We don’t usually venture out on Valentine’s day weekend, but circumstances require us to be out of town this year. After waiting until the last minute, we (unsurprisingly) had trouble snagging a dinner reservation. If you’re in the same boat, don’t panic – opentable.com still shows availability for a party of two at quite a few of my favorite midwestern restaurants.
Act fast, as these reservations won’t be available for long! Keep in mind that some of these places may feature a “special” (i.e., limited and extra expensive) menu, so be sure to call ahead to avoid disappointment.
1. Scholar’s Inn - Indianapolis, IN – February 13th and 14th, availability from 8:00 p.m. onward.
2. La Scala – Lafayette, IN – February 14th only, scattered availability between 6:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
3. Kil@Wat – Milwaukee, WI – February 13th, availability from 9:30 p.m. onward; February 14th, scattered availability all evening.
4. 1913 Room – Grand Rapids, MI – February 14th only, availability at 6:00 p.m. and from 9:00 p.m. onward.
5. Cielo Restaurant – St. Louis, MO – February 13th, availability at 5:30 p.m. and from 9:15 p.m. onward; February availability from 8:30 p.m. onward.
6. Rhapsody – Chicago, IL – February 13th, availability at 6:00 p.m. and from 8:30 p.m. onward, February 14th availability through 7:45 p.m.
In the alternative to venturing out for dinner, you can always do what we usually do and curl up on the couch with a pizza and some movie theater-sized boxes of candy! One year we even went to McDonald’s, and it was a blast.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Looking for something yummy to eat this weekend? If you’re a midwesterner, look no further than the fabulous Milwaukee Public Market! Located in the historic Third Word, the market is a great place for a meal, a snack, or a little grocery shopping. Plus, they have cooking classes, art displays, and other activities!
Here are some pictures of the two-story facility:
As you can see, it’s a bright, well-organized indoor space that encourages wandering and tasting even in inclement weather. My favorite things we tasted were the scrumptious cheese curds from West Allis Cheese & Sausage Shop and a wonderful juice blend from The Green Kitchen. My husband loved the stuffed pulled pork sandwich from Sushi-a-go-go.
If you’d like more information about the market’s extensive offerings, I did a complete write up here right after our visit or you can go to the market’s website.
Believe it or not, we’ve got some pretty darn tasty cuisine here in the Midwest. The five restaurants listed below aren’t necessarily the fanciest or most upscale dining experiences I’ve ever enjoyed but they do offer really great food, friendly service, and are relatively unique to the Midwest. Best of all,, none of them will break the bank.
1. Giordano’s (Chicago, IL) – There are many excellent Chicago deep-dish pizza restaurants, but Giordano’s is, in my opinion, the best. There are about twenty locations in Chicago and its suburbs. We especially like the one at Prudential Plaza. You MUST get a deep-dish pie if you go, preferably one with extra cheese. The appetizer sampler platter is pretty tasty too.
2. Legs Inn (Cross Village, MI) – This place is very random, very Polish, and very yummy. It is also in the middle of nowhere, but worth the drive. Legs Inn offers traditional Polish cuisine in a Polish/American Indian-inspired setting. They even had a polka band playing when we visited. Be sure to try the kielbasa (sausage) and the kopytka (potato dumplings), and come hungry because everything is yummy.
3. Kil@wat (Milwaukee, WI) – The hubby and I consistently cite our meal here as one of our top three of all time. Everything we tasted was amazing, but I specifically recommend the pretzel bread, tender braised short ribs, and trio of mashed potatoes plus the chocolate raspberry ganache tart for dessert. The space in the Intercontinental is attractive and modern. Best of all, our full evening of gourmet food set us back less than $100.00. It looks like they have reworked the menu a little bit since we visited, but I presume the food is still terrific.
4. Amish Acres Thresher’s Dinner (Nappanee, IN) – I’ve eaten at a wide variety of Amish country restaurants in both Indiana and Pennsylvania, and Amish Acres is the best. Dinner is served family-style and includes ham and bean soup, fresh-backed bread and apple butter, assorted relishes, green beans with bacon, beef and noodles, mashed potatoes, dressing, chicken, ham or roast beef, and choice of pie, all for under $20.00 per person.
5. Great Lakes Brewing Company (Cleveland, OH) – This isn’t a fancy restaurant, but it’s a good one. This downtown brewery serves its own brews along with tasty German and Polish-inspired cuisine. Get yourself a pint of beer and some prime rib and relax in Great Lakes’ unpretentious setting.
My full review is here, and photos are below.
"The Domes"
Orchids in the Tropical Dome
Arid Dome
