Morgan's & Little Black Dog Tavern

The area off of Lincolnway East in Mishawaka called The 100 Center has some incredible, charming old buildings that I think are often ignored, but trust me, you should get back there to check out Morgan's and Little Black Dog Tavern. The building housing this Euro-style tavern has a rich history, which got us even more excited about it! It was built in the late 19th, early 20th century as part of the Kamm brewery and was actually the stable housing the horses, so make sure to check out the historic pictures donated by the original owner's great, great granddaughter hanging around the restaurant. There is also an old wagon around back from the stables that has been repurposed as an herb garden, that alone should tell you that great things are happening here. If that isn't enough though, perhaps the international dishes will get you excited. Each week Morgan & LBD features a special menu, on top of their house menu, that highlights a different European country, which was Spain during our visit, we love the fact that each time we visit there will be something new to try!

 We started with one of the special entrees (on the blackboard) that was a fun fusion dish, BLT Bruschetta, which was a house made pesto aioli, topped with diced tomatoes and bacon, served alongside a nice peppery arugala with lightly toasted bread. My hubby loved EVERY aspect of this dish, but what set it apart from every other bruschetta for him was the fact that the toast it was served with was still soft on the inside, instead of being crunchy. This is definitely an app we would recommend if it's available when you visit.

Next we had side portions of the hot bacon spinach salad, which I had no intention of ordering until I tried my hubby's and then I couldn't resist. This is a spinach salad topped with tomato, onion, boiled egg, a sweet, warm dressing, and bacon in the form of a pancetta round. This salad is very unique and delicious, the dressing is a little sweeter than what we are used to, but is balanced out well by the salty pancetta and other toppings.

Dinner was a pretty tough decision between the house menu and the blackboard specials from Spain, but we decided on sandwiches to leave room for dessert. I ordered the grouper that was coated with a batter made with "Hair of the Dog" beer, which is an EPA made by Iechyd Da in Elkhart specifically for Morgan & LBD (we love locals helping locals!), that you can't get anywhere else, not even Iechyd Da. The fish was cooked perfectly, with the right amount of batter and was served alongside made to order chips. My only complaint is that I would have liked more salt on my chips, but that is a personal preference as I tend to be heavy handed with the salt. My hubby had the asiago chicken sliders, which was slider sized portions of chicken breast coated with asiago and parmesan cheese, cooked to order, served on a baguette topped with mozzarella, marinara, and basil. Again my hubby loved the bread this was served on, the chicken was cooked just right, and every ingredient on these sliders came together perfectly for him.

As we inquired about dessert, we were informed that they do in fact have a pastry chef, so we knew it was going to be good! The plated dessert was a lemon cake, but we opted for the dessert flight as it was a smaller slice of the lemon cake accompanied with a chocolate cake pop and a piece of baklava. This was the perfect little dessert to share, the cake pop wasn't too rich or sweet, but was so moist; the baklava had whole nuts, crispy pastry, was not overly sweet, and may be the best baklava I have ever had; and the lemon cake was just a little tart and complimented with a sweet icing which we both really liked.



As if the culinary experience didn't exceed every expectation that we had, the customer service was phenomenal as well! Jordan, our waiter took time to explain any dish we had questions about and was gracious enough to stop and talk about and listen to our thoughts on everything that we ate. We also got the chance to chat with the owner Scott, which is one of the things we love about dining locally, getting to hear the vision and passion that local restaurateurs have. Scott, and his wife Mary Lou, have really created a welcoming atmosphere, that will make any diner feel at ease, along with a unique culinary experience, in a beautiful historic building. For your next date night, girls night out, or special occasion make sure to get a reservation to try the delicious food at Morgan's & Little Black Dog.r

Maple Indian Cuisine

It's been a while since my hubby and I have had a first together, but we did yesterday, it's something that we have talked about for a while, but just haven't gotten to try until last night! We were advised by a friend of his that whether we like it or not, we will never forget it. We finally tried Indian food for the first time, why? What were you thinking? Anyway! His friend was correct, the smells, flavors, and taste were certainly distinct and unforgettable, the aroma captivated me the moment that we walked in the door of Maple Indian Cuisine in downtown Goshen (the same building that was Noodle Heads and Il Forno, before that). Our meal started with a complimentary basket of papadum, a thin cracker made of rice flour and other seasonings, served with a green chili and tamarind chili for dipping. Both dipping sauces were delicious, but I loved the slight sweetness of the tamarind.

Neither of us were terribly hungry so we decided to share a few things, to get a good taste of what they had. The first thing that came out was the tandoori prawn, and it was sizzling hot as it is made in a traditional coal oven. Think Indian fajitas as the shrimp were paired with onions and peppers on a hot skillet. I can't even begin to describe the flavors to you as they were that unique, but this shrimp was very tasty, probably a little overpriced, but they were kind enough to give us free basmati rice when we asked for it.

Halfway through our tandoori prawn the chicken pakora appetizer came out, truthfully I didn't care what order they came to the table in because the food came out so quickly. The chicken pakora was seasoned and breaded with gram flour then fried, it looks like fried chicken, but has such a unique, delicious flavor and was incredibly moist. This dish was also paired with the green and tamarind chilis, and was especially delicious with the sweetness of the tamarind chili. Excuse the half eaten plate, it was so delicious I almost forgot the picture!

The last baskets to hit the table were filled with roti and garlic naan. I was expecting roti like they serve at Flat Top Grill, but this did not have that chewy texture, it was more similar to a pita with a pretty plain flavor, but I imagine would be delicious with a saucy dish to sop up all the extra sauce. The garlic naan, was a delicious bread covered in fresh pressed garlic, which is one of my favorite things in the world.

This is also a great place to try if you are vegetarian as they have an extensive list of meat free dishes and appetizers. So if you are looking for something different, like we were, love Indian food, or just want to expand your palate head to downtown Goshen for a very distinct dining experience at Maple Indian Cuisine.

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.

Cafe Navarre

    As I was planning my husband's birthday celebration I scoured the websites and menus of the higher end dining establishments in the South Bend/Mishawaka area (near the hotel I booked for the night), until I came across THE dish. There is a dish that my hubby has wanted to try for as long as I can remember, but because we live in a state that doesn't have an abundance of good seafood, he has been left with his longing, until tonight. Tonight I was able to make one of my hubby's culinary dreams come true and found a restaurant that serves Cioppino, and this bowl full of seafood and mussels did not disappoint.
       We started our meal at Cafe Navarre in Downtown South Bend with a delicious basket of bread, with not just one variety of bread, but two. We sampled the cranberry bread with whipped butter first and then moved on to a warm, crusty bread topped with rosemary and herbs. Along with our bread we each had salads that were more than just a pile of lettuce, but an actual dish. He had the wedge salad topped with bacon, bleu cheese dressing, and a hard boiled egg, and since he asked for the salad sans onion, he got double bacon. I had the Navarre salad topped with green apples, candied walnuts, and a delicious, light white balsamic vinaigrette that was dang near perfection, in fact the whole salad was nearly perfect.
      With such an incredible start to our meal, we had high expectations for our meal, and we were not let down. After years of waiting, my hubby was rewarded with an "out of this world" bowl of cioppino (pronounced chi-pea-no), which is traditionally a tomato based soup loaded with shellfish and seafood. Cafe Navarre's bowl of cioppino is made with an arugula and almond pesto, but does have tomatoes in it. This bowl had lobster, shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels, and fresh fish, and every piece of seafood was cooked perfectly, which is a rarity. The shrimp had that perfect snap to it, not overdone and not mushy, and the scallops practically melted in our mouths, the flavor was perfect...and yes! I did sneak a couple bites!
     I ordered the pork chop with blackberry compote accompanied by grilled, creamed corn and fried squash. I wish I had a picture of this for you, it was one of the most beautiful things that I have ever eaten and delectable to boot! I was leery of ordering a chop as I think it can be such a tricky cut to cook well, but Cafe Navarre outdid themselves. This thick chop was cooked perfectly, it was juicy and tender, was not over seasoned, but had a wonderful smokey taste that was perfectly complimented by the sweet tartness of the blackberry compote. The creamed corn along with my dinner and the fried squash were great side kicks to this delicious chop and made for an appealing and delicious plate.
     Since it was the hubby's birthday he was given a free dessert and of course I had to order something as well! He got the flourless chocolate torte with fresh cream and a blueberry compote. As  expected, the cake was rich and could have used a more tart fruit to cut the sweetness, but it was still so tasty. Per the recommendation of the manager I ordered the lemon tart, although it was a tough choice as the cheesecake of the night was chocolate peanut butter, but after the first bite I had no qualms about my choice of dessert. I was presented with a lemon tart in a small jar topped with salty pistachios, tart raspberries, and sweet cream...this was the quintessential dessert, a perfect melding of flavors that was light enough that I didn't feel guilty, but decadent enough to make me feel like I indulged (is that possible? I don't know, but it happened!).
     If the deliciously perfect food at Cafe Navarre wasn't enough, the customer service is unmatched by any restaurant that we have ever been to. We were served by the outstanding team of Lori and Killian, and they treated us as if we were their top priority for the night, and though I know that they were busy with banquets and other parties, they acted as if we were the only customers in the restaurant. Tim, one of the managers, also stopped by our table to ask how our dinner was and ensure that we didn't need anything, and he, too was incredibly kind and took time to chat with us about the food (and recommended the incredible lemon tart). Cafe Navarre offered a dining experience above any other that we have ever had, the food and customer service made this a perfect evening and a great way to celebrate my hubby's 29th year. Oh, and if you decide to celebrate at Cafe Navarre like we did, don't do what we did and wear jeans!

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.

Puerto Vallarta Express

We are big fans of the build your own burrito style restaurants, and while I do think Chipotle has a great concept and delicious food, we aim to eat local and support local business, I mean what better way to pour into your community and local economy, right? So we were excited to find yet another local version of the Chipotle chain, Puerto Vallarta Express, which was definitely more authentic and had more options.

My hubby jumped right in to build his shelless burrito, with Spanish rice, Carne asada, cheese sauce, black olives, cilantro, salsa verde, black beans, shredded cheese, tomatoes, and, of course guacamole. His bowl was huge, and from the bite (or three) that I stole of his carne asada I can tell you it was delicious. Heck, any time the man can have guacamole and black olives he is a happy camper!

 

I love chimichangas, so when I saw it on their special board I jumped on the opportunity to have a chorizo chimichanga, a dream come true that I don't think I have ever seen on another restaurant menu. While the chorizo was a little greasy, it had an excellent flavor and just a little kick to it, and was great in the crispy tortilla. I was also impressed with the Spanish rice I got on the side and would probably choose that over Chipotle's cilantro lime rice, it was cooked perfectly and had a wonderful flavor.

We also got a side of chips and guacamole that was delicious, the guacamole had a very fresh, natural taste, and though it had a few jalapenos it wasn't overly spicy. Puerto Vallarta Express really was a great fusion, of what I guess to be an American concept, the build your own burrito restaurant and traditional Mexican cooking. Next time you need a meal that is quick, but not fast food or are craving a giant burrito, look off the beaten path (or Hickory Road in this case) for Puerto Vallarta Express, South Bend's local alternative to Chipotle.

Evil Czech Brewery and Public House

If you have followed the blog you know that we often visit bars, pubs, and breweries because the food is good, I'm sure our waiters/waitress' roll their eyes a little, but honestly we always get good service, and tonight was no exception. Our waiter, Brett, greeted us promptly and warmly with a small bag of what Evil Czech Brewery calls "hop"corn, and was quick to share with us that they had root beer to offer (it was delicious!!) since we passed up his explanation of their beers on tap. I have to say though, if you do like beer, this is a place for you, the vats they brew in are behind a glass wall in the main/family dining room so you can see everything that they are doing, and from there move to "glow tanks" until they hit your glass, meaning that their beer never touches air or the light of day until you order it. Evil Czech not only has an extensive beer list, but their menu is vast as well, in fact it was a little overwhelming with it's many delicious looking dishes. We began our meal, or should I say experience, with Pork Belly Corn Dogs, which was a large piece of rendered pork belly, with a crispy, sweet cornbread coating on a stick. This app was delicious, but I will warn that it is very rich between the fattiness of the pork belly and the deep fried crust, however it is served with a delicious whole grain mustard that works well to cut the richness of this dish.

My hubby was pretty quick to decide what he wanted, which was in part due to the fact that he has always wanted mac and cheese with jalapenos, but, I suspect, was also influenced by his desire to ask the waiter for Menage A Trois! Yes, that was the name of my hubby's mac and cheese that was chock full of braised pork belly, bacon, house made pastrami, pickled jalapenos, and topped with crushed pretzels, and despite the fact that he isn't a big fan of pretzels he thought they were a perfect topping for mac and cheese as it added a nice crunchiness.

As I said, the menu was a little overwhelming for me, normally my go to is fish and chips, but I didn't want something deep fried, I poured over pizzas with many unique toppings, salads served in pizza crust bowls (all made with the spent grains from the brewing process), loaded sandwiches and burgers, and even a couple dishes made with schnitzel, but still couldn't decide. When Brett came back to take our order I panicked and ordered the chicken fingers, to which he promptly asked me to step outside of my comfort zone, and I'm glad he did! I decided to order from their street taco section, and was greeted with two delicious chipotle red corn taco shells full of their house made pastrami and pork belly confit covered in a delicious hoison glaze. I ordered the spicy slaw on the side and when my hubby took a bite and declared "it's a good thing you ordered that on the side," I knew it was too spicy for this wimp and didn't even try it.

And while we are talking about this house made pastrami, I think it is important that you see exactly where it came from, as this is the sight that greeted us when we pulled in the parking lot, and the smell was intoxicating!

We opted to bring half our dinners home in favor of ordering dessert (thank goodness for roomy saddlebags!), as the dessert menu looked too delicious to pass up! Brett recommended Mamma's sour cream cake with fresh local blueberries or the bread pudding made with chocolate chips, pretzels and almonds, but the "Czech Mex Sundae" looked too delicious to pass up. We were not disappointed, the cold ice cream alongside fresh, hot churros covered in cinnamon and sugared then topped with chocolate and caramel was divine! It was served in a pizza crust bowl covered in cinnamon and sugar, which didn't really add or take away from the dish, but if I had it my way I would trade the bowl for a couple extra churros.

Whether you like beer or, like us, don't really drink, Evil Czech Brewery and Public House is a must try! Their food is delicious and locally sourced, their staff is incredibly friendly, you can go on a date or take the whole family, and if you are like my hubby, you will be totally fascinated with the brewing system. Oh, and when you go, make sure to ask to sit in Brett's section, he offers exceptional customer service that is pretty rare to see nowadays.

Doc Pierce's Restaurant

I am going to begin by asking you not to judge the amount of fried food you are going to see in this post! And now that we have that out of the way, I am going to tell you about some of the best onion rings I have found, thus beginning the talk of fried food! Doc Pierce's Restaurant has onion rings that are huge, and I'm not just talking kind of huge, I'm talking "I can wear this as a bracelet" huge, and the batter on them is just perfectly seasoned and crispy. We also ordered fried mushrooms, and all I have to say is "wow!" I truly have never seen mushrooms this big, let alone fried mushrooms, which, like the onion rings, were coated in a delicious, crispy batter.

 While the menu at Doc Pierce's is widely varied with steak, seafood, sandwiches, salads, and soups, I chose Doc's Double Dose, which is a plate of gulf shrimp and sirloin steak tips coated in their delicious batter and fried (Remember when I asked you not to judge? This is that point!). The gulf shrimp were delicious, they were big and sweet, and tasted just like the shrimp we would get from South Carolina when my brother was stationed there, you just don't often get shrimp like this in a state not on the ocean, especially Indiana. The fried steak was a new experience, and actually quite delicious, the batter on the steak got a little soggy on the bottom, but for the most part was still crispy and tasty. I also had a salad alongside my steak and shrimp, and while it was just an average, iceberg lettuce salad it was kicked up a notch with their croutons, which I am fairly certain were housemade, and very delicious.

My hubby and mother in law both had burgers; Hubby's was a traditional cheese burger with provolone and sauteed mushrooms and his momma got the black and bleu burger. Both liked their burgers, but felt that the actual hamburger could have used some seasoning to enhance it.

The atmosphere in Doc Pierce's Restaurant is a little dark, but gets a unique feel from the many stained glass windows and Tiffany lamps. Next time you are in the mood for good, comfort food head to downtown Mishawaka and enjoy a tasty meal at Doc Pierce's Restaurant.

Temper Grille

If you have never eaten tapas, you should, there is just something about a meal that includes small plates that you get to share, tasting a little of this and a little of that, for someone who prefers to "graze," it really is a dream meal. What is also a dream, is the food coming out of Chef Sean's kitchen at Temper Grille! The menu has a wide array of tapas with meat, seafood, and cheese plus delicious salads, soups, and veggies to eat alongside your small plates. We opted to share several small plates and each got a side dish/veggie, we started our meal with the steak bites, which were recommended by a friend, and were delicious! We got a plate of perfectly, medium rare bite size pieces of steak covered in a tasty remoulade sauce with pita wedges on the side, the steak was a little spicy for me (which means people without a completely wimpy palette will find these perfectly spiced), but with the pita bread to take some of the heat I was still able to nosh on these yummy bites.

What you should know about tapas, is that you will not get your food all at once, it will come out as the kitchen finishes cooking it, which, again, grazers dream come true! The next dish to come out was my creamed corn, which was described to be as "life changing," and frankly it definitely was a game changer in the veggie arena. I know some of you are turning your nose up at creamed corn, but this corn starts in a hot skillet with salt, pepper, and sugar to get it caramelized and then continues to cook in heavy cream as it reduces down to make this delicious sweet sauce, and then is finished with a red pepper sauce, it truly is a scrumptious and inventive way to serve up a side dish once only eaten in nursing homes.

Next my hubby's mac and cheese came out, he opted to eat it plain, but you can order it with pork belly, lobster knuckle meat, roasted peppers, and one other option we don't remember. He really liked the cavatappi pasta used in this dish, his only qualm was that the cheese sauce was in the bottom of the dish instead of coating all of the pasta, but he said it was a good and admitted that this is a popular way to make this dish.

The next dish that came out was one that we ordered without dispute, the pork belly, tasty, tasty morsels of the best part of the pig, smoked to perfection. If you have never tried pork belly, and I'm not just talking about bacon, you should know that it tends to be a little salty, and very rich, but when cooked properly, and it was, it is truly a food experience that you should have at least once in your life.

Our final dish to come out was the ceviche tostada, I wish I had a picture for you because this dish is as beautiful as it is delicious, but when it came out we started chatting with the chef and I forgot to snap a pic. If you like seafood and salsa, this is the perfect dish for you, it is very light and refreshing and was an ideal ending to our meal, well that and my hubby getting the chance to check out the chef's smoker. Temper Grille is a unique food experience and one you should definitely have!

Uptown Kitchen

My little brother is very conscientious of what he eats, he is a vegetarian who eats vegan as much as possible, so when he came home on leave a few years ago I knew that I HAD to take him to Uptown kitchen, and when he was given the option of where to go for his farewell dinner on his most recent visit home this was his choice. Uptown Kitchen at Heritage Square in Granger offers vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free meals in addition to many options for the omnivore, made from locally sourced, fresh ingredients. The kitchen is open to the dining room and as you look in you will notice that there is no microwave, deep fryer, or heat lamp, so when they tout fresh food, made from scratch they really mean it; in fact, when my grandpa tried to order bleu cheese dressing for his salad, the waitress informed him that it wasn't one of their dressings, and the chef promptly poked his head out of the office and told the waitress that he would make bleu cheese dressing, now that is service, fresh made dressing! My grandma, who also loves bleu cheese, tried the dressing and told our waitress that it should be added to the menu. We all were impressed with their from scratch, house made dressings, I had the balsamic vinaigrette which is one of their most popular and it was delicious, in addition to salads the meals also started with chicken tortilla soup, cream of mushroom soup, and from scratch applesauce all of which were proclaimed to be delicious, especially the applesauce full of chunks of apples. It is safe to say that everyone was impressed with their meals, I had the Kobe beef burger, which was absolutely scrumptious, I am normally one to salt a burger, but this one most definitely did not need it, the flavor was fantastic and was especially complemented by the sweetness of the grilled onions. My hubby ordered a salad for dinner, which is unlike him, but it was a salad nicoise, which is something he has long wanted to try and it did not disappoint, it was chock full of seared Ahi tuna, sardines, artichoke hearts, calamata olives (the only part of the salad he didn't care for), tomatoes, and garlic parsley dressing.

My grandma got the Cobb salad, which was a big bowl full of a little bit of everything like avocado, bacon, chopped eggs, tomatoes, bleu cheese, tomatoes, chicken breast, and a sweet Cobb vinaigrette, which, like Uptown's other dressings, was delicious.

Uptown serves breakfast any time of the day, (which is something I love even though I had a burger), so my mom had the house made corned beef hash and really loved it, and since they offered raspberry jelly for her toast she was an especially happy woman.

My brother chose one of the vegetarian options for his dinner, a potpie full of root veggies, like carrots, parsnips, and potatoes covered in a flaky crust.

The deliciousness didn't stop at the soup, the salad, or even the entree it continued right into dessert where we were all impressed with the many choices offered, and even more impressed when we started eating. My grandma promptly ordered a slice of coconut cake and with a look of euphoria on her face, proclaimed it to be "ridiculous" on the first bite.

The chocolate ganache cake and a slice of cheesecake were ordered, bites were shared, and each was declared heavenly, the cheesecake might just be some of the smoothest that I have ever had. At the advice of the hostess my brother and I ordered Reese's truffles which were delectable.

In fact, I looked over and caught my brother licking his plate...yes! It was that good!!

My brother had ordered an extra Reese's truffle, I asked him why he didn't order a different truffle to try, as they had may different varieties like oreo, lemon, and snickers, but my question was answered as we walked out and he gave the little boxed truffle to the hostess who recommended the tasty treat. Upon leaving handshakes were shared, appreciation given, and prayers of safety offered, as my dad had added to our reservation that this was my brother's farewell dinner and each employee seemed to have found this out. You might pay a little more for dinner at Uptown Kitchen than you will at an average restaurant, but you are guaranteed above average food, with exceptional ingredients, and extraordinary customer service.

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!!

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!