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  • Post #391 - July 12th, 2019, 7:48 pm
    Post #391 - July 12th, 2019, 7:48 pm Post #391 - July 12th, 2019, 7:48 pm
    At the intersection of Indianapolis Boulevard and 119th St. in Whiting sits Keith's Restaurant, our favorite restaurant in Whiting, and beats many in the entire Chicago area, IMHO. I don't know why this place hasn't been mentioned (or if it has, my apologies)...
    Here are my two pork chops which were perfectly seasoned and juicy.
    IMG_20190712_181815.jpg Two pork chops fit for Fred Flintstone

    and the 10 oz. lobster tail
    lobster tail.jpg 10 oz. lobster tail fit for a Queen

    which was sweet and tender. Each comes with choice of soup du jour, house salad, or Caesar salad, potato and vegetable. Assorted bread and butter comes first, and dinner on Friday and Saturday also comes with baked garlic and olive oil. Our total with tax and tip came to $90.00.
    Keith's
    1872 Indianapolis Blvd, Whiting, IN 46394
    Phone: (219)659-4444
    Hours: Mon.-Fri.11:00am-2:00pm, Fri. & Sat. 5:00pm-10:00pm
    It’s more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use
    long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like
    “What about lunch?”
    —Winnie The Pooh
    "... a good dinner is of great importance to good talk. One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."
    Virginia Woolf : A Room of One's Own
  • Post #392 - December 1st, 2019, 9:55 pm
    Post #392 - December 1st, 2019, 9:55 pm Post #392 - December 1st, 2019, 9:55 pm
    Da Beef wrote:
    dbrick59 wrote:I have not had a real deep fried taco in over a decade. I used to live on the East Side and there was a place on the corner of Ewing & 106th st. that made them.Long gone. Thanks for the heads up on Adrians Lounge , its actually not that far from me. I can continue my burrito quest and get some 'real taco's' at the same time.

    ______________________________________

    Taco Trader


    Image
    Dyer, IN

    Fans of the now shuttered shuttered Mexican Inn on the Eastside rejoice! Taco Trader was opened by a family member from the folks who ran the Mexican Inn at 95th and Ewing. The menu is pretty simple and two favorites remain. Their signature deep fried tacos are available (with your choice of filling) as are their soft cheese tacos. I think the deep fried guys here were even better than they were there. Or maybe I was just a little too happy to have finally found a worthy one. Just $5 for three. I'm glad this place isnt closer to me. Not sure I'd be here in five years if it were.

    Image
    Deep Fried Taco Box

    Image
    Soft Cheese Tacos from Mexican Inn (RIP) now available at Taco Trader
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    NWI Business Ins and Outs: The Taco Dive revives Mexican Inn tradition
    Fans of Taco Trader in Dyer and the legendary Mexican Inn at East 95th Street and South Ewing Avenue on Chicago’s southeast side may want to stop by The Taco Dive in Whiting.

    The recently opened Mexican eatery at 1452 119th St. has brought back the old family recipes for crispy beef and soft cheese tacos that built the Mexican Inn’s reputation as a South Side landmark near Calumet Park and the Calumet River, not far from the state line.

    Mario Cornejo Sr. started the Mexican Inn in 1961 and ran it until he died in 2010, two years before it closed.

    “It was written up in the Sun-Times,” Taco Dive owner David Jimenez said. “It was widely known for delicious food.”

    Jiminez, a Whiting resident, ran Taco Trader on U.S. 30 in Dyer between 2013 and 2016 but ultimately decided it wasn’t a good fit, though it was often bustling. He ended up running pop-up restaurants in Whiting in the Indy Perk Cafe and the American Legion, the latter of which was featured in a Chicago magazine article.
  • Post #393 - December 6th, 2019, 2:23 pm
    Post #393 - December 6th, 2019, 2:23 pm Post #393 - December 6th, 2019, 2:23 pm
    Whiting Schoop's serving up its last burger
    The 1950s-style burger chain Schoop's is one of Northwest Indiana's best known restaurant brands and it's won heaps of acclaim over the years, including being named the best fast food in Indiana by Food and Wine magazine and one of the best burgers in greater Chicagoland, according to the Chicago Tribune.

    But after 32 years, the Whiting Schoop's at 1449 Indianapolis Boulevard served its last burger Thursday.

    Owners Tom Markovich, a retired Hammond firefighter, and Mary Beth Markovich are retiring and looking to spend more time in Florida. They will continue to remain part owners of the St. John Schoop's, where another couple actively manages the restaurant.

    "Today's the last day," Mary Beth Markovich said Thursday. "It's been bittersweet. Many regulars came in for one last burger. They're all great people."
    (snip)
  • Post #394 - January 1st, 2020, 10:10 am
    Post #394 - January 1st, 2020, 10:10 am Post #394 - January 1st, 2020, 10:10 am
    Mexican Inn' tacos are back at The Taco Dive
    Diners who still hunger for the fare once served at the famed Mexican Inn restaurant on Chicago's Southeast Side will be delighted to know those tacos are back on the scene.

    The Taco Dive, which features some of the former Mexican Inn favorites, debuted on Whiting's 119th Street in the fall. The eatery is owned by David Jimenez, whose late uncle Mario Cornejo Sr. operated Mexican Inn.

    Jimenez also formerly owned Taco Trader in Dyer, which is now closed. He vowed he'd be back to offering his family's Mexican fare when Taco Trader closed in 2016.

    "We opened in October and it's been going like gangbusters," Jimenez said. He added word is spreading that the eatery has opened and those who missed and loved Mexican Inn's crunchy and soft cheese tacos as well as other Mexican restaurant fans have been visiting the eatery for their fix.


    The Taco Dive
    1452 119th St., Whiting,In
    219-614-6289 or visit thetacodive.com
  • Post #395 - January 6th, 2020, 10:05 am
  • Post #396 - July 27th, 2020, 6:29 am
    Post #396 - July 27th, 2020, 6:29 am Post #396 - July 27th, 2020, 6:29 am
    Artie wrote:The Wurst, a full animal butcher shop in downtown Griffith, has opened its retail operation to the public . . .

    Sula had a couple of interesting pieces about The Wurst back at the beginning of the month . . .

    The Wurst has the best meats

    Cheap meat is not The Wurst

    The Wurst
    130 N Broad St
    Griffith, Indiana 46319
    https://www.thewurstmeats.com/
  • Post #397 - July 29th, 2020, 12:34 pm
    Post #397 - July 29th, 2020, 12:34 pm Post #397 - July 29th, 2020, 12:34 pm
    NWI Business Ins and Outs: Fluid Coffeebar opens third location, Wurst Meats opens in Griffith, Cafe 306 opens in Valpo
    The Wurst, a full animal butcher shop in downtown Griffith, has opened its retail operation to the public.

    Highland native Ricky Hanft, a former fourth-generation Region ironworker who went on to supply meats to acclaimed restaurants like Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse and has done butchering demonstrations for Provecho Latin Provisions in Crown Point, opened the butcher shop in the former C&R Stationery Store storefront last fall. Initially, it focused on processing deer for hunters.

    But now it has the retail operation up and running, offering the public pasture-raised, antibiotic-free and hormone-free animals from local small family farms, including Howe Farms in Crown Point, Third Day Farm in Walkerton, Meadow Oaks Angus in Morocco, Rootspun Farm in Hebron and Gunthorp Farms in LaGrange.

    "Our philosophy is simple: support local farmers who take the health of their animals, their customers and the environment as serious as we do," Wurst says on its website. "Because we only source whole animals, we may not always have the cut you're looking for. For example, there is only one hanger steak per animal. On the flip side, this allows us to offer a wide variety of cuts that would otherwise be unavailable."

    The Wurst sells beef, pork, chicken, duck and lamb, as well as a rotating selection of sausages, including ethnic and European varieties.

    The butcher shop is currently open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

    For more information, visit thewurstmeats.com or find the business on Facebook.
  • Post #398 - August 4th, 2020, 10:22 am
    Post #398 - August 4th, 2020, 10:22 am Post #398 - August 4th, 2020, 10:22 am
    Pandemic cuts in restaurant work brings cooks back to butchering
    Image

    While Ricky Hanft fillets, chops, grinds, cuts and does what butchers do, it’s up to Jeremy Dobson and Evan Meyer to decide what to do with the pounds and pounds of leftover bones.

    Recently, the former Three Floyds sous chef and Provecho chef de partie whipped up the obvious — bone broth — in the relatively small kitchen at The Wurst, 130 N. Broad St. in Griffith.

    On Monday, the two conspired to use them in something else between taking turns cleaning off the equipment they’d used at the wash tubs.

    Recently, the two worked on head cheese — or a meat jelly comprised of meat from an animal’s head — and decided adding blueberries might be fun. It sold out within a day, Hanft, the owner of The Wurst, said.
  • Post #399 - August 4th, 2020, 3:07 pm
    Post #399 - August 4th, 2020, 3:07 pm Post #399 - August 4th, 2020, 3:07 pm
    Do you know if he (or another butcher in NWI) make the Bolshevik, or Spanish Chorizo to the recipe use by Piatak's (closed in 2017)?

    Their Spanish Chorizo was once a church fundraiser recipe, then they gave it Piatak's.

    Thanks!

    Cathy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #400 - August 5th, 2020, 5:45 pm
    Post #400 - August 5th, 2020, 5:45 pm Post #400 - August 5th, 2020, 5:45 pm
    Cathy2 wrote:Do you know if he (or another butcher in NWI) make the Bolshevik, or Spanish Chorizo to the recipe use by Piatak's (closed in 2017)?

    Their Spanish Chorizo was once a church fundraiser recipe, then they gave it Piatak's.
    Cathy2

    Hi Cathy,I have no idea. I would consider calling the following shops. Both have full service butcher shops and have been around a considerable amount of time. Hopefully there's a butcher shop grapevine that can lead you to an answer.
    Rob's Meat Chop & Deli
    1102 Fairview Drive
    Dyer, IN 46311
    219-322-8760
    https://www.robsmeatchop.com/contact
    Welch's Stop & Shop
    11333 W. 95th Street
    St. John, Indiana 46373
    Phone (219) 365-8190
    https://welchsmeats.com/contact/
  • Post #401 - September 1st, 2020, 2:08 pm
    Post #401 - September 1st, 2020, 2:08 pm Post #401 - September 1st, 2020, 2:08 pm
    Bao's Pastry is a fairly new French pastry shop in Valparaiso, Indiana. I've tried their various macarons, opera cake, several types of eclairs, canele, and kouign amans. While not quite the same quality as the product Bad Wolf used to provide, the kouign amans and caneles are very good. If you're in the area, I would check them out. I'm not aware of any other pastry shops in the area that provide the variety and quality of pastries that Bao provides.

    12 Jefferson St, Valparaiso, IN 46383
  • Post #402 - September 1st, 2020, 3:35 pm
    Post #402 - September 1st, 2020, 3:35 pm Post #402 - September 1st, 2020, 3:35 pm
    gentleman in the butcher photo is wearing his mask incorrectly, it covers the entire lower face, just sayin', otherwise, rock on
    Being gauche rocks, stun the bourgeoisie
  • Post #403 - September 1st, 2020, 10:00 pm
    Post #403 - September 1st, 2020, 10:00 pm Post #403 - September 1st, 2020, 10:00 pm
    Christopher Gordon wrote:gentleman in the butcher photo is wearing his mask incorrectly, it covers the entire lower face, just sayin', otherwise, rock on

    Strikes me as possibly being too small.

    He at least has his nose covered, which is frequently not the case.
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #404 - September 1st, 2020, 10:03 pm
    Post #404 - September 1st, 2020, 10:03 pm Post #404 - September 1st, 2020, 10:03 pm
    Cathy2 wrote:
    Christopher Gordon wrote:gentleman in the butcher photo is wearing his mask incorrectly, it covers the entire lower face, just sayin', otherwise, rock on

    Strikes me as possibly being too small.

    LOL, yes. That's 10 pounds of face in a 5-pound mask! :lol:

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #405 - October 17th, 2020, 7:49 am
    Post #405 - October 17th, 2020, 7:49 am Post #405 - October 17th, 2020, 7:49 am
    Doc's Smokehouse temporarily closing all locations

    The award-winning and acclaimed Doc's Smokehouse is temporarily closing all locations, including the popular Doc's Smokehouse and Craft Bar at 1420 Calumet Ave. in Dyer, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
  • Post #406 - October 28th, 2020, 2:11 pm
    Post #406 - October 28th, 2020, 2:11 pm Post #406 - October 28th, 2020, 2:11 pm
    Lake Station barbecue restaurant 's brisket crowned Best in the Midwest
    Smokin' E's BBQ in Lake Station has the meats.

    Its beef brisket was crowned Best of the Midwest at a Master Pro Kansas City Barbeque Society competition in Union Grove, Wisconsin. Its brisket placed first out of 50 competitors.

    "It's pretty amazing because brisket is king of the meats and we had amazing competition," owner Tim Easton said. "It was an honor just getting in and we finished first place."

    Easton, his wife Ginny Easton, his son CJ Easton, his wife's sister Casey Harman and Mike Robertson served on the winning team at the professional tournament. The family opened Smokin' E's BBQ in a former Maxwell Street Polish restaurant space at 2401 Central Ave. in Lake Station three years ago. The southern-style barbecue restaurant is the only one to have any staying power in that spot, where others have folded in a few months. But it lately has been struggling because of the coronavirus pandemic.

    "I've been cooking barbecue a little over 20 years and doing catering for 12 years," Tim Easton said. "We smoke brisket, pulled pork and sausages. The biggest selling things are brisket and ribs."

    He got into barbecue after eating at the famous Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q while visiting his brother down in Alabama.
    (snip)
    Smokin' E's BBQ
    2401 Central Ave, Lake Station, IN 46405
    Phone: (219) 654-4141
  • Post #407 - October 31st, 2020, 7:46 pm
    Post #407 - October 31st, 2020, 7:46 pm Post #407 - October 31st, 2020, 7:46 pm
    Down in Valparaiso, I just discovered Santo Taco. The star dish at this place are the birria tacos with consome.

    I've never experienced this dish before but I thought their version was delicious. Corn tortillas are lightly fried and stuffed with the rich and tender birria, melted cheese, onions and cilantro. A generous cup of consomé is provided for dipping or sipping, and on the side are grilled jalapeños and onions, limes and radish. The fried tortillas are hearty enough to hold up to the dipping into the consome. This is a great find for the region and I plan to return to try some of their other specialty tacos.

    https://www.mysantotaco.com/
  • Post #408 - November 1st, 2020, 10:58 am
    Post #408 - November 1st, 2020, 10:58 am Post #408 - November 1st, 2020, 10:58 am
    buttercream wrote:Down in Valparaiso, I just discovered Santo Taco. The star dish at this place are the birria tacos with consome.

    I've never experienced this dish before but I thought their version was delicious. Corn tortillas are lightly fried and stuffed with the rich and tender birria, melted cheese, onions and cilantro. A generous cup of consomé is provided for dipping or sipping, and on the side are grilled jalapeños and onions, limes and radish. The fried tortillas are hearty enough to hold up to the dipping into the consome. This is a great find for the region and I plan to return to try some of their other specialty tacos.

    https://www.mysantotaco.com/


    I’m a big fan of Santo as well. By far the best non-market Mexican food we’ve had here.

    Speaking of market food, looking forward to trying Velero’s, which just opened next door to El Sabor, the Mexican market/taqueria on Calumet. According to the young guy working at the market, his family bought and remodeled the store and the former store owner kept the adjacent storefront and opened a proper restaurant, Velero. The market food was always really good, so looking forward to trying the new place.
    "Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad." Miles Kington
  • Post #409 - November 6th, 2020, 6:04 pm
    Post #409 - November 6th, 2020, 6:04 pm Post #409 - November 6th, 2020, 6:04 pm
    I’ve heard great things about Veleros and hope to check it out soon. I didn’t realize there was a market. I plan to visit soon.
  • Post #410 - November 6th, 2020, 8:57 pm
    Post #410 - November 6th, 2020, 8:57 pm Post #410 - November 6th, 2020, 8:57 pm
    buttercream wrote:I’ve heard great things about Veleros and hope to check it out soon. I didn’t realize there was a market. I plan to visit soon.


    It’s right next door to Velero’s and they are still doing tamales, menudo and other typical weekend market stuff. I may pick up from Velero’s and the market tomorrow and will report back.
    "Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad." Miles Kington
  • Post #411 - March 15th, 2023, 8:21 pm
    Post #411 - March 15th, 2023, 8:21 pm Post #411 - March 15th, 2023, 8:21 pm
    Any updates for NW Indiana? We're going to see Nick Offerman at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond on Saturday. I saw the story in the Trib about Lucy's BBQ in Highland, but since they open at 11am and go until the sell out, I'm afraid they'll be sold out by the time we get there in the evening, so I'd like to have a couple backup options. Or primary options if we decide to not try Lucy's BBQ.

    We're not opposed to eating on the Illinois side, either. Tacos El Rey is one possibility on this side of the border.

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