Northwest Indiana (NWI) Index

HI,

In the last six months, Rene G and I have been occasionally visiting Northwest Indiana. While just over the border from Chicago, it is proudly independent of Chicago's culture and culinary traditions.

We will be unfolding our treasures over time, updating this index and perhaps emboldening you to visit our closest neighbor. If you are aware of other Northwest Indiana (NWI) posts, then please post their links below and the list will be updated.

If you have information to share, then follow up on an existing thread or begin a new one. Please mention NWI and Northwest Indiana in your post for easier searching. We seem to have a unique problem when the search is for Gary only.

Between Chicago and Indy
Bolshevik
Burgers in Northwest Indiana

Dining Secrets of Indiana

Fine Dining in NWI

Gary IN — Coney Dogs and Urban Decay

Hammond Casino

John's Pizzeria
Johnsen's Blue Top Drive Inn, Highland, Indiana

Madvek's, Hammond, IN
More Indiana Info Please

Northwest Indiana Food
NWI Food

Peerless Potato Chips, Gary, IN
Phil Smidt's

Three Floyds Brewery and Pub, Munster, IN

Zel's

Thanks for finally doing what needed to be done, Cathy, moving NWI into Chicagoland - where it has actually always been - rather than "Beyond Chicagoland." If Racine qualifies as Chicagoland, being 50 miles north of the northernmost city boundary, then why in the world was Hammond, which is ZERO miles from Chicago's southern border, considered part of some exotic, foreign world? On a good day, you can drive from the Loop to Hammond in about 10 minutes; Racine would be at least an hour and a half. Anyway, it's about time NWI got some attention as part of Chicagoland, and by bringing it back into Chicagoland (and by doing tons of substantive research), you and ReneG have done us all a favor. I'll be the first to admit that I have much to learn and experience in this area of Chicagoland!

Some updates to previous posts of mine:

Ludwig's in Hammond has closed.

Cafe Borgia has closed its Lansing location and will be re-opening in Munster this spring, a few blocks from the Three Floyds brewpub.

Paul LoDuca, the owner of Vinci and Adobo Grill, will be opening a steakhouse on the Valparaiso town square this spring. I must add that Mr. LoDuca is a NWI boy, he grew up in Munster and worked at his family's restaurant in Munster before moving to Chicago. That restaurant is named Giovanni's, and it's still thriving in the same location it's been for the past 40+ years.

Munster Gyros changed owners and has really gone downhill, the beef sandwiches are rubbery, they no longer make their own red sauce, and the fries seem to be of lower quality.

Gino's Steak House in Dyer has also changed owners. I have not been there since the ownership change...

And one thing I forgot to mention in the posts about Madvek's in Hammond: the reason they started serving loosemeat sandwiches was because they saw an opportunity when the Maid-Rite across the street closed in the late '70s.

A friend from work was just talking to me about Gino's Steakhouse yesterday. She was surprised to find greek chicken and other greek specialties on the menu. When she inquired about the change, she was told they still have the same cook from Gino's -- but they have revamped the menu.

Haven't been there yet, but I thought I'd pass this on. I really liked Gino's when it was in Harvey.

Suzy

JimInLoganSquare wrote:Thanks for finally doing what needed to be done, Cathy, moving NWI into Chicagoland - where it has actually always been - rather than "Beyond Chicagoland." If Racine qualifies as Chicagoland, being 50 miles north of the northernmost city boundary, then why in the world was Hammond, which is ZERO miles from Chicago's southern border, considered part of some exotic, foreign world?

I totally agree, and my first impulse (before seeing the sentiment had already been posted) was to post it myself. Hammond is not only closer than Racine--it's exactly the same distance from Chicago as Evanston or Oak Park! (0)

However, the other interesting anomaly is that for some reason, on the mental maps of many of us, Indiana is a scary, foreign place, to be driven through on the way to Ohio and only rarely visited on purpose--which is exactly why all the Indiana threads have always been in the "Beyond Chicagoland" forum, even though logic says they shouldn't have been. (Apologies to LTHers who hail from Indiana or live there now--you have always known better.) I like Indiana, and I've always enjoyed any time I've spent in any of its towns, but there's no denying a vague "I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore, Toto" feeling that lurks under the experience--which is nowhere near as present when I visit Evanston.

Thanks, Cathy, for the corrective. It may take a long while for my mental map to match the one on my GPS--in fact, I suspect it never will--but logic and rationality have a place in the world, too.

Thanks for finally doing what needed to be done, Cathy, moving NWI into Chicagoland - where it has actually always been - rather than "Beyond Chicagoland." If Racine qualifies as Chicagoland

Please note, I do not wish to argue this point very much - I have no problem
with the Great State of Indiana However... I dont believe Racine was
ever considered part of "Chicagoland" on LTH, was it? I like Racine, have
been there a few times, and am a Bendtsen's and Kewpie's groupie. But,
as far as I can recall, almost every discussion of them has taken place
in the "Beyond Chicagoland" area of the board. All the major threads on
those palces are in "Beyond Chicagoland".

Heck, even a few threads on Kenosha (on the Illinois/Wisconsin border),
are in "Beyond Chicagoland".

In fact, we'll go further (or closer). Discussions on Captain Porky's in
Zion Illinois (very close to Gurnee) are in "Beyond Chicagoland". As are
a couple of other burger discussions from that general vicinity. As are,
I believe a couple of threads on some pretty excellent frozen custard
spots in the NW burbs (ie not far from Woodstock, IIRC).

, being 50 miles north of the northernmost city boundary, then why in the world was Hammond, which is ZERO miles from Chicago's southern border, considered part of some exotic, foreign world? On a good day, you can drive from the Loop to Hammond in about 10 minutes; Racine would be at least an hour and a half. Anyway, it's about time NWI got some attention as part of Chicagoland, and by bringing it back into Chicagoland (and by doing tons of substantive research), you and ReneG have done us all a favor. I'll be the first to admit that I have much to learn and experience in this area of Chicagoland!

I dont know much about geographical boundaries. Is Hammond really 0
miles from Chicago's southern border? That is, Frankfort, Beverly,
Calumet City, Dolton etc - are they all considered to be within Chicago
city limiits? They arent cities by themselves, ala Evanston et al? Iam
really unaware of what the exact city limits are - do they really
extend that far? (Would be pretty cool if they did, actually

BTW, if you ever get from the loop to Hammond in 10 minutes, it must be
a *very* good day Ive done that trip a few times, and it never was
so quick, not even at 2am in the morning on a few occasions

From the northern burbs at least (ie about Evanston), Racine is very
doable in under an hour, on a pretty normal Saturday morning I think.
(From Evanston to Milwaukee, Ive done a few times on Saturday
morning, about 9am with regular traffic, in about an hour and 20 minutes
or so).

Again, not trying to dispute the change thats been made - but I wouldnt
half mind if it was really made for Racine too

c8w

c8w wrote:I dont know much about geographical boundaries. Is Hammond really 0
miles from Chicago's southern border?

c8w: No, Hammond is 0 miles from Chicago's eastern border. Yes, it's possible to reach Hammond, via Skyway with I-Pass, in 10-15 min, as the distance is 12-15 miles, but you must drive fast. Those cities, south of Chicago, are stand-alone cities.

I make the drive quite a lot, and times vary greatly.

HI,

I once picked up Rene G at Ontario and Michigan Avenue. I had left my I-Pass in the other car and hate the wait for the manual lanes on the SkyWay. Instead we took Lake Shore Drive and other local roads to Hammond. It was 16 miles and 35 minutes at a very relaxed pace.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:HI,

I once picked up Rene G at Ontario and Michigan Avenue. I had left my I-Pass in the other car and hate the wait for the manual lanes on the SkyWay. Instead we took Lake Shore Drive and other local roads to Hammond. It was 16 miles and 35 minutes at a very relaxed pace.

Regards,

I've followed Lakeshore Drive north of downtown to Calumet Fisheries a couple of times on my way back to Indiana. Its not a bad drive, in fact it was less frustrating and seemed to be less idiots. Although it was stop and go.

I live in Dyer, IN and can be in the Loop in 45 minutes using the Skyway and my IPASS.

As for Northwest Indiana being part of Indiana....the rest of the state of Indiana doesn't think so

NWI is in the Central Time Zone...most of the rest of the state runs on Eastern Time. So say I'm calling a friend in Lafayette, IN where Purdue is I have to stop and think what time it is there.

I grew up in Hammond and went to Purdue which is only a 90 minute drive from Hammond. I had a classmate who turned to me once and said, "You are so nice, especially since you're from Northwest Indiana" Evidently we are thought to be tough Chicago city folk in the rest of the state. Chicago doesn't want us, Indianapolis doesn't want us...*sniff sniff*

Thanks for moving it to the Chicagoland forum. A lot of the restaurants you listed are easily accessible from the first Indiana exit on 89/94. Trust me, its not so bad getting here.

Debby

Thanks so much for this! My mother-in-law and sister-in-law live in Dyer, so we are out that way a lot, and always interested in finding good places to eat.

I didn't know 3 Floyds had a brew-pub. We will have to check that out.

We eat at Miller Bakery Cafe and Cafe Elise fairly regularly (a few times a year). My wife's young cousin has recently been dating the kitchen manager at Cafe Elise, so perhaps we will eat there more often if the relationship blossoms (hard to tell with these two).

We have eaten a few times at a place called (I think) Habanero's, in Dyer on Lincoln Highway, in a little strip mall next to a San Fratello's take out place. I was impressed by some of their home style dishes. Anyone else been there?

Would Chesterton count?

Gary IN — Coney Dogs and Urban Decay

Cathy2, what is the purpose of your post above about Gary IN -- Coney Dogs, etc.? It seems to just re-direct members to a NWI thread in the Beyond Chicagoland forum?

Geographically, economically, politically, and culturally, NWI (at least Lake and Porter Counties) is a seamless extension of the greater Chicagoland metropolitan area. It is commonly included on most maps of "Chicagoland." Most of the rest of IN considers it a totally different area from the rest of the state, and commonly refer it as "the Region" (short for Calumet Region). Nearly all of the TV stations received in NWI are Chicago stations. I grew up in NWI, and lived in Hammond, Hobart, and Gary during most of my tenure, and I can tell you that almost everybody there thinks of themselves more as Chicagoans than anything to do with Indiana. They typically back the Bears and Bulls, not the Pacers or Colts. There are thousands of people that live in NWI and work in Chicago, and vice versa.

We typically see threads about restaurants in Geneva, which is over 40 miles from the Loop, and other places even farther out, in the Chicagoland forum. But threads about someplace in Gary, which is about 30 miles from the Loop, end up in the Beyond Chicagoland forum. I ran across Rene G's threads because of your detour post, or else I never would have known they were there, since I had always previously (and apparently mistakenly) assumed that NWI posts would be found in the Chicagoland forum.

So, I am confused. This thread started out discussing why NWI threads belong in the Chicagoland forum, so why are these new NWI threads being put in the Beyond Chicagoland forum?

Cognito,

For a long time NWI posts were posted on Beyond Chicagoland Board (BCB). Frankly until the last six months, I was quite content they were in the right location. Most of the NWI posts do reside on the BCB and are not particularly easy to locate, which is one reason to begin building this index to not only highlight but to make them accessible. After your post last weekend, I discussed it with ReneG who posted his recent reports on BCB to maintain tradition. I have moved the most recent Rene G posts to the Eating in Chicagoland board with Rene G's permission.

While I personally define Chicagoland as Chicago-Cook County and the collar counties. Geneva is in Kane County, though I didn't know that unless I need to. Woodstock, McHenry and Marengo are much more easily recognized as BCB, simply because I know this region better.

Could you kindly define the boarders of NWI? Is it confined to Lake County Indiana? What are the major towns in this region and maybe some just outside. Someone explained NWI could be as far as Milwaukee is to Chicago, which would appear to stretch the definition beyond 'Eating in Chicagoland.'

I look forward to your reports of NWI, which I am just beginning to learn about.

Best regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Cognito,
Could you kindly define the boarders of NWI? Is it confined to Lake County Indiana? What are the major towns in this region and maybe some just outside. Someone explained NWI could be as far as Milwaukee is to Chicago, which would appear to stretch the definition beyond 'Eating in Chicagoland.'

Cathy,I would say that Lake County should be considered part of Chicagoland. Porter and LaPorte counties are also considered part of NWI but begin to go over 50 miles from 60601.
Major towns in LC that are all less than 50 miles include Hammond,East ChicagoMunster,Dyer,Highland,Schererville,Griffith,Dyer,Merrillville,and Gary. I would use US 30 (Lincoln Hwy) and I-65 as boundries for Lake County.
I'd like to hear what others think.
Artie

Cathy2 wrote:Could you kindly define the boarders of NWI? Is it confined to Lake County Indiana? What are the major towns in this region and maybe some just outside. Someone explained NWI could be as far as Milwaukee is to Chicago, which would appear to stretch the definition beyond 'Eating in Chicagoland.'

I look forward to your reports of NWI, which I am just beginning to learn about.

Hi Cathy2,
Firstly, who is Cognito?

Thank you for moving those other threads from Beyond.... to ....Chicagoland. I will post to them now. As far as the boundaries of NWI, I would say that anything in Lake County, and probably Porter County should be considered NWI. They are certainly a "horse of a different color" insofar as the rest of IN is concerned. I would say LaPorte would be stretching it a bit, but perhaps others can weigh in on that issue. Thanks again for setting the ship back on course!

Tom (aka Cogito)

Hi Cathy2,
Firstly, who is Cognito?

Oy! A slip of a key!

Thanks to you and Artie for defining NWI. Now post away on all those neat places we may all visit one day.

Best regards,

As far as the boundaries of NWI, I would say that anything in Lake County, and probably Porter County should be considered NWI. They are certainly a "horse of a different color" insofar as the rest of IN is concerned. I would say LaPorte would be stretching it a bit, but perhaps others can weigh in on that issue

I live in Hammond, for whatever that's worth (2 minutes from Madvek's, actually - just my luck I'm not a fan of the loose meat burger), and I think Tom (aka Cogito aka Cognito) sums up the boundaries well.

So, my first plug for my neck of the woods is La Rosa's pizzeria's chicken wings. I stumbled upon them via a friend and have loved them since, although probably a year went by where I boycotted them. The reason was they stopped making their own seasoning and batter and I was told something to the effect of "we now get it from GFS (Gordon's Food Service - IN restaurant wholesaler) - it's cheaper and quicker." They were AWFUL - night and day - they tasted like they breaded them with pulverized dry dog food, and I told them so. Before anyone says "How do you know what dry dog food tastes like?" I might retort with something I've told significant others in the past - don't ask questions you don't want to hear an answer to.

Anyhow, I'd like to think my boycott payed off, because on a lark I went the other night and picked up a carryout order, and YES YES YES, they've switched back and my, they are just as good as I remember; absence must make the heart grow fonder and all that.

These aren't hot wings, nothing fancy, just straight up, deep-fried chicken wings. They are expertly fried in a nicely seasoned, not too thick batter. Very crisp, juicy, with no hint of greasiness. You can get BBQ sauce or hot sauce on the side. The BBQ sauce is very good, however I'm not so fond of the hot sauce.

The only other item I've tried is their pizza, which is okay, but nothing special.

The wings are a standout, though, and since they've seemed to come to their senses, I felt they deserved me giving them a mention.

La Rosa's
6817 Indianapolis Blvd
Hammond, IN
(219) 844-1000

dfawley wrote:

As far as the boundaries of NWI, I would say that anything in Lake County, and probably Porter County should be considered NWI. They are certainly a "horse of a different color" insofar as the rest of IN is concerned. I would say LaPorte would be stretching it a bit, but perhaps others can weigh in on that issue

I live in Hammond, for whatever that's worth (2 minutes from Madvek's, actually - just my luck I'm not a fan of the loose meat burger), and I think Tom (aka Cogito aka Cognito) sums up the boundaries well.

So, my first plug for my neck of the woods is La Rosa's pizzeria's chicken wings. I stumbled upon them via a friend and have loved them since, although probably a year went by where I boycotted them. The reason was they stopped making their own seasoning and batter and I was told something to the effect of "we now get it from GFS (Gordon's Food Service - IN restaurant wholesaler) - it's cheaper and quicker." They were AWFUL - night and day - they tasted like they breaded them with pulverized dry dog food, and I told them so. Before anyone says "How do you know what dry dog food tastes like?" I might retort with something I've told significant others in the past - don't ask questions you don't want to hear an answer to.

Anyhow, I'd like to think my boycott payed off, because on a lark I went the other night and picked up a carryout order, and YES YES YES, they've switched back and my, they are just as good as I remember; absence must make the heart grow fonder and all that.

These aren't hot wings, nothing fancy, just straight up, deep-fried chicken wings. They are expertly fried in a nicely seasoned, not too thick batter. Very crisp, juicy, with no hint of greasiness. You can get BBQ sauce or hot sauce on the side. The BBQ sauce is very good, however I'm not so fond of the hot sauce.

The only other item I've tried is their pizza, which is okay, but nothing special.

The wings are a standout, though, and since they've seemed to come to their senses, I felt they deserved me giving them a mention.

La Rosa's
6817 Indianapolis Blvd
Hammond, IN
(219) 844-1000

dfawley,
I used to live in Hammond right across from Purdue. Must be close to where you are now. Do you know what what happened to the taco joint that used to be on the north side of 169th St., just east of Kennedy Ave. Think it might have been called 'Fabulous Tacos.' I dunno if you every went there, but they were great.

Do you know what what happened to the taco joint that used to be on the north side of 169th St., just east of Kennedy Ave.

I never went there, do you think they might still be there - it's not very far from where I live?

dfawley wrote:

Do you know what what happened to the taco joint that used to be on the north side of 169th St., just east of Kennedy Ave.

I never went there, do you think they might still be there - it's not very far from where I live?

No, they're gone. I tried to go there about 5 years ago and it was a different place then. I thought you might possibly know if they had a new location.

Unfortunately, I don't know of a new location - too bad. A good taco joint would be nice to have close. I did a quick search but couldn't find a new location.

Another good lunch option in Hammond is The Bread Basket, 7205 North Indianapolis Blvd., a few block north of I80/94. I love their chicken salad sandwich and the seasonal sandwiches they come up with too (A few years ago around Thanksgiving they had a turkey sandwich with fresh cranberry sauce that was really good.) Of course they have lots of other good options made with the fresh bread that I believe they still make on the premises. The country kitsch atmosphere may be either a little too feminine or just adorable depending on who you ask.

I can never resist a Schoop's hamburger and chocolate malt when I'm within 5 miles of Indianapolis Boulevard.

Cathy2,
Just came across your article from Friday August 4th, 2006 on John’s pizza in Calumet City. You mentioned that you and ReneG went in search for food beyond the border, I was so happy to read that, especially when I saw you were from Highland Park. I have been trying to get people in the Chicagoland area to realize that NW Indiana has great restaurants and is not far from the Loop.

This past year I wrote Steve Dolinsky, the Hungry Hound on ABC 7 after he did a show on the best of the suburbs and went as far as Geneva, Gurnee and Naperville. I asked him if he had ever stepped over the border into Northwest Indiana, considering Hammond is connected to Chicago and many great restaurants are 15-20 miles from the Loop? He replied he had no clue about NW Indiana and then he asked if I would show him around. So I picked him up one day from the studio (yes, I thought this was really weird, he said this was the firs time doing this) and I drove him to Whiting, Hammond, Miller Beach-Gary, Munster, Highland and also gave him a map of Valparaiso and surrounding Porter County. He was really shocked how close everything was and how much nicer the area is once you get off the expressway. He did a show on some of the restaurants and later said he was shocked by all the response, I had to remind him that there are about 900,000 people in NW Indiana and they do own t.v.’s.

Some of my favorite restaurants are; Miller Bakery Café, Miller Beach, Gary; Cavalier Inn, Hammond; El Taco Real, Hammond; Giovanni’s and Café Elise, Munster; Wagner Ribs, Porter County; Schoop’s hamburgers; John’s Pizza, new carryout in Munster.

Have you been to any of these? There are a lot more, especially in Valpo and Crown Point. .
Thanks for giving the area a try and let me know how it goes.

PS..If driving in south Hammond check out the area along Hohman Ave and State Line Rd. Big, beautiful houses many owned by lawyers, doctors and executives from Chicago. Also the area around Purdue U. Calumet is nice.
I realize this forum is about food, but it is nice to hear positive comments. Hammond is a city with good and bad areas, just like the city of Chicago.
check out photo's on Kodakgallery.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandin ... share&Ux=0

For those people who are scared to venture over the border, I put together some photo's. Maybe if you see the city in a different way, other then the expressway, more people will feel comfortable checking out local restaurants. Just hit the view button.
Hammond, Indiana photos

Many of the homes appear to be in the Forest Avenue Historic District. What's amazing is that the first home in your pictures, the Tudor Revival with the black fence (AKA the Edward C. Minas Sr. home) sold last year for under $500,000. Most of the others in your pictures would sell in the $150K-$300K range.

FYI, a bit north of this area in the Glendale Park Historic District is the retirement home of one of Hammond's first residents, Alvah Curtis Roebuck, who in the 1880s owned a jewelry and watch repair shop on Hohman Avenue near the current South Shore station, and later partnered with Richard Sears in a Chicago venture called Sears Roebuck & Company...

HI,

I asked this poster via PM about the price range of those homes. I knew what they would be on the north shore, but I couldn't estimate what they would be for Hammond. Thanks for the commentary.

Regards,

The houses I listed are in the Glendale Park neighborhood and the Forest Ave area, directly south of downtown Hammond, between the state line and Hohman Ave. My friend bought one of the houses shown and he paid $500,000. Two couples from Chicago each recently paid $450,000 for their homes. The english style house with turret used to be owned by the famous chef Carolyn Buster of The Cottage in Calumet City.
Just wanted to show how the city has beautiful and interesting areas.