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!

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.

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!

Fiddler's Hearth Public House

Occasionally you find yourself in a restaurant that is more than just a meal, it is an experience; with the worn tables, old church pews, and mismatched chairs, Fiddler's Hearth in downtown South Bend is just that, an experience. The roaring fire, invitation to sit with and meet strangers, and family crests on the wall will have you feeling like you have stepped across the ocean and in to a Celtic pub. We chose a corner booth so as to box in our toddler, skipped the extensive beer list, and ordered the pub pretzels with Welsh rarebit cheese sauce to hold us over until we ordered lunch, and for $6 they did the trick. The pretzels were pretty non traditional, no folded shape, deep brown crust, or giant pieces of rock salt, just simple, homemade, golden sticks that were lightly salted and delicious; my hubby reports that the cheese was "a little different," but he dipped every bite of his two pretzel sticks in it, so I don't think that different was a bad thing, plus he loves cheese. Not only is my hubby a sucker for cheese, he is also a sucker for fresh seafood, so it didn't take him long to settle on the Molly Malone stew, a tomato and white wine broth for $12 that was chock full of large shrimp, scallops, muscles, cod, crab, clams, mushrooms, and barley, served with a crusty slab of bread that had a hint of what we suspected was ginger. He described the broth as light, was amazed at the amount of seafood that filled his large bowl, and scowled when I suggested he share a bite with the little man...I can only assume that meant is was too good to even give up one bite.

I merely had to look at the menu to confirm they had fish and chips before I ordered, because let's face it, it's a Celtic pub, how could they not? I chose the three piece order for $8 so as not to make a glutton of myself, but frankly I would have eaten the fourth piece if I had ordered the larger size. I was a little bit giddy when they brought my lunch out wrapped in a local newspaper instead of on a plate.

I opened my paper to find three ample pieces of golden fried cod and a mess of hand cut chips (French fries on this continent), they were on the greasy side, but I suspect that has to do with being put straight into the brown paper and then newspaper. The fish was cooked perfectly, crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, not to mention cod is a fantastic fish to fry because it flakes into these big chunky pieces, that make it feel all the more hearty. The chips, like any hand cut potato were delicious, that is the great thing about fries you don't have to do much except cut, fry, salt, and eat.

While my hubby finished his stew, the little man and I went for a walk (after about 15 minutes of sitting he gets restless), checked out the pictures of Irish writers and Scotsmen in kilts throwing poles, and were pleased to discover a fantastic family friendly corner stacked to the brim with kids toys, board games, and books. The only regret about our visit was that we weren't there when they had live Celtic music, otherwise we were completely pleased with Fiddler's Hearth from the delicious food to the family friendly environment.

Siam Thai

Admittedly, we haven't spent much time in downtown South Bend, and after spending date night there, I am asking myself "why?" The area has really been built up and from the looks of it, has many delicious restaurants to offer, one of those restaurants has been around for 17 years, Siam Thai on Main Street. My hubby found a Living Social deal offering $20 worth of food for $10, and fortunately he snatched this one up, we had never tried Thai food before, but were anxious for this new experience. The minute we walked in the door the owner (or the man we suspect was the owner) hailed us to a table, and was practically giddy to tell us about the special offerings they had including several appetizers, fusion dishes, desserts, and a tea of the month. Normally I am a water drinker, but the tea of the month was hot apple cider tea and with fall in the air I couldn't resist, it was more aromatic than flavorful, but it was a nice warm up. I had barely laid eyes on the appetizer section of the menu when "Thai Mushrooms" jumped off the page at me; mushrooms stuffed with marinated ground pork, tempura battered, fried, and served with Thai sweet and sour sauce, they were delicious and might make it near impossible to ever eat traditional fried mushrooms again.

Our waitress was very helpful in pointing us in the direction of very traditional, must try Thai dishes and my hubby was smart to take her suggestion to try the Pad Thai, it was delicious! He received a heaping plate full of stir fried rice noodles with shrimp, tofu, eggs, bean sprouts, onions, covered in peanuts and cilantro. The dish came with something like 10 tiger prawns so of course I took it upon myself to try one, the shrimp was cooked perfectly and the sauce was delicious, pair that with the crunch of the peanuts and I could have eaten a whole plate of just the shrimp! Despite the fact that this dish had tofu and onions, my husband loved it, and the heaping portion was just around $11.

  

I was very indecisive when it came to my dinner, they put stars next to the dishes to indicate heat and since I am a wimp when it comes to spicy food, I narrowed down my choices to the items with no stars. I chose one of the specials that the owner had told us about Neau Nam Man Hoi, which was thinly sliced beef with green onions, mushrooms, and broccoli in a wine sauce served with a side of Jasmine rice. Many times when you get thinly sliced beef it can be tough and hard to chew, but this was tender and easy to eat, not to mention the sauce was delicious. The dish cost around $12, but was delicious and a large enough portion to be worth the cost.

On top of delicious, well cooked food, the staff at Siam Thai were incredibly friendly and helpful, in fact we chatted with the owner for a bit who told us to let him know when we come back so he can suggest other dishes to us and give us a good taste of the menu. I am happy to report that our first experience of Thai cuisine will most certainly not be our last!