Heston Supper Club: A Step Back In Time, With a Modern Flair

       Deep in the northern woods of LaPorte County Indiana hides a little town that is as tucked away and only a stone's throw away from the Michigan border rests Heston Supper Club. At one time the location of the Heston Supper Club, was the hub of a small rural town of Hesston in beautiful Galena Township, Indiana. The entire town was centered around the Post Office, the lumber and grist mill. Over time it evolved into Duffy's Tavern and Hesston Grocery Store.  (Hesston Indiana was named after an early settler P.M. Hess. The official post office was opened in 1877.)  
      In 1982 owners Time and Jackie Ohlund purchased Heston Bar and over time it has evolved into Heston Supper Club. The Ohlunds are committed to serving traditional American fare in the style of Supper Clubs that brought communities together for fine food, libations and conversation.
      Admittedly, we hadn't set out to dine at Heston Supper Club and were actually on our way to another dining establishment when we found ourselves meandering down country roads that link Tryon Road and the rest of LaPorte. The scenic beauty of Galena Township and the far northern area of LaPorte County are truly breathtaking. Needless to say, passing a sign that said "Heston Supper Club" was all we needed to see to turn the car around and head towards a little bit of heaven.

      Tim the owner and host warmly welcomed us immediately. The waiting area was very inviting and locals had no problem sharing their experience and recommendations. Tim told us it would be about 15 minutes and he was true to his word.
      The wait was pleasant and relaxing. I had a chance to talk with Tim about the establishment and he proudly shared the aspects of Heston that make it special. The overall atmosphere was reminiscent of places I have eaten at in the Northwoods of Wisconsin and Steve shared that his impression was the same. It felt like home to him. It wasn't long and we were brought to our table. Jeannie, a professional waitress with an understanding of true hospitality took care of our table. Even the bus-crew was entertaining and professional.
       We inquired about a few things on the menu and Jeannie was very knowledgeable as well as very proud of all that Heston's had to offer. Our first course was the special of the evening - heirloom tomato salad. It was exquisite. The tomatoes were just like I remembered growing up. Mr. Wood's the neighborhood tomato supplier would have been impressed. Along with our tomato salad was the standard cheese and crackers and fresh bread. Heston's signature cracker bread and spreadable cheese is very popular in the area and even available at local grocers. 
      Our entree's consisted of the half slab of ribs and the butt sirloin steak. Although Heston's is known for its prime rib, we chose to go with a smaller portion entree so as to sample the heirloom salad and dessert. Along with each entree you will have your choice of soup or salad and a potato or vegetable. Because we had already shared the heirloom tomato salad, we went with their house made soup. Gazpacho and clam chowder were the evening's special. Our side was summer vegetables and horseradish smashed potato's. Both were very good. We closed down the night with homemade peach cobbler. It was served with a large selection of fresh peaches, (not overcooked or overly sweetened) served over a shortcake biscuit sliced in half with a scoop of vanilla ice sandwiched between the biscuit. To finish off the dessert was fresh whipped cream. No cool-whip for Hestons!
      We were very impressed and even disappointed that it took us so long to get over there. We will be back and look forward to bringing our out-of-town guests. Heston Supper Club is a Michiana gem!

Restaurant Hours

Monday - Thursday: 4 - 9PM

Friday - Saturday: 4 - 10PM

Sunday: 3 - 8PM

*all central times

**lounge opens 30 min. prior to dining

--------------------

PHONE:

219.778.2938

EMAIL: 

Info@HestonSupperClub.com

Heston Supper Club

2003 E. 1000 North

LaPorte, IN 46350

--------------------

Heston Supper Club

2003 E. 1000 North

La

Ooo-La-La, Maxine's Restaurant & GastroBar a Little Francois on the North Shore

Maxine's Restaurant and Bar, located at 521 Franklin St., in uptown Michigan City, successfully captures the ambiance and flair of a cafe on a tucked away street in Paris. Recently, I took members of my family to the restaurant for a late Saturday evening supper. Now, this was not my first visit,being a local and all, but, it was the first full-meal experience. We were delightfully  met by the restaurant Dining Room manager, who cheerfully remembered me from the time before. (Even remembered that I am a radio show host and intend on having Maxine's as a featured guest!) It was close to a year ago that I visited Maxine's with a friend. We enjoyed a simple salad, soup and a small plate. It was delightful, but, the full-on dining experience would have to wait to a later date and believe me it was spectacular!

The menu boasts traditional French cuisine, with a blending of North American favorites. Let's call it French fusion. We kicked it off with a couple cocktails as it was close to impossible to settle on an entree for the evening. The selection was outstanding. So wonderful that it made the choice close to impossible. The custom made cocktails were very tasty and had a wonderful boutique flair to it. I chose the spiced pear martini, which was chosen off of their specialty martini menu. It was indeed special. The featured appetizer for the evening was a Yellowtail Tuna-cake with Sirachi aioli, pictured below and borrowed off of Maxine's Facebook page.

It was the perfect beginner. My dining companions enjoyed a crock of the signature French onion soup. Unlike many French onion soup creations, this was cooked perfectly with the perfect consistency and quantity of onions present. The broth was rich, dark and not overly cheesy. Perfection!
For our entrees we selected: Cioppino: a tomato base, mussels, crab, cod, scallops, shrimp, garlic, dish, served with French bread to dip the delectable gravy. One of my party chose the Maxine salad with salmon (cooked to order) while,  I chose the house ribeye steak topped with blue cheese. Each dish was delicious and served with your choice of sides as well as fresh, warm bread.

It is important to note that the $$ was very reasonable, almost shockingly low. Truly a value for the quality and overall atmosphere. A couple of items to note: Live music would have been a wonderful addition on a Saturday night. Maybe a cocktail pianist, acoustic musicians, anything more than that would totally steal from the sequestered feel of this quaint Saturday night getaway. Additionally, and this is not a reflection on the restaurant management, was the clamor of children at a table nearby. Now, I love children and have 3 of my own grand-babies, but, somehow on a late Saturday night, an all adult vibe is greatly appreciated. Again, this is a plus to the owners as they welcome any and all, it is merely an observation. Which brings me to this very important aspect of Maxine's and the restaurants of Michigan City, Indiana. All are welcome and encouraged to come on in! 

 It is important to note that there was seating near the bar and tucked away in lovely alcove seating. (this is where I sat with my friend the first time we visited Maxine's) We did not request private seating. A great deal of our recent conversation was about the incredible mural that covers the wall from ceiling to floor and along the entire length of the restaurant. (Make sure you look for the rabbit in the fine silk hat!) Another item to note, and again, it doesn't take away from the fabulous food was that either Maxine's really love Christmas and left Christmas decor up among the frogs, or it was a seasonal oversight. Because my family was so taken by the overall decor and feel of the place, they were in sensory overload. (They recently spent a very romantic vacation in France, so you can imagine)

Maxine's is truly one of the high points of Michigan City, Indiana. As the North-end, Uptown area of Michigan City continues to expand and develop, we are sure to see Maxine's continue to be one of the best places to dine in the City By the Lake. The independently owned and operated restaurants throughout the "route 12 corridor" are among the best, from Chicago to South Bend. Make a point of stopping in soon. It is truly worth the train ticket in from downtown Chicago, or a leisurely drive along the Lake Shore. Locals should give it a try as well, especially during the week when they have fabulous mid-week $12 Special.

Menu
Maxine's Restaurant and Gastropub, located at 521 Franklin St., Michigan City Indiana. 219.872.4500

Galveston Michigan City; What a Pleasant Surprise!

Steve and I moved to Michigan City in May of 2008. After living in Indianapolis/Carmel area for a year we became very accustomed to some really good food and even better food choices. Moving to a new place and a much smaller place than the biggest city in  Indiana would mean fewer choices. Thus far we have not been disappointed. Michigan City knows its food and hospitality. Actually the entire route 12 corridor knows its food and hospitality!

We happened upon Galveston a couple times in the past. Once because we heard there was an open mic, and with Steve and I being musicians, this seemed like a nice way to get our foot in the musical door of the community. Another time it was a host to a back to school kick off. One other time we were there to actually dine. We haven't been back, because, well, we just haven't...until last night. In all honesty we were lulled by the 2 for $22 special that happens to be  their Tuesday night mainstay. 

Stepping back for a moment; Galveston's claim is that "Our community is the heart and soul of Galveston," and I couldn't agree more! 

We were greeted by a familiar face, a student from the local high school. Our local school community was present and welcoming by way of the host staff.  I saw yet another student busing tables. Across the room I saw one of my students enjoying dinner with a friend. The other side of the room one of my student's parents. It was community and it was bustling! We discovered that Tuesday night special is a big hit and the place was packed. We were told it would be 20 minutes until we would be seated. We found that there was ample room in the bar area to wait out the 20 minutes or so and they had a $3 Margarita special! The crowd was such that we didn't get served while we waited at the bar, but somehow observing the locals and taking in the specials, etc., filled the time and overshadowed what appeared to be an understaffed bar area. In actuality, the wait time proved to be less than 20 minutes. 

Galveston's hospitality is truly one of their strong points. The wait staff was pleasant, helpful and service was with a smile. We waffled between ordering off of the special's menu or the regular menu. Having not eaten there in a very long time we weren't certain. Many places cut back on special's night and we didn't wanted to have a good impression of the place. So, we ordered two different things of the special menu so as to get a good look at the gastronomical side of Galveston. Steve ordered the chicken shish-ka-bob with rice and vegetables. The waiter said with a smile, "good choice." I was in the mood for beef, hence the other reason Galveston Steakhouse came to mind. I ordered the filet medallions with mushroom sauce and a sweet potato. We both chose the house salad with blue cheese dressing. The other option would have been a cup of cream of mushroom soup. I am now wishing one of us would have ordered soup. Soup and dessert are 2 items that, in my opinion guarantee a restaurant knows how to cook from scratch. 

Every order comes with a dark sweet bread. The bread was fresh, warm and far too tempting for someone on a low-carb diet! How we resisted eating the whole thing, I have no idea! The salad, well, it was just a simple dinner salad, which is fine, because the food that followed was very good and more than enough. 

I suffered from food envy immediately upon seeing Steve's plate arrive. It was a generous assortment of fresh, grilled vegetables, including my favorite; brussel sprouts, GRILLED! The seasoning used to bring together the myriad of flavors was perfect. The rice was maybe the best seasoned rice dish we have both had in a very long time. Perfection. 

The medallions was equally good and very tender. The sauce, clearly house made with fresh mushrooms, not canned, (thank goodness) and the sweet potato was not your typical sweet potato loaded with butter, sugar and cinnamon, but it was served with a dark brown sugar sauce (almost caramel) on the side. Again, house made and delectable. Steve and I shared plates and were still able to bring home leftovers, which is Saturday Night Stever's absolute favorite thing to do. But Wait, we are not done yet...

On Tuesday nights you not only get a fabulous meal 2 for $22, you also get a dessert to share. The waiter asked if we would like one and at first we were reluctant, low-carbs, you know. He smiled and said, it is a homemade brownie with vanilla ice cream in a very luring tone. How could we resist his desire to please our palettes? The dessert was the perfect size for a sweet treat. The brownie was warm, fudge-y and delicious. Again, perfection. 

We will be back without a doubt time and time again. Galveston's claim to be the heart and soul of the community is spoken truth. High quality food, great service and a friendly atmosphere, along with affordable prices makes Galveston a shining gem near the water's edge.