LTHForum.com

Had a great visit to Zel's Roast Beef.

_________________
"Make Lunch, Not War" ~ Anon

I heard their baked beans were supposed to be great too and stopped there to try them. They tasted like they were right out of a can with maybe some spicy BBQ sauce or ketchup added.

Stopped at ...

Arnie's Dog House
1503 Indianapolis Blvd, Whiting
(219) 659-3004

... and asked about the hamburger (loose meat) and it is only available at the ...

8125 Calumet Ave, Munster
(219) 836-2867

...location. That location is larger with a bigger menu.

At the peak of business Arnie had 4 locations open but he is now down to two with the Whiting location being the original.

Meanwhile back to lunch... I ordered the Chili-Cheese Hot Dog and a Corn Dog. The chili had beans (subtract a point) but the dog was perfectly done. A nice snap and bursting with flavor. There had been mention of an overabundance of fries being served but I had gotten a fairly standard amount.

The corn dog, while not being house-made, was also very good! Also cooked perfectly with a nice crunch to the batter and nice and juicy inside.

Nice simple restaurant. Counter with about 12 stools. No sign of Arnie.

With my order coming up quick and a lot of time left on my lunch hour I did consider dashing down to the Munster location but I will save that for another day.

_________________
"Make Lunch, Not War" ~ Anon

Thanks for getting to the bottom of this. It's too bad the people Rene G spoke to did not know to advise this.

Regards,

_________________
Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

I talked to Sonny, the co-owner about this. It was going to be at the old K-Mart location on the Blvd, but he said the developer is hard to deal with and the he wasn't getting any help from the Redevelopment Commission.

To MincyBits, I haven't had the Turkey, Chicken or Ham. I do recommend the Pulled Pork and ribs. Sorry you had a bad experience with the brisket. I've had it three times and it was juicier than I get at BBQ competitions.

To Artie, I'm not impressed with their beans either. I'd rather open a can of Bush's Grillin Beans!

HI,

For those thinking you may see a Papa Damiani sign from the street, you need to look for North Woods restaurant instead. Don't bother looking for Wicker Avenue either, because there is no street sign. This restaurant fronts on Indianapolis Boulevard. I nearly rear ended a car last night seeking this place out.

Maybe it was the pre-Valentine's Day decorations draping everything in red or a jubilant crowd of diners, but I couldn't tolerate waiting 30 minutes for a pizza last night. Since the menu is quite broad, I wasn't able to easily eyeball anyone's pizza to see what it may be like. I will return sometime, though I may order the pizza in advance to keep the wait time to a minimum.

Has anyone tried Papa Damiani's pizza since they moved? I have nothing to compare not having visited the Dolton, IL location. If it is different (good or bad), that is valuable information, too.

Northwoods Restaurant
8101 Wicker Avenue
Saint John, IN 46373
(219) 558-8130

_________________
Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

Freddy's was packed to the gills and very lively yesterday evening. Live music too! I need to get back sometime if only for the time-warp vibe of the place.

Freddy's Steak House
6442 Kennedy Av (at 165th)
Hammond IN
219-844-1500


Thanks for the further information, Panther and MincyBits. After being denied several years ago at Arnie's in Whiting I finally got a "loose hamburger" ($2.05) at the Munster branch. Having now tried four different versions (also Madvek's, Lafayette Coney Island and Maid-Rite) I have to say I still don't understand the allure of the loosemeat.



Arnie's frankfurter fresco is really something to see.





Arnie's Dog House
8125 Calumet Av
Munster IN
219-836-BUNS (2867)

Hi,

Doesn't the mural of the hot dogs remind you of a nudist camp? Naked and smiling!

Loose meat sandwiches are not particularly easy to eat. This loose meat sandwich was split in half, then eaten. Loose meat was falling out of the sandwich with as much left in the basket and laps as reached our mouths. Is a loose meat sandwich best eated while wrapped in paper to keep the contents together? Is cheese not merely an option, but a must have to keep the contents together? Experienced loose meat diners, please divulge your eating methods.

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

_________________
Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

I've never understood loosemeat either.

There are similar, though less risqué, murals at a few other hot dog stands in the area. The only one that I can remember right now is Demi K's on Ridge Road in Munster. I've only been in there a couple of times, but they have some really good italian beef and gyros.

Demi K's ‎
437 Ridge Road
Munster, IN 46321-1530
(219) 513-0674

The chicken shishkabobs at Demi K's are great as well.

I never got the loose meat thing either. It really had no flavor.

In Michigan (at least in Ypsilanti), most Coney Island places sell a thing called a "loose burger" which is served on a hot dog bun (with onions and other coney toppings). I wonder if one could special order a "loose meat" sandwich on a hot dog bun instead of the traditional hamburger bun. It seems it would be much easier to eat without making a mess.

I went to the Teibel's website yesterday and noticed that the lake perch is now the staggering price (to me) of $28.95, up $4 since a couple of weeks ago.

As much as I love them I stopped at $25 and opted instead for the AYCE froglegs at the relative bargain price of $20.

Just a heads up for those heading out this way.

http://www.teibels.com/dinner-menu

Wow, that's crazy.

_________________
What if the Hokey Pokey really IS what it's all about?

It looks like Romano's has moved. Here's their Facebook page...
http://www.facebook.com/romanospizza51

Their former space is now occupied by:
Amici Grill and Pizzeria
3808 Ridge Rd, Highland, IN 46322
(219) 923-5980 ‎

They've spruced up the outside considerably. No drive-in service though

Note that the "moderate" dinner portion is listed at $20.95 and perch is $15.15 at lunch. I don't see the Coffee Shop menu online but a plate of perch might have been $12.95 at lunch earlier this year. It was very good and not a bad value I thought.



Teibel's Restaurant
1775 US 41
Schererville IN
219-865-2000


Tragic! I wonder how many order-from-car pizza drive-ins are left in this country.

Romano's, 2009

I actually ate at Amici's this week--and it wasn't bad. Seating is only bar stools along the order counter and a few tables outside so clearly they're geared towards takeout/delivery. The family who owns it (a mom and son were working there when we were there) is half greek, half italian and the menu reflects that. I had what was a better than average greek salad, with nice sliced artichokes, as well as good olives, feta and pepperocini for about $7.00. And the homemade vinaigrette was MUCH better than I was expecting--quite interesting actually.

My dining companion had a turkey burger which didn't look very appetizing to me but he liked it (not something I would necessarily rely upon for a recommendation --to me it looked like food service frozen patty all the way). The pizza coming out looked good and they had some interesting combos. It was thin crust, crispy and nicely browned cheese that looked decent.

Given it's proximity to OLG and the ballpark, I'm guessing we'll be back.

_________________
“The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they’re going to have some pretty annoying virtues.” Elizabeth Taylor

I was thinking about stopping by John's Pizza in Whiting to pick up a pie so I gave them a call to make sure they were open. Got an answering machine saying the mailbox was full. Has anyone been there lately?

_________________
What if the Hokey Pokey really IS what it's all about?

I was there on 5-13...

I can do a drive by.

I called the Munster location to see what is up and there was no answer at 11:18 pm? I imagine they should of been open.

John's Pizzeria
247 Ridge Road, Munster
(219) 836-8536

They have the same owners.

I checked their website and saw this...



There is some kind of recent activity on the website at least.

_________________
"Make Lunch, Not War" ~ Anon

Hi,

Unless something has changed, they do not have the same owners.

John's Pizzeria in Whiting is a franchisee of John's Pizzeria on Ridge in Munster. John's in Munster is the son of the founder of John's. When the Whiting location first opened, the pizza we tried was the closest to the John's Pizzeria mothership in Calumet City. Not even John's in Munster quite captured it.

There are a number of John's Pizzerias in NWI with everyone claiming they are THE original and everyone else is an imitator. I cannot imagine they all gather for Thanksgiving.

Regards,

_________________
Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

Probably closed down for a vacation.

_________________
What if the Hokey Pokey really IS what it's all about?

Yup! Same owners!

http://www.theoriginaljohns.com/l-choice.html

These are the only two (of the many in the region) owned by the 'Original' owners.

_________________
"Make Lunch, Not War" ~ Anon

HI,

Why don't you inquire about ownership while you are there? Unless there has been a change in ownership since 2007, John's in Whiting is a franchisee of John's in Munster.

I have talked to Phil at the Ridge Road location who explained Whiting was his franchisee. I would certainly expect they would cooperate on advertising.

I will admit to spending too much time, thought and money on the John's Pizzeria pedigrees and family tree.

Regards,

_________________
Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

Yup! I did inquire on my first visit to the Whiting location (back in April) and they did say Whiting and Munster were the only two 'Original' locations and the others were imposter's.



Also... I did do a drive-by today after work (12:30 pm, prime lunchtime)... Actually more than a drive-by as I got out and rattled the door knob and it was locked up tight as a drum. While I was looking longingly in the window a pair of gents also walked up and rattled the doorknob too. Their guess was a death in the family (just a wild-a$$ guess on their part).

No notes in the window or anything that might indicate why they were closed.

Next week I will try to do a drive-by (and maybe even a doorknob rattle) at the Munster location.

_________________
"Make Lunch, Not War" ~ Anon

As promised I did stop by the Munster location.

He did not know that there were any issues with the Whiting location. Speculating that it was their evening to be closed when I first stopped and on Saturday they do not open until 3 pm. He did mention the relationship with Whiting was strained.

He also did confirm the 'paired' connection with Whiting and that the others were, well, 'others'.

I will give Whiting another drive-by. I am in the mood for another pie.

_________________
"Make Lunch, Not War" ~ Anon

Whiting location open 10:30 'til 9:00 today!
I'm in the mood for a Chubby! (Italian Beef and Sausage Combo;The "Original Chubby Sandwich")
The Whiting location has disappointed us a few times since it opened;the "Sautee Shrimp" used to come with a basket of bread,etc. at the Cal City location but that's not the case at the Whiting location.The seating is the strangest I've ever seen in a restaurant;it is a sort of triangular shaped room and the seats are very close together. Let's say the service has improved,our last visit was one of the better ones but I prefer take-out for most occasions.

_________________
It’s more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use
long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like
“What about lunch?”
—Winnie The Pooh
"... a good dinner is of great importance to good talk. One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."
Virginia Woolf : A Room of One's Own

Strange days indeed. I just talked to a girl at the Whiting store who said they were open when I called last week, and did not know of any recent closings. Anyway, she says they are open for biz, c'mon down!

_________________
What if the Hokey Pokey really IS what it's all about?

I'm pretty sure this place is closed. I haven't been by in quite some time, but I tried calling a few weeks back, and the phone has been disconnected. I recently found their FB page, but nothing's been posted to it since November.