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!

JW Chen's

It seems that everyone has their favorite Chinese place, it's their go to for take out for a busy week night or that special place for dinner out, and I can tell you that if it wasn't located all the way out by Notre Dame, JW Chen's would be our Chinese place. The food is delicious and scratch made, and from what we hear from many who have traveled to China it is as close as it gets in the US, I have never eaten in China, but I can tell you this is different and better than the rest! We started with the lettuce wraps because my hubby has loved lettuce wraps since we were taken to PF Chang's (no judgement for eating at a chain!), and these blew PF's right out of the water; you have your choice of pork or chicken, I chose pork for a little something different and was not disappointed, these wraps were delicious, I was eating every speck of the filling off of my plate!

When it came time to order the owner grabbed a seat next to us and asked us what we liked, she told us that she had fish and lamb and would make us anything we wanted, she will even make suggestions based on what you like, or come up with a whole new dish for you! We ended up with an order of almond shrimp which was on the menu, and black vinegar fish which was not on the menu. As we waited for our food, the waitress dropped off a plate and announced "honey chicken on the house," and what a scrumptious surprise that was! This was not the typical deep fried chicken covered in an overly sweet sauce that I have had before, but rather chunks of tender chicken with a nicely balanced honey sauce, even my hubby liked it and he isn't usually a fan of sweet dishes.

The next dish to hit the table was the almond shrimp, and yes they bring your dishes out as they are prepared, so everything is piping hot. This wasn't the typical shrimp dish with a few almonds sprinkled over top, these large shrimp are lightly battered and coated in slivered almonds before they hit the fryer, so you get shrimp that is completely coated in almonds. These crispy shrimp are finished off with a really delicious brown sauce, and are just so perfect, this might be my new favorite Chinese dish!

The final dish to come out was the black vinegar fish, which was an entire filet of fish (my guess was orange roughy, but I couldn't say that with conviction), battered, fried, and dressed in a sauce that, despite being tangy, did not taste like vinegar. This wasn't our favorite dish on the table, but it was good, and so fun to get to try something that isn't on the menu.

JW Chen's not only has delicious food, but a unique environment as well, I mean how many places can you go and have the owner come up with a dish based on your tastes? And while it is nice for a family dinner or even a night out, I also think getting a big group together, each ordering a different dish, and eating family style would be a blast and give you a good taste of what they have to offer. No matter who you choose to go with, just make sure you go to JW Chen's, you won't be disappointed!

Pumpernickel's Pretzel Bakery

As a general rule I don't visit restaurants in the first few weeks that they are open, I don't always feel like these young days will give an accurate representation of what the restaurant will be, but in the case of Pumpernickel's Pretzel Bakery I was too excited to try their pretzels to wait! On the ground level of the old Elkhart Hotel, where the Athenian Ballroom is located, the owner of DA Pumpernickel's catering has expanded his operation, and now makes delicious pretzels as well as sandwiches on pretzel rolls, with lots of accompaniments like chilli and cookies. I decided to keep it simple, so I ordered my little man a traditional pretzel with cheese, he mowed down on his pretzel and ignored the cheese, but I will attest that this was a delicious pretzel! They have the deep, rich brown crust on them that I have only ever seen in Germany and are scrumptious and chewy on the inside.

I ordered a cinnamon pretzel for myself, and while there was a bit of wait for it, it was well worth the time! Now this wasn't just a regular pretzel with cinnamon and sugar on it, this was actually a pretzel with cinnamon in the dough, and tasted just like biting into cinnamon raisin bread, sans raisins. Pair this delicious, sweet pretzel with the slight tang of cream cheese frosting, and you have a match made in bakery heaven!

Pumpernickel's also offers jalapeno and whole wheat pretzels along with a big variety of dipping sauces, like marinara, spicy cheese, raspberry mustard, salted caramel, whole grain mustard, and chocolate. Not only were the pretzel's at Pumpernickel's sublime, but the staff was so accommodating and friendly, when the little man spilled his cheese on the floor they were quick to help me clean up and even offered us more cheese, he was even given a free cookie! And trust me when I say you have never had a cookie like this; a warm chocolate chip cookie with an ooey, gooey chocolate center...yum!! Pumpernickel's has limited hours right now, Monday through Friday over the lunch hour, but also plans to be open for special events like the Jazz Festival, so if you happen to work in downtown Elkhart or are just in the area make sure to stop in for a tasty sandwich on a delicious pretzel roll or even just an afternoon treat, 'cuz Auntie Anne and Ben ain't got nothin' on Pumpernickels!!

Stirred Restaurant & Lounge

Stirred downtown Elkhart is easy to miss, it is off of Main on Lexington and the sign is this really cool silver piece that can be hard to see, but trust me, you will be glad you took the time to search it out. The inside could only be described as eclectic, there are many features of the original building, like a fantastic old brick wall and pressed tin ceiling, that are contrasted with updates like an electric fireplace and deep red walls, not to mention a fabulous old door!

 Their menu is designed to share, so we started with a couple of appetizers; the "Spankin' Shrimp" and the fried pickles. The "Spankin' Shrimp" is similar to a certain seafood chain's "Bang Bang Shrimp," but I think I prefer Stirred's "Spankin' Shrimp" as it is more like (HUGE) prawns than popcorn shrimp and the "Spankin' Shrimp" is tempura battered versus breaded, which I love. The sauce on the "Spankin' Shrimp" has a kick to it, but even a wimp like me could handle it and found this dish to be delicious! Plus, the black sesame seeds were a fun garnish!

 My husband is not normally a fan of fried pickles chips, he prefers the spears, but he actually really liked this battered version; they were served with a spicy dipping sauce, that truthfully wasn't terribly spicy. I have eaten a lot of fried pickles (I know, I really shouldn't admit to that) and these are top of the list with a thick coating of batter and the spicy dipping sauce.

The menu had several main dishes and sandwiches, but since Tuesday's are buy one, get one half off (bogoho as I like to call it) sushi rolls, we decided to try a couple, which are unlike ANY sushi you have ever tried. The rolls as Stirred are very unconventional, with rolls like "The Cowboy" that has steak strips and bleu cheese, "The Fish Taco" with tempura crab, pineapple salsa, and corn chips, and "The Fire & Ice" filled with salmon, jalapenos, and cream cheese, they have definitely created a unique offering of sushi. I ordered Stirred's signature roll that has gulf shrimp, mango, cilantro, avocado, and red pepper, on soy paper with a delicious  sticky, sweet sauce and I have to say this might just be one of my favorite sushi rolls, I loved the way all of the flavors played together, and especially loved the sweet sauce this roll was served with.

I think my hubby purposefully ordered a roll he knew I wouldn't eat, since it was topped with hot sauce...stinker! His "Rajun Cajun" included cajun seasoned shrimp, crab, red pepper, and green onions, and this man who doesn't eat onions, still liked this roll. My hubby's only complaint is that the menu really didn't include any traditional sushi rolls, but for you purists there is a good selection of sashimi, maki, and nigiri.

Stirred also has an ample offering of wines and cocktails, for those of you who like to relax after a long week with a martini and sushi, this little joint in downtown Elkhart is the perfect spot for you! And for those of you who don't drink, you will still feel pretty fancy with a slice of cucumber in your ice water and a delicious roll of sushi in your chopsticks!

523 Tap & Grill

From Main Street it may not look like much, but one step into 523 Tap & Grill proves that notion wrong, the only way I can describe this restaurant is beautiful (okay sleek, sophisticated, and tasteful work, too!). With the dark wood contrasting clean white table cloths, simple art work on the walls along with two simple yet gorgeous chandeliers, and a huge brocade curtain separating the bar and dining room, this is probably one of the prettiest restaurants I have ever been in. As we looked over the appetizer section of the menu, we had the hardest time deciding which one to order; with choices like lettuce wraps, crab cakes, Asian chicken, and firecracker shrimp it is no wonder that we had a hard time choosing, but we agreed on the bay scallop ceviche, as it is something I have never tried before. It was an eye appealing dish of bay scallops marinated in lime juice with onions, jalapenos, and tomatoes served with hand cut tortilla chips; it was a light, refreshing, and delicious start to our meal, and even after the scallops were gone my hubby continued to eat the veggies because they were so delicious on the chips.

Our next course was soup and salad, and at the suggestion of a certain beautiful foodie friend I tried the wedge salad, which is a wedge of iceberg lettuce covered in onions, tomatoes, bacon, blue cheese, and a creamy, delicious house dressing that is seasoned with curry.

My hubby had the clam chowder and touted it as the best bowl of clam chowder he has ever had in his life, which is a big deal coming from a California boy, he was even impressed that it came out piping hot.

As our main course we ordered a 24oz dry aged Ribeye to share called "The Tomohawk" and when this giant steak arrived at our table, the name was no mystery, you could probably kill a man with it! The steak was perfect; the outside was charred, and the inside was a wonderful, pink, warm medium rare. This giant was drizzled with a balsamic reduction that my hubby wasn't crazy about, but he also admitted that it didn't take anything away from the steak either, I thought it was good, but I am a fan of balsamic. And yes, I literally said "oh my gosh!" when I took my first bite, this is one of the best steaks I have ever eaten, and truthfully rivals that of Ruth's Chris, and might just be a little better in my book because it is a local joint! We also shared a side of fries, which were pre-made/frozen, but had a delicious house seasoning on them that makes it easy enough to forgive the fact that the fries aren't hand cut.

Tonight I was wise enough to save room for dessert, and boy am I glad I did! We had the chocolate lava cake with raspberry sauce drizzled over it and it was delicious, in fact when we ordered it our waitress' exact words were "Oh, that's good!" My hubby found it to be a little too rich, but I thought the tart raspberry sauce was the perfect compliment to the richness of the chocolate cake. The cake looks a little small, but I assure you, it was the perfect size for two to share after a three course meal.

Besides the beautiful decor and outstanding food, the thing I love about this restaurant is that they offer enough of a variety (including many GF options) that you could go on a week night and have a burger, take a date for pasta on the weekend, or celebrate a special occasion with a steak or lobster (although I would probably leave the kiddos with a sitter). If you live in or are visiting the Elkhart area, 523 is a MUST, the staff is friendly and attentive (our water glasses were never less than half full), the food is high quality and delicious, and the setting is sophisticated and gorgeous, this downtown Elkhart restaurant is a true diamond in the rough.