Michigan City's North End on the South Shore is Alive and Ready To Serve!

Restaurants New To Michigan City, #mymichigancity:
Hum Hum Mediterranean Cuisine 
Dough Boys Sandwich Shop 
Today's post focuses on a recent visit to two of Michigan City's newest restaurants. Included are the best places to grab a bite to eat on the North End of Michigan City. The North End on the South Shore - we love it!

Steve and I just finished up an amazing lunch compliments of the Michigan City North End! Both new restaurants are located next to the South Shore Train Line's 11th St., depot.
We love this place! We enjoyed sandwiches from Dough Boys and I stopped in at HUM HUM Restaurant as well. ‪ #‎DoughBoys‬ you were firing on all cylinders! The place is quaint, friendly and I loved watching the "boys" preparing sandwich masterpieces! Steve ordered the Struben with German potato salad. I had the beef brisket sandwiches (forgot the name) with German potato salad. We also ordered the hummus. All three items were absolutely outstanding! The bread was superb. Next door to ‪#‎HumHum‬ and tried out their grape leaves. PHENOMENAL! What a special treat to have so many options all in one place! I look forward to going back for the falafel as well as gyro, chicken shwarma. Riders of the ‪#‎SouthShoreTrain‬ to ‪#‎Chicago‬ need to be aware of this hotspot! Chicago Food Bloggers this is a must stop! It really was so cool - while I was waiting for our order the train pulled up to the 11th St. Station. Immediately ‪#‎mymichigancity‬ became a whole new world and I wasn't missing the bustle of Manhattan quite as much! AMAZING!

Chicago - it is important to know that the tax rate is extremely low, the cost of libations equally so and there is NO cost to park your car! All is within walking district (aside from Shady Creek Winery and Burn'em Brewing) of the 11th St. South Shore Train Depot.

Other Favorite Places To Dine Out, Hang Out and Enjoy the North End : Overboard at the Marina - 12 On the Lake American cuisine, great views of the lake and live music.
Trattoria Tonelli's World class Italian cuisine with a superb ambiance.
Galvestons Steak and wonderful libations.
Shore Line Brewery Chef inspired bar food - in house brewery, live music.
Fire and Water Washington Park On the Lake - opening soon for the season The same owner/chef of Pickle and Turnip brings a breathtaking view of the lake, beach side service, fast food with a Moe-esque twist.
Maxine's French - American cuisine, high-quality libations with a mixologist flair, live music
Mucho Mas Tex/Mex food, huge portions, high quality - great location.
Cool Runnings Jamaican Catering and Restaurant Jamaican cuisine, phenomenal jerk chicken and more.
Hokkaido Japanese Restaurant Exquisite sushi, fine Japanese cuisine.
Ryan's Irish Pub Most beautiful outdoor patio in entire Northwest Indiana corridor. Great drinks, live music, outstanding pub food.
Shady Creek Winery Although this is no located in the North End district, it is on the North End of the South Shore. Great wine made in house - fun environment with live music, food and special events.
Burn'em Brewing Great place to hang out for that special brew - although it is not located in the North End district it is also on the North End of the South Shore. Blue Chip Casino - Nelson's Deli (BEST Reuben!) William B's (BEST bartender and service - phenomenal Steakhouse!) Its Vegas Baby (Nightlife) Options Buffet (traditional buffet) The Game (great bar food, drinks and sports!)

Cointreau-Quila by Mary E.(Qwon-tro-quila)

So tonight whilst spending time at a local restaurant/pub I found myself desiring a libation. There wasn't the wine I wanted, nor was their the Scotch that I would prefer to sip; so, I decided to have the bartender whip me up an original.I requested a tequila with Cointreau It is called the Cointreau-quila, French meets Mexico, or the Qwon-tro-quila. It is one shot of tequila, anejo or resposado would be best preferably Casa Noble but, any good tequila will do. Plus, a shot of Cointreau liquour. Squeeze a slice of lime and lemon into a glass filled with ice. That is all there is to it! The Cointreau-quila, or Qwon-tro-quila! Enjoy! Cointreau Casa Noble Overboard Dark Star

ArtSees Diner - Truffle Fudge

Truffle Fudge by Mary E

• 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk 
• 16 oz of 60% semi-sweet chips 
• 7 oz of whipping cream 
• 7 oz of marshmallow fluff 
• 1/2 cup of butter 
• 1 tbsp of vanilla 
• cake pan
• parchment paper or aluminum foil
• non-stick spray 
• nuts, add-ons or other such tasty treats

Before you make the fudge mixture, prepare the pan. Line it with either parchment paper, foil and non-stick spray and set it aside.

Melt all of the ingredients together except for marshmallow fluff and vanilla. Get it smooth and creamy and bring it to a temperature that establishes large popping bubbles but not a full boil.  Keep stirring it on medium heat for a few more minutes.

After about 6 minutes total from the first signs of melting add in the marshmallow fluff and stir until there are no signs of the white stuff.
Then add vanilla. Remove from heat.

If you are going to add other ingredients, evenly layer the bottom of the pan with whatever extras you are going to use.  I layered Sam's baking add-ons of white chocolate chips, cranberries and macadamia nuts. Next, carefully pour the hot fudge mixture over the baking add-ons so as to not displace the layer. Then I let it cool for 12 or so hours.

Trick to cutting it in perfect squares: Now that the fudge is completely cured and set - lift the fudge out of the pan on the foil or parchment paper. On a flat surface, Using a large pizza cutter roll and cut the fudge into small squares.

Tip: Go ahead and try other chips, flavors and adornments.

Filling a Pastry Bag - Simplified!

Okay, so filling a pastry bag can be a pain in the backside, admit it! It is sometimes such a pain that you think it is easier to just take out a spreading knife and put a layer of frosting on your cakes, cookies, etc. But, let's face it, that is far more time consuming, not as pretty and you cannot fill your sweet treats with oo-y gooey goodness. Here is a very simple way to make that happen and then I will share a recipe idea for you.

Filling a pastry bag

Start with really creamy frosting. It is so much easier if your frosting is the perfect consistency. What you see here is a caramel - cream cheese frosting.

Next prepare your pastry bag. The disposable kind are easiest. I like using the larger #5 Plain Pastry point, or the Large star pattern.

(Make sure your pastry bag is opened.)

Next step is to take a large glass. The taller the better.

place the bag, point down into the glass. Next fold the edges over the glass as pictured.

So you can see you now have a wide opening to carefully place your frosting into the pastry bag.

From here it gets really easy. You want to be certain to apply pressure on the bag above the frosting line. From there you can simply insert the tip down into the cupcake and begin to fill the cupcake and slowly bring the tip out and then create a swirl.

I frosted 24 cupcakes in less than 5 minutes once I had my bag filled. I then proceeded to decorate my bundt cake with flavorful rosettes in place of either drizzle or all over frosting.

The recipe:
Pumpkin Spice cupcake mix and an Caramel Apple Spice cupcake mix from Aldi's.Each box makes 12 cupcakes.
Because I wanted to make a large batch I combined the two boxes, added a small grated zucchini and a medium apple - grated. (it makes for a nutritious, moist addition) To add a little additional sweetness I also added some chocolate chips to the mix. Mini-morsels are the best.

The frosting calls for butter and water, but to lessen the sweetness a little I added 4 ounces of cream cheese.

I had enough for 24 cupcakes and for a bundt cake, albeit it more along the thickness of a tart. The rest is history! I brought them in and shared them with my first period students. Success!

Hey ArtSees Diner? What's Cookin'?

Today's special treat was my easy make Tomato Bisque Soup and sour dough grilled cheese. Enjoy!

Mary E's Tomato Bisque Soup

Ingredients in order of preparation

1 tsp of  chopped garlic

1 medium onion - chopped

1 red, yellow or orange pepper OR 5 small multi-color peppers - chopped 

2 stalks celery - chopped 

2 tablespoon - Kolossos olive oil 

2 16oz cans of diced (no salt added - Aldi's) tomatoes

1 16oz can of fire roasted tomatoes with herbs

1 tsp - balsamic glaze (I used honey ginger from Olive Cart, but any will do)

1 tsp horseradish (optional) 

1 cup heavy cream 

1 1/2 cup whole milk  (feel free to use 2 1/2 cups of half and half) 

Begin by preparing all of the vegetables. Then saute them in the Kolossos olive oil until slightly transparent. Next add the tomatoes directly into the cooked veggies. After the mixture reaches a nice rolling boil, remove from heat. Using a blender, add all of the tomatoes/veggies into the blender. (I hold back about a 1/2 cup of the veggies so as to add character, for a complete puree, hold back nothing!) After you reach a nice consistency, (about a minute) carefully pour the puree back into your pan and add cream, milk and stir. Next add balsamic glaze and horseradish. Bring to a nice soft boil. Add freshly ground pepper, and serve. 

Dark Star of the Dunes: Shines a Bright Light Along Dunes Highway

Dark Star of the Dunes, is located on Dunes Highway, aka, Route 12 in a small town known as the Town of Pines. Dark Star was originally The Pines' Lounge and was a mainstay in the small town set in the heart of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, perfectly placed just outside of Michigan City, Indiana. When new owner Sarah Mitchell took over as the new owner, she infused her personality and love of good food, good music and community to make Dark Star her own. Sarah teamed up with Chef  Erik Tannehill to bring to life a gourmet, "chef inspired" menu. The food is spectacular and the prices will blow your mind. 

The Town of Pines is so small that if you blink too long, then you might miss the place. In fact google maps identifies it as being just over 2 sq. miles. Dark Star of the Dunes, is very unassuming and looks like a classic small town bar. Step inside and you will discover a gastro-pub much like you would stumble upon in Roger's Park or driving down Lincoln Ave, Chicago. Along with a friendly staff you will find simple tables, deep red and black decor and yes, a community pool table. On Thursday evenings Dark Stars becomes a gathering place for local musicians wanting to jam and try out some new tunes. The open jam comes as no surprise as Sarah Mitchell is a well known vocalist in the area. Music is a central part of her life and her establishment. The jam is not just for locals tho, so for all you Chicago musicians wanting to play in a friendly environment come on over, but come hungry because the food is a bright spot. Sarah also provides awesome weekend events like the one coming up November 14th from 4p to 10p. BBQ, Bourbon and Bluegrass, with Peter Nye. 

The Food: Chef Erik Tannehill is a very modest man who has one goal and that is to feed people by way of high quality cuisine. Erik has the makings of a top Chef and it is a surprise to me that he is not in an upscale, big city establishment, but I sense that Erik's bigger love next to sharing great food is living and working in the Michigan City region. (If you have never really come to MC and visited the are, then you will not understand the magnetism of this place) Tannehill really likes to experiment with unique flavors and ingredients. He does not shock his patrons with flavors that overwhelm, but rather adorn and add subtle nuances to his creations that alert your taste buds that something really special is happening. For example, today we stopped in for their weekend brunch, which is offered every Saturday and Sunday from 11a to 3p. We enjoyed a Caprese Frittata and the Buttermilk Chicken and Waffles. The egg dish was designed to look much like a Caprese pizza, complete with a slight drizzle of  balsamic reduction that brought all of the flavors come together with a spectacular sensory-WOW! The "Brunch Potatoes" were done with absolute perfection. Again, Erik is masterful with flavor, quantity and even a little edgy. The Buttermilk Waffles and Chicken was an equal surprise. If you have become use to waffles that look more like Eggo's or frozen waffle variety, then you will be quite surprised to discover that these buttermilk waffles are 1) made with real buttermilk and 2) are cooked by Erik fresh on a waffle-iron! The hand-dipped chicken tenderloin is superbly done. Flavorful, moist, yet the breading is a crispy buttermilk recipe. Chef goes to the nth degree and doesn't just serve up some typical breakfast syrup, but like everything else, makes his own. It was buttery, not overly sweet, with a nice caramel edge. It brought out the great taste of not only the chicken, but enhanced the buttermilk richness of the waffles. 

Our service was friendly, Sarah is a great host/owner and Erik came out from behind the confines of his kitchen long enough for us to say hello and thank him for fulfilling our gastro-quest for the day. Okay, so hold on to your hat - Two spectacular entrees, a Bloody Mary, freshly brewed coffee and a cup of chorizo/kale soup (did I mention Erik makes all of his soups from scratch?) with tip for $40! 

In addition to their regular weekend brunch menu, they offer the regular menu with daily "chef inspired" specials to keep us on our toes. Hint: Make sure you order a calzone or two to take with you. They are not only delicious, but they are huge! Did I mention that Chef Erik really likes to satisfy his patrons? 

Together Sarah Mitchell, Chef Erik Tannehill and staff are doing great things in the heart of the Town of Pines Indiana. They are truly shining a bright light along Dunes Highway. Steve and I give this place two forks up and a mighty, "Hell YES we'll be back!"

Dark Star of the Dunes 

Dune Highway

Town of Pines, Indiana 

(219) 874-7330

ArtSees Diner Favorites

Hello all, it has been a while since we wrote a blog about our dining experiences. Mostly we have been enjoying some of our favorite places here in the Northwest Indiana area. So as to not lose touch with all of you I thought I would do a "Favorites" segment.

Copper Rock Steakhouse  - Four Winds Casino
Copper Rock is tucked inside of Four Winds Casino, located in New Buffalo, Michigan. Not only will you find attentive, professional staff but outstanding Chef prepared cuisine. One of the highlights of CRS - is the incredible gourmet bread basket that is served to every guest. Don't forget to indulge in the chocolate truffle beignet following your entree. This highly ranked steakhouse is known for its extreme wine selection and hand-crafted cocktails. The portions are very generous. So go easy.
My recommendation: Himalayan Beef 

The Pickle and Turnip - Transitioning to Catering Only
What can I say - I will miss this place. See my reviews and weep with me. But stay tuned for Moe's newest ventures - Fire and Water at the Beach and Reserved at North Pointe - An experience in private dining. 

Hokkaido - Sushi
Hokkaido Japanese Restaurant is one of the newest additions to the Uptown Art's District in Michigan City Indiana. This quaint, Manhattan-style boutique restaurant prides itself on the artistry behind preparing Sushi. If you are looking for fresh, hip cuisine, then Hokkaido is the place to go.
My recommendations: Tuna-Avocado Roll and Vegetable Tempura

Song - Asian, Sushi - Traditional Chinese
A fairly typical Asian restaurant in general, but Song has a different tune. It offers hand-rolled, freshly made Sushi and Rolls. Song is extremely affordable and the service is wonderful.
My recommendation: Hunan tofu and the White Tuna and Avocado Roll. 


Maxine's - American French 
Maxine's located in the heart of the Uptown Arts District is the perfect place to steal away with friends, family or a loved one. It is definitely a great date night place. One can expect wonderful steaks, unusual dishes such as Cioppino, a combination of seafood, white fish in a tomato base. A must try when dining at Maxine's is their French Onion soup. Perfection! Also be sure to ask what the featured cocktail, ravioli, flat bread pizza and yes, their featured burger. You will not be disappointed!
My recommendation: All of the above and especially the French Onion soup.

Barker Inn - AYCE Walleye (Friday Night Only) 
Barker Inn AYCE Walleye is worth the trip. It is worth the hour and a half of second hand smoke. I know that sounds bad, but Barker Inn allows smoking in keeping with the majority of their long-standing clientele. If sitting in doesn't grab you, then place an order and carry it out. It is well worth the $10.99! Truly amazing!
My recommendation: It is obvious. 

Shady Creek Winery 
This delightful winery in the eastern countryside of Michigan City is the perfect way to escape and unwind. The wine makers blend grapes from California wine country and Southwest Michigan. In addition to a wonderful location it also offers small plates and frequent events with expanded fare.

My recommendation: Petite Sirah and cheese plate for two. 

Stop by and enjoy what all the locals have to say about food and more.
Michigan City Restaurant Reviews.

Image compliments of John Avila

Other places worth visiting for a variety of reasons:
Bartlett's 
Overboard 12 On the Lake
Galveston's
Blue Plate Cafe
Jackie's Cafe
Swingbelly's
Acorn Theatre 
Journeyman's Distillery
Hammerś
More to come! Our neck of the wood is alive with all kinds of great fun! Where is your favorite? Add it to the comments.