A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (abe_froeman)

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 12:06:45 GMT

quijote

Too bad I had to leave after Zel's: that peach sundae looks soooooo good.

The Mexican dish looks tasty, too, but what is it? It looks like a creamy spinach, corn, and mushroom something-or-other, but is there something underneath?

Yeah, there was chicken underneath. It's the Sonora Chicken on this page.

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (quijote)

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 02:31:47 GMT

Too bad I had to leave after Zel's: that peach sundae looks soooooo good.

The Mexican dish looks tasty, too, but what is it? It looks like a creamy spinach, corn, and mushroom something-or-other, but is there something underneath?

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (Gyp)

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 00:46:19 GMT

Some redundancy here to Abe Froeman's but these are some of my photos-

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (irisarbor)

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:34:30 GMT

Great pictures, and it sounds like so much fun-
Brad it sounds like you and I could have been waving out the window to each other-
we were North of wausau not far fom Antigo visiting our boys at BSA Camp MaKaJaWan.
We even saw a black bear on the way up!
also 3 sandhill cranes, and afterwards Bald eagles by the Lake Pepin.
I will try to get a trip report of my own posted...
(Once I plow thru some work.)

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (ChiTownDiner)

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 08:51:25 GMT

Wish I could have been there...but I'm not going hungry!

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (BuddyRoadhouse)

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 02:09:43 GMT

I reckon it's time to weigh in on this one.

It was indeed a splendiferous day which started off a little dicey given the violent thunderstorms the night before. By mid morning the weather had blown through giving way to cool-ish temps and just enough clouds in the sky to make excessive amounts of sunscreen unnecessary. Traffic on the toll road was clear (sorry to our Cheesehead pals who were stuck in traffic on the freeway) and we arrived at our first stop, Schoop's, more or less on time.

I was familiar with Schoop's burgers before this tour. They used to have a lone Northside outpost in Chicago at the corner of Irving Park Road, Lincoln Avenue, and Damen. We were occasional visitors when our daughters were small and ate less. Now that they're grown and can pay for their own meals, we might go more frequently if that location were still in business.

Anyway, I've always liked Schoop's burgers. They do a mash-it-on-the-grill style burger; the kind with the crispy, lacy edges, not very thick, but still good and juicy. "Everything" on a burger includes onion, pickle, lettuce, and tomato, with mayo and relish available on request. I've recently come to the conclusion that lettuce adds absolutely no flavor to a hamburger and only makes it slide off the bun easier, so I ordered mine without the offending rabbit food and then chose to add relish. Ketchup and mustard are on the table to be added by the customer. I took one bite before adding the K & M, and decided they were both not needed. Fries are good but unspectacular. Mrs. Roadhouse and I split a single, hoping to pace ourselves for the long day ahead.

From Schoop's we headed over to BuffaLouie's for wings. I've never been much of a wing guy. I fail to see the allure of restricting oneself to this one measly part of the chicken when there are so many other better, meatier sections of the bird to be had. Growing up I was a fiend for the drumstick; sort of a chicken flavored Popsicle, easy to hold in one hand, dip it in ketchup, bring it to the mouth and chomp leaving one hand free to grab an ice cold bottle (yes children, they used to make them out of glass!) of Pepsi in between bites. As I grew older I became more of a thigh man, appreciating the dark rich meat below that golden skin. I'm not averse to breast meat, but I prefer it on the bone, skin on even though I know it is less healthy for me than the boneless skinless incarnation.

The best wings I ever had were at a place near Pittsburgh called The Parkview Bar & Grill. I'll do a full write up of The Parkview at another time in another forum. For now we'll focus on BuffaLouie's. I've got to say these were pretty darned good wings. Very meaty and juicy with good crispy skin. Sauces range from mild to "volcanic" in a variety of flavors including the standard Buffalo(?), Barbecue, Teriyaki(sic), Honey Garlic, Garlic Parmesan, and Hot Garlic. We ordered a 20 pack with medium heat Buffalo, BBQ, Teriyaki, and Honey Garlic. All the sauces were very good and made better by dipping a wing glazed in one flavor into a puddle of another flavor to get some great combinations. As wings go, these were pretty good.

Next up was Zel's, known for their roast beef sandwiches. Not quite a typical Chicago Italian beef, not really a French dip, and a long way from upstate New York's beef on wek, this was a yummy hybrid sandwich. The tender, well done beef was sliced in whole meaty slices like a beef on wek rather than the shreds and crumbs you frequently get in an Italian beef. The bun was closer to the type used for an Italian beef than the crustier roll used for a French dip, although it was well soaked with au jus. A very tasty sandwich unlike most served in Chicago sandwich shops.

Also, as Milwfoodlovers stated, Zel's serves Nathan's hot dogs, something I also noted at Buffalouie's. Maybe Nathan's is planning a takeover of Chicago, starting in NW Indiana and slowly working their way up north...

Although Zel's and Jalapeno's are right next door to each other, Bob felt, and I think we all agreed, that perhaps a break was in order. We all drove over to Cabela's Sporting Goods and wandered around for a while, burning calories and gawking at the large aquarium containing fish from local habitats. Was it wrong to imagine how good those catfish and large mouth bass would have tasted? The stop was not entirely food free however. I stopped at the "general store" and picked up a couple of pounds of fudge for later.

Our dinner stop was at Jalapeno's. The decor was very theatrical, although more understated and "authentic" than say a Chevy's or some other Mexican chain. Muted Earth tones, high ceilings, tiled roofs, heavy wood booths and faux flagstone floors made for very comfortable surroundings.

Everyone commented on how good the food was. I took a left turn from my usual standard Mexican restaurant order of enchiladas verde and tried a house specialty, Vista Del Mar. A huge bowl was set down in front of me. Beautiful chunks of crab and sea bass, shrimp, and chicken mixed with mushrooms, corn, and pico de gallo, were swimming in a rich white wine and butter broth, and all of it smothered in melted cheese. Even the sauteed veggies on the side were savory and flavorful. By the time I was stuffed, there was still enough to make a very filling lunch the next day.

We finished the evening at Cunis Candies. Cunis was one of the highlights of Bob's last tour. Specifically, we were enamored of the fresh peach ice cream. On this trip they also had fresh banana and blueberry. Maybe it was a different batch of peaches, maybe it was the fact that all of Cunis' ice cream is hand made daily, thus making it susceptible to human error, whatever the reason, the peach ice cream was not the standout that it was a summer ago (that's right all you folks who were experiencing it for the first time...as good as it was on Saturday, it was even better the last time I had it!). Don't get me wrong, it was still very good. But the real stars of the show were the blueberry and banana! Both were intense, creamy representations of their natural fruit flavors. We also had a scoop of pistachio that was less successful; rather flavorless except for some saltiness from the pistachios themselves.

I also bought pints of peach and watermelon Italian ice which I have been enjoying for the last few nights. Both flavors start out with a pucker inducing lemony tang followed by excellent notes of peach and watermelon, respectively. They are a nice reminder of an excellent Saturday spent exploring good Roadfood and visiting with friends.

Thanks to Bob for organizing and for all who took the time and drove the miles to be together.

See y'all real soon!

Buddy

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (Gyp)

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 11:50:31 GMT

Yeah, what everybody else said.

I'll post my pictures here sometime soon hopefully. My home computer is all jacked up and completely unusable at the moment.

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (HelloDriver)

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 09:17:57 GMT

Thanks to all for the warm welcome! I look forward to many more adventures in the future.

Erick

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (JRPfeff)

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:23:38 GMT

Sorry I missed it gang, er, Contingent. But I did find this gem (spelled D-I-V-E) in the desert. Part restaurant, part off-track betting joint, but mostly a redneck bar.

My group from work was the only one ordering food, but they served a decent patty melt, chili cheese fries and onion rings. They also had a Friday fish fry, but none of us ordered it.

I caught this sunset on the way out the door. It is monsoon season, so it has been mostly cloudy the past week.

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (quijote)

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 23:53:16 GMT

I'll chime in with a "me too" follow-up post.... It was indeed a great pick of places, though I could only stay for the first three (Schoops, Buffalouies, and Zels). The burger was great (I loved the crispy edges), the wings were tasty (the sauces mixed hear with flavor well), and I loved the roast beef sandwich (it was even a tad "wet" on the bun, though not so much to make the whole thing dissolve). After those stops, I hit the road for Bloomington/Normal. Hello Driver and Bob oriented me well, and the drive was perfectly scenic. It was great seeing so many of my Contingent friends on Saturday, marvellous to meet Hello Driver, and special thanks to Bob for putting it all together!

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (ScreamingChicken)

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 20:42:31 GMT

Looks like I missed some good food. I would've liked to have been there but at 12pm I was on I-39 somewhere between Wausau and Stevens Point...far, far from Indiana!

Brad

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (X1)

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 15:50:44 GMT

abe_froeman

Here's our pictures from the tour- you shouldn't need to be a Facebook member to view it.

It was another great trip organized by Carolina Bob! Can't wait for the next one! And another welcome to our newest ~~victim~~ Contingent Member, HelloDriver!

Great pics, Lucy!

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (X1)

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 15:48:03 GMT

it was tender roast beef, something not found anywhere in Milwaukee.

MilwFoodlovers

This is where you're wrong. I have been trying for over a year to get you and the others to stop in at On The Right Track Roadhouse Cafe on KK in Bay View for their Roast Beef sandwich. I haven't had better in Milwaukee, and only a couple places in New Orleans compare. Zel's was on par with Roadhouse Cafe.

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (abe_froeman)

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 15:01:38 GMT

Here's our pictures from the tour- you shouldn't need to be a Facebook member to view it.

It was another great trip organized by Carolina Bob! Can't wait for the next one! And another welcome to our newest ~~victim~~ Contingent Member, HelloDriver!

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (MilwFoodlovers)

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 11:56:33 GMT

Three cheers for Carolina Bob! Besides his fascinating pictures of food and the settings they are found in, besides being a raconteur par excellence of his travels, you can adding trip planning master to his bag of tricks. Bob planned out a wonderful assortment of great food stops from his SE Chicago/NW Indiana stomping grounds. I'll leave it others to supply some pictures from this trip. I'd also like to welcome Tinley Park's own Eric aka HelloDriver. Meeting a bunch of Roadfooders for the first time, Eric jumped right in and chaffered us around and gave us some valuable tips for the next time we visit the area.
Some of the Wisconsin Contingent car pooled and we made a stop in Skokie's Kaufman's Deli before we hit Chicago proper. Bagels, rugalleh, rye breads, pumpernickles, beef sticks, fresh half sour pickles and more started our day off well. We then found thousands of drivers all picking the same time using the Edens and Dan Ryan expressways. Gyp stayed calm and we got through it only losing perhaps forty five minutes from our plan. Things picked up at Schoops. A survivor from the depression, Schoops specialized in thin crispy edged burgers. Now your first thought might be, I like my beef mooing but this style worked and worked well for me. The crunchiness added taste notes I hadn't had since sitting in the Corner Cafe eating burgers during my high school years. I loved them and can't wait to have them again some time. Next was BuffaLouie's, a stop I had my doubts about. Again I was mistaken. BuffaLouie's had a nice assortment of wings. My volcano wings stopped while still well on the tasty side of heat but with plenty for me. Others tried boneless wings and Buffalo Shrimp. I was very surprised to see their hot dogs were all from Nathans, which is pretty far from home. Zels was next and while I expected Chicago style Italian Beef, I was surprised it was tender roast beef, something not found anywhere in Milwaukee. It was a real treat and kept me from trying anything but a Michelada from Jalapeno's. Others will have to describe what they had. Our last stop proved to be my personal favorite, Cunis. Cunis is an old fashioned ice cream and confectionary business. It was not heaped in nostalgia like Beernstens, Whitey's and Lagomarcino's Confectionary. This was an old working store in a tired neighborhood where everything is made in house. The caramel and hot fudge and all the ice creams. Buddy Roadhouse mentioned the peach ice cream and a peach sundae is what I got. Perhaps Roadfooders from Georgia have had better peach ice cream but I have not. The sundae had fresh peaches adorning it instead of the usual syrups and I've never had a sundae anywhere I've enjoyed more. I hope the others add some pictures and thanks again Carolina Bob for putting together!
You sir epitomize what Roadfood.com is all about.

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (X1)

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 08:52:58 GMT

Oh, and thanks to the thoughtful Pete and Lucy for bringing us all a taste of Olive Oil ice cream!

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (X1)

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 08:51:19 GMT

Had a great time yesterday.
It was nice seeing everyone, and meeting our newest Contingent Member, HelloDriver.
Gyp, Foodlover and I stopped at Kaufman's Deli on the way and picked up great bagels, bread, Rugelach, blintzes and dill pickle green tomatoes.

The food at each stop was very good...good burgers and wings, excellent roast beef, a very tasty Chili Relleno, and the ice cream...oh, my! Fresh Peach and Fresh Blueberry with a wonderful caramel sauce. A perfect ending to a great day.

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (stricken_detective)

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:00:07 GMT

abe_froeman

Stricken says it's looking like she won't be making it on Saturday :(

I know. I am not happy. I love blueberries. I love ice cream. Why not combine them? I was looking forward to seeing everyone and having some fun after the month I have just had. I even set aside money for tomorrow awhile back, and made an eating plan. (I would have tried to comandeer the group to Popolano's again, too.)

However, my mother is getting a divorce & will need to sell her home. She is having an Open House on Sunday. We are selling some of her furniture on Craigslist and I do not feel comfortable being 3 hours away while strangers are coming to her home to pick things up. The date was chosen by the attorneys, so I had no say.

I am looking forward to seeing pictures, and hope everyone has a great time. Bob you had some great choices last time, I expect this time to be no different!

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (quijote)

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 21:08:51 GMT

Looking forward to seeing you all, and looking forward to meeting HelloDriver!

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (MilwFoodlovers)

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:34:30 GMT

She's out, I'm still in.

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (MilwFoodlovers)

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:07:23 GMT

I'm in and I'll get a definite answer from Mrs MFL.
I'm not one for arroz y frijoles so maybe I'll just have cocktails at Jalapeno.
Like a true Roadfooder, I'll keep an open mind.

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (Gyp)

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:44:35 GMT

X1 and I are in, still planning on the 12PM Schoop's meet up.
chuck

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (HelloDriver)

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:10:51 GMT

I'm still in!

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (6star)

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:38:25 GMT

Here is all the info on Cabela's location:
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/community/aboutus/retail-detail.jsp?detailedInformationURL=/cabelas/en/content/community/aboutus/retail/retail_stores/hammond/hammond.html

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (BuddyRoadhouse)

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 01:27:55 GMT

Carolina Bob

Here's the itinerary for Saturday the 31st, starting with a meet-up at Schoop's at 12:00 noon:

1. Schoop's ( hamburgers )
   700 W. Lincoln Highway
   Chicago Heights IL

2. BuffaLouie's ( wings )
   2126 45th Street
   Highland IN

3. Zel's ( roast beef sandwiches )
   210 US 41
   Schererville IN

4. Jalapeno's ( Mexican )
right next door to Zel's

5. Cunis ( ice cream )
   1030 E. 162nd St.
   South Holland IL

Bob,

Schoop's BuffaLouie's, Zel's, and Cunis are no brainers, but do you have any specific recommendations at Jalapeno's or should we just order what we think looks good? Also, got an address for Cabela's?

Buddy

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (BuddyRoadhouse)

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 01:23:01 GMT

abe_froeman

Hey, quick thought- if we don't want to "cross the Hoosier curtain", instead doing the whole tour, why not just a meetup at Schoop's, then Cunis for ice cream? They're only about 15 minutes from each other and then the majority of the tour can be saved for when Bob and others are available.

I took the night off from Burt's to do this tour and by golly I'm gonna have a Roadfood Tour of NW Indiana, dadgummit! If you want to wimp out and just do Schoop's and Cunis you better drive your own car or be prepared to walk home.

Love,

Dad (Buddy)

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (quijote)

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 01:13:30 GMT

The Roadhouse Group is accounted for, Gyp says he's still in, and I presume X1 is, too. And Hello Driver lives around there and has been planning to go.... so throw myself into the fray and anyone else who wants to attend, and we've got a date on Saturday!

Sorry to hear stricken can't make it, but still hoping cjucoder can.

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (abe_froeman)

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 01:11:51 GMT

Hey, quick thought- if we don't want to "cross the Hoosier curtain", instead doing the whole tour, why not just a meetup at Schoop's, then Cunis for ice cream? They're only about 15 minutes from each other and then the majority of the tour can be saved for when Bob and others are available.

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (abe_froeman)

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:57:43 GMT

Oops, didn't realize I wasn't on the last page. We're still in if everyone else is!

Re:A roadfood tour of northwest Indiana, July 2010 (abe_froeman)

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:55:39 GMT

Between me and Mr. Maki and the Roadhouses, we have two GPS's, and we'll probably go in one car, so if someone wants to borrow our GPS, that's fine- I'll pre-program all of our stops in it.

Stricken says it's looking like she won't be making it on Saturday :(