Noa Noa Wood Grill & Sushi Bar

For the most part I love the area I live in, the major problem I have, however, is that there just aren't enough local seafood places, which isn't surprising considering we aren't anywhere near any body of water that offers good seafood, but nonetheless, I love seafood and don't want to have to go to Red Lobster to get it. So you can imagine my surprise when a colleague suggested Noa Noa Wood Grill & Sushi Bar in Warsaw, a restaurant that serves fresh seafood and sushi, and fortunately for me, Warsaw happens to be the halfway meeting point for my best friend and I! The first thing that you should know about Noa Noa is that unless you make a reservation you will be sitting at either the bar or the sushi bar, and since my best friend and I met up to catch up sitting side by side wasn't our first choice, but the bar tender was friendly and took good care of us. Second thing you should know about Noa Noa is that the menu is huge, I'm talking 5 or 6 pages huge, and has a wide variety of food from small plates and sandwiches that will cost you around $10 to market price lobster tail to a wood fired rib eye for $29 all the way up to a mixed meat and seafood paella for two to share for $47, so you can find something for every budget, but if you really want to try some of their seafood, plan on spending around $20 for your meal. We both started with side salads that include onion, tomatoes, and croutons, and were allured with a wide variety of house made dressings including a Vietnamese dressing and a raspberry orange vinaigrette, my friend chose a Greek inspired dressing, feta olive vinaigrette, and I got a delicious, tart tamarind lime dressing. The salad really wasn't anything fancy, but the dressing is was made it.

With 5 pages of tempting food, dinner was a difficult choice, but I found the Noa Noa Island Grill which had a good variety to try, including grilled shrimp, coconut shrimp, an egg roll, crab Rangoon, plantains, a chef's creation called "coco nanas" which is chunks of banana with the same coating as their coconut shrimp, plus a whole mess of grilled fruit! The wood fired teriyaki shrimp was perfectly seasoned with a little kick and really well cooked/grilled, the coconut shrimp was large and delicious, I really liked the pork and shrimp egg roll, and the grilled mango that came in the mix of fruit was outstanding, in fact, we will probably be grilling mango this summer at home! I am not a big Rangoon eater, so I skipped this, I have been anxious to try plantains, but didn't love it, the texture was a little mushy for me, I thought the coco nanas were pretty good, but I am not a banana lover, so I can imagine if you like banans you will love this coconut crusted variety.

Although I didn't get a picture, my friend had the Bacon Wrapped Blue Salmon, which was a large salmon filet, wrapped in bacon, and topped with blue cheese, and while the bacon was a little wimpy and limp, the salmon still took on the smokey flavor of the bacon and was really tasty! I was very pleasantly surprised to find such a delicious seafood meal in an area that isn't close to any real seafood source. Warsaw, Indiana might not be the first place you expect to find delicious seafood, but it is truly one of the only places in the Northern Indiana area that I have found with a nice variety and freshness! I am anxious to get back to try their sushi, as every roll that went past us looked beautiful and delicious, but next time I know to make a reservation!

Rolling Scones Part II

The name "Rolling Scones," can be a bit deceiving, it can evoke images of delicious pastries, which they DO serve, but that isn't all they do. On the first and third Saturdays of every month Rolling Scones in the basement of The Old Bag Factory in Goshen serves up a Puerto Rican feast, on top of their regular delicious menu full of tempting breakfast options, soups, sandwiches, and salads. We started our meal with a shrimp ceviche, which was as beautiful as it was tasty...chock full of shrimp, lime juice, and typical salsa veggies! And if you aren't familiar with ceviche it is raw seafood that is marinated in citrus juice and served with tortilla chips for dipping.

My hubby and I decided to partake of the Puerto Rican feast which included pork and chicken (you can choose one or the other, but we wanted both), organic greens and dressing, rice and beans, and a slice of bread. The pork and chicken were unbelievably moist, generally in a restaurant meat has a tendency to be dry, but that is not the case here, and the flavor was delicious, very natural and perfectly seasoned. The dressing on the salad may actually be one of my favorite dressings, it is a light vinaigrette type, and is perfect next to the hardiness of the rice and beans, which were full of sweet potatoes, green olives, and ham; and my hubby who isn't a fan of any of those things really liked this side dish.

My mother in law ordered the "Pita Carnita" and really liked it, she was also surprised at how moist the Puerto Rican chicken in her pita was, it was complimented with Swiss cheese, fresh avocado (a staple for my hubby's California family), green olives, dill pickles, and mayo.

Whether you are looking for delicious scones to take to the office, soup and a sandwich for lunch, or a traditional Puerto Rican meal, Rolling Scones is a must try!

BopNGrill

Ever since a friend shared some of her Bulkogi with me in nursing school I have had a love for it, but somehow my homemade versions never matched up, and there isn't a great abundance of Korean restaurants in this area, so when I found a little joint in Chicago serving up this Asian delight I was ecstatic! BopNgrill near Loyola College in Chicago is serving up Korean favorites, as well as burgers, and some unique takes on fast food, like kimchi fries. Another unique fusion dish that BopNgrill only does on weekends, and frequently sells out of is their Philly Cheese steak egg rolls, my hubby tried an order of these, and other than a strong onion flavor he really liked this unique take on an egg roll, so if you are a Philly cheese steak lover, this is a dish for you to try.

Obviously I ordered the Bulkogi, which is a Korean ribeye dish that was served with rice, kimchi, and a side salad. The ribeye was fantastic and very tender, it was cooked with onions and carrots, and even though I don't always care for cooked veggies, I really liked this. The kimchi, which is a fermented cabbage dish, was too spicy for my taste, but otherwise had a good flavor, and the side salad had a creamy dressing with a good flavor on it, but was shredded lettuce and I just don't care for shredded lettuce.While I really didn't eat the sides, the Bulkogi itself was delicious and the rice was really well cooked, this dish is definitely a must try.

My hubby ordered one of the many unique burgers that BopNgrill serves, the umami, and for those who haven't heard of umami, it is one of the basic tastes and directly translates from the Japanese as a pleasant savory taste. His burger had truffled mushroom duxelle, bacon, smoked gouda, bacon, sun dried tomato confit, and togarashi mayo (a red chili mayo). I asked what he thought of the burger and he said the only word he could think to describe it was "umami," so I guess this burger lives up to it's name! For our little man we ordered the "strips and fries," since it was just $5, we didn't expect much, but this was a large serving of hand breaded chicken and a ton of fries (one of our best deals of the day)! The chicken was delicious, it was panko breaded, and if you know anyting about panko bread crumbs, they are incredibly crunchy, this is actually the same chicken they use for their chicken katsu, and it was so good I will be getting that next time we go back!

BopNgrill, might serve Asian food, but it is a far cry from the Chinese and Japanese restaurants you may have tried; pair their delicious Korean food with a unique variety of burgers and you have a winning menu and a winning restaurant.

Panozzo's Italian Market

There aren't too many things that I like as well as a deli, even better is a European deli, or since I am in the US, a European style deli; and that is exactly what I got when we had lunch at Panozzo's Italian Market on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Panozzo's in more than just a deli with fresh made sandwiches, homemade pastas, and an abundance of salads, it is an establishment supporting it's own local community by using local and sustainable food.

Not only is the menu at Panozzo's incredibly tempting, but the deli case will also have your mouth watering; since we have heard such good things about the hot sandwiches, we went that route. I chose the porchetta, which is a pork shoulder that is marinated for a couple days, wrapped in a cured pork belly, and slow baked. For the first time in my life I ordered a sandwich totally unaltered (normally I prefer my sandwiches pretty plain), and it was delicious! My porchetta came on delicious yeast bread that was pan fried and perfectly crispy on the outside, it was topped with pickled fennel, greens, and a mild chili aoili, and that aoili in combination with the rendered fat from the porchetta gave the inside of the fried bread a soft, creaminess. I am so glad that I went against my inhibitions and ordered this sandwich as is, because it was delicious!

My hubby ordered the chicken thigh confit, which we were told is another popular choice. His sandwich also came on the delicious fried bread, and was reminiscent of chicken Parmesan with a chicken thigh, tomato pesto, herbs, pickled chili's, Parmesan, and most importantly fresh, handmade mozzarella...yes, they make their own mozzarella daily. 

For our little man we ordered a breaded chicken cutlet, which my hubby and I both tried and agreed it was delicious! These chicken cutlets can be bought by the pound and would be the perfect base for any chicken dish like chicken Parmesan. I perused the deli case and saw many unique olives, salads, and several different varieties of lasagna and I personally had to resist the urge to take home pounds and pounds of deli meat like salami and speck, but without a cooler, I am not sure it would have fared well during the rest of the day and trip home, but next time I will be smarter and take a cooler to bring home extras.

Italian restaurants are a dime a dozen, but Panozzo's Italian Market is a unique little joint, that is doing Italian different and doing it well.

West Town Bakery & Cafe

Near the Ukrainian Village in Chicago is a funky little joint covered in graffiti called West Town Bakery & Cafe, and if you are anything like me the mere sight of the pastry case as you walk in the front door will be enough to convince you that you have come to the right place! The cases were full of the most original flavored cake balls, like French toast, red velvet, & chocolate peanut butter; several different types of brownies; Sweet and savory pastries; many varieties of bagels; lots of huge doughnuts; mini and regular size whoopie pies; delicious looking scones; and chocolate covered bacon. We brought home a pretty good variety of baked goods, but I won't bore you with all of those details, but I will tell you that you have to try the maple bacon doughnut, one of the employees explained it as "life changing" and he was right!! 

As we sat down, my hubby barely picked up the menu when he saw an herbed waffle with braised pork belly covered in spiced apples, and he laid the menu right back down, he had seen everything that he needed to see. Now my husband is not a waffle guy, he doesn't really do breakfast, and if he does, waffles are never his first choice...until today. He actually really liked this savory version of a traditional breakfast staple. and it complemented his pork belly well. Now, if you know anything about pork, or meat, or butchering, you know that the belly is where the bacon comes from, my hubby told me that it was really good, but that if you don't care for fatty meat, this meal will not be the choice for you. His slab of pork belly was covered with a fried egg, which is not his favorite since he doesn't like yolks, but he ate around it, and really enjoyed this breakfast! And those apples were awesome!!

I am normally a water drinker, but the thought of fresh squeezed apple juice was too much for me to resist, and I was not disappointed. There is just something so delicious about fresh juice, I don't know if it is the real fruit taste, or just knowing that what you're drinking has been minimally processed, but either way, this was a glass of juice that stands high above the rest.

There were many fantastic looking options, especially with a menu as creative as this one, but since I have never tried chicken and waffles I went for it! Even though this was my first chicken and waffles, I can't imagine that this concept is anything like the original. The base for this old favorite, was anything, but traditional, it was a vanilla bean and bacon waffle, The flavor was awesome and sweet, with the occasional burst of saltiness from the bacon. The chicken was really well fried, but not very flavorful, it could have done with a little more seasoning on the meat and in the coating, but truthfully once you pair a bite of the chicken with the delicious waffle and syrup you won't feel like a thing is missing. Did I also mention that my chicken and waffles came with two slices of bacon on top? Good bacon takes everything to the next level, and this bacon did just that.

West Town Bakery & Cafe is a green restaurant, it also uses local, organic, and sustaining ingredients; not to mention they cook for a variety of diets, they really do have something for everyone! So if you are visiting Chicago and want a delicious breakfast, need something tasty for your lunch break, or even need a personalized cake remember West Town Bakery & Cafe on Chicago Avenue.

The Wood & Gage

When you venture off the beaten path you can often be rewarded with unexpected surprises, this holds true with restaurants as well, and was proven at lunch today when a dear friend took me to a little cafe and antique shoppe tucked in the neighborhood behind Rice Cemetery, at the corner of Wood Street and Gage Avenue, appropriately called The Wood and Gage. The first thing you will think when you walk in the door is "this is so cute!" The walls are covered in assorted signs and pictures, with shelves containing antiques and gifts, the tables are charmingly mismatched, and most importantly (at least my toddler thought so) there is an old pedestal bathtub used as a fish tank. The menu is simple, mostly salads and sandwiches, but perfect for a lunch time spot. I struggled to decide between an Asian chicken salad and a tenderloin, but finally decided on the salad, and what a good decision that was! A bed of lettuce and greens, topped with shredded cabbage, carrots, almonds, chicken, fresh fried wonton strips, served along with a delicious creamy Asian dressing, and if you think a salad can't constitute an entire lunch, well, about 3/4 of the way through my salad I had to quit eating because it was so large and I was getting full.

I ordered fresh cut, skin on french fries for my little man and they were a huge hit! Great crisp, thick and hearty, very flavorful with the skin still on. A very unique and delicious fry that I am anxious for my potato loving hubby to try!

My dear friend who introduced me to this sweet little place ordered a dish called "creamed chicken in a potato basket" which I was expecting to be a baked potato with chicken on it, and I was wrong. They take shredded potatoes and make a bowl with them and crisp them up, then serve it smothered in a creamy chicken mixture, it is a very unique dish, which my friend says is delicious. It's another dish I am anxious for my hubby to try!

With it's tea room like atmosphere, adorable hand made gifts, and extensive antiques and collectibles The Wood and Gage is a great place for a ladies breakfast, brunch, or lunch, but any man will appreciate the delicious food, too!

Rachel's Bread

When it comes to bread I tend to be a snob, many people think it is just a vehicle for a sandwich, but I tend to think that bread can be the star, and if you find a loaf that is good enough, you can eat it by itself and have a culinary experience, and that is exactly what you will get at Rachel's Bread in the farmer's market on The Millrace in Goshen. After work the other morning, several of us nurses decided to have breakfast together, Rachel's was the spot we chose and the moment we walked in and took a sniff, we knew it was going to be good! I was overwhelmed by the number of delicious pastries and other breakfast choices being offered and struggled for several minutes before I landed on the decision of an almond croissant with a cup of fruit. Some of the other competitors were danish, chocolate cream rolls, and baked oatmeal with dried cherries, plus they have frittata that my colleagues said were delicious. My almond croissant was sublime, it was flaky, light, and buttery and surprised me with a center full of creamy, chunky almond filling; The croissant was so good, in fact, that I decided to take the chocolate variety home, and my oh my, was this ever a delicious croissant, semisweet chocolate surrounded by the flaky layers of pastry, it can't be beat!

Because so many of the pastries looked so delicious and my decision was so hard, I brought my hubby home a pecan cinnamon roll because I know he has a great love for them, and I had secret hopes that I would get a taste, too.  It took him a day to eat it so he was pleasantly surprised to find that it was still soft, the pecans and top of the roll were perfectly caramelized, and the entire roll was spectacular.

I also brought home a wood fired baguette, now I have had good bread in my life, but this loaf is tops and may have ruined me for any other baguette. The outside was crusty and had this slightly smokey taste from the wood firing and the inside was perfectly chewy; The whole loaf had this slightly salty taste and was just perfect. Honestly though, I cannot capture this loaf of bread in any sort of words, and if you are anywhere near the bread lover I am, you need to make it a point to head to Rachel's and buy a baguette. The bread, rolls, and pastries at Rachel's Bread are the best you will find anywhere, because they are made with simple, real ingredients, are allowed to rise naturally and are free of preservatives. So whether you are looking for something new for Saturday morning breakfast, want to spice up your lunch hour, or just crave some good bread, stop in to Rachel's, from one bread lover to another, you won't be sorry you did!