Shore Magazine

style & culture

february/march 2011

Food Matters WE’RE ALL GOURMETS NOW

FEMALE CHEFS

WHO OWN IT INCLUDING BOOZE NEWS Absinthe Truth CHEFS: What Are They Thinking?

BILL KURTIS’ Campaign for Healthy Beef

I m ag I n e t h e p l ac e s

they wIll go.

We invite you to view Mikimoto, a new addition to Albert’s.

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101 n Generations, three oaks

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3443n1000west.rubloff.com 320 acre retreat in nW indiana. Lodge home, pond, outbldgs. $1,450,000 Mario Zarantenello 269.469.8751

1961 caMp MaDron, Buchanan

204 sunset traiL, Michiana

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2Br/1Ba/1cG. new applc. $114,000 Betty ramsey 269.469.8743

4235hailey.rubloff.com 4Br/3Ba colonial w/2 car garage, fireplace, rec room & more. $259,900 ron Zarantenello 269.469.8736

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New Buffalo Business Association Presents:

A Chocolate Fantasy Saturday, February 5th, 2011 6:30-7:30pm est. open bar - enjoy our signature chocolate martinis Dip into two flowing chocolate fountains for dessert 8:00pm est. - dinner 9:00-midnight dancing - music by the Whistle Pigs Spectacular silent auction from 6:30-10:00pm est.

$75 per person - tickets available at 888-660-6222

Saturday and Sunday, February 5th and 6th, 2011 Saturday - FREE sleigh rides through town from 12-5 est. pick up and drop off at NBBA info booth on corner of Merchant and N. Whittaker.

Saturday-Sunday - Ice skating 10a-10p est Saturday - Ice sculpting competition 12-3est Sunday morning breakfast with chocolate chip pancake special for the kids at Michigan Thyme, Rosie’s Restaurant.

For all event details please visit newbuffalo.org

n e w b u f f a l o . o r g

The Right Approach to

On The GOlf COurse

Over 1 acre with a walk out lower level.

6 bedrooms, 8 baths, indoor pool, over 10,000 sq feet of heated and cooled living space. Double staircase, limestone and granite floors, architectural details, study, large pantry, views that are spectacular all in Gated Sand Creek Country Club Community.

Offered at $1,875,000

estate area

On the GOlf COurse

4700 sq foot Wagner built home offers spectacular golf course and lake views.

Set on over a half acre wooded lot just outside the gates of Sand Creek with course access. Main floor master suite, study, very open floor plan, entertainment sized kitchen, and walk in pantry.

All Brick 2 story on a beautiful 3/4 acre lot .

Study, family room open to kitchen, finished basement with bar, bath and wine tasting room.

Large master suite with fireplace and sitting room.

Generator, 3 car garage.

On the GOlf COurse

1712 snead avenue

On the GOlf COurse

Offered at $1,585,000

Offered at $999,000

Offered at $899,000

Offered at $798,000

Offered at $649,000

Over 1.8 acres with 5 bedrooms, open porches front and back to take in the views. Pool, carriage house, 2 bars, finished basement, library, butlers pantry and beautiful chandeliers. Sweeping wide staircases, gazebo and formal gardens, you would think you are at Tara!

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Main Floor Master Suite, Study with Built-ins, Formal Living, Dining, and family room all on a large lot with water views and southern exposure.

Terrific Views of Pond/ Course/Fountain and Sunsets Quality Construction with main floor hardwood floors, master suite, study with fireplace. great room formal dining. Upper level 3 bedrooms, 3 car garage.

lOts available in sand Creek

On the GOlf COurse

1200 Monterey Drive.

Built in 2005 this home overlooks the Marsh Course. Open large kitchen, double sided stone fireplace, main floor master, hardwood floors are just a few of the homes features. 3 bedrooms plus a bonus room. Oh those views of ponds and course!

Offered at $499,000 Furnished

1165 ryder rOad Gated Sand Creek

Beauty All Brick Ranch Updated and Fabulous 4 bedrooms, hardwood floors, finished daylight basement, new appliances, new nickel hardware throughout. 3,300 square feet on main floor, large 3 season room, double fireplace.

Offered at $634,500

valparaisO-vernOn WOOds

910 Brae Burn Golf Course Lot $119,900 1712 Sotogrande Court .82A Water Views $279,000 1361 Nelson Drive Wooded Golf Course and Creek Views .468A $175,000 Various Lots in Phase V, IV call for prices from $79,900

1570 hOGan avenue

Updated and terrific.

4 beds, 3 baths, kitchen with granite, stainless steel appliances, screen porch, new carpet, finished basement, open kitchen to family room.

Offered at $329,900

1099 MissiOn hills Ct

This one of a kind townhouse in Sand Creek.

Totally updated, main floor master, den, walk out finished basement, 4 baths, and Views of the Golf Course. End unit. lots of light and waterfall!

Offered at $369,900

1220 Ryder Road Golf Course Lot .85A Pond Views $199,000 1728 Amen Corner Court 1.5A Private Lot with Water Views $225,000

SAND CREEK

Located on just over an acre in Valparaiso this newer home has 5 beds, 6 baths, large rooms, hardwood floors, 2 story family room open to spacious kitchen, formal living, dining, and more.

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karen COurt, tiffany WOOds lapOrte

All brick 5,000 plus sq ft. 3 Story Home 6 beds, 6 baths, in-ground pool, near expressways and Briar Leaf Golf Club.

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valparaisO

Entire Large Duplex Building for Sale on 1 acre, Over 10,000 Sq Feet, many possibilities.

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taMaraCk- ChestertOn

New on the market, Main Floor Master, 4 beds, 4 baths, fully finished basement, 2 story great room, in ground pool, study.

Offered at $447,500

WhitethOrne WOOds valparaisO

Gated Community, 1 acre wooded lot. Sprawling ranch with 3/4 beds, 3 baths. Large open great room and kitchen.

Partially finished basement, 3 car garage.

Offered at $445,000

hunter’s ridGe

Chesterton Schools . . .

5 bedroom home on large lot with open kitchen and family room, huge master suite, finished daylight basement, 3 car garage. For rent also.

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WOOded aCreaGe ChestertOn

Ranch on beautiful 7.48 Acres, 3 bedrooms, 2 fireplaces, hardwood floors, Formal living, dining, family room, 3 car garage.

Offered at $399,900

contents

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

158

The New Vegans

BY LAURI HARVEY KEAGLE

For Bill Kranker, 47, curiosity about what humans were intended to eat was a catalyst for dietary changes that led to a raw vegan lifestyle.

58

52 Absinthe Minded BY JEREMY GANTZ

Absinthe isn’t hallucinogenic, psychedelic or narcotic. It’s alcoholic—anywhere from 105 to 145 proof, to be exact.

55 Outside-the-Box Crops BY TOM CHMIELEWSKI

Gourmet chefs cruise farmers’ markets for the best selection of Asian pears, wild onion ramps and pawpaw fruit out there.

62 The Ladies Have It BY JANE DUNNE

A conversation with four female successful, entrepreneurial chef/restaurateurs.

68 Culinary Inspiration BY JANE AMMESON

Local executive chefs Tony Sanfilippo, Ryan Thornburg, Luis Hernandez, Randy Berg and John Paul Verhage answer every question you want to ask them but can’t, because they are too busy cooking.

PHOTOGRAPH BY TONY V. MARTIN

VISITSHOREMAGAZINE.COM

74 Ask the Wine Expert BY CHRISTY BONSTELL

Tony Sandilla began his career as a wine expert at a Northwest Indiana destination restaurant. Now he is the wine steward-in-residence at Wise Guys Discount Liquors in Merrillville, educating consumers about local vintages, one nose at a time.

76 Warm Welcome BY JANE DUNNE

Here are four soups from Russia, Italy, Peru and the Netherlands, all guaranteed to nourish and delight you over the winter months.

style & culture

february/march 2011

Food Matters WE’RE ALL GOURMETS NOW

FEMALE CHEFS

WHO OWN IT INCLUDING BOOZE NEWS Absinthe Truth CHEFS: What Are They Thinking?

BILL KURTIS’ Campaign for Healthy Beef

The WHOLE TR BILL KURTIS’ Camp What Are They Thin

6

November 20, 2010 - May 1, 2011

Hole #10, The Golf Club at Harbor Shores

272 Pearl St. NW • Grand Rapids 616.456.3977 • grmuseum.org Check grmuseum.org for extended evening and weekend hours.

Breathe

in the sweet scent of lush grass.

Get the scoop on what’s up at the lakefront delivered to your in-box

at home.

The richness of this Lake Michigan location fills the air. Play along the shore on the nearby Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course. Enjoy the bouquets of award-winning wines at local vineyards.

Then let’s talk about the 1-3 bedroom, luxurious condominium home we’ll build for you. So you can get away. Every day. At home.

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contents

82

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

36

26

30 24 CLICKS Mayor’s Charity Ball Literary Awards Dinner Lakeland Gala NISO Gala March of Dimes Fundraiser Harmony House Benefit Columbian Ball Secret Sister Society Luncheon 49 American Smooth Jazz Awards

SHORELINES 17

18

22 VISITSHOREMAGAZINE.COM

24

INTRO

Even if it means starting the day “breaking down” a whole Berkshire pig, Matt Pietsch, executive chef of Salt of the Earth in Fennville, Michigan, gets as close to the food as possible.

LISTEN

Coffeen Poetry Club, in existence since 1938, presents monthly poetry readings, and Decadent Dogs in South Haven, Michigan, has burgers, fries and bonbons for that special canine.

26

Jeff Daniels’ sincere folk sensibilities have forged a new path in Michigan, and folk/inspirational singer Bob Rowe, lauded for his work with the elderly, has released his 20th album, Legacy.

SHAW THOUGHTS

An ode to Bill Dugan, “The Fish Guy,” who sells wholesale to the city’s best restaurants, retail to his loyal customers, and, once a week, hosts a limited-seating gourmet seafood dinner.

CULTURE NUT

The Ruth Andrew

28

30

grammar school he discovered the job of Fisheries Biologist.

The rest was easy.

32

WHERE TO GO

34

GREEN NOTES

MOTORING

In 2002, Michael Abernethy turned his obsession with trains into a profession, and Hyundai Motor America intends to take a bite out of the luxury car market with the new 2011 Hyundai Equus.

THE GOOD LIFE

How do you feed a large group of globetrotting foodies every night without having to hand over your wallet to the restaurant manager?

INTERVIEW

Todd Kalish always wanted ice fishing to be a part of his life. In

36

38

HOUSE & GROUNDS 82

It was just over an acre of rolling land dotted with trees—the perfect site to break ground for their 5,000-square-foot house.

Jack and Kim Ziegler moved into their dream home 11 months later.

Parties that fit the crime, executed by professional and amateur collaborators.

Last September, Bill Kurtis took the night off from anchoring the news to visit Octave Grill in Chesterton to talk about the company he founded, Tallgrass Beef Co.

LAST RESORT 92

HAUTE PROPERTIES The kitchen has regained its place as the most important room in the house.

Tradition and Technology

BY JULIA PERLA HUISMAN

How this home cook learned about food and discovered the joy of cooking through true love and recipe sites.

HEALTH CLUB

Annie Lambla loves live and active cultures— and spent last summer demonstrating how to make homemade yogurt.

Beauty & Brains

BY JULIE DEAN KESSLER

HOTSPOTS 50 78 86 90

Essential Events Bite & Sip Shore Things Shorecast

10 Publisher’s Letter 12 Editor’s Letter

photography courtesy of [clockwise, from top left] ANNIE LAMBLA, JIM JACKSON, TODD KALISH, TONY V. MARTIN

40 41 41 42 42 43 48 49

8

FIVE DINING OPTIONS From our elegant William B’s Steakhouse to our limitless, gourmet buffet and classic Nelson’s Deli, Blue Chip Casino is always a delicious choice!

ONE PLACE. COUNTLESS WAYS TO FEEL GOOD

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New Buffalo Office 10. N. Whittaker Street New Buffalo, MI (269) 469-3950 Residential bRokeRage (800) 288-7355

Benton Harbor

$6,900,000

New Buffalo

$2,850,000

Stunning 8 br, 6.5 ba contemporary masterpiece with rare 510 ft of lake frontage & exquisite gardens on more than 8 acres overlooking Lake Mich. The spacious living area has raised fireplace and floor-to-ceiling glass.

Coldwell Banker 269-469-3950

Outstanding lakefront value in Harbor Country with 110’ of low bluff, over 6,000 sf of custom living space, a pool that overlooks Lake Michigan. The expansive master suite has a private lakefront terrace, steam shower.

Coldwell Banker 269-469-3950

New Buffalo

Benton Harbor

$1,499,000

Best lakefront value in Harbor Country!

2 br, 2 ba simple ranch design home allows for many possibilities for expansion and still leaves plenty of room for a pool. Gorgeous 94+ ft of protected lake Michigan frontage.

Coldwell Banker 269-469-3950

Benton Harbor

$640,000

$750,000

Forest, Pool, Beach! 3 bedroom, 3 bath country beach home in Hagar Shores approx 1.5 hours from Chicago and 5 miles north of downtown St Joseph.

Property is situated on approximately 2 acres with abundant trees.

Coldwell Banker 269-469-3950

Harbert

$349,000

Dramatic riverfront! Custom 4 bedroom, 3 bath home nestled into the St Joseph River. Upon entering the impressive foyer you are taken back by the column formal dining room, great room w/boxed ceiling detail.

Coldwell Banker 269-469-3950

The final phase of the Vineyard Lofts is near completion. This 2-bedroom, 2-bath DUPLEX condo provides HASSLE-FREE living with a large, WRAP AROUND entrance deck and a feel more like a single-family home than a condo.

Coldwell Banker 269-469-3950

New Buffalo

Three Oaks

$239,000

Delightful, spacious and airy studio condo located in South Cove offering you great beach living amenities. Freshly painted and waiting for you to enjoy. Lake and harbor views are an added feature.

Coldwell Banker 269-469-3950

$149,900

LOOKING for SPACIOUS, 4 bedroom 2 bath home in the Village of Three Oaks? Newer wood floors, big kitchen with Brick detail, Whirlpool tub in main bath, Main floor bedroom, original wood staircase, Fireplace.

Coldwell Banker 269-469-3950

0 VISITSHOREMAGAZINE.COM 1

For detailed information on these and other fine properties in Southwest Michigan, Northwest Indiana, Milwaukee and the Chicagoland area, log onto our website:

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Call Coldwell banker Home loans for your FRee mortgage pre-approval at (877) 202-8619.

PUBLISHER’S

LETTER

M

aybe it’s just that I’m changing with the times or the fact that my stomach has grown larger than my chest, but I pay more attention to what food I put in my mouth than I once did. As a kid, I learned to hunt, fish, catch, clean and take care of my equipment, which gives you a healthy respect for our natural resources that many people are very good at taking for granted these days. While my interest and training in pursuing the great outdoor aspect of food worked for me philosophically, it still didn’t make me a cook. I became a cook by necessity. I like to eat—then there were kids to raise, eventually six of them—and sometimes I had to feed them something edible. As the years have gone by, cooking has become a passion of mine, even though most of my complex dishes are cooked on the grill, smoker or deep-fat fryer, as my wife Julie seldom lets me invade her space in the kitchen. Still, I have taken great pride in challenging myself to improve processes, to play with miraculous gadgets and mildly complex recipes that I could improvise and improve. Over the recent Christmas holiday I hit some kind of personal benchmark when cooking the turkey became a saga.

For the first time since I can remember, Julie and I did not do Christmas at home, but instead headed to our daughter Michelle’s house to join her husband David and our grandkids Christian, Anna and Joshua. It was a real treat as kids Brooke, Zac, Trey and Shay all met us in South Dakota to enjoy this wonderful time of the year. Only one request was made by many—that I marinate a turkey in my own secret mix of Creole seasonings and deep-fat fry it for Christmas dinner. Loving the limelight of the responsibility for the featured dish, I made sure the seasoning was perfect and the marinade was placed in and on the turkey at the proper time for optimum flavor. Everything was in place with the right amount of oil poured in, but then came a little—well, big—problem. The heating element went out on the fryer. Yep, it was dead as a doornail. A ham was in the oven, so that wasn’t an option. Panic started to set in, so I went on the Internet to find out the fastest way to cook a turkey—and grilling came up. I’ve grilled many things, but surprisingly never a turkey. Armchair and turkey in tow, out to the grill I went, where I sat in the snow of Rapid City, SD. After rotating with indirect heat for two and a half hours, a turkey came off the grill that was one of the best our family has ever had. We may now have a new tradition, and for sure a backup plan for next year.

The second half of the holiday season also featured cuisine—on the eating end. My daughter Shay may be from South Dakota, but she has adopted Chicago food (and sports franchises). Now a college freshman at Dakota Wesleyan University, Shay came back home after Christmas with her boyfriend Austin Brynjulson and girlfriend Yutzil Rodriguez with the intent of eating their way through the Lake Michigan area, from Mexican at El Salto on down to pizza and famous Chicago dawgs downtown, and back to Portillo’s for a nightcap of dark chocolate cake. Of course, they are lucky: they play soccer and burn it off. I’ll be sweating to the oldies.

My point is good food is a variety of what you like, and the variety is what makes eating and enjoying food such a wonderful experience. If you asked me what my favorite meal would consist of, I would quickly tell you a medium rare filet with an accompanying lobster. But there are days when a deep dish-style pizza would trump everything—and on Christmas day it was a BBQ grilled turkey.

BILL MASTERSON, JR.

A Suite with

Professional Appeal

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

7809 W. Lincoln Highway (Rt. 30 & Cline)

219-865-0555

11

M. & Th. 8:30am-8pm • T. W. F. 8:30am-6pm Sa. 8:30am-5pm • Closed Su.

EDITOR’S

LETTER

KIRK MUSPRATT - MUSIC DIRECTOR & CONDUCTOR

Start 2011 with these Classical Favorites!

RACHMANINOFF! A Valentine’s Treat! with Daria Rabotkina, piano Friday, February 11, 2011 The Auditorium at Bethel Church ^

ROMAN PLAYS DVORÁK with “classical rock star” Joshua Roman, cello Friday, March 11, 2011 The Auditorium at Bethel Church

CARMINA BURANA Orff’s Choral Masterwork! with the Symphony Chorus, Symphony Youth Orchestra, Southlake Children’s Chorus and guest soloists Friday, April 8, 2011 The Auditorium at Bethel Church The Auditorium at Bethel Church is located at 10202 Broadway in Crown Point, 3 miles south of US-30 and 1 mile north of the 109th Street exit on I-65.

Tickets $20 - $60 • Students $10

2 VISITSHOREMAGAZINE.COM 1

PICK ALL 3 CONCERTS & RECEIVE 20% OFF For tickets or more information: Call: 219/836.0525 x200 Online: www.nisorchestra.org

H

ave you ever eaten more home cooked meals than you did in 2010? Have you ever been happier with what you are able to do in your own kitchen or on your own grill during the past year? Honestly, I cannot remember a time when I was more spoiled by available ingredients, fun and efficient equipment, and meals I was able to help plan and prepare.

(Though I have yet to make the leap, there is a guy that sends me emails with what’s fresh and on the menu from the farm every week. I’m pretty confident it will happen sooner rather than later.) Fresh Brussels sprouts have re-entered my life as a regular vegetable at least once a week. (You can halve Brussels sprouts and skewer between cubes of sausage or you can mix cooked Brussels sprouts with sun-dried tomatoes, jicama and homemade mayonnaise for a cold salad. Who knew about the greatness of Brussels sprouts?) Way too many people used the holidays as an excuse to bake or (worse) make homemade candy. By the way, I stumbled across an incredible recipe for chocolate brittle made with ordinary saltines and chocolate chips that I already have memorized it’s so easy . . . and I found it in the newspaper. (See Julia Perla Huisman’s excellent article in this issue for the case for website cookery.) Of course, this time and interest spent in our own kitchens owes everything to the range of choices and the excellent quality of food and service when eating out. How else could we know how really good food can be in the first place?

And though it is truly impossible to duplicate the efforts of a talented chef and fine dining services that have become standard expectations, most of us have learned first-hand, the hard way about just how much work goes into a restaurant meal.

Try making the short ribs from the Ad Hoc At Home cookbook and change the vegetables three or four times, if you want to get a feel for what is going on out there behind the scenes in the best restaurants on earth. That’s why the accomplishments of the cooks on our cover and within the pages of this issue seem more awesome to me than ever. And that appreciation starts to multiply when you realize what kind of talent it takes to be an executive chef who understands the creative food side so well that she can find the time and take the care to make the business side run as well.

Also in this issue Jeremy Gantz tells the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about absinthe, accidentally and most unfairly maligned by history. The gentle licorice-flavored liqueur has made such a robust comeback that in some places it has its own shelf. The tireless Tom Chmielewski discovers the produce exotica that are available right under our noses. Andy Shaw burnishes the image of a person who in another era may have been called a fish monger, but in the age of foodies is a revered celebrity who throws private seafood parties for his friends.

And would you have imagined that Bill Kurtis could become so involved in the condition of supermarket beef that he would start his own meat company?

I devoured these stories and joys of joys, the calories are only in my imagination, so far. Next issue—architects and the eye of the beholder.

PAT COLANDER

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RECIPIENT OF THE COMMISSION ON CANCER OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

style & culture

Publisher Bill Masterson, Jr. Advertising Operations Manager Eric Horon 219.933.3346 Eric.Horon@nwi.com

3158 S. St. Rd. 2 Valparaiso, IN 866-761-3753 Best B&B NW IN - TIMES newspaper readers Best Business Retreat NW IN Business magazine Featured on ABC Chicago TV’s 190-N

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Published by Lee Enterprises The Times of Northwest Indiana Niche Division 601 W 45th Street Munster, Indiana 46321 219.933.3200 Michigan/Indiana Sales 1111 Glendale Boulevard Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 219.462.5151

MARCH SALE! Discounts from every Dealer!

Recharge (w/in our building) at the Saugatuck Brewing Co. for great food and drink!

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volume 7 / number 1

Editor / Associate Publisher Pat Colander 219.933.3225 Pat.Colander@nwi.com Managing Editor Julia Perla Huisman 219.933.3353 Julia.Huisman@nwi.com Assistant Managing Editor Kathryn MacNeil 219.933.3264 Kathy.MacNeil@nwi.com Design Director Ben Cunningham 219.933.4175 Ben.Cunningham@nwi.com Designers April Burford, Ally Davis Online Editor Ashley Boyer Lead Photographer Tony V. Martin Contributing Editors Jane Ammeson Heather Augustyn Lois Berger Sue Bero Robert Blaszkiewicz Christy Bonstell Claire Bushey John Cain Laura Caldwell Tom Chmielewski Juli Doshan Jane Dunne Rob Earnshaw Jeremy Gantz Terri Gordon Dave Hoekstra Seth “tower” Hurd Jim Jackson Rick Kaempfer Lauri Harvey Keagle Julie Dean Kessler Mark Loehrke Sherry Miller Virginia Mullin Phil Potempa Andy Shaw Fran Smith Megan Swoyer Eloise Valadez Sharon Biggs Waller Contributing Artists and Photographers Ryan Berry Jennifer Feeney Richard Hellyer Callie Lipkin David Mosele Johnny Quirin Gregg Rizzo Shore magazine invites readers and writers to submit ideas, comments and feedback through email at feedback@visitshoremagazine.com or the post office at Shore Magazine, 601 W 45th St, Munster, IN 46321, or 1111 Glendale Blvd, Valparaiso, IN 46383.

contributors MANDY BURRELL is a Chicago-based freelance writer who loves to write about the natural intersection between food and community, such as Annie Lambla’s bike ride across the Midwest, featured in this issue (page 36). Lambla’s journey combined some of Mandy’s favorite things: road trips, artisanal food, local farmers’ markets, and yogurt—which Mandy eats every day for breakfast, usually with a banana. “I love food because the vast majority of the time it brings people together,” Mandy says. “There’s something irresistible about watching someone prepare food right before your very eyes, and Annie brought that magic to the streets of Midwestern towns with her Yogurt Pedaler project.”

VANESSA RENDERMAN is a staff writer at the Times Media Company. A reporter with more than 10 years of experience in newspapers, she enjoys the craft of storytelling. The bulk of her work involves covering municipal government, so writing about Michigan singer/songwriter Bob Rowe (page 20) and the release of his 20th album was a welcome treat. Vanessa was inspired by Rowe’s dedication to practice what he preaches, by not only saying he is a Christian but also living as a Christian, sharing his God-given talents with people in nursing homes. “I lost track of the time when I interviewed Bob, because we had such a great conversation going, and I was fascinated by everything he has done in his life,” she says.

ELOISE MARIE VALADEZ is a features writer and copy editor for the Times Media Company. A journalist with more than two decades of writing and reporting experience, she has extensively covered the culinary, entertainment, travel and lifestyles industries. Eloise enjoys meeting people from all walks of life and professions. A resident of Chicago, she loves the excitement of big city life but also enjoys taking time to relax in quiet surroundings. Eloise loves spending time with family, friends and her furry pal Annie, a lab mix. “I enjoyed finding out about all the new and interesting dog treats,” she says of her story, “Gourmet Food for Dogs,” on page 25. “It’s nice to know our canine friends aren’t left out when it comes to tasty chow. Annie will surely be testing some of these treats.”

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listen | shaw thoughts | culture nut | motoring | the good life | interview | where to go | green notes | health club | haute properties

>> intro <<

Matt Pietsch Fennville’s Food Fundamentalist

M

att Pietsch has just finished “breaking down” a whole Berkshire pig delivered to his door by a local farmer early that morning. Pietsch, executive chef of Salt of the Earth in Fennville, Michigan, believes in being as close to the food as possible, and if that means mucking around in the fields to pick beets or visiting Evergreen Lane Creamery a few miles away to meet the goats whose milk is made into the cheese he uses at his restaurant, then that’s just perfect for this James Beard Foundation-nominated chef.

“Knowing your food is an assurance of quality,” says Pietsch, who grew up in Muskegon before moving to Detroit, where he worked in several restaurants including the award-winning Opus One and Roast, a Michael Symon eatery where the meat is butchered on site. “I also like butchering because it’s part of a dying art—that of charcuterie.”

Pietsch is only 27, but he’s been in the restaurant business since age 15, and over the years he’s come to believe that less is more. “Food for me is ingredient-driven,” he says.

“Food needs to be incredibly simple. Here we consistently reevaluate the dish, how can we make it better, how can we make the true taste stand out.”

Salt bills itself as a rustic American eatery, and for Pietsch that translates into baking bread and making pizzas in a wood-burning oven, listing the farms where the foods being served originate on his daily menus, and celebrating the joys of coming together at the table.

“As a chef, I see myself as part of a cycle between our farmers and our customers,” he says.

“Cooking is such a joy for me. It’s a big part of why I get up in the morning. I think that here we are creating memories with the food we serve.”

- JANE AMMESON

17

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

PHOTOGRAPH BY TONY V. MARTIN

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>> listen <<

Jeff Daniels’ Sweet Surprise The actor’s latest CD is a musical ode to Michigan

8 VISITSHOREMAGAZINE.COM 1

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he 12 tracks reveal Daniels’ gifts as a mostly witty songwriter, nimble guitar player and an engaging storyteller in vignettes that precede most of the songs.

In the world of celebrity actorsturned-musician, Daniels is far above Kevin Bacon and Billy Bob Thornton and just a notch below banjo impresario Steve Martin and pure pop singer Zooey Deschanel of She & Him. He’s serious, too.

Daniels’ late 2009 solo tour in the family RV took him to outposts like Flint, Michigan; Omaha, Nebraska, and even the Sydney Laurence Theatre in Anchorage, Alaska. Live at the Purple Rose is Daniels’ fourth album since 2006. The live CD (all proceeds from the CD benefit the Purple Rose Theatre) begins with the writer’s bloc ditty “Here’s a Little Somethin’,” where kinetic wordplay channels Wainwright. Daniels’ “Baby Take Your Tongue Outta My Mouth, I’m Kissin’ You G’Bye” speaks for itself.

“Allen Parkway Inn” is a humorous ballad about Daniels having to stay at a fringe motel where “my mattress pad has a very strange stain/and my pillow has been around as long as Ichabod Crane.” Daniels’ neon phrasing and slick guitar work mirrors Steve Goodman’s “This Hotel Room.” The goofy ballad “When You’re Fifty” gets its legs with Daniels’ interlude about talk show host Mary Hart wishing him a happy 50th birthday on national television.

But Live at the Purple Rose ends with a measured sentimental touch. Daniels talks about meeting George Harrison on the set of one of his films and then launches into a heartfelt cover of Harrison’s “Here Comes the Sun.” And the final song is the album’s “gotcha” moment: “The Michigan in Me,” Daniels’ tender ballad to his home state. Daniels and his family moved to Chelsea in 1986, where he grew up with his wife, who was his high school sweetheart.

Daniels is not pandering when he sings about old familiar shorelines and how “I can see who I came to be . . . I can see the Michigan in me.”

Michigan is deservedly proud of powerhouse rockers like Mitch Ryder and Bob Seger, but Daniels’ sincere folk sensibilities have forged a new path worth checking out. - DAVE HOEKSTRA

photograph courtesy of ELISA PETERSON OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, QUAD CITY TIMES

At age 55 actor-singer-songwriter Jeff Daniels is old enough to have cut his folk music chops on Loudon Wainwright III (the father of Rufus) and Chicago poet laureate Steve Goodman.

Each influence blossoms on Daniels’ most recent CD Jeff Daniels Live at the Purple Rose (jeffdaniels.com), recorded at Daniels’ own Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea, Michigan.

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Saugatuck musician lauded for his work with the elderly has released his 20th album, Legacy.

Bob Rowe, a folk and inspirational singer and songwriter, is founder and director of Renaissance Enterprises, a Kalamazoo-based group that brings together about 50 artists and entertainers who perform for free, mostly in nursing homes.

“I’m very committed to west Michigan,” Rowe says. “No matter where my travels take me, it will always be my home.”

In 2006, he was given the Mother Teresa Award for his work. Rowe says he maintained a correspondence with Mother Teresa and looked to her as a spiritual mentor.

Rowe’s attraction to the arts started early on. Despite his high IQ, he was more interested in painting and writing poetry, he says. He started singing in Michigan clubs, then toured with his folk music to New York, Chicago, Milwaukee, California and more. Rowe brought his music to nursing homes and saw people sitting day in and day out, without much to look forward to. “I realized right off the bat that there was an overwhelming need for what I was doing,” he says.

Although dedicated to inspirational and religious music, Rowe never gave up his love for folk, jazz and country.

His new album includes classic inspirational songs such as “How Can I Keep from Singing?” Several new originals are included as well, such as “Walk with Jesus.”

Look for his new album through iTunes, Sony Music, Napster, Rhapsody, Amazon.com, Cdbaby.com, Target.com and more.

He has an upcoming project called Sacred Folk Songs, a three-CD box set with a companion DVD for PBS. - VANESSA RENDERMAN

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I’m very committed to west Michigan.

No matter where my travels take me, it will always be my home.”

photograph courtesy of RICK KIRBY

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shorelines The Fish Guy The appetizer is a spread of smoked sturgeon from California. Savory subtlety. Scallops for the entrée come from Nantucket Bay. Served over pasta with a sauce of Parmesan butter, garlic, shallots, prosciutto and olive oil. Culinary cache.

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2 VISITSHOREMAGAZINE.COM 2

he chefs are Wayne and Barbara, friends of our Beverly Shores buddies Mike and Denise. Seafood is courtesy of Bill Dugan, “The Fish Guy,” owner of an eponymous establishment on Chicago’s North Side. Bill sells wholesale to the city’s best restaurants, retail to his loyal local customers and, once a week, hosts “Wellfleet,” a limited-seating gourmet seafood dinner for upscale aficionados.

He is also part of a Third Coast crowd that parties together most weekends. At our place in Bridgman, Al and Debbie’s in Sawyer, Gina and Mike’s in St. Joe, Bill’s country house in Galien (with gal-pal Tracy), or here in Beverly Shores, where Wayne and Barbara are showcasing their culinary skills in case Bill needs kitchen backup at his weekly Chicago feasts.

Tonight’s dinner works because Wayne and Barbara can cook. But equally important is the quality of the fish. And that’s tricky. Get it fresh, cook it right and it’s delicious. Ship it wrong or serve it a day late and it tastes like, ugh, fish!

Which is why most Midwesterners, including me, are ambivalent about fish, having experienced the latter taste extreme often enough to be wary.

“The key,” explains Bill, who knows how to get it right, “is three simple words: Catch. Bleed. Ice.” Our evening fare, for instance—sturgeon and scallops—flown in from their respective catch points in a slushy seawater bath that’s 32 or 33 degrees Fahrenheit. And kept in the same packing for the trip from Chicago to Mike and Denise’s kitchen, where it’s cooked almost immediately to maintain a right-out-ofthe-ocean freshness and consistency.

Bill, “The Fish Guy,” is a big, burly, 53-year-old with curly hair and a kindly round face. Visualize a gentle giant.

He’s from New England, but the family moved to San Francisco, where teenage Bill caught the “fish fever” from his Uncle Gene, who started shipping lobsters to Japan and Hong Kong in the late 1960s.

“When he came to visit us,” Bill recalls, “I was intrigued with the thought of transporting fresh and live seafood by air.” So Bill traveled to Maine, where he had family connections, and put

together his first shipment. One of his earliest customers was Rene Verdon from Le Trianon, an esteemed ‘Frisco eatery.

“Rene was the Kennedy White House chef and he introduced me to Julia Child and James Beard,” Bill continues. “Beard was at Fournou’s Ovens in San Francisco, my dad’s favorite restaurant, so it was a real thrill to take him and my mom there, where James doted over us and wouldn’t take a dime for dinner. Pop was pretty impressed and felt a little better that I hadn’t continued my ‘formal’ education, as I had promised. This was my education.”

Bill’s career took him to California’s Wine Country, where he learned from the top chefs, worked in the best restaurants and opened his first seafood companies. Along the way, he says proudly, James Beard admitted that he preferred Bill’s stuffed clam recipe to his own.

Bill eventually tired of Wine Country because it was becoming too “Disneylandish” (but not, ironically, before he served Walt Disney’s widow, among other Napa notables).

He moved back to SF to conceptualize restaurants for Nordstrom, including a caviar and champagne bar, and his travels eventually brought him to Chicago, where he decided to settle in, opening a wholesale company, Superior Ocean Products, that provides seafood to Alinea and Charlie Trotter’s, among others. Four years later he opened his retail outlet, the Fish Guy Market, on Elston Avenue in Chicago, where people rave about lobster rolls, clamwiches and fish tacos.

B

ill also sells a lot of Lake Michigan’s fresh water catch, including walleye, perch, salmon, trout and whitefish.

But he worries about fish environs everywhere. “I’m working on a production,” he says, “that will educate folks about the state of our oceans, lakes and rivers, and what we can do to help retain the resources we still have. Our biggest challenge is to keep the water clean.”

Meanwhile, his gastronomic philosophy is simple: “The best food,” he says, “is what’s in season as close to home as possible. Treat the product simply and be sure to enjoy it with people you love and care for.”

A fish story. But not, thankfully, about the big one that got away. We’re glad to have our big “Fish Guy” right here, curing our love/hate relationship with underwater creatures one fine feast at a time. Maybe Wayne and Barbara cooking one of his weekly gourmet dinners?

Hoping to catch that one. - ANDY SHAW

illustration by DAVID MOSELE

>> shaw thoughts <<

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Poetry in the 21st Century Language’s ancient art form is alive and well

Artist Kitty Wolf makes the connection between poetry and art: “Poetry is a very big part of the arts picture. The arts articulate what’s going on in the world around us, and poetry is a voice in the arts.”

“Poetry is alive and well,” asserts Susan Block, Poet Laureate of LaPorte County for 2009-2010.

“There is power and beauty in the language.”

Purdue North Central chancellor James Dworkin agrees. “Poetry will be relevant for as long as humans need a way to express their thoughts and emotions.” He notes poetry slams draw “authors of all ages, vying to read their thoughts put to beautiful, lyrical verse, clever wordplay and witty puns.” He adds that “poetry morphs into the song lyrics [that include] most rap, pop, hip-hop and R & B songs.”

In LaPorte, the Ruth Andrew Coffeen Poetry Club, in existence since 1938 and still going strong, presents monthly programs of poetry written by the famous and by its own members.

The club devotes at least one program each year to Shakespeare.

Dworkin has hosted the club at PNC, and presided over last summer’s renaming of the pond at the campus Shakespeare Garden. The garden was created by late English professor Barbara Lootens, who was annually invited to critique the LaPorte club’s poetry. Two members of the club were invited to read their poetic tributes to Lootens.

Block, of Michigan City, began her reign as Poet Laureate of LaPorte County by reading her poetry at an

Arts in the Park event, an alfresco summertime weekly music/artists evening in LaPorte. Since then she has visited and taught writing workshops, given a poetry recital and radio interviews, talked to area women’s organizations about poetry, and has been published. She won a national love letter-writing contest created based on poet John Keats’ love letters.

Two-time LaPorte County laureate winner and Coffeen poetry club member Yvonne Elshout of LaPorte chuckles as she notes that at age 94, public recognition for her creativity “came a little late—but it was something I never expected to get.”

Winning accolades doesn’t come easily: “Every time I go back [to my poems] I can see where I can tweak it.” Elshout’s daughter has published Perceptions, a book of Elshout’s poetry, which will go into a second printing.

All that poetry is just plain good for your health, Block says: “You need to sit down and be quiet, take a break from very busy lives. If you’re reading for yourself, it’s good brain activity as the brain works to create images. If you’re reading to someone, you are aware of your breath, and your blood pressure and heart rate decrease. And, sharing something you think is lovely is good for your psychological well-being.”

- JULIE DEAN KESSLER

photography by TONY V. MARTIN

Ninety-four-year-old Yvonne Elshout is a two-time LaPorte County laureate winner and Coffeen poetry club member. Her poetry has been published in the book Perceptions.

“Whose woods these are I think I know.” • “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” • “Quoth the raven, ‘Nevermore.’” • These snippets from Frost, Browning and Poe, written so long ago, endure in our lexicon with a tenacity that defies the whirlwinds of fads and technological revolutions. • But does poetry really have relevance today?

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onsumers today think nothing of pampering their pets. From snazzy apparel and innovative toys to the most decadent of treats, pet lovers don’t mind going all out for their furry friends.

These days, it’s not unusual to find many specialty pet shops, bakeries and boutiques offering gourmet treats for dogs. Experts say the demand is there.

So dog treat producers and bakers are responding to the request by offering an assortment of creative goodies for canine friends.

Shoppers will find a full case of interesting canine treats at Decadent Dogs in South Haven, Michigan. “We have different shapes from burgers, fries and moon pies to pizza, biscotti and bon-bons,” says Sarah Keeton of Decadent Dogs. “Most of them are made with spelt flour, rye flour and molasses.” Yogurt, carob and unsalted peanut butter are also used for flavoring. Keeton says the treats don’t have all the preservatives and unhealthy ingredients often found in “everyday” dog treats. “They’re even healthy for people to eat,” she adds.

Dogs and their owners also have their pick of creative treats at Bark and Meow in Valparaiso, Indiana. Bark and Meow’s owner Elaine Diaz says 85 percent of the treats sold at the store are homemade locally. “I make them the old-fashioned way by cutting and rolling them,” she says. Diaz offers about 13 different varieties. Among favorites are liver; peanut butter; bacon-cheese; and cheese, carrot and garlic.

For Diaz, using the freshest and the most prime quality of ingredients is of utmost importance. “I use fresh milk, cottage cheese, eggs, ground turkey, chicken livers and natural peanut butter . . . There are no preservatives or fillers either,” Diaz says, adding that many vets also refer clients to her shop shop. - ELOISE VALADEZ

25

GOURMET FOOD GOES TO THE DOGS

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shorelines The full-dome livery coaches on the Zephyr Route are coupled between the engine and standard passenger car on an Amtrak train.

Steel Wheels LUXURY RAIL TRAVEL RETURNS

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he glory days of luxurious rail travel are rekindled with a First Class train trip on the Zephyr Route.

Until now, the extent of my train travel could be encapsulated in a single word: Metra. An estimated one quarter million commuters step onto depot platforms and into commuter rail cars to make the workday migration to and from Chicago and our region. For most, the thrill of riding the train has long since left the station.

Michael Abernethy of suburban Chicago has been captivated with passenger trains since he was a youngster and in 2002 turned his obsession into a profession with the purchase of an 85-foot-long 1947 Burlington Route dome car named “Silver View,” currently being restored to passenger service for his Zephyr Route enterprise.

“Zephyr Route rail cruise journeys take today’s travelers back to a time when passenger trains were at their very best,” says the entrepreneur. “Vintage rail cars from the 1940s and 1950s have been meticulously restored to bring back the classic ambience of the past.”

Recently, my wife Christy and I stepped aboard one of Abernethy’s leased Zephyr Route full-dome livery coaches coupled between the engine and standard passenger car on an Amtrak train for a fabulous day trip from Chicago Union Station to Hannibal, Missouri, to visit the historic sites of Samuel Clemens’s (Mark Twain) boyhood home. There, the pages of Twain’s novel The Adventures of Tom

Sawyer come alive as visitors stroll cobblestone streets past charming clapboard houses and whitewashed fences brought to light in the book where the character of Tom Sawyer is modeled on Twain’s life in Hannibal as a child. The fabled town made popular by riverboat traffic does not have a railroad, however. A private motorcoach transports Zephyr Route passengers from the Quincy, Illinois, rail depot to Hannibal.

ELEGANT DINING

A major part of the Zephyr Route rail cruise is the dining experience.

Breakfast and dinner are provided en route as well as a late afternoon reception with hors d’oeuvres, champagne, domestic wines and select beers. Attentive white-gloved waitpersons provide courteous service throughout the trip.

On this rail journey, Christy and I enjoyed a piping hot breakfast with choice of chilled juices and fresh fruit medley. Danish pastries and croissants were the prelude to a baked ham and cheese breakfast strata accompanied by assorted hot and cold morning beverages.

Meals are served on white china plates with glass tumblers and stemware beautifully arranged on crisp white tablecloths. A bud vase with a fresh red rose adorns each table setting.

Dinner is elegantly presented and deliciously prepared with a selection of either baked lasagna or baked chicken breast on a bed of wild rice. Both meals come with a fresh garden salad, bread sticks and choice of dressings. Baked apple or cherry cobbler warms the dessert selection. Vanilla ice cream with assorted toppings is also available. Beverages flow through dinner to the end of the trip. The dinner menu varies with each rail cruise. This season’s menus and

Passengers of the Zephyr Route enjoy breakfast in a domed rail car.

photography [this page, top] courtesy of ED MERZLOCK; [bottom] JIM JACKSON; [opposite page] courtesy of JIM JACKSON

>> motoring <<

TABLE TALK

–JIM JACKSON

FEB 12-13 Destination: St. Louis, Mo. 2 Days, 1 Night Lodging: St. Louis Marriott Union Station APR 29-MAY 1 Destination: Minneapolis/ St. Paul, Minn.

3 Days, 2 Nights Lodging: Minneapolis Radisson Hotel Optional motorcoach trip of Twin Cities or full day at Mall of America MID-MAY Destination: Denver, Colo., and the Rockies 4 Days, 4 Nights Overnight railcar sleeping room service each way One night at Brown Palace, Denver, Colo.

Motorcoach tour to Colorado Springs and foothills of the Rockies EARLY FALL Destination: Hannibal, Mo. 1 Day roundtrip Riverboat and rail cruise, Moline, Ill. MID-FALL Destination: Kansas City, Mo. 3 Days, 2 Nights Lodging: Hyatt, Crown Center, Mo. Optional tour of Kansas City or theater event at Crown Center For more information visit zephyrroute.com or call 630.377.2241.

ENTRÉE TO LUXURY Hyundai Motor America takes a bite out of the luxury car market share with the all-new 2011 Hyundai Equus. Pronounced “Eck-kwis,” the full-size sedan goes toe-to-toe with Europe’s BMW 7-Series, Jaguar XJ and Mercedes-Benz S-Class with style and panache that serves as the Korean automaker’s upscale entrée into the Premium Luxury segment.

Equus makes a good first impression with interior quarters large enough for the rear right passenger seat to recline to armchair-like posture for complete relaxation. Adding to the cabin comfort are heated and cooled rear seats with built-in massage and leg support, rear seat entertainment system and rear seat refrigerator.

Drivers are treated to heated and cooled leather seats, heated steering wheel, driver seat massage and a forward-view park and cornering camera.

Hyundai offers the V-8 powered Equus in a Signature series priced at $58,500 and Ultimate model for $64,000—both lavishly contented with premium amenities and creature comforts akin to the low-volume, special-order competitors— leaving 2011 Hyundai Equus shoppers with a different flavor choice from Asian automakers.

–JIM JACKSON

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

Riding the Zephyr Route is different than a typical crosscountry trip in an airplane.

As with air travel, patrons embark as strangers. However, with streamliner travel, casual conversations roll with fellow passengers as freely as steel wheels on rails, chatting like old friends while watching the miles whisk by through the full-length glass domed coach.

We joined Ed Merzlock at one of ten elevated pedestal dining tables set for breakfast. “I’m a ‘rail fan,’” said the Shorewood, Illinois, resident. “Unlike the ‘commuter cattle car,’ this kind of train trip is relaxing. You see the country from a different perspective than you do from the airplane and at the same time enjoy a certain social component with people who share a common interest.”

Merzlock reflects back to the “good old days” as we chat across the miles and adds insight to railroad transportation before Amtrak became America’s primary provider of long distance railway conveyance. “Each of the early railroads had a personality—a style that set them apart from the other rail companies. Riding the train was a classy way to see the country— almost a lifestyle. It is an era not likely to ever be repeated in this world of homogenized rail travel.”

Agreed. Riding the silver rails in a classic American streamliner on the Zephyr Route will not resurrect the Golden Age of train travel. But it may just punch your ticket for a nostalgic return to yesteryear when travelers were wined and dined in sleek stainless steel elegance and viewed our nation’s landscape palette through domed glass.

2011 ZEPHYR ROUTE RAIL JOURNEYS

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meals are prepared by the awardwinning My Chef Catering in Naperville, Illinois. Cost for the one-day Chicago to Hannibal round trip with onboard meals and gratuity is $225 per person.

Scenic views are complimentary.

shorelines >> the good life <<

The Family “Foodie-cation”

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5TIPS

HELPFUL

of options to narrow down your choices by price, location and number of rooms.

While the descriptions on the site are very accurate, we were fortunate enough to have my mom arrive in Argentina a month before our entire clan, which enabled her to meet with the owner and inspect the villa for herself. Scouting the location beforehand will also allow you to grade the surrounding areas for safety, shops, grocery stores and restaurants.

We settled on an incredible villa that was once a warehouse in the ultra-hip PalermoSoho district. It’s the cultural epicenter of BA, where mom and pop restaurants sit side-by-side with trendier celebrity chef joints and fashion boutiques. Our villa was the perfect setting for a holiday party my family hosted for my mom’s expatriate and tango friends. Porteños love their meat, so we couldn’t resist serving fresh cuts of lomo (tenderloin), bife de chorizo (strip loin) and bife de costilla (porterhouse) on the hot parilla grill. We served homemade chimichurri alongside the beef to top off the Argentinean degustation.

This past summer, Haj and I found an amazing Balinese-style villa in Santa Monica through vrbo.com. The villa was a perfect retreat; it offered us a tropical paradise complete with a pool, a vegetable garden, a koi pond, a fire pit and even a rabbit’s pen nestled around the main house and additional guesthouse. The kitchen, just like our BA kitchen, was perfect for cooking meals for our large family and host of

friends who visited us during our trip.

Beautifully designed kitchens inspire home cooks, like myself, to create meals beyond what we would normally make at home. Imagine this menu lineup for one day: For breakfast, Spanish style eggs with chorizo, sautéed garlic and thyme; for lunch, roasted bell peppers with sardines in olive oil; and for dinner, Thai crab curry with peppers, onions, carrots, ginger and garlic; mussels bathed in cream, garlic, onions, olive oil and parsley and a roasted leg of lamb with rosemary and garlic. We capped off our evening with a horizontal tasting of Stag’s Leap’s arsenal of 2006 cabernet sauvignons—Fay, S.L.V. and Cask 23. Wow!

W

hile we certainly didn’t shy away from visiting top restaurants in each area, it was the meals we shared in our vacation villas that produced the best memories. In Santa Monica, after each meal, the adults would gather on the deck for wine, cheese and conversations while all our kids—siblings, cousins and friends—shared laughs and s’mores around the campfire in our city villa. It’s not hard to appreciate how meals can unite friends and family. But seeing each other’s children do the same makes it more meaningful. - GEORGE AQUINO

1. Don’t just rely on the Internet for your research. If possible, have a friend who lives in the area scout the villa beforehand. // 2. Email the owner and confirm everything in writing. // 3. Talk to the owner over the phone. A hospitable host usually equates to a more pleasant experience. // 4. Check out the location on Google maps and search the satellite and street view of the villa to get a better sense of the neighborhood.

Is the villa really walking distance to the beach? // 5. Read online comments by past guests.

photography by GEORGE AQUINO

H

ere’s my family’s vacation dilemma: How do you feed a large group of globetrotting foodies every night without having to hand over your wallet to the restaurant manager on a silver platter? My family discovered the best way to solve this problem is to rent a villa large enough to accommodate the troops and a kitchen glamorous enough to inspire home cooks, like myself, to cook delicious meals to delight every family member’s culinary cravings. Welcome to the family-style “foodie-cation,” where the kitchen takes center stage in an epicurean’s dream villa.

While you can certainly do all your research ahead of time and plan a master calendar of dinner reservations, the reality is, spontaneity sometimes produces the best results. Kids also have a way of dictating where the family should dine, despite the bribes of cash from parents eager to shed some culture into their children’s palates.

Renting a villa allows the foodie to explore the local farmers’ market and grocery store to get a better sense of the food products available in the area. There are hundreds of vacation rental sites online, though there are a couple that I would recommend based on my own personal experience. On a Christmas trip to Buenos Aires two years ago, my sister Haj found the site ApartmentsBA.com. The site is very easy to navigate and offers a host

architecture issue the

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We’re celebrating the style and structure of homes and buildings along the lakeshore in our first-ever Architecture issue.

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shorelines

O

ne day while attending 6th grade, Todd’s elementary school teacher handed the class career guides filled with dozens of job titles, detailed descriptions of work, and colorful photographs. Todd eagerly leafed through the book and discovered the job of Fisheries Biologist. This excited him. Todd finished grammar school, high school, college, and eventually enrolled in graduate school, where he specialized in marine studies.

Today he lives his dream and serves the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) in Traverse City as Fishery Supervisor and Central Lake Michigan Unit Manager.

Todd Kalish

THE ICEMAN COMETH

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Todd Kalish knew from a young age that he wanted ice fishing to be a part of his life. During crisp Wisconsin winters he and his father would trek down to the town bait shop and purchase brightly colored lures and line weights for upcoming ice fishing adventures. As soon as they got home, Todd would quickly set out his favorite red sweater and pair of pants for the trip. His father would begin setting out ice augers, bait buckets, gloves, jigs, gaffs and snacks. A strong fishing ethic existed in the Kalish household. The men always prepared carefully, religious about fish. The three men would rise early in the morning for a large pancake breakfast before driving to their permanent wood shanty on Black Hawk Lake.

The shanty was stocked with lightweight rods and fresh cut firewood. The shed had a sturdy wood-burning stove and was large enough to accommodate eight fishermen. The Kalishes used minnows as bait and fished for crappie and blue gill.

How important is ice fishing to you? When I was a kid, there was a great sense of camaraderie in my family. Sometimes we didn’t catch fish, but that was okay. Ice fishing is location-specific. You move around a lot, but you can’t hit as many spots as you would summer fishing. Sometimes my father and I would drill as many as twenty holes into the ice. Ice fishing is typically best endeavored early and late in the winter season. These are fantastic times to catch bluegill, perch, northern pike, and panfish.

Spearing for muskie is a lot of fun.

When people ice fish, they are taking part in a ritual that has been around for centuries.

What makes Lake Michigan the best place to fish? Lake Michigan has a diverse fish population.

Fishermen can catch chinook salmon, coho salmon, lake trout and brown trout. We also host a robust collection of muskie, yellow perch, lake whitefish, and lake herring. In Little Bay de Noc and Big Bay de Noc you can find great walleye. Reports for fish like chinook salmon are higher

photograph courtesy of TODD KALISH

>> interview <<

here than catch rates for chinook anywhere else in the United States.

How can ice fishermen be better stewards of Lake Michigan? Families can conserve water. We get a large majority of our drinking water from Lake Michigan. People should be cautious of dumping things when out on the ice. Fishermen can join a citizens’ advisory committee. Get involved. These groups protect the habitat and fish population. The Grand Traverse Area Sport Fishing Association is a great group to get involved with.

What precautions should people take? Do research. If you are heading to a water body for the first time, the best thing to do is call local bait shops. Ask locals about the water. Wear a life jacket.

Contact the DNRE. We can tell you where there may be springs and areas you need to avoid. We have a saying: “No ice is safe ice!” Never consider yourself to be completely safe on the ice. There is always an element of risk.

- CHRISTOPHER LOUIS

Todd’s Tips Call the DNRE for information and talk to locals.

Wear a life jacket.

If you have a shanty or shed, make sure it is stocked a day before you plan on fishing.

$63 per day...

Have your fishing license, first aid kit, GPS unit, and cell phone handy.

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Be safe and have fun.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

Know the water well; this increases your odds of catching a lot of fish. “I fish at the same spots,” Kalish says. “I know the area well. If there is a weed edge, drop off or rock pile, I’m prepared because I’m familiar with the territory.”

shorelines >> where to go <<

GET A CLUE

The appeal of murder mystery dinners isn’t hard to deduce For anyone who came up through the public BED AND BREAKFAST (AND BLOODSHED) Grand Escape Inns of Saugatuck, Michigan school system, the commingling of the words This quartet of inns (Bayside, Twin Oaks, Suncatcher, Ivy) “mystery” and “dinner” is sure to unlock some within walking distance of each other has been rotating five unpleasant gastronomical memories. But for self-penned crime scenarios for its murder mystery weekends for the past 26 years. Unlike some other setups that include those looking to add a course of intrigue to the the involvement of outside actors or scripts, everything in standard dinner gathering, interactive murder Saugatuck is done in-house and driven by the participation of mystery parties and getaways have become a the groups (usually 16-24 people). popular entertaining option. Like the venerable Guests receive their parts and a basic outline of the mystery a few weeks in advance so that they can begin thinking board game Clue come to life, many hosts find about their roles and potential costumes. After a Friday these events to be a welcome alternative to the night mixer to kick off the weekend, the real fun begins on standard monotony of wine selection chit-chat Saturday afternoon with character introductions and a Q&A session to clarify any last-minute details, such as “What is and awkward icebreakers, allowing guests to the best way to die?” (Hint: the staff knows from experience mingle naturally within the structure of an that face-first into the tiramisu with a heavy beard is not a organized activity that lets everyone indulge particularly dignified way to go out), before the main event gets underway that night. their Law & Order obsessions in the semi-real The Twin Oaks’ Willa Lemken has been helping to facilitate world. • The parties themselves, in fact, tend these weekends for the past dozen years, so she knows what to unfold in a similar fashion to a well-planned makes them work—or not. “Everybody has a part to play— crime. With the motive of creating a fun, from the extrovert who’s been coming for the past ten years, to the husband who only came because the wife wanted to memorable evening squarely in place and a do it,” she says. “But there are roles to fit everyone, so as cast of accomplices lined up, it’s really just long as they give it a chance and get into it, it’s always a lot a question of execution—be it an elaborate, of fun for the whole group.” multi-day affair in a remote getaway, a MURDER FOR HIRE contracted hit by a group of pros Haven’t Gotta Clue Murder Mystery Makers at a local establishment, or a No room at the inn? Or maybe just no need for FOR MORE an overnight? No problem—the Cedar Lakebare-bones do-it-yourself job.

INFORMATION based Haven’t Gotta Clue Murder Mystery We’ll leave the whole lead Makers deliver ready-made, fully staffed Grand Escape Inns pipe versus candlestick 800.647.6023 mystery events to whatever location their grandescapeinns.com debate for another time. clients request.

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An offshoot of their long-running L’arc en Ciel Theatre Group, Paul and Angie Haven’t Gotta Clue Lowe’s players-for-hire ensemble has been Murder Mystery Dinners taking their customizable murder mysteries 219.365.3197. lctg.org on the road for the past decade or so, from golf courses and banquet halls to church Inn at Aberdeen 219.465.3753 basements and even private residences. innataberdeen.com/mystery Customers contact the Lowes three to four weeks in advance to start planning and modifying their mystery, choosing from a variety of scenarios, themes and eras, and tailoring the script to incorporate anything fun or specific to their group. The pros at Haven’t Gotta Clue take it from there to make the magic happen— with plenty of help from the audience, of course.

photograph courtesy of INN AT ABERDEEN

Murder Mystery Weekends: March 18-19, April 8-9

a

“The more they improv with us, the crazier things get,” Angie says.

“Most audiences really love to play it up, and they can be hilarious. It’s as if we inspire each other—the more outlandish, the better!”

PLANNING THE PERFECT CRIME

Mysteries at the Inn at Aberdeen Innkeeper John Johnson started offering fully formed murder mystery getaway weekends at the Inn at Aberdeen just over a dozen years ago. But after a run of killer business, bookings began to wane in recent years. Still, Johnson loved watching groups of strangers come together for a weekend and rally around a common macabre cause, so he decided to shift to a DIY model instead.

Now guests can plan their own mystery evenings or weekends with the help of just a general script outline and a professional actress/facilitator to keep the pot boiling—the Valparaiso inn takes care of the accommodations and

Bistro 157 | Bon femme | don Quijote | Pikk’s tavern uPcoming event

eat up wine down 1st thursdays of every month

per selection

mark your calendars for the 1st thursday of every month, where you’ll “eat up and wine down” at valparaiso’s downtown dining restaurants. Bistro 157, Bon femme, don Quijote, and Pikk’s tavern will open their doors from 5-10 p.m. and offer guests five of their most “famous” drinks and/or dishes…for a cost of only $5 per selection.

At the Aberdeen, guests can plan their own mystery evenings or weekends with the help of a general script outline and a professional actress/facilitator.

for more restaurant and event information visit

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

the centerpiece meal. These days, Johnson sees mostly groups of 10 or 12 old friends, sorority sisters, or extended families giving it a go (he even watched a surprise wedding unfold during one memorable mystery), but his enjoyment remains mostly the same.

“It’s fun to see how much people get into it as the night or weekend progresses,” he says.

“Even some of the sticks-in-the-mud start to loosen up and have a good time in spite of their preconceived reservations.” - MARK LOEHRKE

>> green notes <<

Bill Kurtis

News of a food revolution

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Bill Kurtis was taking the night off from anchoring the news when he visited Octave Grill in Chesterton (137 South Calumet) last fall, to talk about the company he founded, Tallgrass Beef Company. Octave Grill serves dishes prepared with this grass-fed beef that is also free of hormones and antibiotics, and Kurtis says it was his own investigative reporting that led him to a better way of raising beef.

“I

t’s a long way from anchoring,” Kurtis laughs. “I’m from Kansas originally. And I came here about 40 years ago and started with CBS in Chicago. I do documentaries and investigative reporting and all of that and I bought a ranch and started raising cattle, because that’s about the only way in Kansas to pay for your ranch. And I started discovering all of the problems that feedlots are facing.”

He says his research found problems that helped him to direct his own company in a different way.

“Growth hormones—just recently we had a new report of early puberty starting at age 7. And the antibiotics—when a calf goes into a feedlot, they stay there until they are 14 or 16 months in crowded conditions with inhumane treatment and they get all of these diseases, so you need antibiotics to keep them alive long enough to eat them. The problem is, those are the same antibiotics we use. So 70 percent of all of the antibiotics we manufacture in this country go to livestock, to keep them alive long enough so we can harvest them. It’s really pretty wild,” Kurtis says.

Tallgrass Beef is not raised in feedlots, and Kurtis says his cattle, raised on his 10,000-acre farm, are different. “I discovered also an alternative,” he says.

“And the alternative was to just keep them on grass. It turns out that cattle evolved on grass, and up until about 60 years ago, at the start of World War II, America was grass fed—the entire country, the entire world, incidentally was grass fed. And so if you just keep them in the pasture, they develop natural marbling, but they don’t eat corn. Corn is what keeps the feedlots alive. And the minute you put corn in, it’s like putting diesel into your car. It changes the nutrition, it changes the whole makeup, and frankly, it creates more stomach acid so that we create E. coli.”

His product is not only safer, but it is healthier, he says. “So you put them on grass and it becomes a health food. High in omega-3s, essential fatty acids, high in conjugated linoleic acid, that’s a cancer preventer, and heightened levels of beta carotene and things like that. Lots of vitamins and lower saturated fat. So one thing the starch and the corn does is raise the saturated fat levels and cause the cholesterol to build up, and that’s why the red meat got a bad name. So you put them on grass and the saturated fat turns into polyunsaturated fat and it all goes down—cholesterol goes down, calories go down, fat goes down. So in many ways it’s a lean product,” Kurtis says. Grass-fed beef is also higher in protein; vitamins E, B and riboflavin; and higher in minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium, according to a study by Clemson University.

For more information on Tallgrass Beef Company, visit tallgrassbeef.com. - HEATHER AUGUSTYN

photograph by JON L. HENDRICKS

shorelines

Tallgrass Beef Company owner and former Chicago journalist Bill Kurtis, front, poses with Octave Grill owners Casey and Sylvia Petro during a stop at the Chesterton restaurant. Octave Grill exclusively serves Tallgrass Beef in their hamburgers.

shorelines Annie Lambla spent a month on the road last summer, stopping at town squares, parks and farm stands to demonstrate how to make homemade yogurt.

>> health club <<

CULTURE CREATION

Annie Lambla shows Midwesterners how to make yogurt says. Not so of the rich, vibrant, creamy product she learned to Annie Lambla loves live and active cultures—but do not mistake produce using whole milk and French methods. her for a Jamie Lee Curtis groupie. The 25-year-old mounted her This spring Lambla decided it was time for another adventure. homemade bicycle and set off from her apartment in Chicago’s She used Kickstarter, an online fundraising tool, to raise $2,000 for Hyde Park neighborhood last August, toting a bike trailer outfitted travel expenses and supplies; plotted her journey on a Google map; with camping equipment and yogurt-making supplies. She would and searched the Internet to identify family farms along her route spend the next month on the road, stopping at town squares, parks where she could stop and replenish her supply of fresh milk. and farm stands to demonstrate how to make homemade yogurt, Yogurt is made by heating milk slowly to a simmer, adding live using fresh milk from Midwestern dairies whenever possible. cultures (usually from an existing batch of yogurt), and keeping it Her travels wound through rural Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, at 110 degrees for six to twelve hours. “You put it behind a closed spanning a total of 750 miles. Not surprisingly, folks had lots of door, and twelve hours later, it’s changed forms,” Lambla says. questions for Lambla, including favorites like, “You rode how far On the road, she made most of her yogurt using a camp stove to today?!” and “Why are you doing this?” To the latter, Lambla simmer the milk. She incubated it on a ceramic plate heated with a replied that her mission was to bring, well, liveliness and cultures to tea light, tucked into a cooler to keep it warm. (Early experiments the streets of Midwestern towns. “It’s really cool to make yogurt,” to incubate the yogurt using a homemade solar oven failed.) she says. “It’s kind of magical, yet so easy.”

Lambla discovered that local folks are the best marketing for And tasty. Lambla became a yogurt connoisseur a couple of local farms. “A lot of local family farms don’t advertise on the years ago while living in Istanbul, Turkey. Turks often use yogurt Internet,” she says. “I kept finding as an ingredient in main dishes, out about farms that day after I or as the base for savory dips and passed them.” Had she been in a sauces, and she become enamored car, she would have made a U-turn, with yogurt’s versatility. To this day, but backtracking 30 miles on a bike her favorite way to eat yogurt is in isn’t an attractive prospect. Of the the form of ayran, the Turkish name six farms she visited, her favorite for a Middle Eastern drink made was the Goat Dairy in Utica, Ohio, by blending yogurt with ice water, Annie shares a simple yogurt recipe because the goat’s milk made even salt, and perhaps a little mint. “On on her blog, yogurtpedaler.com: creamier yogurt than she remembers hot days in Istanbul, I would buy “I’ve never even used a thermometer since from her days in France. an ayran from any takeout food leaving the farm. Just let the milk boil once, When she stopped pedaling stand, poke a straw through the slowly, so it rises like Turkish coffee. Then let it to share her wares with the locals, sealed top, and drink it as I walked cool a bit, until you can stick your finger in it she often was met with skepticism. down the street,” she says. “It was for a few seconds.

“Lots of people were curious, wary, delicious, cheap and instantly cooled or thought I was crazy,” Lambla “Mix about a half cup of the warm milk with and revived me for the rest of the 2 or 3 teaspoons of yogurt—the consistency of says. “But when people realized afternoon and evening.” She also this yogurt that you use for the culture is what how easy the process was, especially fell in love with the city’s ubiquitous most determines the texture of your finished if they got to taste how sweet, street food vendors. “I loved the life yogurt. Stir it up well, until the lumps are gone, creamy, tangy and intricate fresh they brought to the street,” she says. and mix it all into the bigger pot of milk. yogurt is, they seemed more open After her stint teaching English to the idea of finding good milk and in Turkey, Lambla traveled to France, “Transfer it all into a ceramic pot, preferably experimenting with making their where she lived for a few months on with a round-ish top. Wrap it in a dish towel, food in their own homes.” a dairy farm. “Most American yogurt and leave it on low, low, low heat (I put it over has been turned into diet food,” she - MANDY BURRELL BOOTH the pilot light on the stove) for 10 hours.

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DO NOT open or move it during these 10 hours. Then it’s delicious to eat! You’d be surprised at how delicious warm yogurt is.”

photography provided by ANNIE LAMBLA

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN YOGURT

www.comhs.org

shorelines >> haute properties <<

THE GATHERING PLACE

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hese days many of us are staying home a little more, cooking up some great gatherings and delicious dishes. For some, the move to our kitchens is economical. For others, it’s ecological.

No matter what your reason, the kitchen has regained its place as the most important room in the house.

“With this economy people are staying put. Our remodel clientele is big,” says Mary Zarnecki, showroom manager for WaterPlace in New Buffalo. “People are investing and staying put. With what money they do have they are picking out nicer product. The kitchen has real impact today.”

The biggest trend in kitchens today isn’t much of a shocker—stainless steel seems perpetually in fashion when it comes to appliance finishing. Black and white finishes don’t have the wow-factor and versatility today’s client is looking for, says Pam Maruszczak of Maruszczak Appliance Sales & Service in Schererville. And the bisque finish has essentially been put out to pasture.

Stainless, she adds, complements all cabinet finishes and color schemes.

What Maruszczak has seen a rise in, when it comes to new construction or a major remodel, is more people choosing a built-in, custom refrigerator and freezer and custom panels to perfectly match the kitchen cabinetry.

For those just seeking replacement appliances, many are choosing a refrigerator with French doors over its oncepopular brother, the side-by-side, Maruszczak says. Since people are cooking more, she says, they need space to store larger items like trays for entertaining, cakes and bulk food. French doors offer extra room, while still providing the classic look of two doors.

“French door refrigerators are very, very popular right now. People are tired of the side-by-side—not being able to fit things in the refrigerator or freezer section because they are so slim,” Maruszczak says. “So they like the idea of the side-by-side-looking doors but with a nice wide area.”

When it comes to cooking, double ovens are on fire. Instead of offering a storage drawer, many manufacturers are now offering an optional baking drawer—pretty handy for big family The double dinners or holiday cooking. Most people are oven—like the willing to give up a small amount of storage for Maytag variety at Maruszczak an extra cooking area, Maruszczak says.

Appliances—is a And, where there was once a push to hot item for kitchens. showcase a microwave over the oven, now people are tucking their microwaves neatly in cabinetry while opting to showcase the oven itself with a lovely, traditional chimney-style hood.

When it comes to the sink, the sky’s the limit, Zarnecki says. One of the biggest advances is a highly sensitive touch-activated faucet from Delta and its designer company Brizo. The obvious benefit is the ability to wash your hands during food preparation without contaminating several things in the process. “It is literally set to touch. You can leave it on a desired temperature and you touch

it and these faucets Many people are choosing know the difference a refrigerator with French between just a touch doors over its once-popular to turn it on and off brother, the side-by-side. and grabbing it to spray,” Zarnecki says.

“That innovation is very big and very popular.”

Improvements for the sink don’t stop there. Other new amenities include filtered water, soap dispensers, vases, washcloth hooks, and air switches for your garbage disposal—all in coordinating colors and styles.

Manufacturers are also offering more custom fit accessories for the sinks they design. Grids to protect the bottom of the sink and cutting boards cut to fit over top of your sink allow you to make the most of your sink space.

Of course, the trend to be money-smart and earth-friendly continues as well. “Everyone that walks in asks if it’s Energy Star. Almost everything now is Energy Star,” Maruszczak says. “So many people walk in the store with consumer reports in their hand looking for the most energy-efficient, the most economical and the most for their dollar.”

W

hile there may be many trends in the technology and the style of kitchens today, the biggest trend may simply be that the kitchen itself is taking focus. “The kitchen used to be a utility room, and the master bath used to be the most important room in the house. I see that now the kitchen is the most important. It’s the family gathering room.

It’s an entertainment room. Kitchens are a gathering place. People are entertaining and gathering the family around the table,” Zarnecki says. “The kitchen is a priority today.” - CHRISTY BONSTELL

photography by TONY V. MARTIN

T

New trends for your kitchen

spring issue ~ Profiles of celebrated wedding photographers ~ Listings of local reception venues ~ New trends in cake toppers ~ Pre-wedding fitness

delivering February

* content subject to change

MAYOR’S CHARITY BALL, VALPARAISO • LITERARY AWARDS DINNER, CHICAGO • LAKELAND GALA, ST. JOSEPH • NISO GALA, HAMMOND • MARCH OF DIMES FUNDRAISER, GRAND RAPIDS • HARMONY HOUSE BENEFIT, MICHIGAN CITY • COLUMBIA BALL, CHICAGO • SECRET SISTER SOCIETY LUNCHEON, SOUTH BEND • AMERICAN SMOOTH JAZZ AWARDS, CHICAGO 1

chair-ity auction mayor’s charity ball valparaiso

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photography by tony v. martin

A silent auction of chairs decorated by local artists at this year’s Mayor’s Charity Ball raised funds for five not-forprofit organizations. Some 350 attendees enjoyed a cocktail reception at the Brauer Museum of Art followed by dinner and dancing at Valparaiso University’s Harre Union. Mayor Jon Costas welcomed guests and kicked off the evening.

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1 Allen Grecula and Tera Littlejohn of Chesterton 2 Bob and Kathy Jacobs of Valparaiso 3 Rene and Jim Martin of Chesterton 4 Don and Diane Nelson with Veronica Hipp and Greg Engstrom of Valparaiso

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5 Gene Shinabargar and Valerie Steil of Valparaiso 6 Gina and Todd Wagenblast of Valparaiso

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7 Curt and Marion Gill of Valparaiso 8 Mitch and Lita Peters of Chesterton 9 Bill and Danielle Oeding of Valparaiso with Mayor Jon Costas

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10 Linda and Bill Nolan of Plainfield, Ill.

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ALL CLICKS COMPILED BY SUE BERO

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signature event literary awards dinner | chicago

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photography by dan rest and johnny knight

1 Oprah Winfrey and Toni Morrison 2 Hermene Hartman and Desiree Rogers 3 Sandra Rand, Peter Bynoe and Maria Bechily

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4 Eric McKissack, Deryl McKissack and Cheryl Mayberry McKissack 5 David Heroy, James R. Donnelley and Tom Quinlan 6 Cheryl Burton and Liza Cruzat Brooks

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7 Kevin Lambert and Theresa Schwegel

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More than 700 people gathered for a not-to-be forgotten feast for the mind and palate when the Chicago Public Library and the Chicago Library Foundation honored author Toni Morrison with the Carl Sandburg Literary Award. Guests enjoyed hearing the writer in a provocative conversation with Oprah Winfrey.

interactive evening

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lakeland gala | st.joseph photography by gregg rizzo

1 Liz and Dan Bedwell of Indianapolis 2 Karen and Dr. Steve Hempel of St. Joseph 3 Barb Ashman of Benton Harbor with Laura Lesher of St. Joseph

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5 Jeff and Kelly Yeager of St. Joseph 6 Dan and Jeanne Shelton of Berrien Springs 7 Bob and Carol Gerbel of St. Joseph

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

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4 Elizabeth and Steve Upton of St. Joseph

An elegant black tie event included an exceptional dinner, extraordinary décor and an opportunity to “Race Around the World” in an interactive game. The evening, hosted by Lakeland Health Foundation and Lakeland Auxiliary, benefits the Marie Yeager Cancer Center being designed to provide state-of-the-art cancer treatment.

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opening on key 1

signature chefs

niso gala | hammond

march of dimes fundraiser | grand rapids

photography by tony v. martin

photography by gregg rizzo

The third annual opening concert gala was an evening of lively music, conversation and food. Guests feasted on Italian specialties, toasted the Northwest Indiana Symphony chorus for its continued dedication to NISO, and enjoyed romantic duets

by Angela Mannino, soprano, and John Sumners, tenor, overwhelming Puccini choruses and the exotic Firebird led by director Kirk Muspratt.

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2 1 Ena Osterhouse of Ada and Tammy Kingma of Grand Rapids

1 Bruce and Jenny Yalowitz of Munster 2 Raymundo Garcia and Karen Maravilla of Hammond

2 Chris Potter, Mike Mraz and Mike Zago, all of Grand Rapids

3 Deedee and Chris Morrow of Dyer

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4 Tricia Hernandez of Crown Point with Charlie McGill and Anne Van Keppel of DeMotte

3 Nancy and Corky Mroczkowski of Grand Rapids

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5 Howard and Susie Marcus of Munster

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4 Michele DeSelms of Grand Rapids, Mike Avery of Grandville and Sarah Vrodhead of Grand Rapids 5 Julia Lyons and Sara Bentley-Wierda, both of Hudsonville

6 Sharron and Bruce Hillman of Merrillville

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Nearly 800 people attended the 12th annual Grand Rapids March of Dimes fundraiser, netting $240,000 to help raise healthier babies. Guests sampled tastings from 19 Western Michigan restaurants and bid on high-end silent auction items including a private concert with Brian VanderArk and a party for 100 at Acorn Grill. Fox 17 featured live cutaways of the evening.

6 Rusty and Laura Ross of Grand Rapids

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Let us take the

as time goes by

harmony house benefit | michigan city

intimidation out of picking the perfect wine.

photography by gregg rizzo

Guests attending the Casablanca-themed Harmony House/ CASA wine tasting at Pearl Theater were greeted by actors portraying the award-winning film characters Rick Blaine and Ilsa Lund for a photo opportunity in front of a 1932 Duesenburg. Attendees enjoyed wine tasting, appetizers from local eateries and a 1940s swing band while helping raise money for the children advocate program.

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2 1 Jason Rodriguez with Ed Kis, both of Michigan City

231 & Parrish, St. John, IN

2 Matt and Pam Huff of LaPorte

219.558.8911

3 Rochelle Dierdorf and Carl Swenson, both of Michigan City 4 Mark Yagelski of Michigan City with Karen Biernacki and Shaw Friedman, both of LaPorte

See our website for wine tasting schedule

www.stjohnwineandspirits.com

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5 Jonathon and Renee Howes of LaPorte

Not your average Tea Bags

6 Brian and Peyton Daley of Michigan City

Over

20 healthful Loose Teas Friendly assistance to help with your selection

Flours, Grains, Nuts & Seeds

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100+ Spices Maybe a pinch is all you need?

WINTER TREATS & BAKING NEEDS! 5

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Sugar Free, Gluten Free, Organic, Kosher, Vegetarian, Local Honeys, Chocolates, Soups & Baking Ingredients

Porter County’s 2010 Retailer of the Year R.O.S.E. Award Recipient 761 Indian Boundary Road Chesterton, IN • 219-983-9401 www.mollybeas.com • Mon-Thu 10-7, Fri-Sat 10-5, Sun 10-3

Next to El Salto, just east of Hwy. 49 near I-94.

special advertising section

St. Joe MAGICAL ICE CARVING FESTIVAL FEBRUARY 11-13, 2011 Be sure to mark your calendars for the 7th Annual Magical Ice Carving Festival, Friday, February 11 through Sunday February 13, in beautiful downtown St. Joseph. Come to watch the sculptures being carved while enjoying shopping, dining, wine tasting, kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; activities and, of course, magic shows!

This event is sanctioned by NICA (National Ice Carving Association) who will oversee and judge professional competitions for originality, artistic quality, technique, detail and design.

An ice dragon was sculpted in a previous festival in St. Joseph.

All of our drinks are crafted to meet Kilwinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high quality standards

217 State St | St Joseph, MI 49085 | (269) 982-1330

~ Antiques Below the Bluff ~ Antiques on the Bluff ~ Farmers Market ~ Free Horse Drawn Trolley Rides ~ Regatta Craft Fair ~ Brownbag Concerts

A tall pair of giraffes stand together at the Magical Ice Carving Festival.

~ Friday Night Concert Series ~ Chalk the Block ~ Blues Brews and Bar B Ques

Visit sjtoday.org for days and times St. Joseph Today | 421 State Street | 269-985-1111

special advertising section

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It’s a GIRL thing!

VOTED BEST WOMEN’S CLOTHING STORE IN REGION TWO YEARS RUNNING!

2011 Ice Sculpture Festival February 11 - 12

“Lake” your space

One-of-a-kind finds to make your living space on the lake so much fun and so unique! Come in and take a peek – you’ll be glad you did!

Warm up with GREAT savings at our

INSIDE SIDEWALK SALE!

Come in for the fun of it!

Open Thurs. until 8:00 p.m.

321 STATE STREET ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN 269-983-4273 moxiesboutique.com OPEN MONDAY - SATURDAY, 10 - 6

613 Broad St., St. JoSeph, MI • 269-983-7774

MOXIE’S BOUTIQUE My FESTIVAL Favorite AD Place to Stay!

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Your Guide To

SW Michigan Beach

Alden J. Ho Photography

Vacation hoMeS 16TH

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First Place Winner!

Best Realtor 16TH

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St. Joseph Today

American Call Today Homes 269.208.3862

(800) 906-9968

4532 Red Arrow Hwy. ~ Stevensville, MI 49127

www.sjtoday.org

Carve Time For Your Sweetheart This Valentine’s Weekend Say, “I love you” with the sparkle, wonder and warmth of the seventh annual Magical Ice Carving Festival in downtown St. Joseph. It’s a romantic weekend of artistry, great boutique finds, comfort foods, sensational drinks and cozy nights. The festival is so close to home you can linger for an evening … a day … or the whole weekend!

Many of the activities are free, so go ahead, indulge in some time together.

These memories will last longer than roses.

All Weekend

 S B L H. As you explore downtown, look for glistening logo sculptures with special items inside. To get started, come to the Welcome Center (located at 421 State Street).  R T S B C. 48 hand-carved figures, two chariots (one is wheelchair accessible), music and 1,000 glittering lights will send your spirit soaring. Visit silverbeachcarousel.com for festival activities.  S A T L. Nearby lodgings offer special weekend packages for you and your sweetie.

Visit sjtoday.org or swmichigan.org for deals.

Friday, Feb. 11 2-10 pm

P I C. Watch professional ice sculptors turn blocks of ice into beautiful creations along State Street.

5-10 pm

S’ F T. Celebrate your love with food, spirits and live entertainment at the corner of Pleasant Street and Lake Blvd.

7:30 pm

F  I O C. Meet us at the corner of Broad Street and Lake Boulevard to watch a master carver encase a roaring fire in 30 blocks of ice! Sponsored by the St. Joseph Holiday Inn Express and Lake Park Place.

8 pm

I W K  S B C.

Visit silverbeachcarousel.com for complete list of activities.

Saturday, Feb. 12 Throughout the Day

E C C D. Mmmm! Learn gourmet cooking techniques at Perennial Accents on State Street.

10 am-8 pm

S M S E.

Discover great finds in our Victorian-era downtown with its eclectic cafes, bistros and restaurants, festival sales, fun galleries and boutiques.

Noon-5 pm

P T C C.

The buzz of chain saws and steady chipping will create crystalline masterpieces before your eyes. Sanctioned by the National Ice Carving Association with $1,800 (1st) to $250 (4th) prizes.

NOTE: Sections of State Street will be closed to automobile traffic during the festival. Road will reopen on Sunday, February 13.

Ice Carving Festival February 11-13

Downtown St. Joseph, Michigan

For Your Littlest Sweethearts This festival isn’t just for couples. In addition to the Snow Biz Logo Hunt and fun activities at the Silver Beach Carousel, bring your kids to:

Saturday, Feb. 12 10-11:30 am

K A C M S  F F. Be amazed by Magician John Dudley’s tricks, then enjoy crafts, cookies and watching the International Children’s Film Festival film shorts presented by the Sunset Coast Film Festival in partnership with Brookview School.

Film shorts provided by Facets Multi-Media. Suggested donation: $1 per person.

11:45 am-2:30 pm

M P P L M  M.

Magician John Dudley will magically appear here, too.

Fun includes crafts as well as the International Children’s Film Festival film shorts. Suggested donation: $1 per person. 11:30 am-1:30 pm: box lunches will be available for purchase downstairs.

2:30-4 pm

C K’ M M  F F. Come to the Lake Boulevard location for John Dudley’s magic show, soap carving and International Children’s Film Festival film shorts. Suggested donation: $1 per person.

6-10 pm Noon-10 pm

S’ F T. Bring your sweetie and friends for a fun-filled evening of food, spirits and entertainment at the corner of Pleasant Street and Lake Boulevard.

B S A C K’ M.

Includes time in the museum, snacks and movie. Adult supervision (first aid & CPR trained staff ). Children must be potty-trained. $18 per child.

6-10 pm

I S. Take the one you love (or bring the whole family) to the John and Dede Howard Ice Arena for outdoor skating and indoor amenities. $5 per person. $3 skate rental.

7 pm

A C  T C  S S. Meet the winners at the Schu’s Festival Tent. Visit sjtoday.org or the Welcome Center for more information

SOUTHWESTERN

tic Roman rts Fun Sta! Here

MICHIGAN TOURIST COUNCIL

(269) 925-6301 swmichigan.org

St. Joseph Today (269) 985-1111 sjtoday.org 421 State St., St. Joseph, Mich.

7:30 pm

L E   S M S O. Delight in the music of the “King of Swing” Benny Goodman at the Mendel Center. Visit smso.org for more information.

(800) 283-3363 taborhill.com 185 Mount Tabor Rd. Buchanan, Mich.

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columbian ball chicago photography by j.b. spector

Nearly 800 guests celebrated science at the 30th annual Columbian Ball for the Museum of Science and Industry. The evening included a cocktail reception, a viewing of the Science Storms exhibit, and dinner on the museum’s front lawn.

A live auction—emceed by Fox Chicago’s Robin Robinson—helped raise $20 million for the museum.

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1 Darlene and Jude Pierre-Louis 2 Rahm Emanuel and Kate McGroarty

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3 Dawn and John Livingston 4 Jim and Andi Gordon with Jill Garling and Tom Wilson

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5 Susan and Bob Morrison 6 Robin Robinson 7 Chicago’s Jersey Boys 8 Bernie Keller and Bill Daley 9 Maritza and David Babcock with Risa Davis 10 Bill and Karen Goodyear

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power outing

all that jazz

secret sister society luncheon | south bend

american smooth jazz awards | chicago

photography by gregg rizzo

photography by gregg rizzo

Some 1,300 supporters helped celebrate knowledge, survivorship and the Secret Sister Society at a luncheon and style show raising $88,000, a fund to allow underserved women ages 40-49 to receive a screening mammogram. Models, all cancer survivors, were part of the program of the Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Task Force of St. Joseph Regional Medical Center.

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The American Smooth Jazz Awards drew a capacity crowd to the DuSable Museum of African American History for performances by nominated artists and the presentation of two Wayman Tisdale Humanitarian Awards. Proceeds will help provide mammograms to the less fortunate at St. Anthony Memorial Hospital in Michigan City.

1 Laurie and Rick Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Dell of Chicago

2 Sister Sue Cush and Lucille McMahon, both of South Bend

2 Gary Grizzel and Carmen Kennedy of Cleveland

3 Trish Ross and Mike Stack, both of South Bend

3 Lisa McClowry and Perry Krokidas of Chicago

4 Mary Lowe, Michelle Engel, Nektaria Mattheos and Angelika Hostetler, all of Granger

4 Mark and Rochelle Thompson of Chicago

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5 Martha Norquist and Margaret Simons, both of Granger

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5 Ann and Lance Werner of LaPorte 6 David and Kei Benoit

6 Cari Wolfe of South Bend

7 Monika Deignan and PJ, both of Chicago

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

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essential events HAPPENINGS 50

EXHIBITIONS 51

PERFORMANCE 51

FEB 11-13 7TH ANNUAL MAGICAL ICE CELEBRATION

various times and locations, downtown St. Joseph. sjtoday.org This annual three-day festival of winter fun has activities for sweethearts, families, children and adults. The weekend includes both team and individual ice carver competitions, and spectators can also enjoy warming stations, shopping, dining, wine tasting, kids’ activities and more.

CALENDAR COMPILED BY JULI DOSHAN

happenings Indiana

Feb 11-13 Home Show, 10am-6pm, Marquette Mall, 450 St. John Rd, Michigan City. 219.326.0624. balc.org. The latest in home improvement ideas and products for the home and garden will be on display at this free expo, sponsored by the Builder’s Association of LaPorte County. Builders, contractors and suppliers will be on hand to answer questions about home remodeling, building and maintenance.

Feb 19 Winter Arts & Crafts Fair, 9am-4pm, Munster High School, 8808 Columbia Ave, Munster. ci.munster.in.us. This one-day fair, offering homemade arts and crafts, is held in conjunction with Munster’s Business & Consumer Fair, which will feature local businesses, home-based businesses and organizations.

and soon-to-be-released models, representing more than 36 car manufacturers from around the world.

Feb 4-6 Ice Breaker Festival 2011, downtown South Haven. 269.637.5252. southhaven.org.

Celebrate “The Four Seasons of South Haven” in the city’s downtown winter wonderland with pro and amateur chili cook-offs, an ice sculpting competition, a Mardi Gras dinner, kids’ crafts, wagon rides, open skating and a fish fry.

Feb 5 DTE Energy Foundation Ethnic Heritage Festival, 9am-6pm, Grand Rapids Public Museum, 272 Pearl St NW, Grand Rapids. 616.456.3977. grmuseum.org. This colorful celebration of diversity is free to the public, who will be able to experience all sorts of music, dance, crafts, displays, clothing and food representing the various ethnic groups that call West Michigan home.

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Mar 5-6 Maple Sugar Weekend, noon-4pm, International Friendship Gardens, 2055 US Hwy 12, Michigan City. 219.878.9885. friendshipgardens. org. This free event features a sugar-making camp, demonstrations, nature hikes and plenty of sweet treats. Pets on a leash are welcome.

Feb 25 The Great Food & Wine Symposium, 7:30-10:30pm, The Grand Rapids Public Museum, 272 Pearl St NW, Grand Rapids. 800.442.2771. wgvu.org. At West Michigan’s premier wine-tasting event, guests can enjoy more than 300 wines and beers from around the world, gourmet selections and classical music.

Mar 12 Spa Day at the Park, 10am-noon, Red Mill County Park, 0185 S Holmesville Rd, LaPorte.

219.325.8315. laportecountyparks.org. The first 50 people to this event will receive a goodie bag, and everyone will get the chance to sample services and check out information, products and vendors in the community, including aromatherapy, massages, at-home spa treatments, jewelry, purses, home décor and more.

Mar 3-6 2011 West Michigan Home & Garden Show, 3-9:30pm Thu, noon-9:30pm Fri, 10am9:30pm Sat, 11am-6pm Sun, DeVos Place, 303 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids. 800.326.6550. grhomeshow.org. Visitors will find myriad exhibitions for home products and services, interior/exterior design and remodeling, and seminars for home improvement, gardening and cooking.

Michigan

Feb 3-6 Michigan International Auto Show, 3-10pm Thu, 11am-10pm Fri, 10am-10pm Sat, 10am-6pm Sun, DeVos Place, 303 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids. 616.447.2860. showspan.com. This popular show features more than 300 new vehicles

Mar 13 Antiques Below the Bluff, 11am-5pm, Shadowland on Silver Beach, 333 Broad St, St. Joseph.

269.985.1111. sjtoday.org. The popular summer event, Antiques on the Bluff, will make a few appearances in the winter this year. Featuring all the favorite attractions and select vendors of its warmer weather version, food and hot beverages will also be available.

Illinois

Through Feb 13 Winter on the Green, 1-3pm Sun, Breidert Green, White & Kansas Sts, downtown Frankfort. 815.469.2177 ext 243. villageoffrankfort.com. Enjoy winter activities every Sunday in downtown Frankfort. Jan 30: Chili CookOff; Feb 6: Superbowl; Feb 13: Valentine’s Weekend.

Jan 27-30 16th Annual Strictly Sail Chicago, 11am-8pm Thu-Fri, 9am-7pm Sat, 9am-4pm Sun, Navy Pier, 600 E Grand Ave, Chicago. 312.595.5700. strictlysail.com. More than 20,000 sailing enthusiasts are expected at the largest indoor sailboat show in the country, which features the latest sailboats, gear and accessories, as well as seminars, interactive displays and special events.

Feb 10-20 Chicago Auto Show, First Look for Charity, 6:30-10:30pm Feb 10; 10am-10pm Feb 11-19; 10am-8pm Feb 20, McCormick Place, 2301 S Martin Luther King Dr, Chicago. chicagoautoshow.com. Auto enthusiasts trek to this annual convention—celebrating its 103rd anniversary this year—of more than 1,000 of the newest cars, trucks, SUVs and concept cars, all displayed within the colossal confines of McCormick Place.

Feb 27-28 2011 IKC Dog Show, 8am-5pm, McCormick Place, 2301 S Martin Luther King Dr, Chicago. ikcdogshow.com. More than 100,000 visitors will get the chance to see approximately 8,000 purebred dogs from 150 breeds demonstrate their ability in a variety of competitions as this show celebrates its 150th year.

Mar 5-13 17th Annual Chicago Flower & Garden Show, 10am-8pm Mon-Sat, 10am-6pm Sun, Navy Pier, 600 E Grand Ave, Chicago. chicagoflower.com.

Returning to this colorful event will be a plant varieties exhibit, featuring new impatiens, the latest in drought-resistant plants, new vegetable and fruit hybrids, horticulture competitions, theme gardens, seminars, a marketplace, cooking demonstrations and much more.

photograph courtesy of ST. JOSEPH TODAY

The information presented in Essential Events is accurate as of press time, but readers are encouraged to call ahead to verify the dates and times.

Please note that Illinois and most Indiana events adhere to central time, and Michigan events are eastern time.

Through Jan 30 Displaying Native American Arts—Student Selections from the Permanent Collection, Snite Museum of Art, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame. 574.631.5466. nd.edu/~sniteart.

Notre Dame students serve as guest curators and choose pieces from the permanent collection for this exhibit, which portrays the diversity of Native American art. Also, through Feb 27: The Feddersen Collection of Rembrandt Etchings.

Through Feb 13 Beyond the Arches—Selected Works from McDonald’s Corporate Art Collection, Lubeznik Center for the Arts, 101 W 2nd St, Michigan City. 219.874.4900. lubeznikcenter.org. For more than 30 years, McDonald’s has been an enthusiastic supporter of emerging artists. This collection spans decades and includes contemporary works by regional, national and international artists. Also, Feb 18-Apr 10: 100 Views of Chicago—Bronislaw M. Bak Woodcut Prints; Feb 19-Apr 10: Through the Woods, Around the Block.

Michigan

Through Feb 16 Diana—A Celebration, Grand Rapids Art Museum, 1010 Monroe Center, Grand Rapids. 616.831.1000. artmuseumgr.org.

The life and humanitarian work of one of the 20th century’s most remarkable women will be on display at this award-winning exhibition. The exhibit features more than 150 personal objects that belonged to Diana, Princess of Wales, including her royal wedding gown, 28 designer dresses, family heirlooms, personal mementos and rare home movies.

Through Apr 17 The Wyeths— America’s Artists, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, 314 S Park St, Kalamazoo.

269.349.7775. kiarts.org. Displaying works from three generations of artists, this exhibit features approximately 90 paintings and drawings from “America’s Painter” Andrew Wyeth and his family.

Also, through Apr 24: Ukiyo-e Redux— Contemporary Japanese Prints; through Apr 10: Familiar Surroundings.

Illinois

Jan 29-May 29 Jim Nutt—Coming Into Character, Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E Chicago Ave, Chicago.

312.280.2660. mcachicago.org. This exhibit will be the first major presentation of Jim Nutt’s work—which focuses on female heads in spare line drawings and rich, detailed paintings—in more than 10

performance Indiana

Chicago Street Theater, 154 W Chicago St, Valparaiso. 219.464.1636. ctgonline.org.

Now in its 56th season of bringing live theatrical entertainment to the greater Northwest Indiana region, the CST presents a variety of plays and musicals each season, in addition to regularly scheduled theater classes for both adults and children. Jan 28-Feb 12: The Drawer Boy; Feb 25-Mar 5: Life with Mother Superior.

DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame Campus. 574.631.2800. performingarts.nd.edu. The state-of-the-art, 150,000-square-foot facility, newly opened in 2004, is host to some of the world’s most celebrated artists. In addition, its stages showcase student, faculty and community performers, as well as the South Bend Symphony Orchestra, Southold Dance, the Notre Dame Symphony, the South Bend Civic Theatre, and more. Jan 29: Dave Holland Quintet; Feb 10-12: Diavolo; Feb 17-27: Proof; Mar 5: Chanticleer; Mar 13: JS Bach and Sons; Mar 26: Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.

Footlight Players, 1705 Franklin St, Michigan City. 219.874.4035. footlightplayers.org. This community theater group has been entertaining audiences in Michigan City for more than 50 years with its productions of dramas, comedies and musicals. Feb 4-13: Dixie Swim Club.

Horseshoe Casino, 777 Casino Center Dr, Hammond. 866.711.7463. horseshoehammond.com. World-class gambling and top-name entertainment combine to create an unprecedented experience at this 350,000-squarefoot casino. The Venue, the casino’s 90,000-square-foot entertainment facility, hosts some of the hottest Chicagoland entertainment. Feb 4: Air Supply; Mar 12: Jackie Mason; Mar 18: Huey Lewis and the News; Mar 19: Lea Salonga.

The Morris Performing Arts Center, 211 N Michigan St, South Bend.

574.235.9190, 800.537.6415. morriscenter.org. The home of the Broadway Theatre League, the South Bend Symphony Orchestra and the Southold Dance Theater, the 2,560-seat Morris Performing Arts Center has enraptured audiences in the heart of downtown South Bend for more than 75 years.

Feb 10: Lewis Black; Feb 18-20: Menopause the Musical; Feb 26: South Bend Symphony Orchestra, “Classical Legends”; Mar 5: James Taylor; Mar 18-19: The Color Purple.

Star Plaza Theatre, I-65 & US 30, Merrillville. 219.769.6600. starplazatheatre. com. With 3,400 seats arranged in two intimate seating levels, the theatre consistently hosts premier performers year-round. With its convenient location in the heart of Northwest Indiana’s shopping and dining district and its proximity to the adjoining Radisson Hotel, the Star Plaza offers a total entertainment package to area theatergoers. Feb 11: Riverdance; Feb 26-27: Annie; Mar 19: Avenue Q; Mar 26: Tracy Morgan.

The Theatre at the Center, Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, 1040 Ridge Rd, Munster. 219.836.3255. theatreatthecenter.com. This theater, just 35 minutes from downtown Chicago, has the distinction of being the only professional equity theater in Northwest Indiana, and showcases the artistry of professional actors, musicians and designers from throughout the Midwest.

Feb 17-Mar 20: Sleuth.

Towle Community Theater, 5205 Hohman Ave, Hammond. 219.937.8780. towletheater.org. To honor its mission of nurturing and celebrating local talent in the arts, the Towle Community Theater presents exhibitions, theatrical productions and musical performances in the heart of downtown Hammond. Feb 25-27, Mar 4-6: Ruthless!

Michigan

The Acorn Theater, 6 N Elm St, Three Oaks. 269.756.3879. acorntheater.com.

The 250-seat Acorn is home to a carefully reconstructed, rare Barton Theater Pipe Organ and boasts bistro tables and occasionally offbeat entertainment options.

Feb 12: Seigel Schwall Band; Mar 25-26: Jefferson Starship.

The Livery, 190 5th St, Benton Harbor.

269.925.8760. liverybrew.com. As its name suggests, the Livery is a former horse stable, residing in the Arts District of downtown Benton Harbor. Not content to just offer its twelve taps of microbrew, an outdoor beer garden, an appetizing soup and sandwich menu, and a coffee bar, the Livery is also a venue for an eclectic variety of musical performances. Feb 11: Doug & Telisha Williams; Feb 26: Matt Flinner Trio; Mar 13: Red Molly.

Van Andel Arena, 130 W Fulton, Grand Rapids. 616.742.6600. vanandelarena.com.

Ranked second on Billboard Magazine’s 2003 Top 10 Arena Venues for its size, this $75 million 12,000-plus capacity arena offers world-class family shows, concerts and sporting events to the increasingly popular Grand Rapids area. Mar 1: Lady Gaga. Mar 27: Winter Jam 2011 Tour Spectacular.

Illinois

Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E Parkway, Chicago.

312.902.1500. auditoriumtheatre.org.

A National Historic Landmark and a mainstay of Chicago architecture and theatre since 1889, the Auditorium continues to provide unparalleled ballet performances and a variety of artistic productions. Feb 4-5: State Ballet Theatre of Russia—Swan Lake; Feb 16-27: The Joffrey Ballet—The Merry Widow.

Broadway in Chicago, various venues, Chicago. 800.775.2000. broadwayinchicago.com. A joint venture between the two largest commercial theater producers and owner/operators in the U.S., Broadway in Chicago offers the finest of professional stage productions in multiple theaters, all residing in Chicago’s lively Loop. Bank of America Theatre, 18 W Monroe. Feb 1-13: Burn the Floor; Mar 15-27: The Merchant of Venice. Broadway Playhouse, 175 E Chestnut. Feb 15-May 8: Working. Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W Randolph. Through Jan 23: Wicked; Feb 2-27: Les Miserables.

Ford Center for the Performing Arts/ Oriental Theatre, 24 W Randolph.

Feb 8-13: Rain—A Tribute to the Beatles; Mar 8-20: Hair.

The Center for Performing Arts at Governors State University, 1 University Pkwy, University Park. 708.235.2222. centertickets.net. The Center for Performing Arts is celebrating 11 years of promoting cultural enhancement on the South Side of Chicago through world-class performing arts productions and arts education. Jan 30: The Other Three Tenors; Feb 12: Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies; Feb 19: Frank Catalano Quartet; Feb 26: Dennis DeYoung—The Music of Styx Unplugged; Mar 19: Ava Logan; Mar 27: La Traviata.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Navy Pier, 800 E Grand Ave, Chicago. 312.595.5600. chicagoshakes.com. Prominently located on Navy Pier in Chicago, this venue mounts renowned productions of the plays of William Shakespeare, as well as works from distinguished American and international playwrights and directors. The theater’s mission to reach out to younger audiences is well accomplished with its offerings of children’s productions and student matinees. The architecturally dynamic structure houses both an engaging, 500seat courtyard theater and a 200-seat black box theater. Through Mar 6: As You Like It; through Feb 13: Funk It Up About Nothin’; through Mar 5: Short Shakespeare!; Mar 16-27: The Cripple of Inishman; Mar 29Apr 10: Black Watch.

The Chicago Theatre, 175 N State St, Chicago. 312.462.6300. thechicagotheatre. com. The Chicago Theatre has been a prototype for area theaters since 1921.

With its lavish architecture and an elegant stage, the Chicago Theatre seats 3,600 and stands seven stories high. Jan 29: Lisa Lampanelli; Feb 12: Anita Baker; Feb 19: Gipsy Kings; Mar 25: Bill Cosby.

The Goodman Theatre, 170 N Dearborn St, Chicago. 312.443.3800. goodmantheatre.org. Since 1925, the Goodman Theatre has provided entertainment to the Chicago area; however, a new, state-of-the-art two-theater complex was completed in 2000—75 years to the day after the dedication of the original—and resides in the vibrant North Loop Theater District within walking distance of fine hotels and restaurants. Through Feb 20: The Trinity River Plays; Feb 5-Mar 6: Mary; Mar 5Apr 10: God of Carnage; Mar 26-Apr 24: El Nogalar.

Lyric Opera of Chicago, Civic Opera House, Madison & Wacker, Chicago.

312.332.2244 ext 5600. lyricopera.org.

The world-class Lyric Opera enraptures audiences with its spectacular artistry, performing in one of the most unique theaters in the world. The recently refurbished Civic Opera House not only is an elaborate treasure on the inside, but it is architecturally distinctive as well, shaped like a throne facing the Chicago River. Through Feb 21: The Girl of the Golden West; Feb 11-Mar 8: Lohengrin; Mar 4-21: Hercules.

Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N Halsted, Chicago. 312.335.1650. steppenwolf.org.

The Chicago-based cast is an internationally renowned group of 43 artists, committed to the art of ensemble collaboration. Now in its 35th season, Steppenwolf continues to fulfill its mission by offering intriguing performances and taking artistic risks.

Through Feb 6: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; Through May 15: Sex with Strangers; Feb 11-Apr 24: Garage Rep; Mar 24-May 29: The Hot L Baltimore.

For more events and destinations, please go to visitshoremagazine.com.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

Through July 20 Hyperlinks— Architecture and Design, Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S Michigan Ave, Chicago. 317.443.3600. artic.edu/aic. The emergence of the Internet has resulted in many things, not the least of which are new attitudes to architecture and design.

This exhibit displays more than 30 projects in architecture, furniture, multimedia and conceptual design that have stemmed from the Internet in some way from an international group of architects and designers. Also, through May 29: Real and Imaginary—Three Latin American Artists; Jan 15-Apr 3: Egoyomi—Japanese Pictures Calendars; Jan 23-Apr 17: John Marin’s Watercolors—A Medium for Modernism; Feb 3-Apr 17: Peter Fischli David Weiss— Questions, the Sausage Photographs, and a Quiet Afternoon; Feb 5-May 15: American Modern—Abbott, Evans, Bourke-White; Feb 27-May 30: Kings, Queens, and Courtiers—Art in Early Renaissance France.

years. Drawing from many inspirations, not limited to Henri Matisse, Max Ernst and H. C. Westermann, Nutt’s work shows the maturity he has gained over more than four decades of artistic development.

Through Feb 6: Uncontested Territory; through Apr 3: Urban China—Informal Cities; through May 1: Without You I’m Nothing—Art and Its Audience.

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exhibitions Indiana

To sweeten absinthe, place a sugar cube on a slotted spoon, light it on fire until it caramelizes, then stir into the drink.

minded

Three years after legalization, the misunderstood spirit is becoming a staple among cocktail connoisseurs

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WORDS BY JEREMY GANTZ | PHOTOGRAPHY BY TONY V. MARTIN

classic ABSINTHE RECIPES SAZERAC

I

Fill old-fashioned glass with ice. In a shaker, muddle the sugar cube with the dashes of bitters. Add rye whiskey and some ice. Stir until chilled. Remove ice from the old-fashioned glass and add splash of absinthe. Rinse well with the absinthe, then strain the cocktail from the shaker into the glass. Add lemon rind to garnish.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY’S DEATH IN THE AFTERNOON ((by Shannon Fischer, Handcrafted PR) 3 parts champagne 1/2 part absinthe

Add absinthe into chilled champagne flute. Add iced champagne until absinthe attains proper opaqueness.

THE CORPSE REVIVER (by blogger Angie Rayfield, thebeerladyspeaks.com) 3/4 3/4 3/4 3/4

ounce gin ounce lemon juice ounce Cointreau ounce Lillet Blanc Absinthe rinse

Rinse a chilled coupe with a splash of absinthe, coating the glass before pouring out the liquor. Set aside. Combine all other ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice. Shake, and strain into the coupe.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

n fact, absinthe isn’t hallucinogenic, psychedelic or narcotic.

It’s alcoholic—anywhere from 105 to 145 proof, to be exact.

(Whiskey is about 80 proof; Lanfray had probably drunk plenty of each, and more, that tragic day.) But bad reputation often pushes facts aside, and between 1910 and 1915 Switzerland, the United States and France banned the drink.

European bans on the liquor weren’t lifted until the 1990s (although it remains technically illegal in France). After years of lobbying, absinthe finally returned to American liquor stores and bars in 2007.

Four years later, is anyone drinking the newest addition to many bars around Lake Michigan? We tend to want what we can’t have, so it’s unsurprising that after an initial flurry of attention by marketers and media outlets—both of whom drew attention to absinthe’s storied past—absinthe’s novelty has worn off for many newcomers and sales dropped considerably, according to industry observers. (The recession probably hasn’t helped.)

But sales are now increasing and the people still drinking absinthe tend to be more discerning, says Brian Robinson of the Wormwood Society.

(Wormwood is one of absinthe’s crucial ingredients, along with anise and fennel.) “The number of people who are regularly drinking absinthe is growing,” says Robinson, the nonprofit advocacy organization’s review editor. “We are seeing a lot more people become a lot more cognizant about what makes a good absinthe.”

That may be true nationally, but the vast majority of bars in Northwest Indiana and Southwest Michigan aren’t stocking the spirit, if this writer’s sampling is any indication, at least. And those that do serve it don’t serve much.

“People don’t know what it is,” says Aaron O’Reilly, a bartender at Pikk’s Tavern in Valparaiso. “People don’t know what to make of it.”

Pikk’s served a seasonal “Absinthe-Minded” cocktail this past spring, but O’Reilly says that now virtually no one orders absinthe in any form. “It hasn’t been too popular—we’ve yet to go through what we have in stock in ten months,” he says. “It’s an acquired taste, I think.”

But it’s a taste worth acquiring, say bartenders at some of Chicago’s gourmet cocktail bars. “It’s great to have the original ingredient available,”

1 part rye whiskey 2 dashes of Peychaud’s bitters Splash of absinthe 1/2 sugar cube Slice of lemon rind

53

Ninety-nine years ago, the U.S. government banned what is almost certainly the world’s most misunderstood liquor: absinthe. The licorice-flavored drink was the victim of its own success, and mythology. Wildly popular in Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, “the green fairy” became associated with hallucinations—supposedly manifested in Charles Baudelaire’s poetry and Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings—and violence—most notoriously, the 1905 “Absinthe Murder,” in which Swiss farmer Jean Lanfray killed his wife and two daughters after drinking the stuff.

says Charles Joly, chief mixologist at the Drawing Room, a craft cocktail bar on the city’s North Side. (It offers chilled absinthe to patrons for La Louche, the classic ritual in which you dilute the liquor and emulsify its herbal oils, by slowly pouring ice-cold water through a sugar cube placed on a perforated spoon.)

“It’s an important spirit that was the victim of hype and mass hysteria,” Joly says. “You need it for basic, classic cocktails. Up until 2007, when the ban was lifted, we had to use substitutes that were close, but not the real deal.” Absinthe is a core ingredient of a handful of classic cocktails, including the Sazerac and the Corpse Reviver, notes Joly, a contestant this fall on the reality TV show On the Rocks—The Search for America’s Top Bartender (see recipes on previous page).

Absinthe’s strong flavor, particularly the anise—often confused with licorice, although that is not an ingredient—can be polarizing. “The U.S. doesn’t have the taste for the anise flavor; it’s something that’s very much part of the European palate.” But Joly does believe people can warm up to the spirit: “The American palate has been growing up in recent years.”

The country’s distilleries have been changing as well, with small highend companies—like Lake Bluff, Illinois-based North Shore Distillery, which produces Joly’s favorite, Sirène Absinthe Verte—entering the market since legalization. (But the veteran absinthes remain: Parisbased Pernod, maker of the original absinthe in 1792, brought its product back to the United States in 2008.)

Stephen Cole, who tends bar at the Violet Hour in Chicago, says his customers are starting to appreciate absinthe’s versatile presence in cocktails. “I’m actually happy the hype has died down a bit,” Cole says. “People are starting to get out there and taste different absinthes that are heavier or funkier.” Absinthes now on the market vary in color from clear to the expected green (some thanks to food coloring), Cole says; tastes vary, too, with some products offering notes of lemongrass.

Absinthe’s future, he says, will mainly be in cocktails. “The more cocktails you have that feature absinthe, the more people can experience it.” A self-styled speakeasy cocktail bar specializing in oldfashioned cocktails, the Violet Hour’s fall menu offered the “Gunshop Sazerac,” a variation on the classic, and the “Oldest Living Confederate Widow,” which contains gin, lemon and orange bitters.

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he absinthe market is now moving toward artisan-produced products that aren’t as easy to come by, says Robinson, who has reviewed 350 different absinthes for the Wormwood Society.

“People are starting to recognize that when you see something that’s nuclear green, that’s not the real-deal absinthe.” (See sidebar for Robinson’s recommendations.)

What will absinthe’s future hold in the United States? One thing is clear: it isn’t likely to achieve its original level of popularity. And maybe that’s a good thing for today’s absinthe connoisseurs, since the drink’s popularity ultimately (and ironically) led to its century-long absence. Instead, expect the Green Fairy to carve out a permanent niche in America’s bars and restaurants.

“Obviously, anise is a flavor that isn’t really appreciated [here], at least not as much as in France and Spain,” Robinson says. “It’s always going to be a niche product. I can see most bars in the country having one bottle of absinthe just to have a bottle of something that tastes like that [anise].”

In other words, don’t expect absinthe to reach the staple status of whiskey, rum or vodka any time soon. But although its heyday is history, that’s no reason to avoid the green spirit. With its legality unquestioned and high-end American absinthe producers beginning to hit their stride, there’s never been a better time to break the habit of your usual cocktail, wine or beer to taste something that never should have been on the wrong side of the law. Just remember: try it because you want to expand your palate, not alter your mind.

what to buy?

The Wormwood Society’s Brian Robinson says his favorite U.S.-produced absinthes are: Pacifique’s Absinthe Verte (Seattle) Leopold Brothers’ Absinthe Verte (Denver) Ridge Distillery’s Absinthe Verte and Blanche (Montana) Philadelphia Distilling’s Vieux Carré Absinthe Supérieure Delaware Phoenix’s “Walton Waters” Absinthe Supérieure (Walton, New York)

Wormwood specimen

OUTSIDE-

THE-BOX

CROPS

LAKE MICHIGAN PRODUCERS PROVIDE THE EXOTIC AND TRADITIONAL FOR REGION’S BEST MENUS WORDS BY TOM CHMIELEWSKI‌

What’s old is new, and what’s local exotic in the tastiest dishes of the Midwest. Gourmet chefs cruise farmers’ markets to compete with home cooks already in the know for the best selection of Asian pears, the wild onion ramps, the pawpaw fruit, and heirloom varieties of squash, tomatoes and other local crops. You may think you know the food grown around here, but if you buy most of your produce from the supermarket, you don’t know the wondrous subtleties of taste, texture and color available in your own backyard, figuratively— and sometimes literally.

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

“T

here are all different kinds of restaurants using local foods,” says Robb Hammond, executive chef at Kalamazoo’s Food Dance Cafe. Hammond credits heirloom tomatoes as arousing people’s taste buds and awakening their interest in specialty varieties of otherwise common produce.

“Heirloom tomatoes kicked it off, opening people’s mind a little bit on what may be good,” Hammond says. He admits that the heirloom varieties may look different, even ugly to some people’s eyes: blue potatoes, purple carrots, varied colors of broccoli and cauliflower.

“People are starting to enjoy root vegetables again like the Jerusalem artichoke or sunchoke,” Hammond says. “It’s nutty, creamy in flavor. It’s a little bit harder to grow, harder to work with, but a great vegetable.”

Hammond buys much of his produce direct from local farmers or at local farmers’ markets. Buying local means an ever changing seasonal menu. “People want to try new things.”

For Food Dance’s salads, Hammond has a year-round supply of thirty-nine varieties of lettuce grown hydroponically in greenhouses at Michigan’s Mud Lake Farm near Grand Rapids. There’s a rolling mix of those varieties ready to harvest at any one time. “It’s really great, because the different varieties they grow offer different taste and different textures to our romaine mix as well as to our salad mix. Some red romaine, some green, some speckled. You’re still getting the romaine flavor and texture, but getting a better, well-rounded flavor. It just runs the gamut of bitter to sweet between their bibb and leaf lettuces.”

While touring the greenhouses, Kris Van Haitsma, who owns the farm with her husband Steve, explains that her crops are not certified organic, but she uses no pesticides. Instead, she depends on ladybugs to control unwelcome pests. The hydroponic beds are

PRODUCE BY THE SEASON

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SPRING CROPS Spring is the transition for people dedicated to eating local. The supply of over-winter produce is getting thin as the last of the squash, turnips, parsnips and other vegetables that can last in storage are finally gone. But Cassie Green of Chicago’s Green Grocer advises people to take heart, for spring greens are on the way.

Cool weather crops that appear in farmers’ markets in the fall “we’re going to have again in April and May,” Green says. Dark leafy greens, kale, collard greens. “Radishes are another first thing.” While usually eaten raw in salads, Green says radishes are “really good roasted. Cut them in half, toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper, and they get really sweet when you roast them.”

But the most anticipated vegetable of the early growing season is the asparagus.

“Asparagus will come the second half of May. A lot of the first things that come up, too, are the shoots, the leafy pea tendrils, really delicate greens, delicate lettuces. That’s the first hint of spring, the first growth of a plant, celebrating that delicate nature that’s going from winter to spring,” Green says. “As June comes along, we’ll start getting into some of

the strawberries, rhubarb, peas. We find the cool weather crop lasts a lot longer than we want them to.”

SUMMER CROPS Come July, farmers’ markets will start selling raspberries and blueberries. “Raspberries actually do well in cool weather,” and can come out earlier.

“Asparagus is usually gone by the first couple of weeks of July. We just start getting things like leeks. Our greens are still going until it gets really hot.”

By the end of July, farmers are beginning to sell tomatoes. “Typically they go six to eight weeks,” Green says. Nectarines, plums and even zucchini come at the end of July and into August. Melons are primarily an August fruit.

Herbs such as fresh mint and fresh basil also show up on market produce tables.

LATE SUMMER, EARLY FALL The transition begins to cooler weather again with apples, pears, broccoli and cabbages. “You’re back to those dark, leafy greens again. Cold weather carrots are ridiculously sweet,” Green says.

“As it gets colder, carrots, beet and turnips” become abundant. Green says the advantage

BY TOM CHMIELEWSKI of these vegetables grown in cooler weather is that they store energy through sugars, which makes them sweeter.

Fall also brings sunchokes, with the texture of a slightly firm potato. “They have a hearty, artichoke flavor. They’re great roasted or sauteed.”

HARVEST FINALE The season is rounded out with cranberries, sweet potatoes and squash.

“Farmers are growing all sorts of heirloom varieties [of squash]. What’s cool about heirlooms or hybrids, although they tend to yield less, they tend to be a lot more interesting in flavor.”

Varieties Green cites include carnival squash, red kuri and “a really wacky, crazy looking dark green pumpkin called the Marina di Chioggia.

They’re really delicious, really delicate without being too intense in the sugars.”

The varieties of apples seen in the fall harvest are also growing more numerous as farmers rediscover lines long forgotten. “At one time, there were 5,000 different types of apples. Now in a grocery store it’s pretty limited. But farmers’ markets are offering varieties such as mutsu, “similar to the Granny apple,” the golden russet, the honey crisp, and many others.

photography by [this page, left] TOM CHMIELEWSKI; [right] TONY V. MARTIN; [opposite page] TONY V. MARTIN

Steve and Kris Van Haitsma, owners of Mud Lake Farms in Hudsonville, Mich., discuss their efforts to grow 39 varieties of lettuce hydroponically.

The Green Grocer, Chicago

been bred to withstand the strain and time of modern harvesting, ripening on the way to store shelves. Local produce of heritage varieties ripen on the trees and vines, increasing their mineral content. “The mineral content is what makes the produce have the great flavor. That’s basically how produce is supposed to be grown.”

Cassie Green, who owns the Green Grocer in Chicago, says some natural produce isn’t cultivated as much as foraged in the wild. “A lot of local chefs really get into ramps,” a native plant that’s a pungent mix of onion and garlic. The ramp grows naturally in wooded areas, and can be found throughout the Midwest and into Appalachia. Green says Spence Farm in Illinois’ Livingston County has successfully developed a dependable supply of ramp by letting it flourish on its own on the farm’s woodlot.

Another wild produce just as often foraged as cultivated is the pawpaw, a Midwest fruit somewhat akin in taste to a banana. Spence Farm offers the pawpaw, though almost all of its produce and vegetables are sold to restaurants in the Chicago area and in Champaign and Bloomington, Illinois. Oriana’s Oriental Orchard west of Chicago also offers the pawpaw, though Green says the orchard is mostly known for its Asian pears. Oriana’s does offer its fruit and walnuts for sale at Green City Market, a farmers’ market in Chicago.

G

Crème de la Crop 208 N 250 W Valparaiso, Ind. 219.510.4547 cremedelacrop.com Food Dance Leann Landgrebe, owner 401 E Michigan Ave Kalamazoo, Mich.

269.382.1888 fooddance.net Green Grocer, Chicago Robb Hammond, executive chef 1402 W Grand Ave, Chicago 312.624.9508 greengrocerchicago.com Lula Cassie Green, owner 2537 N Kedzie Blvd, Chicago 773.489.9554. lulacafe.com Mud Lake Farm Jason Hammel, owner, executive chef 3411 Ottogan St Hudsonville, Mich.

616.890.7867 mudlakefarm.com Oriana’s Oriental Orchard Kris and Steve Van Haitsma, co-owners chicagogreencitymarket.org/ farmers/farmer.asp?id=28 Spence Farm thespencefarm.com

FIND YOUR OWN FARMERS’ MARKET Illinois Farmers’ Markets Illinois Department of Agriculture agr.state.il.us/markets/farmers/ Agritourism and Farmers’ Markets Indiana State Department of Agriculture in.gov/isda/2342.htm

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

reen says when she shops at the farmers’ markets for her groceries, she sees Chicago-area chefs getting their produce from there as well. “Up until a couple of years ago, it was mostly the higher-end restaurants” buying produce and meats from the markets and directly from local farms. “Now it’s not people necessarily running a higher-end restaurant. I think more and more of these people are trying to buy some of their food locally and jump on the excitement of the season.”

Jason Hammel, executive chef and co-owner of the restaurants Lula Cafe and Nightwood in Chicago, says there’s a special value in going personally to the farmers who produce food for his restaurants. “The first advantage is the relationship you have with the grower, which is beneficial in many ways. In terms of your cooking or the quality of your product, the relationship allows you to understand what it takes to make that product, an understanding that raises a consciousness of what to do with it. When you have post-frost vegetables, it will taste a little different. If a particular produce is growing fast, we should use it earlier in the season. Menus have a closer connection with the seasonality.”

Hammel says he doesn’t use distributors “who offer to take all the work out of ordering locally for you.

All those business plans have failed with chefs like us, because we like to talk personally with the people growing the stuff.”

Chicago Green City Market chicagogreencitymarket.org

Michigan Farmers’ Market Association Find a Farmers’ Market mifma.org/find-a-farmersmarket/ 57

kept at a constant 70 degrees year-round by a geothermal heating system.

“Crops come in 60-day growing cycles mostly,” Kris says. “Radicchio takes 90 days.”

Mud Lake produces about ten to eleven overlapping crop cycles per year. Steve, who specializes in the business end of the operation, says that if a particular variety in the greenhouses takes too long to harvest, it’s not profitable to grow.

While most of the greenhouse space is devoted to lettuce, some beds are reserved for herbs grown in dirt. “Some things do better in dirt,” says Kris, who has studied and worked as an environmental chemist. “Some plants like drier conditions, and need more oxygen through the roots, which they don’t get immersed in water.” She’ll plant specialty herbs on special order to fill a chef’s requests, such as Thai basil, grown for an Oriental restaurant.

Much of Mud Lake’s rolling harvest is distributed to client restaurants and to families who subscribe for the produce through a Community Supported Agriculture program. People come to the farm or designated drop-off points in the region to pick up their share of the current harvest. Many farms specializing in organic or natural growing earn much of their income through CSA purchases. Mud Lake has about fifty to sixty CSA families receiving their produce.

Not all of the produce is raised under the greenhouse plastic. Kris and her husband Steve have planted an arbor for Arctic kiwi, a native Siberian fruit. But it takes seven years before they get their first crop. And they’re trying to cycle the water from the greenhouses to raise a fish harvest of tilapia. “We like to try stuff,” Kris says.

Leann Landgrebe’s Crème de la Crop, near Valparaiso, is another CSA farm, but Landgrebe grows her crops out in the fields. “Everything we grow is heirloom or heritage variety. By that, I mean they’re no longer being commercially produced, and you can’t find them at the grocery store.”

Thin-skinned tomatoes that can’t be mechanically harvested, purple broccoli and purple brussel sprouts, tomatillos and varieties of vegetables that have long disappeared from store shelves are reappearing at farmers’ markets, thanks to university and commercial seed banks that preserve lines of long-forgotten produce.

Landgrebe says heritage fruit and vegetables have a more “full-bodied flavor.” Commercial produce has

WHERE TO GO RESOURCES

THE DIET THAT WAS ONCE AN ANIMAL RIGHTS ISSUE IS NOW A HEALTH ISSUE

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new

vegans

the

WORDS BY LAURI HARVEY KEAGLE PHOTOGRAPHY BY TONY V. MARTIN

Five years ago, Bill Kranker was diagnosed with appendicitis and was puzzled by what may have caused it. • “All the doctors would give me was, ‘It must come out,’” the Rochester, Michigan, engineer says. “I asked them, ‘Well, what does the appendix do?’ and they said they didn’t know, but it must come out.”

K

ranker, 47, was always curious about what humans were intended to eat and wondered how diet might have played a role in his health problem. The quest for information led to a progression of dietary changes that resulted in his current raw vegan lifestyle. “It never was an animal rights issue for me,” he says. “It was all about being healthier . . .

You run into people and they say, ‘My back is killing me’ or ‘My knee hurts.’ I haven’t had a headache for five years.

My tennis elbow completely went away.”

The aha moment for Kranker came during a presentation at his office on diet and nutrition by a woman following the raw vegan diet. “She was bouncing around, just had lots and lots of energy,” he says.

“She said she only needs three hours of sleep.”

He tried it one weekend and had a burst of energy. “It made total sense,” he says. “Where I’m at, versus where I started, are just night and day.”

For the last five years, Kranker’s diet has largely been fresh fruits, with a little dressing-free salad tossed into the mix. “It’s personally not a challenge,” Kranker says. “I’m more effective at home and at work now, because I didn’t feel well enough to do things before.”

Several national studies by various groups suggest that about 1 percent of Americans consider themselves to be vegans. The movement itself is nothing new. Donald Watson coined the phrase in 1944 when he created the Vegan Society, a group of British vegetarians dedicated to not eating dairy or any other animal products.

Dr. William Stimack, a naturopathic doctor in Valparaiso, says the practice goes

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MOROCCAN SQUASH Recipe courtesy of Chef Robb Hammond of Food Dance (401 East Michigan Avenue, Kalamazoo, Michigan) FOR SQUASH: 2 1/8 1 2 3

medium butternut squash cup mild curry powder small onion garlic cloves tablespoons olive oil

Cut squash in half. Puree last four ingredients into a paste and rub on squash. Roast at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until tender.

photography courtesy of [bottom, right] FOOD DANCE

FOR FILLING: 1 2 3 1 1 1 1 1 1/4 2 2

cup Israeli couscous tablespoons olive oil tablespoons garlic, minced onion, diced small tomato, diced small cup garbanzo beans tablespoon ground cumin teaspoon ground coriander cup kalamata olives, roughly chopped tablespoons cilantro tablespoons mint

Boil couscous like pasta and drain. Heat oil in a pan and add onions and saute until translucent. Add tomatoes, garbanzo beans, cumin and coriander and remove from heat. Place in bowl with couscous.

back even farther than that.

“Look at Hippocrates, the father of medicine before the birth of Christ. He knew that diet was the key to health.”

“I think we were made by God and he gave us everything we need,” Stimack explains. “When he made the Garden of Eden, he didn’t put a Walgreens there . . .

We have everything we need to sustain our health on the planet.

You just need to know how to use it.”

Stimack grew up in a Catholic household as the son of a coal miner in Pennsylvania. The family meals centered on “meat, and lots of it.”

“The church gave the coal miners special dispensation to eat meat on Fridays, because it was such hard work; the men needed it to keep healthy and strong,” he says.

Now, when Stimack hears that an office visitor eats meat, he makes a cross out of two fingers held in front of him and leans far back in his office chair before breaking out in a warm grin. “We’re just not built to eat meat,” Stimack says. “We don’t have the teeth to masticate meat. Look at tigers, lions and their teeth compared to ours.”

Still, it isn’t the meat itself that is bad, he says. It’s the way we are treating it. “The chemicals that are in the foods today are killing us,” Stimack says. “If this is the way we were supposed to eat, God would have put chemicals in the food when he made it.”

Stimack tells patients meat is a health

CURRY VINAIGRETTE:

1/4 cup lemon juice 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1/4 tablespoon fresh minced ginger 1 tablespoon curry powder 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon mint 1 cup olive oil 1 cup plain soy yogurt

Add first seven ingredients to blender, then slowly add oil and emulsify. Whisk in yogurt and set aside.

To serve: Place squash fleshside up and fill with filling.

Warm in 350 degree oven for 5 minutes. Move to plate and drizzle with dressing and toasted sliced almonds.

hazard. “The cows are shot up with antibiotics, steroids, growth hormones,” he says. “They can take steroids and add 400 pounds to a cow in 120 days. That’s why today we’re so antibioticresistant, because of years of eating this stuff.”

The doctor has concerns about eggs that involve how the chickens are raised. Many eggs come from chickens raised in buildings so cramped they are unable to walk. Walking is how chickens digest their food. “They can’t walk in these buildings so they shoot them up with laxatives and with binders,” he says.

Stimack says he often hears the argument that it is too pricey or too difficult with hectic schedules to go organic, vegetarian or vegan.

“My response is what is your health worth?” he says. “What does it cost if you get a cold?

The flu? If you miss work and are laid up for a few days? Can the cost of the diet cover that kind of cost?”

Kranker says he often gets questions about the price of living a raw vegan lifestyle. “Five years ago, I was going to Starbucks every morning, so I’ve eliminated that,” Kranker says. “I haven’t been to a doctor in the last five years. People look at the cost on the surface and yes, it’s expensive, but what I have eliminated in terms of problems is the biggest benefit . . . Health care costs are so normalized in our society, it’s to the point where they are regular, daily habits. If you did an entire bill for a year, it would probably be a wash.”

Stimack says the price is all relative.

“Pay extra, eat good food, live better. How long do you want to live? Do you want to be 90 and strapped to a bed in a nursing home, or do you want to have cognitive function and feel alive? Just take an interest in your life.”

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THE D A E L S F E H C FOUR FEMALE ITCHEN AND IN LIFE WAY IN THE K

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d the fun of Recently, I ha omen I truly w r u fo h it w visiting l, are successfu ll A • . e ir m d a al chef/ entrepreneuri e region, th in rs u te ra u resta eted talents, with multifac ions and interests, opin . what they do r fo n io ss a p a d economic le b u o tr in n Eve ome shining times, they c ts re are excerp through. • He . versations . . n o c r u o m o fr

NE DUNNE WORDS BY JA MARTIN Y BY TONY V. PH RA G TO O PH

Pat Molden

dinner parties play a big hand here? The restaurant name is a reminder of those fantastic parties, but it’s more truly a tribute to our family dinners. Our large family of eleven sat down every night for dinner, with friends and extended family frequently expanding the table even more. I feel so blessed to have been brought up with that tradition of the Family Dinner Table—a rarity these days.

Ind. , Michigan City, 5727 N 600 W ekwood.com // e bl Ta ’s lly Ke // kellyscre 219.872.5624

You are known for seasonal menus with a French influence and your sous-chef worked with Jean Joho in Chicago. Any winter 2011 menu items that you’d like to tell us about? We had a great response to a recent dish of wild boar spare ribs, braised with caramelized onions and dark beer, so that may be back, along with some other game specials. And we’ll have our creamy lobster and shiitake mushroom bisque on the winter menu, with its earthy, rich flavors.

Your wine dinners are always popular. What’s on the horizon? Our annual Spring Wine Dinner is scheduled for March 26. It’s one of our favorite events. We get very creative with the food selections and taste some fabulous new wines. We’ll also have another popular annual event—our Oktoberfest Dinner.

Each fall we create a harvest menu and pair each course with a local microbrew. I am learning to like beer!

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Kelly’s Table is a gastronomic wellspring in a restaurant-challenged community. In spite of the great ambience the Creekwood Inn provides, previous restaurants in your current space were short-lived.

Yet here you are, celebrating your 7th anniversary. What’s the secret?

My father, for whom Kelly’s Table is named, was a dynamic, voluble Irishman who knew his mind and never hesitated to speak it.

When a stroke severely limited his speech, he still got his ideas across. He was a determined man who never gave in. I was offered the opportunity to start a restaurant at Creekwood Inn just two weeks after his death. I hesitated making such a big decision during a difficult time, but the voice in my heart was my dad’s, and he was saying “Go for it!” That was one of his favorite phrases when he was encouraging any of his nine children, and I could hear him—”Go for it!” So I have to say that a big part of my “success” is a reflection of my father’s attitude—”Go for it” and “Never give up.”

Your warmth and hospitality come through loud and clear at Kelly’s Table. Do memories of your parents’ famous

How did Kelly’s Table fare during the recent economic downturn? It has been a rough ride, but the restaurant business can be a roller coaster even in good times. We offered prix fixe dinners during the week. We held special events to bring in new guests. We added some lesser-known wines to our list—great values and delicious. But we strictly maintained our standards and never compromised with the food. The biggest help through this past year came from my great staff.

I have incredibly loyal employees who just pitch in and do whatever it takes.

What is the single most popular dish ever offered at Kelly’s Table? Since our menu is always changing, that’s a hard question. Whenever we serve Beef Wellington, it’s a surefire hit.

And people love our Cherries Jubilee or Peaches Flambé, too. So there you are—classic cuisine.

In your profession whom would you most like to meet?

Well, I already met one of them. When we had dinner at Alinea, we were allowed to see the kitchen and say hello to Chef Grant Achatz, which was a thrill. But it would be fun to actually talk with him in a casual setting. What a brilliant man! May I also meet Gordon Ramsay? Yes, it could be scary but I have a feeling he is really just a regular guy.

If you could give one piece of advice to a chef who plans on opening his/ her own restaurant, what would it be?

You have to be a glutton for punishment to be in the restaurant business. It means long, long hours and grueling physical work.

Nights, weekends, vacations and holidays are preempted. But the strange thing is, when things are going right—kitchen flowing, dining room buzzing with happy people— that’s what keeps us coming back for more.

That is the payoff.

You came by yourself at age 17 from Vietnam to go to IIT in Chicago. Arriving alone in a huge U.S. city, a total stranger to the culture with no friends or family here, must have been a daunting experience. Yet you graduated with a MS degree in Electrical Engineering, worked for Sony, then opened and successfully maintained three popular restaurants, the latest an award-winner. Where does all that energy and vision come from? My energy comes from my passion to create beautiful and flavorful food.

In my culture, meals with family are very important, at the center of our lives. My vision comes perhaps from my mother who, out of necessity during the war, created a business from practically nothing. I put myself through school by working for eight years in a Thai restaurant in Chicago until I graduated. Even though the owner had a thriving business, I saw in my mind’s eye how I would do everything differently, from the décor, the presentation, flavors, service—everything.

At your own restaurants you offer some really exotic and creative cocktails. You were doing martini menus before they became universal. How did that begin? I came up with my first original martini back in 2000 because I had to find a way to use up an ingredient that was mistakenly ordered for my special dessert, the Green Tea Cheesecake. We had delivered to us over a thousand bags of the wrong green tea powder that could not be returned. So, as I was drinking cup after cup of this tea, it suddenly came to me that I could use the tea powder as a base in a martini. After a few tries to get the proportions right, my Green Tea Martini was born, using citrus vodka, orange liqueur, exotic passion fruit French liqueur and fresh lemon. My customers loved it! After that, I couldn’t stop experimenting with new martinis. One that I especially remember creating with great love was the Red Sea Martini, which I made on New Year’s Eve when we were celebrating my sister Thi Thi’s arrival here in the United States.

The Siam Marina restaurants are basically Thai cuisine and Asparagus is Asian-Fusion. What is your favorite food when you are at home? We have authentic Vietnamese food that includes dipping bowls of broths and sauces, fresh vegetables and herbs from my country, and sliced meats that we cook in a small iron pot at the table. Then we put the meat or tofu and vegetables into spring rolls and dip in whatever sauce we want. The whole family sits down together—the youngest serves the eldest. In Vietnam, rice, vegetables and one pound of meat would serve all 13 in my family—nine kids, two parents and two grandparents. It hasn’t changed; the foods I love as a child remain my favorites as an adult.

Finally, if you could give advice to a chef who plans on opening his/her own restaurant, what would it be? You must have love—love for what you do, love for those you serve, and love for those you work with. And give great value: unique, high-quality product, heart-felt service and integrity.

Have you made any major changes since the economy went south? Because creating new things is my passion, over the years our menu had grown very large. My husband and I decided to eliminate those dishes not ordered very often and to concentrate on healthy, more economical selections. I established a “Happy Lunch” menu for those whose pocketbooks were challenged. We now offer a menu of reduced price lunches that range from $5 to $7.95.

What is the single most popular signature dish you have ever done? It would have to be my Bangkok Baby Back Ribs. It is the most favorite dish on the menu at both Siam Marina and Asparagus.

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Merrillville, Ind. 76 Broadway, Asparagus // 78 asparagusrestaurant.com // 219.794.0000 lumet Center Dr, Ca 80 River Oaks Blvd, Calumet City, Ill. // a in ar M am Si Sibley 2.3438 // 1669 m City, Ill. 708.86 868.0560 // siammarina.co 708.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

m a h P y m m a T

nette n o s s i B e l o c i N

Valparaiso, Ind. 7 Lincolnway, 15 // 7 t 15 ro st Bi // bistro157.ne 219.462.0992 ores, Ind. y 12, Beverly Sh Grill // 131 E Hw tletts.com et rm ou G t’s Bartlet // eatatbar 219.879.3081

Your accomplishments are really impressive. In a relatively short time, you opened and have successfully maintained two very popular restaurants and a lucrative catering business. In the midst of all that, you got married and now have a son. What motivates you? I come from an entrepreneurial family with a huge work ethic. My dad began selling Christmas trees in front of a grocery store in Bradley, Illinois, at 14 years old. The manager of the store was impressed with his drive and offered him a job in the store. Dad worked his way up to retail president of the division and then started his own small chain of grocery stores. I’ve always been a hard worker, juggling school and work and now, family and work. Lots of espresso helps, too!

Bistro 157 was one of the first restaurants to offer sushi in Northwest Indiana, and you are often ahead of the curve.

Any menu innovations on the horizon that you can share? My crew at Bistro and I enjoy testing the best possible ways to prepare different food items. In 2010, we worked at quite a few street fests and strived to perfect the art of smoking pork shoulder as well as offering fun twists on old favorites. Marlene, my catering service manager, came up with the French Poodle Dog, a hot dog with melted Brie and homemade dill pickle-pear relish. My sous-chef, Barry, executed the most flavorful, moist pulled pork that we have ever served. I began serving a bison ribeye a few years ago. I’m also trying, whenever I can, to use local producers and bridge the disconnect that sometimes occurs between farmers and chefs in the region.

You and your husband successfully opened Bartlett’s, a new restaurant concept in a different market, and did so during an economic downturn. What was your decision-making process?

We saw dining trends changing. People were working harder and certainly were leading more stressful lives. With many families led by dual-income professionals, the desire to dress down at night became apparent. We wanted to open a restaurant that was approachable for all income levels, yet still serve interesting food and drink.

Everything old is new again. What do you think the next cycle will be in restaurants as we begin the second decade of the 21st century? Definitely those serving seasonal, local food. For the economic survival of farmers and small communities, everyone must work together to implement local food systems. Connecting farms to chefs and homes solidifies a community and builds local economy.

Also, locally grown food is healthier and tastes better.

Cable television is full of shows like Iron Chef and Top Chef.

Would you ever compete in such a contest? I’d do Top Chef—or I should say it would depend on the circumstances. My husband, Chef Gary Sanders, and I considered competing, but we would have had to leave our young son for too long a period of time.

In your profession, whom would you most like to meet?

Stephanie Izard, who won Top Chef and now owns Girl & the Goat in Chicago. I love her food. She seems like she’d be a fun person to have drinks and dinner with.

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Finally, if you could give some advice to a chef who plans on opening a restaurant, what would it be? Work for as many restaurants as you can; learn different styles of management and food and then be open to constructive criticism and new ideas. You are only as good as the last meal you served and only as good as the people you lead. Humility is much more attractive than boasting, and you can learn a lot more with your mouth closed!

sh Judy Kite Go

and Retro Café 469.1800 Kite’s Kitchen 9. lo, Mich. // 26 ffa Bu w Ne St, 801 W Buffalo

Tell me about your advocacy group, Support Local Agriculture, and the documentary you cowrote and produced. The group evolved over time among the locavores in Southwest Michigan. The mission is to raise awareness of, advocate on behalf of and support sustainable local agriculture.

Our first project was to fund a one-hour television documentary, Farm Fresh to You, which told the story of our region’s growers and featured many of our local chefs who are part of the locavore movement. It originally aired on WNIT and was then picked up by WTTW in Chicago last August.

You have had such a varied career—special events coordinator, caterer and restaurateur, founder of a food advocacy group, television producer and now cookbook author.

If it’s possible to choose, which of these endeavors has given you the most satisfaction? All of them have been great fun, but if I had to choose a favorite, it would be the realization of a life-long dream—to tell the world about Michigan’s agriculture. When we look toward a more sustainable future, local agriculture is a key component.

What keeps your restaurant, Retro Café, still viable after more than a dozen years? At first our focus was on fresh, from scratch, food, and it has now evolved into local seasonal menus. This year we offered our Farm Fresh Dinner Club—a series of dinners focusing on entirely local products. These dinners were so successful, we are doubling the number for 2011. We’ve also added an Asian Fusion lunch menu, introducing a cuisine sorely lacking in our area, and it has been a real hit with our customers.

Has airing the program to a Chicago audience had a larger impact?

Definitely. We were very fortunate that WTTW was interested—and certainly the number of visitors to our local restaurants increased after the documentary was shown. It has also aired in all of Indiana, St. Louis and many other Midwestern PBS stations. It’s up on the national satellite feed for PBS, so it should air to a much wider audience in 2011. We’re currently working on the companion cookbook that should be available by summer.

And next there will be a 13-part series called Get Local.

What will that series feature? Get Local will continue to tell the story of local agriculture, but will expand to cover the entire Great Lakes region. We’ll also give tips on canning, preserving and freezing seasonal bounty. We’ve been on the hunt for the best chefs of the region to be part of the series and have a number of surprises in store. Have you ever eaten a Michigan shrimp?

Where does all that energy come from? Energy is a function of passion and my passion for food is just boundless.

A favorite food memory One of the most memorable meals was the gnocchi with Gorgonzola sauce I had at a wonderful sidewalk café in Florence.

Finally, if you could dine with three other food personalities, who would they be? Mario Batali and Anthony Bourdain. I’d seat Charlie Rose at that table, too! All very interesting and very different.

y r a n i l cu tion a r i p ins N NE AMMESO WORDS BY JA

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Talented chefs add their own signature touches to the kitchens where they work, influencing the menus and the style of dining.

Shore talked to five chefs in Northwest Indiana and Southwest Michigan and discovered that although they all have distinctive culinary approaches, there are similarities, tooâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a deep love of food that stretches back into childhood and a determination to provide the best meals possible to those who grace their doorsteps.

photograph by [opposite page] TONY V. MARTIN

s n u r d o o f f o The love s f e h c l a c o l e v i f r o f p e e d

Svago, an

exquisite dining experience with a homey atmosphere, where friends and family gather!

SVAGO RISTORANTE & CAFÉ Dyer, Indiana

T

think of one. I wouldn’t change being a chef for anything.

New Trend on the Horizon: Pastas.

(Eat, Drink & Laugh!)

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Our 55 years in the Hospitality Industry guarantees your dining enjoyment!

Svago

Ristorante & Café 1103 Joliet St. Dyer, IN 46311 219.322.7305

SvagoRistorante.com BuonAppetito@SvagoRistorante.com

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

he restaurant business runs deep for Tony Sanfilippo, executive chef at the recently reopened Svago Ristorante & Café. “I’m third generation,” says Sanfilippo, who has worked as a chef for 30 years in both Italy and the U.S. and was previously at the Elcona Country Club in Elkhart County. “My grandparents opened a small trattoria in Palermo on the island of Sicily in 1905. Both my grandfather and father made wine and my dad was a master sommelier for 55 years. I tell people that olive oil and wine run in my veins.”

Many of the traditional recipes used at Svago, which means “entertainment” in Italian, are the same ones cooked by his grandmother in her trattoria over a century ago. “We make all our sauces in-house just like Favorite Childhood Food my grandparents did,” Memory: The holidays, when my grandmother and mother Sanfilippo says, noting that were preparing the food and I because he’s from an island was going around sticking my he specializes in seafood. finger in all that great food. As “And we want to offer soon as I could walk, I was in the kitchen. diners the same things they did—great food in Dishes on the Winter Menu: a warm and friendly old Beef bourguignon, saccottina world environment.” ala rosemary, lasagna and baccala—cod with onions.

Sanfilippo sees his restaurant as a place for Favorite Comfort Food: people to come and enjoy Homemade Amish cooking and a great meal—whether it’s my eggplant Parmesan. the sandwiches in the café Least Favorite Food: I’m not (like the Sienna Harvest— big on chicken and vegetables. I oven roasted turkey and prepare it for people, but they’re Bavarian ham topped with not my favorite things to eat.

Gouda)—or hearty menu Favorite Restaurant in the items like pasta fagioli in Area: Das Dutchman Essenhaus the ristorante. “Eating in Middlebury, Indiana—they Italian is about gathering have great Amish cooking. I like to try the other Amish places around the table,” he around there, too. But I really says. “And sharing great don’t go out much. wine, great food and great times.”

Alternate Profession: I can’t

Mangia, Bevi, & Ridi!

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TONY SANFILIPPO

A

fter becoming executive chef at Tabor Hill five years ago, John Paul Verhage had the delicate task of retaining menu favorites while adding his own flair to the menu.

“Although we change our menu often, there are certain dishes that I don’t think you’ll ever see go,” says Verhage, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York. “Those being, of course, the famous Raspberry Chicken and our Grape Leaf Wrapped Salmon.”

When he does create new menu items, Verhage gains inspiration from the fresh produce local farmers bring to the restaurant’s back door, including unique heirloom varieties grown specifically for Tabor Hill. “When a farmer is proud of their crop, I know I’ll be happy with how I’ll serve it,” Verhage says, noting that he has a very talented team that works well together. “We enjoy researching new ingredients and flavors to bring a variety of flavors to our menus. The owner, Linda Upton, is continually motivating us to seek out new and interesting ingredients and preparations. If that doesn’t work, I fast for three days and everything sounds good.”

JOHN PAUL VERHAGE TABOR HILL RESTAURANT & WINERY Buchanan, Michigan

Favorite Childhood Memory: My favorite childhood memory is spending time with my mom during the holidays cooking and preparing classic family recipes.

Celebrating family traditions such as making candies and baking bread and, of course, the feasts.

Dishes on the Winter Menu: Our winter menu depends on hearty winter vegetables as the backbone—more “stick to your ribs” type foods.

Favorite Comfort Food: A well-prepared osso bucco Least Favorite Food: Restaurant versions of homecooked comfort foods that aren’t prepared with the same passion as they are prepared at home.

Favorite Restaurant in the Area: We have a lot of talented chefs in this area, and I enjoy the opportunity to dine locally when I have the time.

Alternate Profession: A Nun Chuck instructor.

New Trend on the Horizon: Local, sustainable produce.

Healthier eating with lower saturated fats.

his winter, escape the cool temperatures by taking a mini-retreat to Tabor Hill Winery & Restaurant. Tour our cellar. Sip award-winning vintages in our tasting room. Share a bottle of your favorite wine with a delicious lunch or dinner in our restaurant. The dining rooms offer exquisite views. Radiant sunsets evoke wine country dreams even in the chill of a Michigan winter. Chef John Paul presents a menu that changes daily and features the freshest seasonal ingredients. The crackling fireplaces and floor to ceiling views of our snow covered vineyards are sure to help you relax and forget about the stresses of winter.

TASTING ROOMS: Saugatuck Tabor Hill Wine Port (269) 857-4859 Benton Harbor Tabor Hill Wine & Art Gallery (269) 925-6402 Bridgman Tabor Hill Champagne Cellar (269) 465-6566

185 Mt. Tabor Rd., Buchanan, MI 49107 800-283-3363 • www.taborhill.com

Flavors as magnificent

as our view of Lake Michigan.

G

rowing up in Southwest Michigan taught Ryan Thornburg, executive chef at the Bistro on the Boulevard, the importance of fresh. “We always had a large garden,” he says. “So did my grandmother, who was known for her green beans that she picked from the garden.”

That’s why Thornburg, who previously was the executive chef at Tosi’s Restaurant in Stevensville, is glad to see the resurgence of farm-to-table food. “That’s how they do it in Europe,” Thornburg says, noting that every year more and more people who are making their own cheeses, foraging for fall and spring mushrooms and growing heirloom vegetables call the restaurant wanting to show off their products. “You go to the butcher for your meat, the fromagier for cheese. But it’s also about supporting local farmers and being good for the local economy.”

d Favorite Childhood Foo d Memory: They’re all centere around my grandmother’s cooking.

Dishes on the Winter of Menu: We’re doing a lot oulet braised dishes such as cass f bee from the South of France, co— bourguignon, and osso buc look rib-sticking foods. People toes more toward meat and pota this time of the year.

I Favorite Comfort Food: love duck confit with sautéed ll crispy potatoes and a sma y fatt salad. It’s rich, it’s kind of your and you have the garlic on the potatoes. The brightness of the acid in the vinaigrette on ness salad cuts some of the rich . of the fat and the potatoes

Least Favorite Food: g.

Eggplant—it’s a textural thin n whe The only way I liked it was that my grandmother fried it so it was crispy on the outside. the Favorite Restaurant in all Area: My wife and I go to kinds of different spots.

Alternate Profession: In my younger days it would have been working outdoors ld in conservation. Now it wou like be some type of farming, eses making my own goat che and or an off-product of fruits vegetables like wine. izon: New Trend on the Hor to k I think people are going bac rs the basics. I think in five yea a farm-to-table won’t look like s. live trend, it’ll be a part of our

Wine TasTing Classes 6-7:30 pm • Feb 15 - Reds Around the World Learn the stories and characteristics of six red varietal wines and when to serve them: Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet, Syrah, Malbec and Zinfandel. $20/person • March 15 - Queen Pinot Gris and Queen Pinot Noir Travel the world from the comfort of the Bistro and learn how each region creates its distinct vintages: Pinot Gris/ Grigio from Italy, Alsace and Oregon and Pinot Noir from California, Oregon and Burgundy. $20/person

Wine Dinner Feb 24 7:00 pm South American dishes created by Chef Ryan paired with Chilean wines. $55/person

sunDay brunCh 11 am–3 pm Enjoy one of Southwestern Michigan’s most sumptuous buffets. A Bloody Mary Bar (separate charge) is available.

Adult: $17; 7-12 years: $10; 6 years and under: free

sushi WeDnesDay 5:30-9 pm Each week delight in a unique selection of Asian appetizers, Maki and Nigiri sushi and specialty drinks.

FriDay nighT Wine DoWn 5-10 pm There’s no finer way to wind down any week than watching Lake Michigan’s mesmerizing sunsets. Choose a bottle from our attractively priced selection. NEW! Tasting flights are also available.

5 2 1 L A K E B O U L E VA R D , S T . J O S E P H , M I w w w. t h e b o u l e v a rd i n n . com 269-983-3882

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

photography courtesy of [opposite page] TABOR HILL RESTAURANT & WINERY; [this page] by GREGG RIZZO

BISTRO ON THE BOULEVARD St. Joseph, Michigan

When what you serve must complement a spectacular view of Lake Michigan, you choose the freshest ingredients and the finest wines. Join us for these palette-pleasing events:

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RYAN THORNBURG

LUIS HERNANDEZ

RANDY BERG

uis Hernandez remembers helping his mother in the kitchen in their home in Guadalajara, Mexico. “Now when I come home, she has me cook and she helps,” says Hernandez, executive chef at Ciao Bella. “She says, ‘You’re the chef, you cook now.’ But that’s okay, because I’m always excited to cook for my family.”

Though he is steeped in the traditions of Mexican cookery, Hernandez now is a skilled Italian chef as well. “I worked for Joe [Scalzo—owner of Ciao Bella] at his restaurant in Chicago,” Hernandez says. “So I learned how to cook Italian foods, which I love doing. And though I love Mexican food, when I’m at the restaurant I eat a lot of pasta, because that is very good, too.”

Many nights Hernandez commandeers the grill at Ciao Bella, making sure that the meats are cooked to perfection.

“It can be very difficult,” he says. “It takes a long time to learn and that’s why I’m doing it, because you have to know when it is just right and it’s grilled the way people want. Otherwise they won’t be happy.”

orn in Hammond, Randy Berg, executive chef at Ciao Bella, who now lives in Crown Point with his wife and two teenage boys, graduated from Ivy Tech with a culinary arts degree. “My first real chef job was at Café Borgia,” says Berg, who furthered his education by attending Italian cooking seminars in Chicago and after working at a few other restaurants in both Chicago and Northwest Indiana, also began offering cooking classes. “My classes were ranked 41 out of 100 best things to do in the Chicago area.”

Berg was running his own restaurant, the White Rhino Bar & Grill, when he met Joe Scalzo, proprietor of Ciao Bella, who talked Berg into working for him. “It’s been a beautiful marriage,” he says with a laugh. “I’ve always had this interest in Italian, and we have this great trattoria setting. This is the happiest I’ve been in 15 years.”

Favorite Childhood Foo d Memory: My mom and grandmother were great coo and my favorite was coch ks inita pibil, slow roasted pork in banana leaves. It was a spe cial meal during the holidays.

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Dishes on the Winter Menu: Boscaiola, which is rigatoni pasta tossed with mushrooms and Calabres e sausage with peas in a tom ato cream sauce. We make all of our own stocks, veal, bee f and lobster. Also soups and mea ts like osso bucco.

Favorite Comfort Food: Mexican food—like cochinita pibil and Mexican lasagna , which is layers of noodles with jalapenos, bell peppers and ricotta.

Least Favorite Food: I don want to hurt anyone’s feel ’t ings but I don’t like Chinese food , .

Favorite Restaurant in the Area: Frontera Grill in Chicago.

Alternate Profession: I don’t have an answer for that I love to cook. A long time . ago someone told me to work in the dining room, but I love being in my kitchen.

New Trend on the Horizon: I think people will eat more fish and meat.

B

CIAO BELLA, Schererville, Indiana

d Favorite Childhood Foo ’s Memory: My grandmother fed Slovakian dinners like stuf cabbage, sauerkraut and dumplings.

Dishes on the Winter Menu: Lots of housemade it pasta dishes. Braised rabb as crusted in fresh herbs such e, thyme, mint, rosemary, sag with basil and olive oil, seared pull the pan then deglazed to se it out the flavors. Then I brai for about an hour and a half in veal stock. It’s served with elle a soft polenta and chanter mushroom. Gnocchi stuffed with ricotta and smoked mozzarella.

Favorite Comfort Food: Fried chicken.

hate Least Favorite Food: I anything to do with mole. the Favorite Restaurant in ause Area: House of Kobe, bec o’s Gin and i, sush love I Steakhouse. be Alternate Profession: I’d with a tattoo artist. I’m covered how tattoos, but I don’t know d to draw, so I guess it’s goo that I’m a chef.

New Trend on the g Horizon: I think we’re goin We to go back to the pastas. had that big carbohydrate r. scare, but I think that’s ove And I think we’re going to of be seeing more varieties ic, potatoes—purple, red, rust rs fingerlings. Five or ten yea ago people were staying and away from pastas, bread e. potatoes. But not anymor

photography by TONY V. MARTIN

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CIAO BELLA, Schererville, Indiana

Dine on Authentic

in a Rustic, Relaxed Setting.

EXPRESS LUNCH All-You-Can-Eat Buffet 9.95 WEDNESDAYS 1/2 Off any bottle of wine $40 or more with the purchase of 2 entrĂŠes

WEEKLY DINING & DRINK SPECIALS GIVE THE GIFT OF GOOD TASTE...

Ciao Bella Gift Certificates Semi private room available for up to 20 guests.

Let us cater your next party or event. Carry-out Available 16TH ANN UA L

Award Wining (Gourmet Magazine)

219.322.6800 Monday-Thursday: 11am - 10pm Friday-Saturday: 11am-11pm | Sunday: 11am-10pm 1514 U.S. 41, Schererville, IN

ASK THE WINE EXPERT

Help for finding the perfect bottle

BY CHRISTY BONSTELL

“Wine is something that customers don’t understand. There are many brands and they need someone to trust to tell them what to buy,” says Wise Guys president, Don Weiss.

“In some ways it’s harder to buy a bottle of wine than it is to buy a car, but it doesn’t need to be. When it comes to a new variety of wine, most of our customers, self included, want to be able to rely on someone else’s suggestion. People need advice.”

As a wine steward Sandilla has been helping to make wine more accessible for the layman, as well as service those with an already defined palate. “I’m getting people to try wines they haven’t tried before. Having worked in a restaurant for a long time, I have some personal favorites. A lot of times people come in the store and are kind of overwhelmed. Sometimes they just ask me what I like. I’m good at recommending

things. I always try and recommend wines in different price points,” Sandilla says. “Some people want trophy bottles—some people want a great value. We’re good about selling all of that.”

Since the store offers over 300 different wines, Sandilla’s expertise certainly comes in handy. And though his knowledge of fine wines from Europe may be impressive, it’s his knowledge about the wines grown closer to home that gets tested more often. According to Sandilla, local wines account for a large portion of business. Bottles from the Midwest are the biggest sellers.

“We get a lot of people from Chicago, in the summer especially. People like to visit the restaurants and tour the wineries and then they come to our store. We try and carry a lot of those wines,” Sandilla says. “In the Midwest they make wines that are really sweet. A lot of folks around here are just getting into wine and they like that sweet stuff.”

Wines that made the cut to join the wine brigade at Wise Guys include bottles from Oliver, Easley and Butler from Indiana; Tabor Hill, St. Julian, Round Barn and Leelanau in Michigan; White Owl Winery in Illinois and St. James from Missouri.

Aside from tourist traffic, Sandilla says Wise Guys’ clientele is made up of people of all ages and backgrounds—some already wine experts, others just starting out. But, if you can’t tell a Shiraz from a Syrah—that’s what Sandilla is there for. He’s even started wine tastings every Saturday to help acquaint people with wines they may not have tried before. “When I talk about wine to people,

I don’t talk too much. My goal is to make wine not intimidating for folks. People have been responding really well to that,” Sandilla says. “This can be a place where they can come and sip on a couple things during their visit, ask questions and feel good about that and learn something about the wine they are going to drink.”

So what kind of wine does Sandilla like to drink? Well, he names sparkling wine, champagne, Washington State wines, Bordeaux and Spanish wines as his top five choices. But when pressed for a favorite, Sandilla takes the fifth. “People always ask me in the store for my favorite wine. That’s like asking ‘Do you have a favorite kid?’ You might, but you would never say it,” he says.

“I just like all different kinds of wines. I pretty much love them all.”

Don’t worry if you don’t have a favorite yet.

Sandilla will spend as much time as needed helping you to define your tastes. And, for Sandilla, it’s about more than just selling you a bottle of wine. It’s about helping you enjoy the right bottle of wine for you.

“I have a teaching bone in my body. I’ve taught martial arts most of my life. I’ve always liked teaching people. I had a guy come in the other day and he wanted to get a cool wine for this lady. I like it when people can come in and it’s personal. They are asking me to make a decision that might affect their evening. It’s cool to be a part of that,” he says. “It’s great when they come into the store and they feel more comfortable about it.

They can come into the store without getting nervous. I get people converted.”

Wine steward Tony Sandilla and manager Dave Strickley help customers find what they’re looking for.

photograph by TONY V. MARTIN

A full body. Great legs. A nice nose. • No, it’s not a description of the perfect date—it’s the description of the perfect wine.

And Tony Sandilla is the man who can help you identify your perfect match. Sandilla is the new wine steward at Wise Guys Discount Liquors in Merrillville, Indiana. The position was created especially for Sandilla because the store was looking to find a better way to introduce customers to its impressive wine selection.

bite & sip FOOD FEATURE

RUSSIAN CABBAGE BORSCHT (ServeS 8) 2 2

tablespoons vegetable oil tablespoons beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 3 to 4 pieces 2 large onions, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 large head white cabbage (about 3 pounds), outside leaves discarded, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced down 8 cups water 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes with juice 1 (16-ounce) can sliced beets, drained, julienned 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 large lemon, juiced 1/4 cup brown sugar Chopped fresh parsley or dill for garnish Sour cream or plain yogurt for garnish

In a large soup kettle heat the oil and, over medium heat, sear beef on all sides. Add onion and brown a few minutes more. Add garlic and cabbage. Reduce heat and cook 2 to 3 minutes more or until cabbage has wilted. Add water and tomatoes. With a wooden spoon, break tomatoes up into small chunks. Bring liquid to a slow simmer. Simmer soup 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until beef is tender.

Add beets, salt and pepper. Cook another 30 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and sugar. Cook 15 minutes more before tasting. The soup’s flavor should be tangy, but not sour. Add more sugar or lemon if needed. Serve hot with small pieces of beef in each serving. Serve immediately in warm bowls. Garnish with parsley or dill and a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt.

WELCOME

BY JANE DUNNE

WINTER SOUPS WITH GLOBAL ATTITUDE

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There is a saying from Southern Italy about soups: “Sette cose fa la zuppa,” which translates as “Soup does seven things. It relieves your hunger, quenches your thirst, fills your stomach, cleans your teeth, makes you sleep, helps you digest and colors your cheeks.” I agree! • Here are four soups from Russia, Italy, Peru and the Netherlands, all guaranteed to nourish and delight you over the winter months. In every case, bread and salad are the perfect partners.

ITALIAN PUMPKIN SOUP WITH WILD RICE (Serves 8) 3 1 4 3/4

tablespoons olive oil medium-sized onion, thinly sliced strips bacon, diced pound fresh pumpkin, pared, seeded and cut into little cubes (or substitute butternut squash) 1 cup wild rice 10 cups vegetable stock 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Pinch of ground nutmeg, to taste Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Sauté onion and bacon in olive oil over medium heat to soften. Add pumpkin (or squash) and sauté over medium-high heat for a few minutes. Add rice and stir well. Pour in vegetable stock and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Just before serving, add the cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Serve soup immediately in warm bowls.

3 3 2 3 2 2 2 2 1 1/2 1/2 6

cups dried yellow split peas quarts water beef bones leeks, rinsed well, sliced thin medium onions, sliced thin tablespoons vegetable oil tablespoons chopped parsley medium carrots, chopped cup chopped celery stalks with leaves teaspoon kosher salt teaspoon black pepper hot dogs or German-style sausages, sliced Bread, such as thin, sliced cocktail rye or pumpernickel, or a crusty baguette Sweet butter

Prepare split peas according to package directions. Cook in a large soup pot with the beef bones until tender (at least 2 hours).

Discard the bones. Set the split peas aside in the liquid.

In another large pot, heat the oil; gently sauté leeks and onions over medium heat until tender but not browned. Add parsley, carrots and celery to the onions and sauté 5 minutes.

Add the vegetable mixture to the split peas and liquid in the soup pot. Stir and simmer for 1 hour. Continue to simmer to warm through.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Allow soup to stand overnight to thicken. Stir well and add more liquid if desired. Add hot dogs or sausages 10 minutes before serving. Heat through and serve in warm bowls.

LIATAN (Also a room-temperature condiment; good with ham)

PERUVIAN SHRIMP SOUP (ServeS 6) 1

1 2 1 1 1

pound medium-size unshelled raw shrimp Liatan (at least 1 cup); see recipe right tablespoon uncooked rice small potatoes, peeled and cubed (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cubed pint milk or half and half (13-ounce) can corn niblets and pepper

Rinse raw shrimp in shells under cold water.

Cook 5 minutes in enough boiling salted water to cover, or until shells turn pink. Remove shrimp with slotted spoon, reserving liquid.

Shell shrimp, returning shells to the liquid in the pot as you do so. Remove shrimp’s black intestinal line. Cut shrimp into bite-size pieces and set aside.

Bring liquid in the pot back to a boil. Remove and discard shrimp shells. Add rice, potatoes and 1/2 cup liatan (or more to taste). Simmer 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Mash cream cheese with a small amount of the hot soup and add to the pot. Add milk or half and half and the corn. Simmer until heated through and cream cheese has melted.

Add cooked shrimp just before serving in warm bowls.

1 1 1

medium-sized onion, chopped tablespoon olive oil (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and well mashed Aji (Peruvian red pepper flakes) or other red pepper flakes

Over medium-low heat, cook onion in oil until soft. Add tomatoes and cook lightly until blended. Add red pepper flakes to taste.

Simmer 3 minutes.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

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DUTCH YELLOW PEA SOUP (ServeS 6) (This recipe is from Scheveningen, The Netherlands)

bite & sip Tabor Hill Winery & Restaurant

185 Mt Tabor Rd, Buchanan.

800.283.3363. taborhill.com.

The information presented in Bite & Sip is accurate as of press time, but readers are encouraged to call ahead to verify listing information.

Indiana

AMORÉ RISTORANTE AND 109 SUSHI & MARTINI LOUNGE 109 Joliet St, Crown Point. 219.663.7377. amore109.com. The ultimate two-for-one, this sleek restaurant features Italian cuisine on its first floor at Amoré Ristorante and Japanese cuisine, including sushi and sashimi, upstairs at the 109 Sushi & Martini Lounge. But eating at one doesn’t preclude ordering off the menu at the other as the food goes both ways—up and down the stairs. Carnivores will want to try the monster-sized 20- to 22-ounce bone-in rib eye steak, the 16-ounce Kansas City bone-in strip steak or the braised pork shank osso bucco. Seafood lovers get to order lobster in a myriad of ways, including in the sushi, bisque and linguini as well as the decadent twin 6-ounce lobster tails served with drawn butter. Other seafood favorites are the seafood risotto piled high with shrimp, scallops, mussels and more lobster and the peppercornencrusted fresh ahi tuna. Save room for bananas foster, crème brûlée and a quadruple assortment of cupcakes—chocolate, vanilla bean, black and white (swirled chocolate and vanilla) and red velvet topped with cream cheese frosting.

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BARTLETT’S GOURMET GRILL & TAVERN 131 E Dunes Hwy 12, Beverly Shores. 219.879.3081. eatatbartletts.com. Bartlett’s is a new gourmet grill by husband-and-wife team Gary Sanders and Nicole Bissonnette-Sanders. Located in the heart of the National Lakeshore, Bartlett’s has a cozy but very modern ambience. The menu is an exceptionally creative take on upscale roadhouse-type food.

Starting off the meal are appetizers such as andouille sausage corndogs and surf & turf potstickers, as well as family style offerings like Low Country spiced boiled peanuts and smoked venison sticks. Entrées include 5-hour pot roast, whitefish fillet and linguine bolognese, ranging in price from $10 to $20. The wine list is modest but well-crafted.

BISTRO 157 157 W Lincolnway, Valparaiso. 219.462.0992.

bistro157.net. Trained in Paris at Le Cordon Bleu, chef and owner Nicole Bissonnette-Sanders has created a menu of classics—like a decadent sautéed veal and gulf shrimp, a pork rib chop with apple horseradish ham, and an herb-rubbed roasted half chicken—combined with her own creative takes on nouvelle cuisine with a number of fresh fish selections. Desserts include black chocolateinfused confections that have become standard for fine dining, and also sorbets and ice cream made from fresh fruit. There are some treasures on the extensive list of bottle wines, and many solid choices by the glass.

like more traditional pies, there are thin-crust options with toppings such as sausage, fresh garlic, salami and jalapeños. Or try such entries as Ciao Bella’s signature dishes, Rigatoni Boscaiola—spicy Italian sausage and rigatoni noodles topped with a tomato cream sauce—and the Chicken Pollo Ala Romana, a chicken breast sautéed in a white wine sauce with roasted tri-color peppers and then sauced in a tomato cream. There’s also a great selection of seafood, pork and beef. Desserts change frequently, but the tiramisu is always on the menu. The extensive wine list focuses on European and Californian wines.

Delivery and take-out available.

BUTTERFINGERS 2552 45th Ave, Highland. 219.924.6464. 921 D Ridge Rd, Munster. 219.836.4202. Every day, Butterfingers prepares a selection of ready-to-heatand-eat entrées, along with freshly baked breads and salads, all without preservatives. The chicken almond salad has long been a crowd favorite, but the rest of the lunch menu is equally gratifying. What Butterfingers is best known for, however, is their famous desserts. The restaurant’s two pastry chefs— whose training hails from the Culinary Institute of America in New York, and Johnson and Wales in Rhode Island—create an array of gourmet desserts, which includes beautifully decorated and delicious cakes (the double chocolate mousse cake is a must), and an assortment of cookies and brownies, all of which have been satisfying dessert lovers for more than twenty-five years. And to every party planner’s delight, Butterfingers does offer catering.

DON QUIJOTE 119 E Lincolnway, Valparaiso. 219.462.7976. donquijoterestaurantandimports.com. Proprietor Carlos Rivero’s authentic Spanish cuisine, lively and friendly atmosphere, and conviviality with his return customers make this downtown Valparaiso restaurant a destination for Chicagoans and Michigan residents alike. The exciting menu features dozens of small courses, including a well-known classic paella with saffron rice and fresh-grilled seafood chunks. Grilled steaks and lamb and veal chops are abundant and cooked according to family recipes handed down for generations. The house specialty is a flan-textured vanilla cake. Lunch entrées average $15, dinner $25.

CIAO BELLA 1514 US 41, Scherer ville. 219.322.6800. ciaobellaonline.com. The cuisines of three different regions of Italy are featured at Ciao Bella, a ristorante, pizzeria and wine bar. Patrons can sample a 12-inch gourmet pizza with a creative array of toppings like the Pizza Quattro Stagioni—tomatoes, artichokes, prosciutto and black olives—or the sauceless Pizza Al Fichi topped with goat cheese, figs and onions and drizzled with a balsamic glaze. For those who

DUNELAND BEACH INN 3 3 1 1 P o t t a w a t t a m i e Tr, M i c h i g a n C i t y.

800.423.7729. dunelandbeachinn.com. Nestled in a quiet residential neighborhood, just outside of New Buffalo, Duneland Beach Inn lies in wait to greet its guests. The newly remodeled, circa-1924 inn buzzes with the activity of locals and Chicagoans alike. Start your evening in the cozy bar with a bottle of wine that you will find nowhere else in the region, ranging from $26 to $210. Or, after a martini, retire to a table near the fireplace to enjoy one of the chef’s features, which may include steaks, fresh fish and seafood or seasonal cuisine. All items are prepared from the freshest ingredients available, whether it be a seared ahi tuna with soba noodle

photography by GREGG RIZZO

Tabor Hill Winery’s restaurant is all at once elegant, urbane and semi-casual. Its windows afford ample, rolling vineyard views; the menu is sophisticated. Chef JohnPaul VerHage, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, gives a modified Californiacuisine touch to signature dishes like raspberry chicken and the salmon wrapped in grape leaves. The extensive appetizer menu includes items like mini Morel Mushroom Pizzas and Kobe Beef Carpaccio. Though the restaurant is easy to find—just a half hour north of South Bend and 20 minutes east of New Buffalo—it’s not always easy to get in. Reservations are suggested—but those who wander in unannounced can sip at the complimentary wine bar or purchase a glass and enjoy it on the stone terrace overlooking the vines. Tabor Hill produces a wonderful variety of award-winning wines, but for those who desire a harder libation, a full bar awaits.

GAMBA RISTORANTE 455 E 84th Ave, Merrillville.

219.736.5000. gambaristorante.com.

The former owners of the Venezia Bar & Grill and Venezia Café, Benito and Hilda Gamba, have combined their efforts into the grand Gamba Ristorante. Located in Merrillville, this restaurant is housed in an architectural masterpiece, which is hard to miss with its circular design and copper roof. Modeled after upscale restaurants in exotic European locations, the menu offers classic Italian cuisine.

The risotto alla Milanese features Arborio rice with saffron, “just like in Milan,” and the wine room boasts storage space for 1,000 bottles. A banquet hall holds up to 200 people and looks out onto an open courtyard.

GAUCHO’S 5 9 7 U S H w y 3 0 , Va l p a r a i s o .

219.759.1100. gauchosvalpo.com. At Gaucho’s, diners enjoy delicious and unique cuisine invented by the Gaucho cowboys of southern Brazil, who provided meats for the people of Brazil with their famous “Churrasco” barbecue.

At Gaucho’s, this centuries-old traditional feast is created tableside as servers bring such offerings as filet mignon wrapped in bacon, chicken parmesan, pork sausage, garlic-roasted turkey breast, merlotmarinated leg of lamb, and a variety of other meats, during Gaucho’s traditional Brazilian-style dinner experience for $34.95. Seafood selections on Wednesday and Friday—just $29.95— include crab legs, shrimp, tilapia, perch, tuna, mahimahi, salmon and clam strips, or add the meat selections for $45.95.

All dinners include a 30-item salad bar, Brazilian mashed potatoes, and fried bananas. The lunch menu offers a large selection of sandwiches and salads. Start or finish dinner in the Twisted Martini Lounge upstairs for cocktails, cigars and live entertainment in a modern, intimate setting.

GIORGETTI’S RESTAURANT & PIZZERIA Washington Park, Michigan City.

219.809.4000. 28 N Elm St, Three Oaks, Mich. giorgettis.com. Expanding on its successful takeout and delivery-only pizzeria in New Buffalo, Giorgetti’s has renovated the waterfront space that was, until recently, the Harbor Grill, at Washington Park’s Yacht Club facility.

“When we say we have fresh homemade lasagna, it means we made our own noodles,” says general manager Steve Vargas, explaining the concept. “When we say fresh fish, that means we get the whole fish and cut the fillets ourselves.”

Using old family recipes, including one for pizza sauce that dates back half a century, the Michigan City restaurant not only serves the thin-crust pizzas that gained them such a following at their former New Buffalo location, but they also offer an extended menu featuring Italian sandwiches with their housemade sausage and garden salads with romaine, tomato, green onion, black olives, Romano cheese and Italian dressing (made in-house, of course).

Desserts change weekly but can include their killer tiramisu and chocolate chip cookies. Be sure to watch the sun set over the harbor while sipping a martini, a locally crafted beer, cocktails or a glass of wine on the outdoor patio that seats 75. There’s live music at night during the summer. “We’re family friendly,” says Vargas, noting that their most expensive item is $12 for the lake perch.

KELLY’S TABLE 5 7 2 7 N 6 0 0 W, M i c h i g a n C i t y.

219.872.5624. kellyscreekwood. com. Tucked away amidst 30 acres of woodland, the Creekwood Inn, built in the 1930s as a second home, is a delightful spot for those wanting to get away. But you don’t have to spend the night to enjoy a great repast at Kelly’s Table, located inside the inn. It’s here that chef/proprietor Patricia Kelly Molden creates a seasonal menu using the local bounty of the neighboring farms and orchards. Recent appetizer offerings include a rich Onion Soup Savoyarde with egg yolks and cream, topped with Gruyère toast as well as crabmeat and artichoke-stuffed mushrooms. Entrées range from the simple but delicious chicken tetrazzini to grilled cumincrusted tuna with a mango habanero salsa, and rabbit braised in wine and served with summer vegetables. Fresh pumpkin custard—topped with whipped cream and flavored with Grand Marnier and crystallized ginger—and chocolate mousse served in chocolate tulip cups accompanied by a berry sauce are among Molden’s to-die-for desserts.

For cocktails, consider Kelly’s Table Cosmopolitan: a delightful concoction of Absolut Citron, Triple Sec, Chambord, lime and cranberry or a capirinha made with Brazilian cachaça, fresh limes and turbinado sugar.

LUCREZIA 428 Calumet Rd, Chesterton.

219.926.5829. 302 S Main St, Crown Point. 219.661.5829. lucreziacafe.com.

Lucrezia has been a Northern Italian favorite since owners Michael and Nada Karas first opened it in the mid-nineties, in a historic downtown Chesterton building. Several years later, the couple renovated the William Barringer Brown Mansion just off the downtown square in Crown Point, continuing their fine dining tradition. (In fact, Lucrezia won 2006 and

Join us in the Heated Ice Tent!

THURSDAY

Food & Wine Tasting 6:00 - 8:00 pm featuring Girard Winery, Napa Valley $35/person [inside Schu’s] FRIDAY

Tent Opens at 5:00 pm Music by DJ: “An Absolute Blast” 6:00 - 9:00 pm SATURDAY

Saturday Food/Beverages Noon - 10 pm Music by “The Last Mangos 4.0” 7:00 - 10:00 pm Ice Tent located just outside Schus • 501 Pleasant St. • St. Joseph, MI • 269.983.7248 • schus.com

25th Annual

With items such as Squid, Octopus, Frog Legs, Turtle, Alligator, Buffalo, Emu, Venison, Bear, Rabbit, Wild Boar, Kangaroo, Elk, Antelope, Duck, Pheasant, Quail, and many more!

$ 48 per person Please call for more information & reservations

119 E. Lincolnway, Downtown Valparaiso 219-462-7976 • www.donquijoterestaurantandimports.com

The

Olive Mill

www.olivemillgeneva.com The Olive Mill™ Geneva The Olive Mill™ Naperville The Olive Mill™ Saugatuck 315 James Street 3027 English Rows, Suite 113 220 Culver Street Geneva, IL Naperville, IL Saugatuck, MI 630-262-0210 630-428-2560 269-857-5900

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

GINO’S STEAK HOUSE 1259 W Joliet St, Dyer. 219.865.3854.

600 E 81st Ave, Merrillville.

219.769.4466. ginossteakhouse.com.

The chefs at Gino’s, who have more than thirty years of combined experience, use only the freshest ingredients in their homestyle cuisine. Starters include traditional minestrone soup from a family recipe, salads with fresh, locally grown produce, and crusty bread with crocks of butter. The nine-ounce prime steak tops the menu and is itself topped with Roquefort cheese in its most popular rendition. All main dishes are served with the restaurant’s signature marinated peppers, and entrées include fish and lobster delivered daily. The dessert menu features créme brûlée and various cheesecakes, but the housemade tiramisu is the highlight—a rich blend of coffee, chocolate and cream cheese flavors. A premium selection of wine, beer and cocktails is available at the

full-service bar, and there is a special children’s menu so the entire family can enjoy the dining experience.

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salad, Alaskan halibut with ginger hoisin glaze, New Zealand rack of lamb with herb demi-glace, Maryland style jumbo lump crab cakes with mustard aioli, tender smoky baby back ribs with sweet BBQ sauce, gaufrettes and house-made slaw, or black truffle risotto. Round out your evening with something sweet prepared in-house by the pastry chef.

Not a lot of room left over? Everyone has room for a mini: tantalizing assorted desserts—such as coconut cream pie, triple chocolate cake, berries sabayon, to name a few—served in miniature martini glasses. Looking for a place for that special occasion? Private dinners and catering are available for any event.

bite & sip 2008 ROSE Awards for “Putting Porter County on the Map.”) Signature dishes include slow-cooked Chicken Vesuvio, slow-cooked chicken served in a rosemary garlic sauce with roasted potatoes and fresh vegetables, and roasted lamb shank braised in its own juices accompanied by roasted potatoes and braised red cabbage.

Specials include veal medallions with mustard and mushrooms topped with a roasted brandy cream sauce. Not to be missed is the zuccotto, a sinful domeshaped chocolate sponge cake filled with white chocolate mousse and pistachios and sauced with both chocolate and raspberry.

Lunch entrées average $20, dinner $30.

PIKK’S TAVERN 6 2 W L i n c o l n w a y, V a l p a r a i s o .

219.476.7455. pikkstavern.com. The tavern identification in this case is used British-style to denote a communityneighborhood-family place with amply portioned, upscale comfort food like a hearty seafood chowder, a 10-ounce sirloin burger, Cajun fried shrimp po’ boy on a French roll, and an amazing list of brunch items, including a traditional apple pancake, crab cakes Benedict, prime rib hash, and a pepper and egg sandwich served on a baguette. The signature breakfast burger (7 ounces) is served on a buttermilk biscuit bun with cheese and hash browns.

The fine-dining details like sensational seafood and steaks, fifteen housemade dipping sauces—roasted red pepper mayo, coconut chile, bernaise, chimichurri, wasabi and Berber barbecue, for instance—and martinis shaken table-side have drawn attention as well. This latest hot spot has not forgotten the traditions of its classy cousin Vinci on Chicago’s Near North Side and has the plank salmon, chicken Alfredo and Vinci’s penne to prove it. Wine and microbrew lists round out the menu. A very substantial lunch or brunch will cost about $20, and a complete dinner will cost an average of $30.

SAHARA 1 7 0 1 F r a n k l i n S t , M i c h i g a n C i t y.

219.871.1223. sahara-restaurant.net. A cozy, casual bistro serving Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine in downtown Michigan City, the menu at Sahara reflects the traditional dishes of owner Moe Mroueh’s homeland. “I like to cook what I grew up eating,” says Mroueh, who isn’t afraid to add a defining touch to classics as he does with such menu items as fetastuffed dates in a pomegranate reduction sauce, a cucumber Napoleon—slices of cucumber topped with housemade hummus and feta—and a Greek Isle Salad with the usual toppings of cucumbers, onions and feta with an added flourish of gyro meat. Those who want to graze can order one of the combination plates.

Patrons are encouraged to linger and enjoy the music with a cold beer or glass of wine.

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STRONGBOW INN 2405 E US 30, Valparaiso. 800.462.5121. strongbowinn.com. The menu at this classic institution still includes a wide variety of turkey selections, but with daily specials that include barbecued pork ribs, seafood choices, prime rib and other comfort foods, one would never guess that the bakery and restaurant started as a sandwich stand during the Depression. Many families have had Thanksgiving catered by Strongbow— the meticulously prepared traditional meal that can be ordered as take-out is virtually indistinguishable from that produced by a family team working in the kitchen for ten hours. Also, the bakery has exploded with a range of treats created daily, including cinnamon rolls, cakes, pies, brownies, fruit tarts, truffles, crème brûlée and strawberry napoleons. Lunch entrées average $8, and dinner is $18.

SVAGO CAFE 1103 Joliet Rd, Dyer. 219.322.7305. svagocafe.com. Now under new management, Svago is committed to carrying out the traditions of the family restaurant first started by executive chef Tony Sanfilippo‘s grandparents in Palermo, Italy, on the island of Sicily. “I’m third generation in the restaurant business,” says Sanfilippo, noting that his father was a master sommelier and that his grandfather not only ran a restaurant but also grew grapes and made his own wine.

Taking the recipes used by his grandmother in her kitchen back in 1905, Sanfilippo wants to create the ultimate trattoria, one where people come for good times and good food. That’s why the food at Svago, which means “entertainment” in Italian, focuses on slowly braised foods, long simmered sauces as well as great salads and soups. For those who want a quick bite or simpler fare, there’s the café in front which features sandwiches and is also a place to sip coffee and enjoy a sweet.

“Tradition is very important in Italy,” says Sanfilippo. “And that’s what we hope to create here as well.”

WILLIAM B’S STEAKHOUSE at BLUE CHIP CASINO 2 Easy St, Michigan City. 888.879.7711 ext 2118. bluechip-casino.com. Named after Boyd Gaming Corporation’s chairman and CEO William S. Boyd, William B’s is a world-class steakhouse in the tradition of the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas. Executive chef Rudy Paniuagua advises that you should not over-grill a great steak: “The flavor of the meat and the marbling should speak for themselves.” Rib eyes, T-bones, filet and porterhouse are the centerpiece of the menu—and all the little extras are available, including creamy horseradish, sautéed onions and mushrooms, and au poivre sauce with shallots, butter, cracked peppercorns and cognac—but you will also find fresh seafood, occasional exotic selections like ostrich, and exquisite pasta dishes, prepared in-house. There is a complete cocktail menu (the traditional martinis are excellent), as well as a fivestar wine list and complete appetizer and dessert selections. The average cost of dinner is $25, and reservations are highly recommended.

Michigan

THE 1913 ROOM and CYGNUS 27 at AMWAY GRAND PLAZA HOTEL Pearl & Monroe St, Grand Rapids. 1913 Room: 616.776.6450. Cygnus 27: 877.668.1675. amwaygrand.com. The 1913 Room is the only restaurant to earn the coveted AAA 5-Diamond rating in the state of Michigan for its classic service, a fine list of wines, cordials and liqueurs, top quality steaks, baked goods and numerous specials. Creative menuplanning results in a daily lunch buffet of hearty soup, comforting vegetable and potato sides, beef, turkey and salmon on the carving block, and a sideboard of a wide-ranging cheese selection with smoked fish and garden vegetables for accompaniment. At the top of the hotel, the newly renovated Cygnus 27 features a breathtaking river view, an expanded “ice” bar, and an unusual dropped ceiling lit with rectangular boxes. Chef Werner Absenger’s menu is as innovative as ever, with wine and food pairings and off-beat contrasting flavors—a small plate of baby iceberg lettuce comes with green goddess dressing and Michigan cherry bread croutons, and a dozen escargot are served enveloped in a light, buttery sauce packaged in pastry. Featured main courses include a salmon Wellington, veal meatballs with pasta, smoked pork tenderloin, and marinated grilled chicken.

Have dessert of chocolate cake with apricot glaze, apple cinnamon tiramisu or pecan pie à la mode served parfaitstyle, or adjourn to the mahogany and leather cocoon of the Lumber Baron Bar downstairs. There are more than 1,000 bottles in the Amway wine collection and dozens of port, cognac and dessert wine selections. Lunch entrées average $18 and dinner entrées $25.

BISTRO ON THE BOULEVARD 521 Lake Blvd, St. Joseph, Michigan.

269.983.6600. theboulevardinn.com.

This French bistro on Lake Michigan has a well-deserved and unrivaled reputation in Southwest Michigan. The view through the French doors overlooking the bluff is spectacular no matter what season, though dining outside on the porch has its own special charm, particularly at sunset or on a starry summer night. The interior of the dining room and cozy adjacent bar is impeccable, right down to the tinted water glasses, burnished wood and woodburning fireplace. The menu changes frequently to accommodate seasonal, fresh and available fruits and vegetables, much of which are grown locally, but the basic entrée list—created by executive chef Ryan Thornburg, who worked as the restaurant’s sous chef for three years when it first opened—is extensive. Thornburg returned last year after working as executive chef at Tosi’s Restaurant and then the Orchard Hills Country Club, to replace longtime executive chef Ali Barker, who moved from the area. Thornburg’s menu items include Horseradish Crusted Faroe Islands Salmon accompanied by sautéed spinach in a Michigan cherry vinaigrette, Steak Frites—a tallgrass 8-ounce top sirloin with pomme frites and herb butter—and Crispy Duck Confit with sautéed garlic potatoes and mixed greens dressed with an aged sherry vinaigrette. Prices are reasonable, starting at $17 for the macaroni and cheese made with aged white cheddar, mascarpone, gruyere and country ham topped with garlic bread crumbs, to steaks for around $30. Be sure to check out the Wednesday sushi menu for such delights as Black Dragon—broiled eel, shrimp tempura, avocado and cucumber with wasabi topikiko—as well as the choice of sakes.

Reservations are always helpful, especially on the weekends.

THE PHOENIX 124 Water Street, Benton Harbor.

269.925.8060. thephoenixbh.com. For those wanting to taste Elizabeth Frost’s exquisite, freshly made croissants, timing is everything at the Phoenix, her cafe in the Arts District of Benton Harbor. Frost starts rolling out the laminated layers of butter and dough in this historic building, with its large windows overlooking the blossoming neighborhood, at a time when late-nighters are just thinking of going to bed. Since she first opened, word of mouth has spiked demand and the French pastries sell so quickly that Frost, who is dedicated to quality, often can’t keep up with the demand. Currently she’s offering three varieties—plain, ham and Gruyere cheese, and chocolate. But even those that miss out on her croissants can still enjoy her other baked goods, like the wonderful scones—often made with fresh fruit when in season—and such breakfast offerings as the One Eyed Jack—bread with a hole cut out of the middle to accommodate a cooked egg—and Egg McPhoenix, two organic eggs with a blend of cheeses served grilled on Challah bread. As with all the breakfast breads, lunch items are made with breads shipped in from the famed Zingerman’s Deli in Ann Arbor and include grilled pimento and cheese, and turkey, havarti, bacon and avocado with mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato.

There’s freshly brewed coffee, lattes and cappuccinos, Boylan sodas and an array of teas. Outdoor seating completes Frost’s croissant dream.

SCHU’S GRILL & BAR 501 Pleasant St, St. Joseph. 269.983.7248. schulersrest.com. The restaurant tradition of Schuler’s goes back four generations in Michigan and continues with Schu’s Grill & Bar in St. Joe. Diners can enjoy a breathtaking view of Lake Michigan and cozy up to the hand-crafted fieldstone fireplace. Good conversation and good food are all part of the experience at Schu’s, where the start of a tasty night includes Schu’s potato soup—the restaurant’s famous original soup served with cheddar cheese, bacon bits and diced scallions. Gumbos and a selection of distinctive salads, like the sweet chili shrimp salad, also make great starters before the hearty portions of pasta or a sizzlin’ rib eye steak. Also, try the terrific fall-off-the-bone barbeque ribs presented on a wooden plank with tangy molasses sauce served with crispy French fries. Schu’s is also a great place to stop for lunch. A homemade egg salad sandwich is made exceptional with shallots and a touch of tarragon topped with lettuce and tomato, or devour the salmon B.L.T. made with a generous six-ounce portion of grilled salmon with crisp bacon, mixed greens and fresh tomatoes, topped with tarragon Dijon sauce and served with housemade chips.

WHEATBERRY RESTAURANT & TAVERN 1 5 2 1 2 N R e d B u d Tr, B u c h a n a n .

269.697.0043. wheatberrytavern.com.

Nestled on a bend of the slow-moving St. Joseph River just north of Buchanan—a town transforming into trendiness with its historic downtown filled with eclectic shops—the owners of the recently opened Wheatberry Restaurant & Tavern see their place as a gathering spot for lovers of regional American cuisine. “We cook everything from scratch,” says Mike Hoyland, one of the restaurant’s owners.

Besides a dedication to using the best of local farms and food producers, there’s also an emphasis on the smoked ribs, pork and chicken that come out of the large Southern Pride Smoker in the back of the restaurant. Other entrées include prime sliced sirloin topped with Wisconsin’s wonderful Mindoro Blue cheese, basil and toasted pine nut butter, as well as cedar-planked salmon and wood-roasted chicken Vesuvio. Soups, sandwiches, salads and killer hamburgers, thick and juicy and cooked to order, are also on the menu. Dessert specialties include Texas sheet cake—a dense, rich brownie-like cake—and Key lime pie.

WILD DOG GRILLE 24 W Center St, Douglas. 269.857.2519.

Sam Kendall, co-owner of the Wild Dog Grille, says their Italian-inspired cuisine, with a new-age twist, has been delighting the public ever since they opened their doors in June 2007. Start out with fresh spring rolls stuffed with crab meat and wrapped in a thin rice paper, or try the crab cake served with three dollops of Creole remoulade for a flavor enhancement.

Another tasty option is the pesto spinach cheese dip served with flat breads fired fresh in the stone oven. Their trademark stone oven pizzas are fired in the best stone oven on the market for an oldworld, thin-crust flavor. Fresh-cut steaks, such as the popular filet mignon and New York strip, are exceptional. Finish the meal with a vanilla panna cotta made from scratch from the chef’s family recipe, the Oregon berry cobbler or a Key lime tart.

The restaurant has a liquor license, and the owners pride themselves on offering

Illinois

For more restaurant listings, please go to visitshoremagazine.com.

Cooked to perfection on our wood burning grill Private parties & on-site catering Delivery available for large groups

lia nc u is i ne “B ve!” e prepared to fall in lo

Ita

THE COURTYARD BISTRO 21 S White St, Frankfort. 815.464.1404.

The ambitious menu is inspired by the cooking of Italy, France and the American Southwest, but this south suburban bistro adeptly meets the challenge of its own making while getting results that delight both newcomers and regulars.

Signature dishes include Santa Fe lasagna and artichoke ravioli on the Neapolitan

SIAM MARINA THAI CUISINE 80 River Oaks Center Dr, Calumet City.

708.862.3438. 1669 Sibley Blvd, Calumet City. 708.868.0560. Chef-proprietor Tammy Pham has evolved into a legend for her mastery of a full menu with dozens of vegetarian options as well as traditionally spiced and marinated poultry dishes. The spring rolls and peanut sauce are prepared in-house daily, along with special soups. The authentic pad Thai has a loyal following, and fresh coconut works in many of the dishes, including dessert. A multi-course lunch averages $12, dinner $15.

➢ Pasta ➢ Veal ➢ Steak ➢ Risotto ➢ Seafood

Finest

BALAGIO RISTORANTE 1 7 5 0 1 D i x i e H w y, H o m e w o o d .

708.957.1650. balagio-restaurant. com. This popular Italian restaurant has changed its menu offerings, with many entrée prices now under $12.95.

Some of the specialties created by chef/ owner Mike Galderio include chicken scaloppini—thin breast cutlets quickly sautéed with white wine—Italian sausage and roasted red peppers served with braised escarole, and a salmon club sandwich with broiled salmon, crisp bacon, avocado, lettuce and tomato.

There are also Galderio traditional family recipes like the chopped salad with chicken, salami and hearts of palm, housemade marinara sauce and spaghetti and meatballs. There’s an extensive wine list as well as live entertainment on Friday and Saturday evenings. Private dining is available for any group from 10 to 200, either family style or custom designed.

side, and onion tart and gorgonzolaseared beef tenderloin are straight out of a sidewalk café near the River Seine in Paris. The martini menu is as innovative as the food, and the wine list is better than average with interesting possibilities for complementing the entrées. The seafood is very fresh and well-prepared with garnishes and light sauces, and main dishes are economical in the $915 range. The atmosphere is always friendly and can range from celebratory for special luncheons on the weekends to cozy, romantic couple dinners in the evening. But it is the attention to detail at every level from customer comfort to the dessert selections and coffee service at the end of the meal that gets the repeat customers.

603 Ridge Road Munster, IN (219) 836-6220

Sandwiches ✦ Breads ✦ Cakes Cookies ✦ Small Desserts ✦ Salads Sweet Trays ✦ Party Trays Holiday Menu ✦ Celebration Cakes

Butterfingers Highland, IN | Brumm’s Plaza 2552 45th Avenue | 219.924.6464 Munster, IN | Market Square 921 D Ridge Road | 219.836.4202

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

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a laid-back atmosphere with the quality of high-end restaurants. Prices go up to $25.95 for the filet mignon, with most selections under $20.

house&

GROUNDS

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ATTRACTIVE HOME DESIGN THAT MAKES SENSE by julie dean kessler | photography by tony v. martin

w

It was just over an acre of rolling land dotted with trees—the perfect site to break ground for their 5,000-square-foot house. That was in August 2008.

Despite an overwhelming array of designs, materials, colors and fabrics from which to choose, Jack and Kim Ziegler moved into their dream home a scant 11 months later. ¶ How did they do it?

With a long-range view in mind, all essential living areas are on the main floor. “We want the home to be accessible as we age,” Kim explains, “and we didn’t want space on the main floor that isn’t used on a daily basis.” Accordingly, two guest bedrooms are upstairs and another is on the lower level.

Guests enter a large foyer leading to a formal living room. One detail still in the works for some areas, Kim says, are window treatments, but here, silhouette shades allow natural light that’s further enhanced by transom windows with minimal stained-glass design. Used throughout the home, the transom windows “add pizzazz,” Kim says. On the other side is the formal dining

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

The Crown Point, Ind., home of Jack and Kim Ziegler offers diverse architectural elements and levels while ensuring that the couple will always be able to live fully on the main floor. Stained-glass transom windows above the door [previous] and in the living room to the left lend interest to a neutral palette of colors; silhouette shades allow privacy with maximum natural light.

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“We had a clear vision,” Kim says. “Building is said to be a stressful time, but it wasn’t for us.”

She speaks easily, confidently, decisively of architectural details in a conversation that moves rapidly from one phase of the build to another.

The couple had lived in the area a long time, liked it, and settled on Crown Point for their new home because of the downtown’s quaint elements and easy access to their workplaces.

From there, the Zieglers’ philosophy—embracing function within form—directed every aspect of the build. “It’s a balance,” Kim says: The form has to be visually pleasing, “but if you don’t have functionality, then you haven’t provided for your needs.”

house&

GROUNDS The main-floor kitchen [right] is open to interaction from the breakfast bar, hearth-room sofa, or living room that shares the double fireplace. Tray ceiling beams pick up the walnut color in the hardwood flooring. A completely outfitted lower-level bar [below] gets extra light through windows facing the property’s slope.

room with recessed lighting.

As elsewhere in the home, 10-foot ceilings and large windows emphasize space and light.

The Zieglers credit the Woodshop, Inc., of Schererville with adding depth and character; their designs include bead board and tray ceilings in the living room and dining room. Choosing a contemporary style that also imparts warmth was the inspiration for a double fireplace between the formal living room and the hearth room. With the kitchen centrally located, family and friends are close to the cook; they can hang out before the marbled fireplace or chat from the kitchen bar.

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k

Kim revels in the chef-friendly kitchen, with its warming drawer, double oven and pot filler.

Woodshop designed the wine rack built into one end of the kitchen cabinets, and created distinctive detail on the woodwork and staircase. Walnut flooring in a blend of hues coordinates with the Zieglers’ choice of earth tones for walls and furnishings. “We like being able to change it up just by adding seasonal accents,” notes Kim, whose style is evident in the home’s ambience of serenity, elegance and comfort.

Unique, upscale amenities help ensure that the main floor will meet the couple’s lifestyle for years to come. Jack and Kim find the double fireplace between master bedroom and bath a great destressor. Kim’s contemporary flair and practicality are evident in the choice of shallow, rectangular basin sinks in unusual deep-blue glass, and placement of the laundry room just off the master bath. The couple enjoys the morning bar just outside the master bedroom.

On the lower level, heated tiles, fireplace and a rich color palette warm the space, while the slope of the property allows for larger windows with natural light and a view of the outdoors.

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

Guests can sit at the wet bar—a mirror behind the bar contains a TV—or at high tables that can be folded in half against the wall. Entertaining extras: drawers for warming foods and dishwashing keep trips upstairs to a minimum.

Kim frankly adores the wine cellar; faux-painted walls, artwork and lighting make it a joy to select the wines Kim enjoys discovering.

After an energetic tour through the house, which “wraps around you when you come home,” Kim gazes out at the patio, the fire pit, the pool area and woods beyond, and her musing turns poetic. “To see a deer and her fawns frolicking . . . to sit outside at night and listen to the little sounds . . . keeping close to nature was a reason to keep the decking minimal. It’s always pretty here—in summer you look up and see the trees swaying; rain falls through them like a rain forest; even in winter they’re beautiful.”

She turns with a smile and spreads her hands. “And we have wonderful neighbors! It’s just a great place.”

[clockwise from lower left] The master bedroom’s double fireplace warms up the bathroom as well; pool-area decking is kept to a minimum for natural beauty; 10-foot tray ceilings and shared fireplace pull together the hearth room and formal living room; and attention to detail gives distinctive design to the wine cellar.

shore things Olive Mill

220 Culver St, Saugatuck.

269.857.5900 The Olive Mill offers imported and flavored olive oils, nut oils, aged balsamic vinegars, and dipping spices for bread, along with chips and dips, tapenades, spreads and sauces. Patrons can sample from the wide variety of olive oils and balsamic vinegars in the store, and items can be purchased online as well. Several tasty gift sets are available, as well as serving pieces and bath and body creams, oils and shampoos. The Olive Mill also has locations in Geneva and Naperville, Illinois.

build Indiana

COOK BUILDERS 6919 W Lincoln Hwy, Crown Point. 219.322.3303. cookbuilders.com. In business for more than thirty years, Cook has become a reputable building company across Northwest Indiana, specializing primarily in custom homes. An added valuable service is an advanced Internet-based communication system so that homebuyers can track their selections, allowances and specifications during and after the building process.

J KREMKE CONSTRUCTION ENTERPRISES 314 Spring View Dr, Porter. 219.309.0360. mygreenbuildingsolutions.com. This construction company specializes in sustainable eco-friendly and energy-efficient homes at reasonable rates.

Aside from new construction, remodeling and land development, J Kremke Construction also provides maintenance for bank-owned properties.

MARUSZCZAK APPLIANCE 7809 W Lincoln Hwy, Schererville. 219.865.0555.

For nineteen years, Maruszczak has been selling and servicing major home appliances in the Munster area. Its broad inventory includes fridges, stoves, dishwashers, washer/dryers and more, made by virtually every brand in the market. The company is also factory-authorized to service everything it sells.

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TRAINOR GLASS COMPANY 202 N Dixie Way, South Bend. 574.855.2380. trainorglass.com. Since 1953, Trainor Glass has specialized in commercial glass and glazing.

Their state-of-the-art glass can be installed just about anywhere, from partitions, walls and doors, to the shower and bath. The inventory includes endless variations of glass, including clear, frosted, patterned and back-painted glass, along with digitally printed glass products. Trainor serves all of Northwest Indiana and Southwest Michigan.

Michigan

POWELL CONSTRUCTION SERVICES 3531 Niles Rd, St. Joseph. 269.556.1111. powellconstruction.com. Powell Construction Services specializes in new residential construction and remodeling; kitchen, bath and basement renovations; light commercial remodeling and custom woodworking.

Known for their outstanding customer service, quality construction and design, on-time delivery, and overall value, this leading Southwest Michigan builder follows the National Association of Home Builder’s Model Green Home Building Guidelines.

R.A. MORT SUPPLY 2260 M-139, Benton Harbor. 269.927.8288. ramortsupply.com. This bath gallery, which features a complete kitchen and bath design center with working displays, will give customers ideas about how they can personalize their own homes, and the experts at R.A. Mort Supply can help make it happen.

WATER PLACE 188 W US 12, Ste 3, New Buffalo. 269.231.5153. The Water Place is a decorative plumbing and hardware products superstore. With whirlpools, faucets and cabinets, this has “everything you need for plumbing services.”

Illinois

BLINK APPLIANCES & KITCHENS 2717 Glenwood-Lansing Rd, Lynwood. 708.889.1860. blink.homeappliances.com. Specializing in sales, service, installation and parts for forty-nine years, Blink Appliances is affiliated with Brand Source, one of the largest buying groups in the nation. The knowledgeable sales staff has won national awards for its service and installation of quality appliances and cabinetry.

design Indiana

DECORATING DEN INTERIORS decoratingden.com. This award-winning international

design firm provides full-service, professional interior decorating. Well-trained decorators bring their ideas and expertise directly to clients’ homes, along with fabrics, furniture, floor and wall coverings, lighting and other accessories.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME 110 Elmwood Dr, Michigan City. 219.879.9140. 400 E Randolph St, Ste 3414, Chicago. 312.938.9140. nplhinc.com. This eco-minded interior design firm has multiple specialties, including space planning, architectural design consultation, kitchen and bath design and renovations, custom cabinetry design and installation, and selection of additional materials, plus decorating and staging services.

Michigan

BLUE STAR ANTIQUE PAVILION 2948 Blue Star Hwy, Douglas. 269.857.6041. bluestarantiquepavilion.com. Antique lovers travel from all over to arrive at this Destination mall, voted “Best of the Best” in a four-state area. BSAP features more than 175 dealer booths of quality antiques, collectibles and other fun merchandise. Even non-antiquers will appreciate the diverse inventory. Patrons can also try “Brewtiquing,” as BSAP partners with the Saugatuck Brewing Company (an award-winning microbrewery) at this 50,000-square-foot site.

CUSTOMS IMPORTS 430 S Whittaker St, New Buffalo. 269.469.9180. customsimports.com. This exotic gallery hosts a large, distinguished inventory of global art, furniture and antiques from India, Indonesia, China, Morocco and Vietnam. Dee Dee Duhn’s new showroom features teak root benches, textiles, Indonesian pottery, unique new furniture and an extensive mirror gallery. Claudia Labao’s Global Dreams jewelry— popular with the stars of Desperate Housewives—can also be found here.

HARBOR TOWN INTERIORS 613 Broad St, St.Joseph. 269.983.7774. Harbor Town Interiors offers home decor items such as furniture,

photograph by ROBERT WRAY

The information presented in Shore Things is accurate as of press time, but readers are encouraged to call ahead to verify the listing information.

SAWYER HOME & GARDEN CENTER 5865 Sawyer Rd, Sawyer. 269.426.8810. sawyergardencenter.com. The Sawyer Garden Center offers a large inventory of items for the garden, including annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees, plus a variety of high-quality lawn accessories. A large gift shop and gourmet shop—featuring produce, breads, sauces and cheeses—are also on site.

drive Indiana

DORMAN GARAGE, INC. 1317 Lake St, LaPorte. 219.324.7646. dormangarage.com. With more than twenty years of experience, Dorman Garage specializes in classic car restoration. Aside from offering restoration services, there is also a large inventory of restored classic automobiles for sale.

LEXUS OF MERRILLVILLE 3957 US Hwy 30, Merrillville. 219.769.4545. lexusofmerrillville.com. Lexus vehicles and customer service-focused sales teams can be found at this dealership, which features new and pre-owned vehicles—including luxury and sport sedans, SUVs and convertibles.

Financing, vehicle services and parts and accessories are also available.

Michigan

RUSSELL’S FOREIGN CAR REPAIR 8754 US Hwy 31, Berrien Springs.

269.473.3088. This dealer alternative provides service, repairs and maintenance during the vehicle’s factory warranty and beyond. Russell’s Foreign Car Repair services all imported car makes, but specializes in upscale European and Asian vehicles.

eat Indiana

GREAT LAKES CATERING 701 Washington St, Michigan City.

219.898.1501. greatlakescatering.com. With a combined 75 years of experience, father and son Ed and Matt Kis have formed one of the area’s leading catering companies.

A full range of services is available for all kinds of events, including catered foods and beverages, bands, tents, tables and more.

MOLLY BEA’S INGREDIENTS 761 Indian Boundary Rd, Chesterton.

219.983.9401. mollybeas.com. This specialty grocer is a “haven for people who cook, bake and eat.” Pretty much any baking and cooking ingredient can be found here, including flours, pastas, seeds, nuts, sprinkles, chips and more. A selection of fair trade and organic products are available, including coffees, and loose and packaged teas. Molly Bea’s also boasts the largest licorice selection in Northwest Indiana. There are a good deal of sugarless gluten-free products as well.

Michigan

KILWIN’S Multiple locations in Illinois and Michigan. kilwins.com. For more than 60 years, Kilwin’s

SEASON’S HARVEST 1 3 6 8 6 R e d A r r o w H w y, H a r b e r t .

269.469.7899. seasonsharvest.com. This quaint shop along Red Arrow Highway features natural gourmet provisions like barbecue sauces, salad dressings, dipping sauces and olive oil, among others. Products can be purchased either online or at the shop, and gift sets are available.

give Indiana

ST. JOHN WINE & SPIRITS 9540 Poplar Ln, St. John. 219.558.8911. stjohnwineandspirits.com. Both the connoisseur and the beginner alike will feel comfortable in this shop, which features a wide variety of fine wines, beer and spirits.

The staff is trained to assist customers with selection needs, in order “to take the intimidation out of shopping for wine and spirits.” Wine tastings are held here often, and gifts and accessories are also available.

WISE GUYS DISCOUNT LIQUORS 9133 Taft St, Merrillville. 219.791.9419. wiseguysliquors.com. This 7,000-square-foot store features a large stock of beer, wine and spirits at discount prices. The cold beer case is filled with a wide variety of both craft beers and microbrews, and the more than 300 wines available come from around the world. Spirits include regulars like gin and rum, as well as unique varieties such as absinthe, cognac and one-of-a-kind liqueurs.

Michigan

DECADENT DOGS 505 Phoenix St, South Haven. 866.459.5437.

This dog-exclusive boutique features highend canine products, including designer dog collars and apparel, toys and gourmet dog treats. For the humans, dog-oriented gifts and décor items are also available.

LAMBRECHT’S LIQUORS 2926 Niles Ave, St. Joseph. 269.983.5353. lambrechtsliquors.com. Lambrecht’s features a comprehensive selection of wines, beers, spirits, cigars, pipes and tobacco products.

Specialty items include beer and winemaking equipment and supplies and gourmet coffees and cheeses. Occasional tasting events and seminars are offered as well.

heal Indiana

CENTER FOR OTOLARYNGOLOGY 9120 Columbia Ave, Ste A, Munster.

219.836.4820. Bethany Cataldi, D.O., specializes in ear, nose and throat surgery and facial plastic surgery. In fact, she is the only female facial plastic surgeon in Northwest Indiana who’s been specifically trained in surgery of the face, head and neck.

Dr. Cataldi’s expertise in such procedures exclusively ranges all spectrums, from topical treatments like skin peels, to hair removal, to full nasal construction.

CONFIDENTIAL CARE 750 45th St, Munster. 219.934.6410. confidentialcare.com. Drs. Sanker and Vijay Jayachandran are board-certified psychiatrists who provide intensive psychiatric outpatient care for adolescents and adults. The doctors and their staff—two nurse practitioners and six clinical therapists—specialize in social and school behavior, family counseling, drug and

alcohol addiction treatment, and ADHD in adolescents, among many other services.

MIND YOUR OWN BODY HEALTH CENTER 4 0 0 4 C a m p b e l l S t , Va l p a r a i s o .

219.531.0241. naturaldoctor.biz. Dr. William Stimack, N.M.D., is a board-certified doctor of naturopathic medicine who treats a wide variety of health issues with a three-tiered plan: nutritional counseling, plant-based herbs, and Jade/Derma Ray therapy. Dr. Stimack and his staff also offer detoxification plans for aiding in hormonal imbalance and the relief of fibromyalgia and other autoimmune disorders.

OBSTETRICAL & GYNECOLOGICAL ASSOCIATES, INC. 1101 E Glendale Blvd, Ste 102, Valparaiso.

219.462.6144. 3630 Willowcreek Rd, Ste 1, Portage. 219.364.3230. The boardcertified obstetrician-gynecologists—Drs. Short, Strickland and Murphy—at this clinic specialize in pregnancy care, family planning, infertility and menopause, along with general women’s wellness. Patients are made to feel at ease because of the clinic’s state-of-the-art equipment and a skilled staff.

PORTER HOSPITAL 814 LaPorte Ave, Valparaiso. 219.263.4600.

3630 Willowcreek Rd, Portage.

219.364.3000. 650 Dickinson Rd, Chesterton.

219.926.7755. porterhealth.org. Since opening in 1939 as a community-owned, not-for-profit hospital, Porter has served area families by providing quality care and programs. With ten facilities in two counties, Porter provides health care that is recognized on local, state and national levels and offers a continuum of specialized services such as emergency/trauma, cardiology, family medicine, surgery, obstetrics, pediatrics, orthopedics, oncology, sleep lab, physical rehabilitation care and more.

ST. ANTHONY MEMORIAL 3 0 1 W H o m e r S t , M i c h i g a n C i t y.

888.879.8511. saintanthonymemorial.org.

This acute care hospital, serving LaPorte, Porter and Berrien Counties, boasts an integrated health care network that is made up of an intensive care unit, a new birthing unit, emergency department, behavioral medicine, rehabilitation services, surgery units, oncology, pediatrics and a multidiscipline physician practice.

ST. MARY MEDICAL CENTER 1500 S Lake Park Ave, Hobart. 219.942.0551. comhs.org/stmary. Innovative women’s health services are available here, including complete gynecologic and obstetrical care, plus treatment for high-risk pregnancies and menopause. Functional, metabolic and nutritional medicine is practiced wherever possible.

learn Michigan

OX-BOW Campus: 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck.

269.857.5811. Administrative offices: 37 S Wabash Ave, Chicago. 800.318.3019. ox-bow.org. This 96-year-old summer school of art and artists’ residency is located in Saugatuck and is affiliated with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Ox-Bow offers one- and two-week intensives for aspiring and experienced artists in six studio areas.

Illinois

GOVERNORS STATE UNIVERSITY 1 University Pkwy, University Park.

708.534.5000. govst.edu. Governors State University—which is known for being affordable and accessible—offers 54 degree programs and 23 certificate programs.

Classes are offered on campus, online and at

satellite campuses, all of which are available on evenings and weekends as well as during the day. The university’s Center for Performing Arts also hosts several theater productions and concerts throughout the year.

live Indiana

COLDWELL BANKER, DAWN BERNHARDT 748 E Porter, Chesterton. 219.241.0952. dawnbernhardt.com. Dawn Bernhardt is the go-to agent for homes in Chesterton’s luxurious Sand Creek subdivision, along with other properties in Porter, LaPorte and Lake Counties. The website offers an abundance of resources for both buyers and sellers.

COLDWELL BANKER, DONNA HOFMANN 219.331.1133. dhofmann.com. Donna Hofmann specializes in helping clients with buying and selling lakefront properties in Ogden Dunes, Dune Acres, Porter Beach, Beverly Shores, Chesterton and Valparaiso.

Michigan

AMERICAN HOMES, SHARON HALLIBURTON 4532 Red Arrow Hwy, Stevensville.

269.983.2526. sharonhalliburton.com. For 30 years, Sharon Halliburton has specialized in property management, having been licensed as a real estate agent and a broker more than 10 years ago. Her expertise covers residential, lakefront and vacation properties, plus farms, golf courses and vineyards.

BRIDGEWATER PLACE 225 N Whittaker St, New Buffalo.

269.469.9500. bridgewaterofnewbuffalo. com. Two- and three-bedroom condominiums are available at this luxury development, which is situated in downtown New Buffalo.

Amenities include a fitness center, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, elevated patios and a rooftop terrace with kitchenette.

COLDWELL BANKER RESIDENTIAL BROKERAGE 10 N Whittaker St, New Buffalo.

269.469.3950. coldwellbankeronline.com.

This New Buffalo real estate firm features more than 200,000 properties in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. Both the inoffice staff and the Coldwell Banker website offer multiple services and resources for buyers and sellers.

HARBOR SHORES REALTORS 584 Lake St, Saugatuck. 269.857.3900. harborshoresrealtors.com. Principal broker Tammy Kerr and team specialize in helping their clients buy and sell properties in the Saugatuck/Douglas area. Each of the agents are members of the National Association of REALTORS. HARBOR SHORES RESORT 269.932.1600. harborshoresresort.com.

Southwest Michigan’s biggest, most talkedabout project is underway in Benton Harbor.

The residential community will include a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course, marinas, an indoor water park and a luxury spa. The property is surrounded by two rivers and five beaches. Custom homesites and cottages are available.

LAKE PARK PLACE 301 Lake Blvd, St. Joseph. 269.429.4663.

301lakeboulevard.com. This new, sevenstory condominium development is being constructed in the historic building that was formerly the YWCA. Residents can choose from 10 floor plans, each of which come with a private balcony. Other perks include an indoor parking garage, indoor pool and 10 years of free golf at two nearby golf courses.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

CHOCOLATE CAFE 300 State St, St. Joseph. 269.985.9866. sbchocolate.com. This delicious stop in downtown St. Joseph features all things chocolate—fudge, creams, even sugar-free chocolate. There are options for nonchocoholics as well, including coffee, fruits, nuts, and ice cream. Specialty gift boxes are available, and the company features licensed treats from several local universities as well.

has been a quality confectionery shoppe in northern Michigan, providing quality products and excellent services. Despite growing throughout the United States and changing ownership, they still use only the finest and freshest ingredients in their hand-paddled fudge, custom chocolates and truffles.

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mattresses, bed coverings, rugs, and home accessories. Gift items and full service design consultation are available.

shore things PRUDENTIAL RUBLOFF PROPERTIES 439 S Whittaker St, New Buffalo.

888.257.5800. rubloff.com. Since 1930, Rubloff has been one of the premier real estate firms on the local scene. Serving clients all along Lake Michigan’s southern coast and beyond, the certified sales associates at Rubloff proclaim great success in buying, selling and renting properties along the lakeshore.

SHORES OF SOUTH HAVEN 300 Kalamazoo St, South Haven.

269.637.8555. shoresrealestate.com.

This reputable firm provides assistance with development, sales and leasing of condominiums, single-family, vacation and retirement home sales, along with lots, boat slips and commercial property. Shores also manages and leases property for investor-buyers.

Illinois

DEWITT PLACE 900 N DeWitt Pl, Chicago. 312.642.7020. dewittplace.com. This 82-unit vintage building, built in 1924, offers corporate housing, temporary furnished apartment rentals and long-term temporary housing solutions. These studio and one-bedroom apartments come with a variety of amenities, including a fully equipped kitchen, wireless Internet access, DirecTV satellite service and an exercise room.

pamper Indiana

COSMEDIC SKIN & BODY CLINIC 210 E 86th Pl, Merrillville. 219.795.1255.

58 E Walton, Chicago. 312.377.3333. cosmedicclinic.com. Available by appointment. Dr. James Platis, who has been featured on local and national news programs and has been applauded by Dr. Phil, specializes in all forms of surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures, particularly breast surgery, body contouring and facial aesthetic surgery. Less invasive procedures include tanning, waxing and facials.

VANIS SALON & SPA 221 US 41, Ste J, Schererville. 219.322.5600.

1620 Countr y Club Rd, Valparaiso.

219.465.6414. 107 N Main St, Crown Point.

219.663.5200. vanis.net. One of Northwest Indiana’s premier salons, Vanis features a well-trained, professional staff for hair care, nail care and spa body treatments. Group and corporate retreats (for four to twenty people) can be arranged.

party Michigan

SHADOWLAND ON SILVER BEACH 333 Broad St, St. Joseph. 888.404.7587. shadowlandonsilverbeach.com. St. Joseph’s newest event venue is located right on the beach, in the same building as the famed Silver Beach Carousel. Shadowland, which can accommodate more than 300 guests, partners with Bistro on the Boulevard for a dynamic catering menu. The venue is available for wedding receptions, business meetings and other special occasions.

8 VISITSHOREMAGAZINE.COM 8

play Indiana

BLUE CHIP CASINO, HOTEL & SPA 7 7 7 B l u e C h i p D r, M i c h i g a n C i t y.

888.879.7711. bluechipcasino.com. The casino portion of Blue Chip features 65,000 square feet of gaming, all on one level, including more than 2,100 slot games and all the classic table games. Brand new to the facility is the 22-story Spa Blu Tower, which

features a state-of-the-art hotel, luxury spa and convention center. Dining options include It’s Vegas Baby! and the Game, along with the fine-dining restaurant William B’s Steakhouse.

Michigan

FOUR WINDS CASINO 11111 Wilson Rd, New Buffalo, Michigan.

866.494.6371. fourwindscasino.com. With 3,000 of the most recent types of slot machines and more than 100 tables games, including blackjack and craps, New Buffalo’s Four Winds is the only casino in the area that offers million dollar jackpots. This brand new casino also has the Midwest’s only World Poker Tour poker room.

stay Indiana

DUNELAND BEACH INN 3311 Pottawattamie Tr, Michigan City.

219.874.7729. dunelandbeachinn.com.

Nestled in a private wooded community on the beach, yet only minutes from Michigan City’s best shopping and dining, this cozy inn provides guests with comfort and convenience. Also on the premises is Duneland Beach Inn’s fine dining restaurant, which features steaks, chops, pasta and seafood.

INN AT ABERDEEN 3158 S State Rd 2, Valparaiso. 219.465.3753. innataberdeen.com. Located in the beautiful and prestigious Aberdeen neighborhood, just minutes from downtown Valparaiso, the Inn at Aberdeen is a comfortable and convenient place to stay. A variety of unique rooms and suites are available, as well as a Flavia coffee and tea bar, a full gourmet breakfast every morning, and all of the amenities needed for both a personal and business stay. A conference room is available for business meetings and private parties.

Michigan

THE BOULEVARD INN 521 Lake Blvd, St. Joseph. 269.983.6600. theboulevardinn.com. Warmth and coziness are a theme at this historic hotel in St. Joseph.

From the plush furniture in the lobby to the comfort food at the Bistro, to the luxurious amenities in the hotel’s suites, the Boulevard offers more than just a place to stay. Business and fitness centers are also available for use.

view Indiana

HEART TO HEART GALLERY 921 Ridge Rd, Munster. 219.836.2300. With home accent items created by nearly 300 artists, Heart to Heart has been selected as a Top 100 gallery for five consecutive years.

The gallery features fine American craft, including original art and sculpture, gift items and jewelry.

THADDEUS C. GALLERY 822 Lincolnway, LaPorte. 219.326.8626. thaddeusc.com. Often recognized as one of the top fine art galleries in Northwest Indiana, this gallery is located in a 2000-square-foot ground floor space, right in the heart of downtown LaPorte. Both contemporary and traditional fine art is found here, featuring functional and non-functional art by artisans from around the world.

Michigan

BLUE GALLERY 16 S Elm St, Three Oaks. 269.756.9338. bluegalleryart.com. Run by owner and art director Judy Ferrara, this well-known gallery features the works of more than 15 artists,

including local notables like Joe Hindley and Kellie Pickard. Several art-related events take place here, including a gallery walk every third Saturday of the month, when the facility is open until 9 p.m.

BOX FACTORY FOR THE ARTS 1101 Broad St, St. Joseph. 269.983.3688. boxfactoryforthearts.org. This multi-use arts center features the studios of more than 30 artists who specialize in ceramics, fabric art, painting, printmaking, photography and more. Artists give classes and also have their work on display for various exhibits and for purchase. The center also hosts a performance stage, classrooms and meeting space, and events are held there regularly.

visit Michigan

ST. JOSEPH TODAY 120 State St, St. Joseph. 269.985.1111. sjtoday.org. Visitors to St. Joseph will find a variety of helpful information—on shopping, dining and events—at this welcome center.

St. Joseph Today is a nonprofit organization that assists and encourages local business and tourism development.

SILVER BEACH CENTER 333 Broad St, St. Joseph. 269.982.8500. silverbeachcarousel.com. Brand new to St. Joseph is this family-friendly center, which features an abundance of fun and unique activities for people of all ages. The primary attraction is the Silver Beach Carousel, a spectacular structure that features 44 colorful, hand-carved horses. Also at the center is Curious Kids’ Discovery Zone, the Shadowland Ballroom, Whirlpool Compass Fountain, and Michigan’s tallest kaleidoscope.

SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN TOURIST COUNCIL 2300 Pipestone Rd, Benton Harbor.

269.925.6301. swmichigan.org. The natural attractions of Southwest Michigan—the dunes, miles of scenic Lake Michigan beach, rivers and parks with hiking trails and biking paths—offer beauty in every season. The friendly staff at this nonprofit organization can assist travelers whether they seek solitude or a group learning experience.

wear Indiana

ALBERT’S DIAMOND JEWELERS 711 Main St, Schererville. 219.322.2700. albertsjewelers.com. Besides the fact that Albert’s showcases 5,000 square feet of jewelry, the store in itself is an entertainment destination. A bar, large-screen TV, dance floor and karaoke are among the many ways that patrons can let loose while browsing every type of fine jewelry imaginable.

Brands include Tacori, Bulgari, Cartier and Bez Ambar, and the store’s entire back wall is devoted to bridal jewelry and accessories.

AMY LAURIE’S ECLECTIC BOUTIQUE 613 N Main St, Crown Point. 219.661.8094.

This boutique features clothing for women of all ages and sizes, including jackets, wraps, sweaters, evening wear, accessories and shoes. Owners Judith Kaye and Nancy C. Goodwin update the inventory regularly, while also offering frequent sales.

HUNCH FURS 2 0 2 1 W L i n c o l n H w y, M e r r i l l v i l l e .

219.769.4270. hunchfurs.net. Situated in a quaint, cozy brick home, this family-owned company has been selling furs, fine leathers and motorcycle apparel since 1938. Along with extras like hats, purses, scarves and gloves, Hunch Furs also offers repair and cleaning services.

INDIAN SUMMER, CHESTERTON 131 S Calumet Rd, Chesterton.

219.983.9994. This women’s clothing boutique offers casual and contemporary clothing and jewelry from around the world. Indian Summer features brands such as Sympli, Oh My Gauze, Completo, Flax, Connie’s Moonlight, Minnetonka, Big Buddha and San Miguel shoes. The Chesterton shop offers a large selection of apparel, jewelry and accessories, while the original New Buffalo storefront continues to feature its quality inventory for those on the other side of the lake.

LUX & MIE 404 E Lincolnway, Valparaiso. 219.464.3330. luxandmie.com. Fashions and accessories in contemporary, trendy and casual-chic styles come together at Lux & Mie, an upscale boutique owned by mother-daughter pair Kate and Jamie Salan. The fashionable selection appeals to both men and women, from high school age to those in their 50s and 60s. Featured designers include English Laundry, Covet and Wish Collection.

REVIVE CONSIGNMENTS 5 2 3 F r a n k l i n S t , M i c h i g a n C i t y.

219.814.4063. reviveconsignments.com.

This upscale consignment boutique, located in the historic Franklin Square district, features gently worn and new designer clothing, shoes and accessories. Furniture, art and jewelry—all made by local and national artists—are also available for purchase.

Michigan

DK BOUTIQUE 213 State St, St. Joseph. 269.983.7313. dkboutique.com. This contemporary women’s clothing boutique in downtown St. Joe offers limited edition designer apparel, cool new accessories and the latest designs in jewelry from Pandora Jewelry. With something for everyone, from teenagers and older, DK Boutique provides the most current styles that are full of flair.

EVE 319 State St, St. Joseph. 269.983.4372. This boutique for women is a longtime favorite among visitors to downtown St. Joseph.

Owned by Rachel Arent, Eve specializes in artisan-designed clothing and trendy jewelry and accessories. Some of the more popular designers found here include Linda Lundstrom, Lee Andersen, Sympli, Painted Pony and Fenini. Eve’s selection of linen clothing is wildly popular among customers.

INDIAN SUMMER, NEW BUFFALO 126 S Whittaker St, New Buffalo, Mich.

269.469.9994. This women’s clothing boutique offers casual and contemporary clothing and jewelry from around the world. Indian Summer features brands such as Sympli, Oh My Gauze, Completo, Flax, Connie’s Moonlight, Minnetonka, and San Miguel shoes. The Chesterton shop also offers a distinctive selection of apparel, jewelry and accessories.

MOXIE’S BOUTIQUE 321 State St, St. Joseph. 269.983.4273. moxiesboutique.com. This fun and festive boutique features women’s fashions, accessories and gifts. Apparel—from designers such as Belamie, Flashback Couture and Nic & Zoe—comes in a range of styles and prices. Many local artists’ works are available here as well, including handbags, scarves, jewelry, furniture and art.

For more business listings, please go to visitshoremagazine.com.

nwi.com

Your Automotive Source for Northwest Indiana

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shorecast predictions by fran smith

For more astrological advice, be sure to check out Fran Smith’s regular blog on visitshoremagazine.com.

[aquarius] JANUARY 20FEBRUARY 18 KEY WORDS in February: New Beginnings. This is great, for February always marks the start of the New Moon (new starts) in your own sun-sign. And your personal goals are given extraordinary planetary backup. Let yourself forge ahead. SIDESTEP hesitancy in taking those early steps.

KEY WORD in March: Resources. What’s called for is an unwavering reliance on the good associations that you’ve built in the past—and on your stunning ability to establish even more good associations in the future. Now is that future. SIDESTEP any uncertainty about your plans.

[virgo] AUGUST 23-SEPTEMBER 22 KEY WORDS in February: The Work Scene. Here, the unusual and the unexpected forever pop up. And this month is hardly an exception. Still, you have the capacity to turn events to your advantage. Do so, and as quickly as possible. SIDESTEP accepting the outrageous as the norm.

KEY WORDS in March: Closed-Door Sessions. This is the time of year (for you) best spent in quiet deliberation.

Actually, it can be extremely active—but what (calls, messages, plans, meetings) goes on must be done in privacy. SIDESTEP the questionable; worse still, the bizarre approach.

KEY WORDS in March: The Good Agreement. Your attention to—and love of—detail make you a formidable entity. And that’s what you are right now—formidable.

Know this thoroughly, especially as you put together that new and significant document. SIDESTEP testing the waters too long.

[taurus] APRIL 21-MAY 20 KEY WORDS in February: The Mountain Top. You now find yourself in the midst of late-breaking developments geared toward career advancement— your career advancement. Don’t be reluctant to act, for this particular mountain will be easier to climb than you imagine.

SIDESTEP reticence.

[libra] SEPTEMBER 23-OCTOBER 22 KEY WORDS in February: Hearts Afire! Hardly into the New Year—and you find yourself thrust into the middle of high drama. Of course, the activity is occurring in your fifth house of close relationships. Aim now for the simplified approach. It always works. SIDESTEP rushing into a project.

KEY WORDS in March: Your Heart’s Desire. That could be several things. Try now to identify at least three things (people, too) that come to mind. All right, what’s the first thing? And that’s what you should lovingly focus on.

SIDESTEP a disregard for the future; a preference for living in the past.

KEY WORDS in March: Your Work. Do not be led astray by close associates who want you to come out and play. It’s time now for some serious and no-nonsense work—whatever form your work takes. Know that your intuition can prove invaluable. Use it! SIDESTEP the outdated approach.

[gemini] MAY 21-JUNE 20 KEY WORDS in February: People, Plans and Projects— near and at a distance. This can be an incredibly fun time for you, so treat it as such. And relish the new ideas—as well as the new contacts—that come into your life. And create something very positive. SIDESTEP a slow response.

[scorpio] OCTOBER 23-NOVEMBER 22 KEY WORDS in February: Your Base of Operations— where you live and where you work. Wherever you are, you must have privacy. That’s not always simple—and this month will call for a new structure (created by you) to secure that very privacy. SIDESTEP a lack of clarity in your plans.

KEY WORDS in March: Your Career and Its Content.

This is what you’ve been working toward. At the very least, been thinking about. It’s time now to take action. Nothing noisy—just a firm and focused move on a special endeavor of yours. SIDESTEP not being certain of what to do next.

actor GARY SINISE

[pisces] FEBRUARY 19MARCH 20 KEY WORD in February: Confidentiality. You do this so easily. After all, your symbol, the Fish, inhabits all the waters of the world. There, all things are confidential.

So, merely translate this deep-water activity to your land-bound reality, and you’ll be fine.

SIDESTEP any vague concept.

0 VISITSHOREMAGAZINE.COM 9

KEY WORDS in March: All Eyes Are on You. Wonderful! The month of March contains the start of your personal New Year. And whatever new plans you’ve been working on, can now see the light of day. Allow your superb sense of timing to lead the way.

SIDESTEP unexpected harshness.

[cancer] JUNE 21-JULY 22 KEY WORD in February: Revitalization, on all levels— mental, emotional, physical, financial and spiritual.

This is exactly what you need, so relax and allow new situations to carry you—and your important projects— forward. SIDESTEP not using to advantage what you’ve just learned.

KEY WORDS in March: Outlines, Concepts and Formats.

You have true genius tendencies when it comes to planning for the future—anyone’s future. Use this gift well, for it fits beautifully with developments now and into April. SIDESTEP suspicion, without cause or tangible evidence. [leo] JULY 23-AUGUST 22 KEY WORDS in February: Special Arrangements.

Born when the Sun was brightest, you’re still most comfortable in cold weather when creating the perfect agreement. It’s the planet Uranus (the unusual), which governs all your special arrangements, that allows for this.

SIDESTEP sarcasm.

KEY WORD in March: Renewal, in all areas. This is a revitalizing time for you—if you quiet down and listen to your own intuition. There’s been too much noise, too much activity. It’s in the silence that you’ll find renewed strength and insight. SIDESTEP being distant instead of understanding.

KEY WORDS in March: All for Love. This cycle has come along just in time. Happiness now requires that you forget the past—totally. Even if current people weren’t part of the past—still, forget the past. And move on.

Do this, and you’ll love the results. SIDESTEP forgetting what matters most. [sagittarius] NOVEMBER 23-DECEMBER 21 KEY WORD in February: Communicating. You think that you do this constantly—reach out to others, say exactly what you think, utter your true desires. Not so.

But now, it’s the ideal time in which to express—to advantage—those very things. SIDESTEP being difficult to find or reach.

KEY WORD in March: Home. Very good. And very important—for now you find yourself in a strong and favorable position to adjust a long-standing home-related issue that has restricted you for quite a while. However, know all the facts before you act. SIDESTEP being reluctant to research. [capricorn] DECEMBER 22-JANUARY 19 KEY WORDS in February: Your Possessions and Lifestyle.

A new source (possibly, two) of income is on the horizon.

With this in view, it’s time now to apply your unique brand of vigilance—and outline the precise steps to take. And then, take them! Quickly. SIDESTEP a self-imposed gloom.

KEY WORDS in March: Reaching Out. There are countless individuals to contact, now. However, recent situations have played havoc with your organizational skills. Stop.

And draw upon your own incredible insight to move new projects forward. SIDESTEP confusion—real or imagined.

photography courtesy of THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

tv personality OPRAH WINFREY

[aries] MARCH 21-APRIL 20 KEY WORDS in February: Getting What You Want.

With the planet Jupiter (Lady Luck) now traveling through Aries, your own sun-sign, you can have what you want. But first, you must know what it is that you really want. SIDESTEP a resistance to double-checking the facts.

WANT MORE? please go to page 50 or visitshoremagazine.com for a full listing of the area’s best events and watch the Shore Weekender with Julia for the absolute best picks for a great weekend.

Feb 11 RACHMANINOFF! 7:30 pm The Auditorium at Bethel Church Broadway, south of US 30, Crown Point Star-crossed love and longing provide the inspiration for this Valentine’s concert.

Conducted by the charismatic Kirk Muspratt, the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra performs concerts that range in atmosphere from the whimsical pops series to the inspirational maestro series. Also, March 11: Joshua Roman Plays Dvorak.

Feb 25 THE GREAT FOOD & WINE SYMPOSIUM 7:30-10:30pm The Grand Rapids Public Museum 272 Pearl St NW, Grand Rapids 800.442.2771 wgvu.org At West Michigan’s premier wine-tasting event, guests can enjoy more than 300 wines and beers from around the world, gourmet selections and classical music.

Mar 19 25TH ANNUAL SPRING GALA 6-11pm Crystal Ballroom, Hyatt Regency Chicago 151 E Wacker Dr, Chicago 773.489.9081 ext 21 cawc.org NBC Chicago’s Natalie Martinez will serve as the master of ceremonies at this black-tieoptional event, which includes cocktails, silent and live auctions, dinner and dancing. The gala is a fundraiser for Connections for Abused Women and their Children (CAWC), a Chicago organization committed to ending domestic violence.

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Jan 27 ADVENTURES IN INTERNATIONAL CUISINE 6-10pm Avalon Manor 3550 E Rte 30, Merrillville 219.985.6566 ACF Chefs of Northwest Indiana will prepare gourmet dishes from around the world for the second annual evening of exciting food, fun and dancing to the Billy Foster Trio. Proceeds will support the Northwest Indiana Adult Guardianship services program for at-risk adults and Culinary Art Scholarship opportunities for future Northwest Indiana chefs.

shore picks

last resort

Tradition and Technology

reviews are very helpful, and you can even modify the recipes based on how many servings you want. (There’s also a corresponding app for the iPhone, which I quickly downloaded, knowing it would come in handy at the grocery store when I can’t remember a specific ingredient, or when I’m feeling spontaneous and want to find a whole new recipe on the spot.)

By JULIA PERLA HUISMAN I started looking up recipes for dinner entrées and side dishes, since those two categories posed the biggest There are people who can cook, struggle between my hungry husband and me. After preparing dish after and people who can’t. Up until recently, dish successfully (or at least with a I thought I was in the latter camp. strong determination to make it better next time), I quickly became hooked.

But to my surprise, the tide is turning.

Obsessed, even. I wanted to try a new recipe for every meal!

In talking with other technologically should rephrase things. I can cook; I’ve always been savvy cooks, I’ve observed that people are passionate about able to cook. Growing up, my mother taught me all their food website of choice. “Don’t use AllRecipes, use Food of the basics plus some vital tips—the importance Network!” I’ve been ordered, or “I live and die by Epicurious. of spices, how to keep chicken from drying out, and com.” I’ve yet to hear two people recommend the same site. most of all, how to properly season a salad with oil There are so many out there, each suiting individual cooks’ and vinegar (always a delicate balancing act). So, needs in their own distinct way. A loyalty develops, and the I’ve long possessed the ability, just not the passion. website of choice becomes just as much a vital component on In fact, such a passion seemed unfathomable. our kitchen countertops (via laptops) as the pages of Joy of All of my life, I’ve viewed cooking as a necessity, not as a Cooking once were to our mothers and grandmothers. pleasurable hobby. It always struck me as odd that so many In some ways, I feel like a phony, taking other people’s people actually look forward to preparing food. recipes and not really creating anything of my own. (Though My mindset changed just this past year, as a result of two it’s my goal to one day contribute my own recipe to a food major life events: website. That will be a major life accomplishment!) And 1) I got married. It’s amazing how adding another person maybe some people don’t call me a true cook at all but into the mix changes everything. Prior to marriage, I had a rather a good direction-taker. Perhaps that’s the case. But my pretty tight eating routine. There was a small, select group marriage and the websites opened up a whole new world of foods that I would prepare every week, and it mostly that I didn’t know about before. I’m discovering the colorful, consisted of fruits and vegetables. I liked my routine because tasty, artistic side of food. I’m learning how to it worked for me and because it was comfortable. I knew be resourceful and creative (and patient!) how to make all of the dishes (because I made the same when I run out of an ingredient, or ones almost every day!), so it required little thought. when I’ve cooked something for too But then I married a 6-foot, 200-pound, long. I’m learning the tastes and meat-and-potatoes man. All of a sudden, my textures that go together best, and comfy little routine was no longer an option. how to manage portion sizes. If I’m Many times during the first couple months of not a true cook yet, so be it. But I our marriage, I’d be making dinner and my sure am enjoying the ride husband would say, “Looks good. What are we getting there. having with it?”

“Um . . . this IS it,” I’d say. I could tell by the look on his face that something needed to change.

And that’s where Life Event Number Two comes in . . .

2) I discovered food websites. I know these wonderful cyber resources have been around for a long time, but we non-cooks never have a reason to visit them, so to me it’s a new discovery. A friend told me about AllRecipes.com, so I went there one day and fell in love. It’s user-friendly—easily sortable and contains recipes for all skill levels. The user

HOW I DISCOVERED THE JOY OF COOKING

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illustration by RYAN BERRY

I

A WINNING EXPERIENCE Is AllWA WAys WA ys oN th thE Em mEN ENu. EN u.

Enjoy four unique restaurants and four bars, including live entertainment at The Stage Bar.

Delight every sense with an unmatched experience when you dine at Four Winds Casino Resort. Copper Rock Steakhouse features USDA Prime 42-day dry aged steaks, exquisite seafood, decadent desserts and more than 450 premium wines from a diverse selection honored by Wine Spectator magazine three straight years.

Our award-winning buffet features Alaskan crab legs and prime rib on Saturdays, with cuisine from around the world. Hearty favorites and comfort food await you in Willowbrook Cafe, or enjoy oven-fired pizza or one of 15 sandwiches at Timbers Fast Food and Deli. Whatever your appetite, you’ll leave satisfied.

In fact, there’s so many delicious choices, you’ll dine like a winner at any one of our tables. To learn more, visit fourwindscasino.com or call 1-866-4WINDS1 (494-6371).

LIVE LargEr.

Must be 21 years of age or older. The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians invites you to play responsibly. If you think you have a gambling problem, call 1-800-522-4700. © 2011 Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians.

Mary Had A Snoring Problem.

Her Husband.

People with sleep apnea are unable to get the oxygen their bodies require, which prevents them from getting a restful night’s sleep. Untreated sleep apnea can result in high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases, stroke, memory loss, weight gain, impotence and headaches.

Contact your physician or Porter Sleep Disorders Institute at (219) 764-4567.

6040 Lute Road • Portage, IN • (219) 764-4567 • www.sleep-disorders-institute.com