DaVinci's

We're part of a new church plant here in Elkhart (Encounter Church, we meet at 4pm on Sundays at the corner of CR 106 and Jeanwood Drive and would love to be your people and help you have a fresh encounter with God!), and we ladies there decided that we needed a night out sans kids and hubbies. One of the ladies suggested an Italian restaurant close to the church, DaVinci's on Cassopolis/SR 19 near the intersection of CR 6, and we decided that sharing pizzas would be a budget friendly way to go out together! Most of the ladies started dinner with delicious looking salads and house made Italian dressing and we all shared baskets of delicious, warm, crusty bread that had been covered in butter and basil. After some discussion we decided on a pizza with pepperoni and mushrooms and another pizza that was half Hawaiian, half meaty.

Two things that you should know about me are 1) I love pizza and 2) I'm a pizza snob, I'm not one who enjoys eating just any old pizza, so DaVinci's did not disappoint. I really loved their pizza, the meat and cheese were high quality and delicious, the crust was so tasty and chewy with that undeniable scratch made taste. Not only was this pizza delicious hot, but I am eating a slice of it cold as we speak at it is just as good! Now my goal is to convince my hubby to try and love it, because with this could be my new pizza place! Along with killer pizza, DaVinci's also has wonderful customer service, our waitress Mary was so sweet and attentive, and everyone was so friendly. So next time you are finding yourself wanting Olive Garden or Fazzoli's head to nearby DaVinci's for good quality food and accommodating customer service.

Javi's Food Truck

It's been a bad week, like a legitimately bad week topped off with a preschool tantrum as I was trying to find something to make for dinner in the grocery aisle of Target tonight. I trucked through Target to the checkout without a clue what the little screamer and I were going to eat for dinner. I loaded my son and shopping bags into my truck and a few minutes down the road he was asleep (tired explains the Target tantrum!), meaning I had resigned myself to the reality of fast food drive thru being the only real option with a sleeping kiddo. In my frustration I saw it, like a beacon of hope, in the parking lot of Granma's Pancakes in Dunlap, Javi's taco truck and I knew there was hope of having a dinner that I didn't totally regret.

 I parked close to the taco truck so I could watch my car with my little sleeper, cracked a window, and locked the doors as I hopped in line. I was beyond excited to see that fish/pescado was a meat option for the tacos, I gladly ordered one along with a chicken/pollo and steak/carne asada. The Carne Asada was perfectly seasoned and moist, the fish was well cooked and delicious, and while the chicken had a great flavor it was a little on the dry side, but good enough that I would order it again. All three tacos were just like I like them in corn tortillas with onions and cilantro.

Despite hubby grilling hotdogs for a bonfire, when I saw the Philly Cheese steak made with carne asada, I knew he would want to try it, and I was right! He took one bite and proclaimed his sandwich to be "really frickin' good," which is something he rarely says. With the same, delicious carne asada that adorned my taco, green peppers, and cheese on a crusty roll he was a happy man. By the way, the sandwich does come with onions, like a traditional Philly cheese steak, but the hubby isn't a fan.

You are probably wondering about the salsa, I tried both the red and green salsa and both were entirely too spicy for me, but still had a good flavor. Along with tacos, you can also get a torta, quesadilla, or burrito at Javi's where they are set up Friday and Saturday from 4pm to 1am and also on Sunday afternoons. I only have two regrets about Javi's; 1) I didn't order more tacos and 2) I won't be able to get their tacos during the week.

The Golden Egg

I love breakfast! It doesn't have to be fancy, well not always, just solid, well made, and good, and luckily for me my other half is finally coming to my side of the table and enjoying breakfast himself. Last Sunday we found ourselves awake, hungry, and without our son, so we headed over to The Golden Egg's new location on Nappanee Street in Elkhart. The restaurant was previously an Asian market and before that an Arby's and they have done an incredible job of turning a fast food joint into a sit down restaurant. One of the things that my hubby loves about The Golden Egg is that when you order an egg you get two and an order of two eggs gets you four, he also loves that their hash browns are actually crispy, he hates mushy potatoes.

I love Belgian waffles and this one did not disappoint, I got it with pecans for an extra crunch and covered it with butter pecan syrup, which was money! Butter, pecans, and butter pecan syrup may seem like overkill on a waffle, but it was delicious and I highly recommend it.

The Golden Egg is your pretty typical pancake house, good, solid breakfast food, waitstaff with years of experience that make you feel like your Southern aunt is serving you, and a family atmosphere, so next time you want breakfast out skip IHOP and Denny's and dine locally at The Golden Egg.

Five Star Dive Bar

If you know us, you know that we really aren't into the bar scene, neither of us has ever really had a taste for alcohol, BUT when we hear that a bar has good food we are more than happy to check it out on one of our treasured kiddo-free date nights. The Elkhart area has had a burger competition and Five Start Dive Bar made it pretty dang far in the bracket, so we thought it would be worth a try. Just be warned that while the restaurant serves awesome food, it is not health food! We started with fried mushrooms, my hubby's favorite, and they were huge with an awesome, crispy batter.

I expected my hubby to try the smokehouse burger that was in the competition, but there was a grilled cheese sandwich with bacon and tomato on the menu and that was all he needed to know. The Five Star Grilled Cheese with a side of hand cut fries was a pretty ideal meal for my hubby and the perfect comfort food to boot!

I ordered my standard, go to fish and chips and while this wasn't my favorite version, it was solid and really tasty! The fries were delicious as well, you just can't beat hand cut fries!

We overheard the folks at the table behind us raving about a dessert so I had to know what it was, they said the words fried and cheesecake in the same sentence and I was sold! We were presented with three "egg rolls" covered in caramel, and when I bit into that crispy wrapper and was met with the warm creamy cheesecake, I was in heaven. The fried cheesecake isn't on the menu, but you officially have the inside scoop on this killer dessert!

If you're looking for a great bar, bar food that's better than bar food, or just someplace to hang out and play pool or listen to local talent, check out Five Star Dive Bar on East Jackson in Elkhart. Just don't forget to ask for the fried cheesecake!

La Esperanza

Chipotle, Hacienda they're good at what they do, but they just don't have the authentic cuisine that this area boasts. There are enough carnicerias, taquerias, and restaurants run by Latino families in this county that you could spend a good month eating nothing but tacos, enchiladas, carne asada, tamales, chorizo, guacamole, and well, I could go on and on, but the point is the Elkhart area has a plethora of delicious Mexican food. La Esperanza on Jackson in Elkhart was no exception to this rule! We started with delicious chips, that were seasoned with something more than salt, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what that was (we had take out so I couldn't ask) and some very fresh tasting guacamole, the salsa was good, too, but a little too spicy for my taste. Mr. Albert let me order his dinner as we didn't have a take out menu, so I chose a combo dinner with a chilli relleno (a pablano pepper stuffed with cheese, dipped in batter, and fried) and carne asada, accompanied by refried beans and rice. He was introduced to the chilli relleno by his dad and has searched for a good one in this area as long as he and I have been together, and La Esperanza's version did not disappoint. He really liked the carne asada, which was actually a steak and not the diced beef that we are accustomed to in our tacos. The beans looked a little runny, but he assured me that they were actually pretty good.

We are tamale lovers in this house so I was excited to find them on the menu, and though I love the thrill of unwrapping them from their corn husks, I have learned to love the unwrapped version and the red sauce many restaurants top them with. I had a pork tamale and a chicken one, the pork had a little bit of a kick to it, but both were incredibly tasty. I also really liked the rice on the side, it was delicious, although I skipped the refried beans as the texture of them doesn't do much for me.

Next time you are craving a burrito, just keep driving up Jackson street past Hacienda to La Esperanza where you will be greeted with delicious Mexican food in a clean and pleasant dining room.

The Moringa Tree

As a general rule when you think of eating in Elkhart County images of fried chicken, noodles, and pie are conjured, not organic, natural, vegetarian meals, but on Jackson street in Downtown Elkhart is a little restaurant that is serving up those type of meals for you nutrition minded food lovers. We stopped at The Moringa Tree for lunch as a treat for my vegetarian brother who likes to eat vegan when he can, and even us carnivores were impressed with our meals! The fresh juices and smoothies looked incredibly appealing with their fresh ingredients, but because they are fresh ingredients they were on the pricey side, and since it was a hot day we stuck with a pitcher of water passed around the table several times. My brother did order a smoothie to go and he loved it, I think that he would have ordered one of everything on the menu, but at the Vegan waitress' recommendation he got the bean burger topped with guacamole and a side of the soup du jour. He really liked the flavor of his burger and the soup, not to mention he loved the whole restaurant/store with all of their natural and health minded products, and was especially thankful when the protein powder in his smoothie wasn't soy based.

My mom was really impressed with her grilled cheese sandwich that was made with two types of raw cheese on sprouted bread topped off with pesto; I am pretty sure the word "amazing" was thrown out after the first bite. She got bruschetta and broccoli slaw on the side which she said were good, but could have used a little more seasoning.

I ate the greatest version of a PB&J I have ever had, it was nut butter with fresh berries and cinnamon and honey on sprouted bread. I have heard of sprouted bread and was nervous imagining bread with bean sprouts, but it was delicious (and did not have any sprouts in it!), I loved the heartiness and crunch that it had, and the tartness of the fresh berries against the nut butter and sweetness of the honey made for an incredible sandwich. I also got an organic fruit cup on the side and was so happy to see something other than melon and bananas, it was full of apples, oranges, berries, grapes, and all were so good.

My hubby joined us late and wasn't really hungry, but I ordered the guacamole for him anyway, and I am so glad I did! I got the first taste, and I have to say it is some of the best I have ever had, my son was literally eating it by the spoonful! And the salsa that came on the side was delicious, too, a little spicy, but delicious nonetheless.

Whether you are a health minded eater, need a place to find natural products like aluminum free deodorant or pink Himalayan salt, or just want a delicious meal, The Moringa Tree is a must try in downtown Elkhart!!

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!

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.

Flippin' Cow

It is the middle of winter and I have had a hankerin' for a good burger, I thought I was doomed to the wait out the winter, until our dinner plans fell through tonight and we found ourselves at Flippin' Cow on Simonton Lake in Elkhart. We walked through the bar and were seated in the family friendly area in a three seasons room overlooking the lake, I can only imagine how nice it will be to sit there in the summertime, but for now they are using small space heaters to keep the place warm. We were seated on wooden benches and given menus that were contained inside old vinyl record sleeves, the first sign that this place was going to be great!

We were tempted by such appetizers as giant jalapenos stuffed with three cheeses, fried pickles made with homemade pickles, and hand battered onion rings, but we decided to skip an app in hopes of saving room for dessert. Our little man got his dinner before we did (thanks to a waitress who is also a mom!), and at first we were shocked at the $5.99 price tag on his cheeseburger dinner, but he got a full side burger and full side of tater tots, the burger was almost as big as his head, and totally worth the price!

My hubby had decided what he wanted before we even hit the restaurant, I told him about a burger with mac & cheese and bacon and his heart had been won over! He got homemade, from scratch mac & cheese between two hand pattied burgers, with thick bacon, topped with extra cheese sauce on a homemade potato bun that had been toasted on the flat top. He got a side of hand cut fries, that he admitted weren't his favorite, but personally I thought were fantastic, crisp and not greasy. All of this was under $10, and good enough quality to be a steal.

I am pretty plain when it comes to sandwiches and burgers, so while they had fantastic and unique combos, I chose to build my own burger from their myriad of toppings like grilled onions and mushrooms, lots of different cheeses, a couple different types of bacon, several different sauces and even a fried egg, the only thing missing according to my hubby was avocado. I inadvertently ordered the burger with two patties, but they are those patties that are patted really thin so eating two really doesn't make you feel like that big of a pig...and speaking of pigs the bacon on my burger was thick, well cooked, and delicious. I got all of this on a homemade pretzel bun that could only be topped by the Laugenweckle (Pretzel rolls) in Germany, and that's saying something because the German's know how to do pretzels. I have to say this really was the best burger of my life, because it was the first time in my life I didn't salt a burger, it had that delicious crispy edge, but was still perfectly juicy and flavorful, and if you aren't a beef eater, they also have turkey, buffalo, and veggie burgers. My side of hand cut chips were crisp and tasty, and for right around $10 this meal definitely wowed me!!

Despite all of this food, we still had room for dessert, and our choices were a banana split cheesecake or a homemade chocolate chip cookie mudslide, and we chose the mudslide. The homemade cookie was awesome, our only complaint about this dessert is that we would have liked the cookie to be warmer so it melted the ice cream, but otherwise, I would choose it over Hacienda any day of the week!

Winter, spring, summer, or fall if you are in need of a delicious burger Flippin' Cow has you covered, their concept and menu is unique, their food is top quality, the atmosphere makes you feel as if you are among friends (by the way, thanks to all of the diners who chatted with and occupied our sons attention), and the staff have some of the best customer service skills I have encountered. I know many people were disappointed when Lakeshore Grill closed and reopened as Flippin' Cow, but there is not an ounce of disappointment in that place!

Miles Lab (The Burger Bar at Bull Dog Crossing)

The moment you walk into the door of Miles Lab on East Jackson Street in Elkhart, it is evident that the establishment is rich with history; from the name to the pictures on the wall, this restaurant is an homage to the owner's great great grandfather, Dr. Franklin Miles, founder of Miles Laboratories, the predecessor of Bayer.  Not only are the name and the walls full of history, but the bar itself was a speakeasy during prohibition, and served WWII vets on many a Friday night after the war.

The original Miles Lab in downtown Elkhart, IN

I have to admit that I have been to Mile's Lab, several times before today, but wanted a fresh experience before I blogged, and this visit did not disappoint...which is a relief, because this time we invited friends! We started our meal with the chips and beer cheese appetizer because it was easy to share at the table and because I LOVE hand cut potato chips; the chips were delicious, crispy, and salty, and from what my hubby reports the beer cheese was good, but not really his thing.

Hand cut potato chips & beer cheese

While I have tried many delicious items at Mile's Lab, for instance the ever Hoosier loved favorite, the tenderloin sandwich is to die for, I decided to go for something I hadn't tried, the fish and chips, well, my friend Robert had the fish and chips, I had the fish and onion rings!

Fish & Chips

I had every intention of getting my beer battered cod with a traditional side of hand cut "chips," but when my waitress gave me the option of onion rings I was powerless to resist, and rightfully so, these giant onion rings are hand battered, perfectly crispy, and dusted with just enough coarse sea salt to compliment the sweetness of the onions, they truthfully are some of my favorite. The fish came out as two large filets that made Robert and I both say "dang!" the beer batter on them was thick, crisp, and delicious, and from the talk around the table I hear the cole slaw was delicious as well.

Beer battered cod & onion rings

While "The Lab" serves a unique burger that uses grilled cheese sandwiches in place of buns, my husband forewent this veritable heart attack on a plate (which he has tried and thinks is great) for the blackjack burger that starts with a fresh hand pattied burger and gets topped with one of their delicious onion rings, jalapenos, spicy mayo, the hubby's favorite, pepper jack cheese, and if these delicious unique toppings aren't enough Mile's Lab kicks their burgers up a notch by serving them on a ciabatta bun, instead of a traditional bun. And as if this wasn't all tasty enough, he got hand cut fries on the side (trust me, they were good, I stole one!).

Black Jack Burger & Hand cut fries

Our friend Andrea tried a dish that is traditionally a salad, but was turned into a sandwich, the caprese. Just imagine, a chicken breast topped with a tomato, covered in melted mozzarella,  smothered in house made pesto on a ciabatta bun, and if you are a vegetarian, you can even get this sandwich sans chicken breast. She was also pleasantly surprised to find that one of the side options was sweet potato fries.

Caprese & Sweet potato fries

Personally I ran out of room before I ran out of food, but I was bound and determined to try a slice of house made cheesecake, because the pictures on Facebook always look so scrumptious, so I took home a slice of chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake and wow!! Talk about cheesecake perfection, from the delicious, crispy crust, to the creamy filling chock full of cookie dough, to the sweet chocolate ganache on top this cheesecake was out of bounds. If you're not one to save room for dessert, you should at Miles lab, or at least take some home, you won't be sorry. If it is your thing Mile's Lab also has 18 beers on tap, and from our experience, always has a full bar, regardless of the traffic in the dining room. From the history buff to the food lover, Miles Lab truly has a little something for everyone; from burgers, to wings, to giant steaks, handmade sides, and delicious desserts you will not be disappointed.

ModMex Part II

There is no doubt the nation loves Chipotle, Q'Doba, and Moe's; there is something about walking down the line choosing various fillings for a one pound burrito that people can't resist. Although, maybe you are the kind of person who prefers to eat local or isn't within close proximity to one of these chains (say Elkhart or Goshen area), there is a solution for you, and that solution is ModMex on  Toledo road in Elkhart. Now, I have already touted the delicious food that ModMex serves for dinner (http://albertassessment.blogspot.com/2012/08/mod-mex.html?m=0), but for lunch they're doing something completely different! Behind the counter you will notice a sign with your choices; start by choosing whether you want a burrito, taco, chimichanga, or a shell-less burrito, I chose the shell-less burrito, but a gentleman at a nearby table ordered a burrito and it was at least the size of the Chipotle burritos, if not a little larger. Next you choose steak, chicken, veggies, or carnitas, then you top it with your choice of pinto or black beans, cilantro lime rice, pico, guac, peppers & onions, corn salsa, lettuce, cheese, and sour cream, and finish up with one of their salsas, iwhich includes mild green, spicy red, and honey chipotle. You can also order a side of their delicious chips and fresh guacamole for $3. This lunch was delicious, with fresh, quality ingredients, and was a fantastic deal at right around $6, so on your next lunch break or afternoon off (lunch is served Monday-Friday 11-2) be sure to treat yourself to the delicious choices of ModMex!

Christiana Creek Country Club

Until October 6th (2012) there is an event called Elkhart Dining Days that is to benefit Church Community Services, it showcases local chefs and restaurants with part of the cost of dinner going to the aforementioned charity; because of this event Christiana Creek Country Club has opened it's dining room to non-members for the two week event. Chef Brian Steinway proved to be a master of his trade, not just with the creativity of his special three course menu for the dining days, but also with the quality and taste of the food. I was torn on which appetizer to choose, the California chicken salad looked delicious, and much lower in calories than the walleye bites I had my eyes on, but my husband talked me into the fish, and I was so glad he did! My small plate came out with three walleye bites atop a dollop of Cajun tarter sauce; I cringed a little because I have never cared for tarter sauce, but this was delicious, it had a nice sweetness and was perfectly paired with delicious, crispy strips of fried fish

To start his meal, my hubby ordered the lobster pizza, which has earned raves, not just from him, but many others I have talked to. The flat bread crust was crispy, which the man LOVES, it was topped with a nice Alfredo and diced tomatoes that he said added a nice brightness, I was surprised when he described the lobster as tender, I truly expected it to be overcooked, and all of this was covered with cheese; now I am skeptical that seafood and cheese can ever be paired well together, but my husband tells me that the lobster pizza was delicious.

The choices for our entree all looked delicious, but I settled on the filet with a side of couscous; my steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare, really wasn't seasoned much (I'm okay with that, I hate when people over do a good cut of meat), but was tender and covered in a delicious demi glace. I will admit that I didn't care for the couscous, but that is a taste and texture issue, because my husband really liked it and what I really liked were the onion strings that covered our meal, those I could have eaten as a side in itself. My husband ordered the pan seared duck breast with port cherry reduction, and oh my! The duck breast was more tender than my filet, was perfectly seasoned, and the sauce was fantastic as well, it was my husband's first time trying duck and he was thoroughly impressed.

While my husband quickly chose "death by chocolate' or as he called it, suicide by chocolate, for dessert, I had to think a while before I chose the carrot lava cake. The death by chocolate turned out to be a gluten free chocolate cake, talk about rich, but was it ever chocolatey and delicious! The only thing we would have changed would have been a tart berry sauce to cut the richness. The carrot cake was delicious as well, warm, with cream cheese frosting oozing out of it, and while I would have never paired them, it was made even better with a side of butter pecan ice cream.

This meal was such a great deal, we paid $25 for each 3 course meal, it was high quality and delicious, not to mention part of the cost went to charity. Normally you do have to be a member to have dinner at Christiana Creek Country Club, but now through October 6th you can enjoy the Elkhart Dining Days menu regardless of membership status. If you don't get in for Elkhart Dining Days, you can still experience Christiana Creek during their lunch hour (11a-2p) when anyone is welcome to dine; we looked over the lunch menu and it looks great, lots of creative dishes at a reasonable price, every sandwich, salad, and entree was under $10 each. And if the thought of eating at  a country club makes you nervous (like I was), we felt totally at ease, our waitress, Jessica, was sweet and made us feel comfortable from the moment we stepped in. Oh, and did I mention that Christiana Creek is available for weddings, meetings, or other parties?

Iechyd Da

As you drive North on Main in Elkhart you will see a sign with a dragon that says Iechyd Da, and you will no doubt ask yourself, "how do you say that?" Well, you say "yacky da," but you drink Iechyd Da; it is an old Welsh toast which means "good health!" Owners Chip and Summer Lewis have been brewing their beer at home, and just this last year decided to share their goods with the community, and in came Iechyd Da Brewery. First thing you will notice, is that parking isn't great, but I presume, for the location, there wasn't much parking space to work with, therefore, you will probably end up parking behind the restaurant in an open lot. Past the parking lot and in the door, you will find a wonderfully decorated bar that put me in mind of a modern Pub, with some large rustic tables, and walls covered with pictures of old England. You will find a simple chalk board menu of pub snacks, pizza, and sandwiches, you'll order at the bar where they have 8 beer taps, and two hand pulls, and have a seat in their unique dining room while your food is made fresh. As two people who don't drink beer we ordered the house brewed ginger beer and root beer, neither of us loved the ginger beer, but I have to say if I should ever be pregnant again, this brew will be my best friend if battling morning sickness, because it is definitely teeming with ginger! Now, on the other hand, the on tap root beer was delicious, not made with sarsaparilla, but still delicious none the less, and for a couple bucks, you will never drink root beer from any other tap again; I mean, how can you go back to commercially manufactured after you have had homemade?

What you may or may not know about me, is that I love pizza, well, I love GOOD pizza, and Iechyd Da definitely delivered. The crust was the thinnest, crispest I have ever had which is exactly how I like it, the red sauce was fairly simple, but I like that it wasn't overpowering or over seasoned,  the toppings were great quality; the bacon was smokey, ham was salty, sausage a little spicy, and the pepperoni perfectly seasoned (yes, I love a little cholesterol on my pizza!), and the mozzarella was just delicious. For $9-10 this was definitely well worth the price!

Iechyd Da is perfect for my Hubby and I, because while I hold a deep fondness for pizza, he is a lover of sandwiches, and that is precisely what he got tonight; salty ham, sweet honey roasted turkey, crispy bacon, mild cheddar cheese, juicy tomatoes, fresh lettuce and creamy mayo on a crusty toasted roll, paired with salt and pepper kettle chips, and my husband's true love, a pickle. Despite the fact that husband is not a fan of honey smoked meats, he still loved the Conway Club, and at around $8 it was a good deal.

We may not be fans of beer, but we are fans of Iechyd Da; the dining room and atmosphere are fantastic and unique, the food is delicious, and the brews are fresh. Next time you think Elkhart has nothing to offer on the big cities, get yourself down to main street, and try one of the Lewis Family's house made brews.