200 locations across Indiana.
“We are proud to earn the distinction of the front cover," said Tom Dabertin, chairman and co-founder of Pierogi Fest. "Pierogi Fest has won a number of accolades as one of the best festivals in the nation; the front cover is a confirmation of the hard work that more than 600 volunteers undertake annually to make it a success."
The Indiana Festival Guide is distributed across all 92 counties in Indiana, from Lake Michigan to the Ohio River and from Terre Haute to Richmond. It tells people about festivals, fairs, gatherings and special events like the 500 Festival, the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival, the Fort Wayne Water Lantern Festival and the Lotus Music and Art Festival in Bloomington.
“This is the first time a festival in Northwest Indiana has ever been featured on the front cover," said Heather Becerra, chief marketing officer of the South Shore CVA and associate board member of the Indiana State Festivals Association. "Each year an event from a different region of the state is showcased. The covers have already been approved through 2030. The next opportunity for a Northern Indiana festival to be featured won’t be until 2036. This is a great opportunity to highlight one of the most unique festivals in all the Midwest.”
Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, Pierogi Fest will take place from July 26 to July 28 this year. More than 75 food booths will serve pierogi, halupki, buttered noodles, Polish sausage and 1,200 other menu items along 119th Street in downtown Whiting.
It kicks off with the polka parade featuring Mr. Pierogi, the buscias and the Precision Lawnmower Drill Team. The weekend-long festival features seven live entertainment stages, two beer gardens and 55 arts and crafts vendors.
A copy of the Indiana Festival Guide is available at 7770 Corinne Drive in Hammond
For more information, visit www.indianafestivals.org.
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Maple + Bacon, deli and Divalicious Desserts Bakery & Cafe opening
Open
The legendary late entertainment impresario W.F. "Bill" Wellman, who founded the Bridge VU Theater in Valparaiso and helped launch the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville, used to take regular strolls through downtown Valparaiso.
He often passed by the downtown restaurant Radius and chatted with its owner, the chef Chris Pavlou. He told Pavlou, a longtime friend, that Valparaiso really needed another good breakfast place.
Pavlou, a Chefs of Steel winner who's president and CEO of the Pavlou Restaurant Corp., set out to make it happen.
So he launched his latest venture, Maple + Bacon.
"I wanted to make his dream come true," Pavlou said of Wellman.
The breakfast and brunch restaurant at 210 S. Aberdeen Drive in Valpo specializes in modern, creative cuisine and also has a coffee lounge for quick to-go bites, caffeine and lounging.
As the name implies, Maple + Bacon often blends sweet and savory on a menu that includes avocado toast, chicken and Belgian waffles, breakfast tacos, chorizo biscuits and gravy with cheddar jalapeno biscuits, and a Nashville hot chicken benedict. It has two different types of maple syrup, including blueberry maple syrup, and Billion $ Bacon, which is candied, drizzled with maple syrup and only costs $12, or $15 if you want candied pecans with it.
"I don't want to say it's upscale but it's unique and modern with different flavors for every tastebud," Pavlou said. "We bread our chicken in-house. We make our biscuits homemade. Everything is great."
Pavlou has owned 18 different restaurants over the years and currently owns five. He owns Radius, Sandwich City and Pav's Place and co-owned Tommy B's Clubhouse, The Aberdeen Inn and The Abbey.
He describes Maple + Bacon as Radius with a breakfast menu. It has some of the same Bloody Marys that have garnered Radius accolades and a significant amount of attention on social media. It has an innovative menu that includes French toast stuffed with strawberries and mascarpone cheese and a biscuit sandwich with fried chicken topped with grape compote and hot honey.
People can order eggs their way or build their own omelets.
"All my restaurants have different concepts," Pavlou said. "I love the challenge and I love creating something new."
Open
He said such an eatery is needed on the south side of town south of U.S. 30 because it's underserved by restaurants.
"The residents of Valpo are great. They're great customers," he said. "It's a good opportunity for the residents of Aberdeen and neighboring subdivisions, as well as of other cities and towns. People need to eat good food with good quality. That's what I based all my restaurants on: great food, great service and great atmosphere."
The restaurant seats about 140 people and has three outdoor patios. It has a coffee lounge where people can grab coffee, espresso drinks, smoothies, pastries, muffins, scones and cookies. It's grab-and-go, but people also are invited to lounge.
"People can come in and sit down and relax or get some work done on the computer," Pavlou said.
Maple + Bacon has a special house blend that uses beans imported from Guatemala and Costa Rica. It has a Brownie Batter Nitro Cold Brew with cold foam and chocolate drizzle. It will soon offer locally roasted coffee from Fluid, including bags of beans for sale.
The restaurant has an extensive cocktail menu for brunch that includes elaborate Bloody Marys, mimosas, Blueberry Pancake Mules, an espresso martini and a Fruity Pebble cocktail with whipped cream, vodka, raspberry liquor and a sprinkling of crunchy Fruity Pebbles. For golfers, it has a Dirty Bird Arnold Palmer with housemade lemonade and tea spiked with Grey Goose.
"My bartender Priscilla experimented with different kinds of drinks, knowing what I was looking for," he said. "I have a very creative barista who also came up with top-notch drinks. I came up with what I wanted to be on the menu. We all came up with something different to create a destination. It's a great breakfast place. I'm Greek. I like to feed my people."
Open
Lunch options include a Smashburger on brioche toast and an avocado spicy BLT. He also has his beloved chicken salad from his first restaurant that features white meat, almonds, cranberries, celery and special seasoning. It's served as a sandwich in a croissant with arugula.
Pavlou said he would tinker with the menu based on what customers like.
"It's a lot of food. It's something different. You're not going to be disappointed," he said. "It's a fun atmosphere with great food. If you come into my house, I'm good to feed you and make you feel good. I love what I do. I love what I make."
The restaurant employs about 25 to 30 people.
"I care about my people. I care about my employees," he said. "We have a great staff and give great service."
He did extensive renovations to the space.
"It's modern, cozy and exciting," he said.
Maple + Bacon has a meeting room for private sections, such as meetings, bridal showers and birthday parties. It can be rented out for special events after-hours.
The restaurant is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
For more information, call 219-242-8738, visit mapleandbacon.com or find the business on Facebook and Instagram.
Coming soon
A new deli will soon be slicing up meats in Whiting.
Buzzin BBQ at 1423 119th St. has been chafing at the seams and was looking for a larger kitchen space.
It obtained the old Whiting Cantina and Cafe space at 1320 119th St. in Whiting, owner Antonio Cisneros said.
"We'll have more space in the commercial kitchen for smoking. They have a huge kitchen, which will help us here with the barbecue," he said. "We'll have a second storefront so we thought about opening something that would generate revenue. We were thinking of what Whiting needs."
They settled on the idea of a deli that will sell cold cuts, sandwiches and soups. It emerged from a St. Patrick's Day special in which they offered corned beef and pastrami.
"It was a hit," Cisneros said. "People kept asking for it. We just didn't have room. But with more smokers over there we can make the barbecue and sandwiches."
The menu is still being worked out. It will definitely have pastrami and barbecue, as well as cured meats like prosciutto and capicola that people will be able to enjoy in sandwiches and get freshly sliced to take home by the half pound or pound.
It will help Buzzin BBQ keep up with demand. It often sells out for the day.
"I'll be able to do more briskets," he said. "Summer's here and people are asking for more food. We'll be able to do more ribs and more pork belly. That's been a hit. We just need more space and bigger smokers to keep up with the volume."
It also will help with catering.
"I get phone calls at night where they ask for barbecue tomorrow morning. We currently can't do that," he said. "We'll be able to accommodate more catering within a reasonable period, 48 hours or so."
The deli will be open Monday through Saturday. Cisneros is hoping two have it open two months from now.
Open
Divalicious Desserts Bakery & Cafe is serving up something sweet in Gary's Glen Park neighborhood.
The bakery and cafe at 4144 Broadway serves a variety of desserts like cheesecakes, cakes, cupcakes and banana pudding. Shant-e Wilson, the head chef, won a cupcake wars contest at ArtHouse: A Social Kitchen with her banana pudding cupcake, which then-Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson served at a dinner at the Genesis Center.
She and Angela Wilson are chefs at the restaurant, which is owned by Sherman Wilson and Shawn Wilson.
Popular desserts include peach cobbler, banana pudding, German chocolate cake and cheesecakes.
"The cheesecakes are very popular," Shant-e Wilson said. "It's not a set menu. It changes day-to-day. I put out popular items and throw out there what I want."
She gets some of her ideas from social media and is constantly looking to see what chefs are doing elsewhere and what food items are popular.
"It can be based on requests we get," she said. "People tell us they'd like to see this dish. We see what response we get from customers, and that helps decide what we serve in the restaurant."
Open
The restaurant also offers a food menu that includes items like shrimp and grits, fish, spaghetti and soul food dinners. It includes unique items like soul food eggrolls stuffed with smoked turkey, collard greens, yams and mac and cheese.
"I'm creative with my food," she said. "It's food that tastes good together."
She's always loved cooking.
"People enjoy my dishes and everything I bake," she said. "People said I should open a restaurant. I wanted to incorporate baking and cooking so it would be a one-stop shop."
They picked a spot in Glen Park that used to be a church and then an insurance office. They did extensive renovations.
"It's a central location close by the university," she said. "It's somewhere people can go during their lunch break. It's on Broadway, the main street. It's convenient to get to from the highway."
Open
It's a to-go restaurant but they're looking to add outdoor seating in the future.
"If you love homecooked meals and homestyle desserts, this is the place," she said. "We believe in giving our customers the absolute best food and customer service. We want to help build the community and see the community grow with us."
Divalicious Desserts Bakery & Cafe has a private dining room and will do catering for up to 100 people with at least two weeks' notice.
For more information, call 219-239-2698 or find the business on Facebook or Instagram.
219 News Now 6/16/23
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Pierogi stand, Brown Skin Coffee and Alpha Family Resale opening; Ixxa and Dan's Pierogies updating
Pierogi Fest featured on Indiana Festival Guide cover
Pierogi Fest in Whiting is the first festival from Northwest Indiana to be featured on the cover of the Indiana Festival Guide, a widely distributed tourist brochure.
The statewide booklet is a staple at rest stops, museums, hotels and tourist attractions across the Hoosier State. A half million copies of the 116-page publication are distributed at 1,200 locations across Indiana.
“We are proud to earn the distinction of the front cover," said Tom Dabertin, chairman and co-founder of Pierogi Fest. "Pierogi Fest has won a number of accolades as one of the best festivals in the nation; the front cover is a confirmation of the hard work that more than 600 volunteers undertake annually to make it a success."
The Indiana Festival Guide is distributed across all 92 counties in Indiana, from Lake Michigan to the Ohio River and from Terre Haute to Richmond. It tells people about festivals, fairs, gatherings and special events like the 500 Festival, the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival, the Fort Wayne Water Lantern Festival and the Lotus Music and Art Festival in Bloomington.
“This is the first time a festival in Northwest Indiana has ever been featured on the front cover," said Heather Becerra, chief marketing officer of the South Shore CVA and associate board member of the Indiana State Festivals Association. "Each year an event from a different region of the state is showcased. The covers have already been approved through 2030. The next opportunity for a Northern Indiana festival to be featured won’t be until 2036. This is a great opportunity to highlight one of the most unique festivals in all the Midwest.”
Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, Pierogi Fest will take place from July 26 to July 28 this year. More than 75 food booths will serve pierogi, halupki, buttered noodles, Polish sausage and 1,200 other menu items along 119th Street in downtown Whiting.
It kicks off with the polka parade featuring Mr. Pierogi, the buscias and the Precision Lawnmower Drill Team. The weekend-long festival features seven live entertainment stages, two beer gardens and 55 arts and crafts vendors.
A copy of the Indiana Festival Guide is available at 7770 Corinne Drive in Hammond
For more information, visit www.indianafestivals.org.
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Maple + Bacon, deli and Divalicious Desserts Bakery & Cafe opening
Open
The legendary late entertainment impresario W.F. "Bill" Wellman, who founded the Bridge VU Theater in Valparaiso and helped launch the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville, used to take regular strolls through downtown Valparaiso.
He often passed by the downtown restaurant Radius and chatted with its owner, the chef Chris Pavlou. He told Pavlou, a longtime friend, that Valparaiso really needed another good breakfast place.
Pavlou, a Chefs of Steel winner who's president and CEO of the Pavlou Restaurant Corp., set out to make it happen.
So he launched his latest venture, Maple + Bacon.
"I wanted to make his dream come true," Pavlou said of Wellman.
The breakfast and brunch restaurant at 210 S. Aberdeen Drive in Valpo specializes in modern, creative cuisine and also has a coffee lounge for quick to-go bites, caffeine and lounging.
As the name implies, Maple + Bacon often blends sweet and savory on a menu that includes avocado toast, chicken and Belgian waffles, breakfast tacos, chorizo biscuits and gravy with cheddar jalapeno biscuits, and a Nashville hot chicken benedict. It has two different types of maple syrup, including blueberry maple syrup, and Billion $ Bacon, which is candied, drizzled with maple syrup and only costs $12, or $15 if you want candied pecans with it.
"I don't want to say it's upscale but it's unique and modern with different flavors for every tastebud," Pavlou said. "We bread our chicken in-house. We make our biscuits homemade. Everything is great."
Pavlou has owned 18 different restaurants over the years and currently owns five. He owns Radius, Sandwich City and Pav's Place and co-owned Tommy B's Clubhouse, The Aberdeen Inn and The Abbey.
He describes Maple + Bacon as Radius with a breakfast menu. It has some of the same Bloody Marys that have garnered Radius accolades and a significant amount of attention on social media. It has an innovative menu that includes French toast stuffed with strawberries and mascarpone cheese and a biscuit sandwich with fried chicken topped with grape compote and hot honey.
People can order eggs their way or build their own omelets.
"All my restaurants have different concepts," Pavlou said. "I love the challenge and I love creating something new."
Open
He said such an eatery is needed on the south side of town south of U.S. 30 because it's underserved by restaurants.
"The residents of Valpo are great. They're great customers," he said. "It's a good opportunity for the residents of Aberdeen and neighboring subdivisions, as well as of other cities and towns. People need to eat good food with good quality. That's what I based all my restaurants on: great food, great service and great atmosphere."
The restaurant seats about 140 people and has three outdoor patios. It has a coffee lounge where people can grab coffee, espresso drinks, smoothies, pastries, muffins, scones and cookies. It's grab-and-go, but people also are invited to lounge.
"People can come in and sit down and relax or get some work done on the computer," Pavlou said.
Maple + Bacon has a special house blend that uses beans imported from Guatemala and Costa Rica. It has a Brownie Batter Nitro Cold Brew with cold foam and chocolate drizzle. It will soon offer locally roasted coffee from Fluid, including bags of beans for sale.
The restaurant has an extensive cocktail menu for brunch that includes elaborate Bloody Marys, mimosas, Blueberry Pancake Mules, an espresso martini and a Fruity Pebble cocktail with whipped cream, vodka, raspberry liquor and a sprinkling of crunchy Fruity Pebbles. For golfers, it has a Dirty Bird Arnold Palmer with housemade lemonade and tea spiked with Grey Goose.
"My bartender Priscilla experimented with different kinds of drinks, knowing what I was looking for," he said. "I have a very creative barista who also came up with top-notch drinks. I came up with what I wanted to be on the menu. We all came up with something different to create a destination. It's a great breakfast place. I'm Greek. I like to feed my people."
Open
Lunch options include a Smashburger on brioche toast and an avocado spicy BLT. He also has his beloved chicken salad from his first restaurant that features white meat, almonds, cranberries, celery and special seasoning. It's served as a sandwich in a croissant with arugula.
Pavlou said he would tinker with the menu based on what customers like.
"It's a lot of food. It's something different. You're not going to be disappointed," he said. "It's a fun atmosphere with great food. If you come into my house, I'm good to feed you and make you feel good. I love what I do. I love what I make."
The restaurant employs about 25 to 30 people.
"I care about my people. I care about my employees," he said. "We have a great staff and give great service."
He did extensive renovations to the space.
"It's modern, cozy and exciting," he said.
Maple + Bacon has a meeting room for private sections, such as meetings, bridal showers and birthday parties. It can be rented out for special events after-hours.
The restaurant is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
For more information, call 219-242-8738, visit mapleandbacon.com or find the business on Facebook and Instagram.
Coming soon
A new deli will soon be slicing up meats in Whiting.
Buzzin BBQ at 1423 119th St. has been chafing at the seams and was looking for a larger kitchen space.
It obtained the old Whiting Cantina and Cafe space at 1320 119th St. in Whiting, owner Antonio Cisneros said.
"We'll have more space in the commercial kitchen for smoking. They have a huge kitchen, which will help us here with the barbecue," he said. "We'll have a second storefront so we thought about opening something that would generate revenue. We were thinking of what Whiting needs."
They settled on the idea of a deli that will sell cold cuts, sandwiches and soups. It emerged from a St. Patrick's Day special in which they offered corned beef and pastrami.
"It was a hit," Cisneros said. "People kept asking for it. We just didn't have room. But with more smokers over there we can make the barbecue and sandwiches."
The menu is still being worked out. It will definitely have pastrami and barbecue, as well as cured meats like prosciutto and capicola that people will be able to enjoy in sandwiches and get freshly sliced to take home by the half pound or pound.
It will help Buzzin BBQ keep up with demand. It often sells out for the day.
"I'll be able to do more briskets," he said. "Summer's here and people are asking for more food. We'll be able to do more ribs and more pork belly. That's been a hit. We just need more space and bigger smokers to keep up with the volume."
It also will help with catering.
"I get phone calls at night where they ask for barbecue tomorrow morning. We currently can't do that," he said. "We'll be able to accommodate more catering within a reasonable period, 48 hours or so."
The deli will be open Monday through Saturday. Cisneros is hoping two have it open two months from now.
Open
Divalicious Desserts Bakery & Cafe is serving up something sweet in Gary's Glen Park neighborhood.
The bakery and cafe at 4144 Broadway serves a variety of desserts like cheesecakes, cakes, cupcakes and banana pudding. Shant-e Wilson, the head chef, won a cupcake wars contest at ArtHouse: A Social Kitchen with her banana pudding cupcake, which then-Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson served at a dinner at the Genesis Center.
She and Angela Wilson are chefs at the restaurant, which is owned by Sherman Wilson and Shawn Wilson.
Popular desserts include peach cobbler, banana pudding, German chocolate cake and cheesecakes.
"The cheesecakes are very popular," Shant-e Wilson said. "It's not a set menu. It changes day-to-day. I put out popular items and throw out there what I want."
She gets some of her ideas from social media and is constantly looking to see what chefs are doing elsewhere and what food items are popular.
"It can be based on requests we get," she said. "People tell us they'd like to see this dish. We see what response we get from customers, and that helps decide what we serve in the restaurant."
Open
The restaurant also offers a food menu that includes items like shrimp and grits, fish, spaghetti and soul food dinners. It includes unique items like soul food eggrolls stuffed with smoked turkey, collard greens, yams and mac and cheese.
"I'm creative with my food," she said. "It's food that tastes good together."
She's always loved cooking.
"People enjoy my dishes and everything I bake," she said. "People said I should open a restaurant. I wanted to incorporate baking and cooking so it would be a one-stop shop."
They picked a spot in Glen Park that used to be a church and then an insurance office. They did extensive renovations.
"It's a central location close by the university," she said. "It's somewhere people can go during their lunch break. It's on Broadway, the main street. It's convenient to get to from the highway."
Open
It's a to-go restaurant but they're looking to add outdoor seating in the future.
"If you love homecooked meals and homestyle desserts, this is the place," she said. "We believe in giving our customers the absolute best food and customer service. We want to help build the community and see the community grow with us."
Divalicious Desserts Bakery & Cafe has a private dining room and will do catering for up to 100 people with at least two weeks' notice.
For more information, call 219-239-2698 or find the business on Facebook or Instagram.
219 News Now 6/16/23
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Pierogi stand, Brown Skin Coffee and Alpha Family Resale opening; Ixxa and Dan's Pierogies updating
Pierogi Fest featured on Indiana Festival Guide cover
Pierogi Fest in Whiting is the first festival from Northwest Indiana to be featured on the cover of the Indiana Festival Guide, a widely distributed tourist brochure.
The statewide booklet is a staple at rest stops, museums, hotels and tourist attractions across the Hoosier State. A half million copies of the 116-page publication are distributed at 1,200 locations across Indiana.
“We are proud to earn the distinction of the front cover," said Tom Dabertin, chairman and co-founder of Pierogi Fest. "Pierogi Fest has won a number of accolades as one of the best festivals in the nation; the front cover is a confirmation of the hard work that more than 600 volunteers undertake annually to make it a success."
The Indiana Festival Guide is distributed across all 92 counties in Indiana, from Lake Michigan to the Ohio River and from Terre Haute to Richmond. It tells people about festivals, fairs, gatherings and special events like the 500 Festival, the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival, the Fort Wayne Water Lantern Festival and the Lotus Music and Art Festival in Bloomington.
“This is the first time a festival in Northwest Indiana has ever been featured on the front cover," said Heather Becerra, chief marketing officer of the South Shore CVA and associate board member of the Indiana State Festivals Association. "Each year an event from a different region of the state is showcased. The covers have already been approved through 2030. The next opportunity for a Northern Indiana festival to be featured won’t be until 2036. This is a great opportunity to highlight one of the most unique festivals in all the Midwest.”
Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, Pierogi Fest will take place from July 26 to July 28 this year. More than 75 food booths will serve pierogi, halupki, buttered noodles, Polish sausage and 1,200 other menu items along 119th Street in downtown Whiting.
It kicks off with the polka parade featuring Mr. Pierogi, the buscias and the Precision Lawnmower Drill Team. The weekend-long festival features seven live entertainment stages, two beer gardens and 55 arts and crafts vendors.
A copy of the Indiana Festival Guide is available at 7770 Corinne Drive in Hammond
For more information, visit www.indianafestivals.org.
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Maple + Bacon, deli and Divalicious Desserts Bakery & Cafe opening
Open
The legendary late entertainment impresario W.F. "Bill" Wellman, who founded the Bridge VU Theater in Valparaiso and helped launch the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville, used to take regular strolls through downtown Valparaiso.
He often passed by the downtown restaurant Radius and chatted with its owner, the chef Chris Pavlou. He told Pavlou, a longtime friend, that Valparaiso really needed another good breakfast place.
Pavlou, a Chefs of Steel winner who's president and CEO of the Pavlou Restaurant Corp., set out to make it happen.
So he launched his latest venture, Maple + Bacon.
"I wanted to make his dream come true," Pavlou said of Wellman.
The breakfast and brunch restaurant at 210 S. Aberdeen Drive in Valpo specializes in modern, creative cuisine and also has a coffee lounge for quick to-go bites, caffeine and lounging.
As the name implies, Maple + Bacon often blends sweet and savory on a menu that includes avocado toast, chicken and Belgian waffles, breakfast tacos, chorizo biscuits and gravy with cheddar jalapeno biscuits, and a Nashville hot chicken benedict. It has two different types of maple syrup, including blueberry maple syrup, and Billion $ Bacon, which is candied, drizzled with maple syrup and only costs $12, or $15 if you want candied pecans with it.
"I don't want to say it's upscale but it's unique and modern with different flavors for every tastebud," Pavlou said. "We bread our chicken in-house. We make our biscuits homemade. Everything is great."
Pavlou has owned 18 different restaurants over the years and currently owns five. He owns Radius, Sandwich City and Pav's Place and co-owned Tommy B's Clubhouse, The Aberdeen Inn and The Abbey.
He describes Maple + Bacon as Radius with a breakfast menu. It has some of the same Bloody Marys that have garnered Radius accolades and a significant amount of attention on social media. It has an innovative menu that includes French toast stuffed with strawberries and mascarpone cheese and a biscuit sandwich with fried chicken topped with grape compote and hot honey.
People can order eggs their way or build their own omelets.
"All my restaurants have different concepts," Pavlou said. "I love the challenge and I love creating something new."
Open
He said such an eatery is needed on the south side of town south of U.S. 30 because it's underserved by restaurants.
"The residents of Valpo are great. They're great customers," he said. "It's a good opportunity for the residents of Aberdeen and neighboring subdivisions, as well as of other cities and towns. People need to eat good food with good quality. That's what I based all my restaurants on: great food, great service and great atmosphere."
The restaurant seats about 140 people and has three outdoor patios. It has a coffee lounge where people can grab coffee, espresso drinks, smoothies, pastries, muffins, scones and cookies. It's grab-and-go, but people also are invited to lounge.
"People can come in and sit down and relax or get some work done on the computer," Pavlou said.
Maple + Bacon has a special house blend that uses beans imported from Guatemala and Costa Rica. It has a Brownie Batter Nitro Cold Brew with cold foam and chocolate drizzle. It will soon offer locally roasted coffee from Fluid, including bags of beans for sale.
The restaurant has an extensive cocktail menu for brunch that includes elaborate Bloody Marys, mimosas, Blueberry Pancake Mules, an espresso martini and a Fruity Pebble cocktail with whipped cream, vodka, raspberry liquor and a sprinkling of crunchy Fruity Pebbles. For golfers, it has a Dirty Bird Arnold Palmer with housemade lemonade and tea spiked with Grey Goose.
"My bartender Priscilla experimented with different kinds of drinks, knowing what I was looking for," he said. "I have a very creative barista who also came up with top-notch drinks. I came up with what I wanted to be on the menu. We all came up with something different to create a destination. It's a great breakfast place. I'm Greek. I like to feed my people."
Open
Lunch options include a Smashburger on brioche toast and an avocado spicy BLT. He also has his beloved chicken salad from his first restaurant that features white meat, almonds, cranberries, celery and special seasoning. It's served as a sandwich in a croissant with arugula.
Pavlou said he would tinker with the menu based on what customers like.
"It's a lot of food. It's something different. You're not going to be disappointed," he said. "It's a fun atmosphere with great food. If you come into my house, I'm good to feed you and make you feel good. I love what I do. I love what I make."
The restaurant employs about 25 to 30 people.
"I care about my people. I care about my employees," he said. "We have a great staff and give great service."
He did extensive renovations to the space.
"It's modern, cozy and exciting," he said.
Maple + Bacon has a meeting room for private sections, such as meetings, bridal showers and birthday parties. It can be rented out for special events after-hours.
The restaurant is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
For more information, call 219-242-8738, visit mapleandbacon.com or find the business on Facebook and Instagram.
Coming soon
A new deli will soon be slicing up meats in Whiting.
Buzzin BBQ at 1423 119th St. has been chafing at the seams and was looking for a larger kitchen space.
It obtained the old Whiting Cantina and Cafe space at 1320 119th St. in Whiting, owner Antonio Cisneros said.
"We'll have more space in the commercial kitchen for smoking. They have a huge kitchen, which will help us here with the barbecue," he said. "We'll have a second storefront so we thought about opening something that would generate revenue. We were thinking of what Whiting needs."
They settled on the idea of a deli that will sell cold cuts, sandwiches and soups. It emerged from a St. Patrick's Day special in which they offered corned beef and pastrami.
"It was a hit," Cisneros said. "People kept asking for it. We just didn't have room. But with more smokers over there we can make the barbecue and sandwiches."
The menu is still being worked out. It will definitely have pastrami and barbecue, as well as cured meats like prosciutto and capicola that people will be able to enjoy in sandwiches and get freshly sliced to take home by the half pound or pound.
It will help Buzzin BBQ keep up with demand. It often sells out for the day.
"I'll be able to do more briskets," he said. "Summer's here and people are asking for more food. We'll be able to do more ribs and more pork belly. That's been a hit. We just need more space and bigger smokers to keep up with the volume."
It also will help with catering.
"I get phone calls at night where they ask for barbecue tomorrow morning. We currently can't do that," he said. "We'll be able to accommodate more catering within a reasonable period, 48 hours or so."
The deli will be open Monday through Saturday. Cisneros is hoping two have it open two months from now.
Open
Divalicious Desserts Bakery & Cafe is serving up something sweet in Gary's Glen Park neighborhood.
The bakery and cafe at 4144 Broadway serves a variety of desserts like cheesecakes, cakes, cupcakes and banana pudding. Shant-e Wilson, the head chef, won a cupcake wars contest at ArtHouse: A Social Kitchen with her banana pudding cupcake, which then-Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson served at a dinner at the Genesis Center.
She and Angela Wilson are chefs at the restaurant, which is owned by Sherman Wilson and Shawn Wilson.
Popular desserts include peach cobbler, banana pudding, German chocolate cake and cheesecakes.
"The cheesecakes are very popular," Shant-e Wilson said. "It's not a set menu. It changes day-to-day. I put out popular items and throw out there what I want."
She gets some of her ideas from social media and is constantly looking to see what chefs are doing elsewhere and what food items are popular.
"It can be based on requests we get," she said. "People tell us they'd like to see this dish. We see what response we get from customers, and that helps decide what we serve in the restaurant."
Open
The restaurant also offers a food menu that includes items like shrimp and grits, fish, spaghetti and soul food dinners. It includes unique items like soul food eggrolls stuffed with smoked turkey, collard greens, yams and mac and cheese.
"I'm creative with my food," she said. "It's food that tastes good together."
She's always loved cooking.
"People enjoy my dishes and everything I bake," she said. "People said I should open a restaurant. I wanted to incorporate baking and cooking so it would be a one-stop shop."
They picked a spot in Glen Park that used to be a church and then an insurance office. They did extensive renovations.
"It's a central location close by the university," she said. "It's somewhere people can go during their lunch break. It's on Broadway, the main street. It's convenient to get to from the highway."
Open
It's a to-go restaurant but they're looking to add outdoor seating in the future.
"If you love homecooked meals and homestyle desserts, this is the place," she said. "We believe in giving our customers the absolute best food and customer service. We want to help build the community and see the community grow with us."
Divalicious Desserts Bakery & Cafe has a private dining room and will do catering for up to 100 people with at least two weeks' notice.
For more information, call 219-239-2698 or find the business on Facebook or Instagram.
219 News Now 6/16/23
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Pierogi stand, Brown Skin Coffee and Alpha Family Resale opening; Ixxa and Dan's Pierogies updating
Pierogi Fest featured on Indiana Festival Guide cover
Pierogi Fest in Whiting is the first festival from Northwest Indiana to be featured on the cover of the Indiana Festival Guide, a widely distributed tourist brochure.
The statewide booklet is a staple at rest stops, museums, hotels and tourist attractions across the Hoosier State. A half million copies of the 116-page publication are distributed at 1,200 locations across Indiana.
“We are proud to earn the distinction of the front cover," said Tom Dabertin, chairman and co-founder of Pierogi Fest. "Pierogi Fest has won a number of accolades as one of the best festivals in the nation; the front cover is a confirmation of the hard work that more than 600 volunteers undertake annually to make it a success."
The Indiana Festival Guide is distributed across all 92 counties in Indiana, from Lake Michigan to the Ohio River and from Terre Haute to Richmond. It tells people about festivals, fairs, gatherings and special events like the 500 Festival, the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival, the Fort Wayne Water Lantern Festival and the Lotus Music and Art Festival in Bloomington.
“This is the first time a festival in Northwest Indiana has ever been featured on the front cover," said Heather Becerra, chief marketing officer of the South Shore CVA and associate board member of the Indiana State Festivals Association. "Each year an event from a different region of the state is showcased. The covers have already been approved through 2030. The next opportunity for a Northern Indiana festival to be featured won’t be until 2036. This is a great opportunity to highlight one of the most unique festivals in all the Midwest.”
Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, Pierogi Fest will take place from July 26 to July 28 this year. More than 75 food booths will serve pierogi, halupki, buttered noodles, Polish sausage and 1,200 other menu items along 119th Street in downtown Whiting.
It kicks off with the polka parade featuring Mr. Pierogi, the buscias and the Precision Lawnmower Drill Team. The weekend-long festival features seven live entertainment stages, two beer gardens and 55 arts and crafts vendors.
A copy of the Indiana Festival Guide is available at 7770 Corinne Drive in Hammond
For more information, visit www.indianafestivals.org.
