Raise your hand if you are a breakfast lover. Then I've got a cute little spot for you. If you find yourself in the Indiana Dunes area or are passing through Indiana on I-94, this little spot makes for a quick, hearty meal in a retro diner that is way better than the fast food drive-thru or a gas station breakfast burrito. The staff is friendly. There's regulars perched along the counter with coffee talking over the weather and the world's problems. At this cute homey, 50s-style diner, you can get all the breakfast classics - omelets, skillets, waffles, pancakes, cinnamon rolls along with a ..read more

Just had to throw this up here for the pork tenderloin fans. In recent years while traveling through the state of Indiana, I’ve learned that breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches are a big deal. A very big deal. If there was an official state sandwich, this would be it for sure. I never noticed it on menus in Northwest Indiana, but the farther into the state you go, the more they will appear on menus in all kinds of dining venues. One of the best I have had to date was at The Tin Plate Fine Foods & Spirits, located in the small town of Elwood, Indiana in Madison County. It’s one of those sup ..read more

I’ve become a pasta snob. I just can’t bring myself to eat pasta from a box anymore. Part of the reason why is a pasta making class I took with friends at World of Whirlpool in Chicago. In the class, we used a Kitchen Aid mixer attachment, which made it so easy. Tossed with a bunch of fresh veggies and cheese, it was such a taste explosion. I had taken another pasta making class, but this was the first time I'd used a Kitchen Aid attachment for it. And after that I was sold. I purchased one for home. It took quite a while before it made it out of the box, but when my son asked if we could ..read more

I love when we stumble upon a cool spot with good food in a little town. While stopping at Pax Verum Brewing Company in the little town of Lapel, IN (population 2300), we were a bit hungry. They don’t serve food at the brewery, but they had a menu there for Smokey’s Concession Stand and told me it was just down the road - close enough to walk to. I walked over, got a Lapel Tenderloin to go and brought it back. Just that little walk was quite invigorating and it was fun walking the small town street over the railroad track. The sandwich was perfectly cooked and went perfect with a flight f ..read more

On a recent media tour in St. Louis, one of our scheduled lunches was in Ballpark Village at Katie’s Pizza and Pasta Osteria. We’d been at Busch Stadium the night before and watched the Cardinals beat the Phillies. I loved the ballpark and surrounding area. Even as a Cubs fan (who is often urged to view the White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals as ardent enemies), I’m a big fan of the game of baseball and loved the vibes in this neighborhood. And Katie’s is a great addition to the ballpark experience or as a separate dining destination.  I loved that you walk in and imm ..read more

Almost every road trip includes a stop at a brewery.  I love observing the different vibe at each one. It's a place where you can sit and sip over conversation. Or where you can have a lively night with friends. Or where you can kind of tuck yourself away in a corner to check emails. I checked on Anvil & Forge when I was coming back from a solo trip to see my aunt. I needed a bite of something for late lunch. I saw that pizza was available by the slice - just what I needed. I believe the crust is made from scratch as well as the sausage being freshly ground in-house. It was a specta ..read more

There are times you want a drink, but can't or shouldn't. For those times you're craving something bubbly, but without the alcohol, this is one to keep on hand. This sweet sparkling rose by Joyus is perfect for an expecting mom, for observing Dry January or for when you feel like a little day drinking, but still have work to do. Cheers ..read more

Every year in March, I make the mandatory corned beef, potatoes, carrots and cabbage for the family. It's either boiled together in a big pot or sometimes made in a crock pot. Last year hubby got a smoker and I've found that corned beef is taken to a whole other level when it's slowly smoked.  If you've not tried it before, it so takes it up a notch. Even if you don't have a smoker, you can buy a smoker box that you fill with chips that you can use on your grill (and probably in the oven, also). I never want to have corned beef any other way now ..read more

When I visited Junk Ditch Brewing in Fort Wayne, it became an instant favorite. Not just for the beer, but for their amazing food options. It was truly one of my favorite meals I have ever had. I was impressed by the use of bonita flakes on the crab cake, the most pillowy of gnocchi and a fantastic fisherman's stew. We enjoyed it so much, we stopped back before heading out of town for some more beer and the dessert I didn't have room on the previous visit. A couple weeks ago we were in Huntington to check out Nick's Kitchen (best breaded pork tenderloin I have ever had!) and as we were headi ..read more

It's Pie Day! And while there are many, many choices of places to go to enjoy a slice of pie, few are better than Mrs. Wick's Pie's in Winchester, IN. The business started in 1944 and it wasn't long before owner Duane "Wick" Wickersham had reached his goal of selling 300 pies a day out of his Buick sedan in addition to running a restaurant. Customers loved the homemade treats made from his grandmother's recipes. Today, there's a large production facility where they make over 10,000 pies and 30,000 pie shells in a shift. The current restaurant has plenty of room for seating where you ca ..read more