In our family, it’s not summer until we’ve made the trek to the legendary Remak’s in New Buffalo, Michigan.  This casual Red Arrow Highway eatery makes a great stopping point for those heading to points further north like Saugatuck-Douglas or Traverse City, but is also well worth a special trip in its own right.  Many tourists pair a trip for a burger with a day at the nearby beach.  If you visit in the peak season, expect at least a small wait (they don’t take reservations), but the line tends to move fast and killing time in the arcade is part of the experience.

When I was a little kid, I used to be slightly scared of this hamburger-eating man who is emblazened all over Redamak’s walls, signs, and menus.  Now I find him charming and nostalgia-inducing. 

On its familiar round menus, Redamak’s offers an array of summer dinner indulgences such as fried perch, mini corn dogs, grilled and grilled chicken sandwiches, and of course its “world-famous” hamburgers.  Guests coming for lunch during the week need look no further than the “Working-Person’s Special,” a cluster of reasonably priced sandwich combos that includes a cheeseburger with fries for $4.50.  If you come at night, that same cheeseburger will cost you 25 cents more, and you don’t get fries!

Patrons can sit inside or out on a screened porch, but we feel that the inside has a more historic feel.  The overhead fans create a pleasant, airy atmosphere.  Also, if you’re seated in just the right spot, you can watch the lighted number board that alerts waitresses when their various tables’ orders are ready for pick-up.

We always start off with an order of mozzarella sticks.  Redamak’s mozzarella sticks have a nice, thick coat of breading and are filled with cheese that is ideally textured – not too gooey and veeeery stretchy.  Whatever you order, be sure to accompany it with a Barq’s red cream soda, also known as the finest beverage on the planet.  All non-alcoholic drinks come in those tall, red, plastic glasses that make everything taste better.

The pan-fried cheeseburgers are a bit on the thin side, but the amazing creamy cheese makes up for this minor deficiency.  Don’t expect lettuce or tomatoes here.  I personally don’t miss it.  The crinkle fries are good as is, but even better if you request a cup of cheese to dip them in.  Ahhh, fried goodness!

Redamak’s operating season is from the beginning of March through the end of October, so call ahead if you are on the borderline.  Bring your dollars and cents, as this is a cash only establishment!

Celebrating its 140th(!) birthday, Graeter’s is well-known Ohio/Kentucky ice cream chain with locations in most major cities in these states.  You can also order the stuff online and have it shipped to you with a freezer pack, presumably for an exorbitant fee.

I got in on the Graeter’s phenomenon for the first time on a very, very hot May day.  After bypassing a crowded branch of this franchise at King’s Island, we were thrilled to encounter this much cooler, calmer, emptier location in nearby Mason, Ohio. 

We quickly learned that “chips” are the big thing here, with the Graeter’s flavor roster including Black Raspberry Chip, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Chocolate Coconut Almond Chip.  After much hemming and hawing over flavors such as I ended up ordering the Double Chocolate Chip (chocolate ice cream with extra large dark chocolate chips) and the hubby Cookie Dough (vanilla ice cream, cookie dough, and dark chocolate chips).  We each selected a waffle cone because we thought it would hold more ice cream than the standard cake or sugar version. 

It was fortunate that the building was heavily air-conditioned, because we learned quickly that Graeter’s ice cream is much softer than many hard-packed varieties.  In other words, we had trouble keeping up with our cones!  Other than this, we had no complaints with this exceptionally rich and creamy ice cream.  The chocolate was truly chocolately, and the “chips” were more like giant “chunks” of fudge.  After enjoying my giant cone, I can see how Ohio natives would become addictive to Graeter’s.  Delicious!

We’ve encountered several different branches of Aladdin’s Eatery during the course of our travels but never stopped into this mainly-Midwestern chain of Lebanese restaurants.  Our hotel in West Chester, Ohio was just a stone’s throw away from a franchise so we decided to meet up with some family for some hummus, baklava, and a few other favorites.

Atmosphere was more corporate and sterile than expected. Basically, this is a Lebanese Panera.  It does offer table service, and we had no complaints whatsoever about the level of service we received from the young man who waited on us. 

I always end up unable to pick a single appetizer when it comes to Middle Eastern cuisine.  In this case, the dilemma was solved by a sampler platter with hummus, tabouli, baba, falaffel, and dawali.  I was relieved it didn’t contain kibbie (a mass of beef and cracked wheat) which is not a favorite of mine.  This platter rang in at around $10.00.

To be honest, most items on this platter were just okay.  The hummus was bland and, in my book, not even up to par with the Sabra hummus we get at the grocery store in terms of flavor or texture.  The tabouli had too much lemon which left it sour.  We did give high marks to the warm falaffel, which were generously portioned and delicious with the creamy tahini yogurt sauce.  Everything on the platter did get eaten by our group of five, along with two baskets of pita bread.

For entrees, patrons can choose among a mind-boggling array of options ranging from basic sandwich-type items to huge meaty platters.  Prices range from $6.00 to $18.00 or so.  My stomach was a bit stressed from running so I ended up ordering only a rolled pita, specifically the Aladdin’s Kabob with grilled beef tenderloin, tomatoes, green peppers, and onions (above left).  Three others in our group ordered rolled pitas as well.  Unfortunately, these turned out to be a huge disappointment.  These came wrapped in foil and were rather chintzy in terms of both stuffing and presentation.  My beef was very overcooked and the veggies were undercooked.  It was also supposed to come with tahini dressing but I never ran into any.  For $7.00+, one can get a better lunch at Subway or a much better lunch at a locally owned Lebanese restaurant.

My mother and law ordered more boldly and ended up with the Mediterranean Beef Kafta plate with beef, rice, and salad, which was priced closer to $15.00.  As you can see, she at least received a much more attractive plate than us!  She said she enjoyed her meal, but I felt this platter, too, was overpriced given the casual setting of this restaurant.

After a mediocre meal, I had a bit of an attitude going into dessert, but my mood was quickly and dramatically rectified after tasting Aladdin’s four fabulous varieties of baklava: bird’s nest, lady fingers, burma or traditional diamond.  We ordered two of each and shared, but I swear I ate 50% of the plate by myself!  The general consensus ranked the traditional baklava first, the lady fingers second, and the bird’s nest third, as the burma was a bit heavy on the pistachios. 

Still, a great dessert does not a successful lunch make.  Despite the shared appetizer and dessert platters, our meal for five was close to $100.00.  I’m glad we tried this place to satiate our curiosity, but Middle Eastern food doesn’t work well in a soulless chain restaurant setting.  If not for the baklava, I would have absolutely no reason to ever return to Aladdin’s. 

I’m not sure how I’ve missed out on the Patachou phenomenon until now.  Captioned as “A Student Union for Adults,” this Indianapolis-based mini chain features seven different dining locations, each with a slightly different focus.  We headed to the Pennsylvania Street location to check out some fancy French and American brunch offerings.

We were concerned about parking in this area as well as having a long wait at about 9:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning.  In the end, we lucked out on both fronts, and only had a few minutes delay before being seated.  The space at Cafe Patachou is pretty sterile and almost warehouse-like, as I suppose befits a “student union.”  The tasty and healthy food offerings, however, make the experience worth the trip.

Each of my dining companions ordered a three-egg omelet with some combination of “stuff” inside.  Options include cheddar, bacon, salsa, tomatoes, herbes de provence, cream cheese, feta, avocado, etc.  One thing I did find a little chintzy was that every filling after the first costs $1.60 extra, while most brunch joints throw in two or three.  The final verdict?  These $10.00+ omelets were good but, in the words of my husband, “a little too healthy-tasting.” 

In contrast, the sourdough toast served with the eggs was a unanimous hit, as such toast tends to be.  Something actually worth paying extra for is the “all berries” fruit cup filled with fresh raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and the like.  Delicious, and nice to have an option besides bland melon and overpowering pineapple.

After much debating, I passed up the croissant french toast in favor of a “loaded bagel” with herbed cream cheese, arugula, red onions, cucumbers, and very fresh tomatoes.  Patachou really got this one right.  The bagel was huge and crispy on the outside but chewy on the inside.  The veggies blended awesomely with the soft cheese.  Plus, I felt virtuous with every bite because I basically had a salad for breakfast.

At about $45 before tip for three people without mimosas, Petit chou is too expensive to be a daily breakfast stop, but is perfect for a leisurely, indulgent weekend brunch with friends and family.  Next time, though, I’m going to have to get some of that french toast!

You can see all of Patachou’s locations here.

We recently spent a fabulous fun and food-filled weekend in Indy with a close friend.  Perhaps the highlight, at least as far as our bellies were concerned, was a delicious dinner at Bospherus Istanbul Cafe, a Turkish restaurant situated a few minutes outside of downtown.  I’ve had a soft spot for Turkey ever since we spent two fabulous days touring Istanbul and Ephesus a number of years ago.  This restaurant reminded me of one thing I really loved about that trip – the food!

The restaurant is somewhat oddly situated, in between a couple of businesses but not within easy walking distance of much.  Perhaps that’s why it was largely empty when we visited on a Friday night.  Too bad for the restaurant, but good for us – we got very attentive service!  For some reason I don’t have any interior pictures, but the place is really cute and cozy with woven wall hangings and white tablecloths.

We ate A LOT at Bospherus.  I’m talking an embarrassing amount, starting with all the appetizers you see above.  After we floundered with trying to choose which ones we want, our server cleverly recommended that we order a sampler platter for two containing hummus, stuffed grape leaves, tabouli, babaganush, and eggplant salsa ($12.95) and separately, borek, which is a cheese-stuffed pastry kind of like an eggroll ($5.95). 

Everything was delicious, but my personal favorite thing to do at Middle Eastern restaurants is to mix the tabouli with the hummus and slather my pita bread in the stuff.  This pita bread was particularly good, and our server gladly brought us more after we plowed through the first basket.

Our party ordered three very different entrees, all of which received good reviews.  I had the Chicken Mediterranean which came with tons of tomatoes and onions and had quite a kick to it.  The hubby had the lamb and beef donor, which he also enjoyed.  My friend had an eggplant dish, the name of which I can’t recall.  I’m not much for eggplant but she loves that stuff.  Most entrees cost between $10 and $15.

My only complaint is the completely unfair one that our food almost seemed too healthy for my mood at the time.  I barely touched the green salad that came with mine because it seemed rather dry.  Still, veggies are good for me, so I shouldn’t complain.

In any event, the healthiness ended pretty quickly after our main courses were taken away, when we were served perhaps the best baklava I’ve ever had in my life.  Served hot, it was covered in what had to be home-made whipped cream that melted beautifully into the cinnamony filling.  The hubby and I originally intended to share but after one bite I told him to get his own!

I’m a little surprised that I haven’t yet blogged about the Chicago area institution that is Giordano’s.  After all, it’s been around for decades and my family has been dinning there at least a few times a year since I was probably fifteen or so.

There are Giordano’s locations scattered all over the city and its suburbs.  We nearly always visit the Prudential Plaza branch (directly off Michigan) but have also stopped in for a pie at the Randolph Street location and, most recently, the Oak Brook location.  All the branches have a similar feel and equally delicious food, although the Oak Brook site did seem a little newer and less “authentic” than the downtown ones.

Here’s an interior shot.  Giordano’s has pretty traditional “pizza joint” decor, with red and white checkered table cloths and a mixture of tables and booths. 

We usually start our meal with an appetizer, which we sometimes regret by the time the pizza comes!  These are the mozzarella sticks, which have an excellent texture.  For a larger group we tend to order the combo platter which comes with fried mushrooms, zucchini, and mozzarella sticks.  A slightly healthier alternative is the antipasto salad which comes with a variety of meats, cheeses, onions, and olives.  Most appetizer items cost $7-$10 and all are very sharable.

Now, for the main event – PIZZA!  There are several types available, but you want the stuffed variety.  Although we often play around with toppings at other pizza places, here we usually get extra cheese and that’s it.  After all, you can’t improve upon perfection.  Expect to pay about $15-$30 per pie, depending on size and toppings.

Giordano’s pizzas take at least 30-40 minutes, but the end result is well worth it – ooey, gooey cheese, firm yet flaky crust, and flavorful tomato sauce topping it all off.  A single piece may fill you up, but I usually try for two.  DELICIOUS!!!  No wonder Giardano’s is a Chicago institution!

If these pictures have somehow failed to sell you on Giordano’s, you can read my in-depth rave about the restaurant here.

Due to a Saturday night social engagement, we ended up spending Valentine’s weekend in South Bend, Indiana.  Unfortunately, it didn’t occur to us until several days before that restaurant occasions would be absolutely essential.  Fortunately, Parisi’s Restorante Italiano had fairly last minute availability for a 7:00 p.m. dinner.

This was our first time at Parisi’s.  Despite the restaurant’s close proximity to Notre Dame I’d really never heard much feedback about it while I was a student there.  Overall, this little-hyped Italian eatery is actually a relatively pleasant surprise.  It has a cozy houselike feel with sports-related photos lining the walls and diners separated into several different dining spaces.  The food is quite affordable.  Our four-course meal for two, with drinks, cost right around $60.00 and there was even a $30.00 dinner-for-two menu for those willing to choose from specified entrees.  My only major complaint regards service – our server seemed a bit flustered and disorganized, but this could be chalked up to the extremely busy weekend. 

We started off our Italian Extravaganza with an antipasto platter, which we almost always order when available.  It included salami, soppressata, provolone, pepperoncini, olives, cucumber, and peppers atop a scattering of lettuce.  The meats were particularly good.  Our second course consisted of fresh baked bread and butter (delicious) and iceberg salads (boring).  I barely touched my salad in the interest of saving room for the main course.

For our main courses, the hubby had chicken parmesan and I ordered gnocchi with tomato sauce.  As you can see, the presentation wasn’t anything special.  Food quality, however, was solid on both dishes.  The breading on the chicken was perfectly cooked and the gnocchi seemed homemade.  I was a proud member of the clean plate club and found the portion to be ideal for my hearty appetite.  While gnocchi was the obvious choice for me, I did notice an extensive “design your own pasta” section of the menu as well as plenty of pasta, chicken, fish, and veal dishes.

Finally, we couldn’t end our meal without dessert – a heart shaped tart that was described as “strawberry” but tasted more “cherry Poptart.”  This dessert was definitely the weak link of the meal, thanks to the liberal use of a sweet, artificial tasting filling in lieu of fresh fruit.  If you need dessert at Parisi’s, do yourself a favor and stick with the spumoni instead! 

Fortunately, we were stuffed enough that the lackluster dessert didn’t spoil what was overall a pretty tasty and pleasant meal.  Parisi’s is definitely a safe bet for a quick, affordable Italian meal post-game or while passing through South Bend.

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!

On our recent trip to Frankenmuth, we pretty much ate our way through the weekend.  Our first taste of Bavaria took place at downtown’s Zehnder’s, famous for its all-inclusive chicken dinners.  Honestly, we were torn between Zehnder’s and its sister restaurant at the Bavarian Inn, but the neon sign outside of Zehnder’s won us over in the end.

Zehnder’s serves lunch and dinner and is open from 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily.  Patrons can choose which of several dining rooms they prefer to be seated in.  Most of the ones we peeked in looked substantially similar, with white table cloths, a mellow color scheme, and seasonal floral arrangements.  I cannot ever imagine needing reservations at this massive restaurant, ever, as the assorted dining rooms can fit a total of 1,500 guests! 

Here’s a shot the restaurant’s charming exterior, with aforementioned sign.  The other photo shows our dining room of choice.  I can’t remember what it was called (they all had names), but I know it was to the left after we entered.  We were seated in the center of the room, directly behind the pictured table. 

Zehnder’s offers both a traditional menu and a more famous family style option.  We breezed right past the schnitzels and fish dishes to order the All-You-Can-Eat chicken dinner for $18.95 per person, adding mixed Bavarian sausages for $2.00 more.  Don’t worry, we did have more traditional German food a couple of days later at the Bavarian Inn which offers an almost identical menu.  I have to say I liked the chicken dinner better, and Zehnder’s also won out for atmosphere and service.

Our meal kicked off with this rather unusual selection of appetizers.  As you can see, we received a light noodle soup, crunch garlic toast, and fresh bread in two different varieties.  To accent the breads we were given various spreads, the best of which was the slightly spicy cheese served with the garlic toast.  The coleslaw-looking stuff to the middle left never got touched.

After spending some quality time with our breads and spreads, we dug in to the main course.  This included fried chicken, dressing, mashed potatoes with gravy, buttered noodles, and green beans.  Most of this menu is standard, with the vegetable option I believe changing seasonally.  The buttered noodles (homemade) came coated in cracker crumbs and were the best I’ve ever had.  Other standouts included the juicy fried chicken and the fluffy mashed potatoes.  There was really nothing I didn’t like, with the possible exception of the dressing.  This is an all-you-can eat meal, but there was so much food I think we only had seconds of the noodles and possibly the potatoes.

Finally, our meals ended with two small dishes of homemade ice cream.  I was expecting hand-packed but soft serve was a nice surprise.  The hubby ordered plain vanilla (boring!) and I, as you can see, opted for chocolate and vanilla swirl.  This small dessert was a perfectly sweet ending to a perfectly delicious and enjoyable meal!

My little sis recently moved to Louisville for work and school.  While I miss her, I appreciate that the move adds this fun, funky city to our weekend road trip rotation because it rocks!  Louisville is chock full of great food and interesting attractions, so you can expect more than a few blog entries about our past and future journeys there.  I’ll kick things off with a quality breakfast joint – a must-do in any city. 

Toast on Market is located in Louisville’s trendy downtown area, just blocks from numerous art galleries and museums.  The clientele when we were there included couples, families with children, and groups of friends.  Most diners seemed to be locals.  Like many other shops and eateries in this area, Toast on Market has a “warehouse” feel with exposed brick walls and high ceilings.  The decor is relatively low-frills with just a few pop art paintings for color. 

We arrived at Toast on Market at around 9:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning and were seated immediately.  However, the restaurant really filled up shortly after this, and folks were standing, sitting, and wandering around in the available waiting room.  No one seemed to mind, probably because these seemed like regulars and free coffee was available. 

Toast on Market has all the breakfast stand-bys at reasonable prices.  I ordered two scrambled eggs with cheese, white toast, and hashed brown casserole ($4.75).  This was just about the best breakfast ever.  The hashed brown casserole had a delicious crumbly coating and the bread tasted homemade.  I was definitely a member of the clean plate club!

As usual, my mom wanted something relatively healthy so she ended up with a modified version of my entree – two eggs over hard, a fruit cup, and toast (also $4.75).  She, like me, was pleased with her order her order.

  The hubby cares little about healthy when we’re on the road.  He ordered this gorgeous brioche French toast dish with strawberries and whipped cream ($7.50) and a scrambled egg on the side ($1.50).  I’m not a big fan of brioche myself, but he loved this super-sweet dish. 

Service was speedy and we completed our meal in about forty-five minutes.  Overall, we left Toast on Market happy and our total bill for three, including tip, was right around $25.00.  This is not bad at all for brunch in a big city.  I would return to this restaurant in a heartbeat for its amazing hash brown casserole, reasonable prices, and friendly neighborhood vibe.