Siam Marina

80 River Oaks Center, Calumet City

(708) 862-3438

www.siammarina.com

Filled with flickering candles, fresh flowers and intimate dining areas, this pretty Thai restaurant features an à la carte menu with emphasis on seafood and more than 100 dishes overall. Lobster and mango spring rolls, perfectly crisp and crunchy soft shell crab (in season) and unusual avocado crispy rolls are excellent choices among the appetizers. Sautéed lobster and shrimp tossed with mango, asparagus, peapods and onion in a ginger soy sauce are outstanding, as are the jumbo scallops stir-fried with white and green asparagus, peapods and onions in garlic sauce. Seafood pad Thai and pan-seared mahimahi also delight the palate. Desserts include selection of exotic fruit sorbets. Extensive wine list and full bar with special martini menu. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Entrées range from $7.25 to $24.95.

Cuisine: Thai

Reservations: Yes

Smoking: No

Kids menu: No

Price: $$

Bar: Extensive wine list and full bar with special martini menu.

JD

Smokey's Southern Bar-B-Que

375 E. U.S. 20, Chesterton

(219) 878-1418

Pretty cute if simple café in what was obviously a gas station. Smokey's has settled in after eight years of serving great pulled meat with a Kentucky grandfather's recipe for a tomato-based barbecue sauce and continues to entice truckers and gourmands alike to eat in their diminutive dining room or to take it out. Pulled pork on a soft bun ($3.25, jumbo $4.25) comes with choice of heat in the sauce, from mild and hot. Also a chicken breast sandwich with lettuce, tomato and choice of sauce on Texas toast ($4.95). Barbecued ribs also available but we've had better. The sides are freshly made at $1.75 each. Choose from baked beans, coleslaw, parsley and chive potatoes, potato salad or red beans and rice. There also is a homemade soup of the day and barnyard chili (which tastes better than it sounds). Smokey's bakes great homemade pies, especially berry and peach in season. Not the South Beach diet, but who cares when the eating is this much fun! 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through

Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays. Closed Mondays.

Cuisine: Barbecue

Reservations: No

Smoking: Yes

Kids menu: No

Price: $

Bar: No

Tip: Great homemade pies, especially berry and peach in season.

JD

Speakeasy 220

220 S. Main St., Crown Point

(219) 661-1811

Phil and Joi Struebig's latest venture is a "Step Back in Time" with their newly renovated atmosphere in the historic Criminal Courts building. If you like ambiance, you'll find it -- exposed brick, faux gas lamps, wrought iron bars, stained glass, lace and lots of dark wood. Opportunities abound for a romantic tete-a-tete in a cozy curtained booth or for small parties who seek privacy in separate rooms. Hostess Karen Ausdemore is enthusiatic and charming and she will gladly take guests on a short tour into the past including criminal holding cells and a secret tunnel. It's a kitschy, fun place with murals by retired Crown Point High School art teacher Marion Kellum. For starters try the Giant Crab Cake with mustard caper sauce or Cajun Shrimp Martini appetizer with cilantro and a tortilla garnish ($9). It's not only visually appealing, it's a great marriage of flavors. Chicken lovers will enjoy the Chicken Marsala with rich red garlic mashed potatoes, and a medley of

vegetables or the golden brown puffed pastry shell surrounding a chicken breast with spinach and nestled on a bed of creamy mushroom sauce. Seafood lovers will find the Blackened Salmon with Mango sauce, Stuffed Talapia with creme cheese and spinach or Shrimp Scampi with angel hair pasta entrées. They all hover around $16. For dessert ($5), the Raspberry-Chocolate or Irish Creme Crème Brûlée is truly to die for. The bar is full service and there are daily specials. Opens at 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays.

Cuisine: Upscale eclectic

Reservations: Recommended

Smoking: No

Kids menu: No, but accommodated

Price: $$$

Bar: Yes

Tip: Call to check for daily specials and reservations.

Strongbow Inn

2405 U.S. 30, Valparaiso

(219) 462-5121

www.strongbowinn.com

Over the years this restaurant, with its traditional turkey dinners, has become a popular stopping place for many in the region. Turkey in all its guises, from roasted, with dressing and cream gravy, to à la king to club sandwiches is provided, along with seafood, steaks and chops, soups and salads and some luscious desserts. Warm welcome and efficient service either in the cocktail lounge or the spacious dining rooms. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays to Fridays; 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturdays and 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays. Sunday brunch is served from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. Special turkey buffet dinner on Wednesday nights, with live piano, for $16.95; Sunday brunch buffet $17.95. Average entrée at dinner is $17.

Cuisine: Upscale/turkey

Reservations: Yes

Smoking: In bar

Kids menu: Yes

Price: $$

Bar: Full bar

Tip: Brunch on Sundays; turkey dinner buffet Wednesdays.

JD

Sultan Cafe and Bakery

2037 W. Glen Park Ave., Griffith

(219) 924-2972

If you thought New York City was the only place to get good-tasting falafel, think again. Chef Jihad Abuawad of Sultan Cafe and Bakery in Griffith is churning out those crispy chickpea appetizers with tahini sauce alongside other authentic offerings from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine. Complimentary hummus (mashed chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil), baba ghanouj (eggplant dip) and pita bread arrive at your table promptly after being seated. If you're lucky, as I was, the pita will be warm from the oven. They bake three times daily, usually at 1, 4 and 7 p.m. in the attached bakery/grocery. But call first. The hummus is the best I've had anywhere. Made with fresh chickpeas, boiled and ground to a paste resulting in amazing flavor without the unpleasant tang of many store-bought brands. The made-to-order, from-scratch meals include cup of soup, Arabian salad, rice, and a skewer of grilled peppers, tomatoes and onions. I started my palate on a magic carpet ride

with the Red Lentil Soup, which is actually green, and benefited from a splash of lemon and black pepper. In a nod to American tastes, there also was a cream of potato soup that day. Next, I tried that wonderful falafel, followed by a kebab combo platter. Imagine grilled filet mignon, chicken and sausage that easily can serve two for $13.99. The combo platter and lamb chops at $14.99 are the two most expensive items on the menu. Dessert was a refreshing cup of muhallabiah, a white-white, vanilla-and-coconut custard spiked with orange-blossom water. Owner Khalid Alkam says Middle Eastern cuisine is a very healthful way of eating. Many of the dishes are vegetarian or made with low-fat cuts of meat, extra-virgin olive oil, herbs and vegetables. If you know Middle Eastern food, it's all here plus some. That means shawerma, tabbouleh, fattoush and more. The Cauliflower Sandwich and the Falafel-Eggplant Sandwich are said to be killer. There is a children's menu ($4.99 and less), which

includes the Sultan Burger in pita bread with fries, and daily specials, carryout, catering and private-party accommodations round out the amenities. The handpainted murals, white tablecloths and Middle Eastern music are draw enough, but if you are 18 years of age or older (with ID) and into hookas (water pipes), check out the shisha (flavored tobaccos) after 7 p.m. Four to a pipe, please! I strongly urge you to be adventurous and leave your American palate at the door. The only things missing at this place are the camels and date palms. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, until midnight Fridays and Saturdays.

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Reservations: Parties of six or more

Smoking: Yes

Kids menu: Yes

Price: $

Bar: No

Tip: Hooka (communal water-pipe) smoking is featured

Suzie's Cafe and Catering

1050 Southpoint Drive, Valparaiso

(219) 462-5500

Suzie Genovese's Cafe & Catering has a cozy charm with lace curtains at the window and culinary murals by Dana Weber enlivening the butter-yellow walls. Genovese, who built the restaurant from the ground up, comes in at 3 every morning to start the homemade white bread, cinnamon rolls, muffins, biscuits and gravy, cinnamon-raisin bread and coffee cake (the last two on weekends only), soups and desserts, and to get a jump on the extensive off-premise catering orders. Breakfast is offered all day with the Kitchen Sink Omelette being a signature item, 12-grain pancakes, and other standards. Dinners start at 3 p.m. and can be cozy with beef stroganoff, stuffed peppers, country fried steak and chicken and noodles, or more formal with steaks, chops, pastas, lake perch and other seafood choices. Baked sweet potatoes and acorn squash are offered year-round. Family-style prices are the norm in this nonsmoking, alcohol-free restaurant. Hours are 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Breakfasts range $2.29 to

$8.99 and most lunch entrées can be had for around $5. Dinners range from $6.45 to $16.95 for the New York strip steak.

Cuisine: American diner

Reservations: No

Smoking: No

Kids menu: Yes

Price: $

Bar: No

Tip: Don't miss the warm bread pudding with custard sauce for dessert.

Tandoor

1535 U.S. 41, Schererville

(219) 865-9511

The only Indian restaurant in the region, Tandoor, family owned and operated since 1995, consistently delivers authentic dishes from northern India (Punjab) with reasonable prices. Preparations from the tandoor, a clay oven, are the specialties of the house. Appetizers include a traditional vegetable samosa, the short pastry filled with a mixture of lightly spiced peas and potatoes, and chicken pakora, boneless chicken tenders fried until crisp, served with mint chutney and tamarind sauce. Among the entrées are tandoori chicken, marinated in yogurt, spices and saffron that give the roasted bird its distinctive red color. Shrimp masala, baked in the clay oven, are folded into a medium-spicy cream sauce. Order steamed basmati rice for two and a basket of garlic nan (Indian garlic bread). Desserts are fun, especially galijar hal wa, a type of carrot cake cooked in milk with almonds and pistachio nuts, and mango ice cream. Lunch buffets ($6.99) are featured daily, Monday nights offer an

all-you-can-eat lineup ($9.90), and Sundays feature a champagne brunch at the same price. Open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch, 5 to 10 p.m. for dinner daily.

Cuisine: Indian

Reservations: On Mondays and weekends

Smoking: No

Kids menu: No

Price: $$

Bar: No

Tip: Monday night AYCE buffet for $9.90.

JD

Taste of Italy

550 River Oaks Drive (Burnham Avenue and 159th Street), Calumet City

(708) 868-4440

Owner Dominick Guzzino has been serving up authentic Italian cuisine in the region for years as owner of Dominick's, The Embers and now Taste of Italy since 1982. You enter through the bar and are escorted to a cozy booth area. Service is friendly and prompt. I think you'll get a kick out of the napkins, they're actually more like terry-cloth hand towels. As my companion said, "they make you feel like you're eating in mama's Italian kitchen." I highly recommend the Shrimp de Jonghe as an appetizer or main course. The dish, invented in Chicago at De Jonghe's Hotel and Restaurant in the late 19th century, features the little crustaceans blanketed in garlicky, buttery, sherry-laced bread crumbs. The only thing missing were the tails, which are traditional. Soup, salad, and pasta or potato come with all meals. Housemade dressings are creamy garlic and Italian vinaigrette. They serve pasta e fagioli (bean-and-pasta soup), but my recommendation is the minestrone burgeoning

with every vegetable in the book floating in a wonderful tomato-y broth. You'll find all the favorites at Taste of Italy -- linguine with clam sauce, eggplant parmigiana, chicken Vesuivo, steak, but veal ($19.95 to $24.95) is the way to go. It's from Dutch Valley, just down the street from Taste of Italy in South Holland and it is primo. Guzzino hand cuts the veal into thin scalloppine every day. The Saltimbocca (which means "jump in the mouth") melts on the tongue. It consists of pounded veal slices dredged in flour, dipped in egg batter, topped with prosciutto and sauteed in lemon-butter. The Veal Piccata, similar to the Saltimbocca with the exception of the prosciutto, was equally tasty. There are standard tiramisu and cannoli for dessert and my advice is to try the latter. The shells are no longer made inhouse, but the filling is and it's to die for. Wines by the bottle are a little pricey, housewines by the glass are $6. If all this largesse isn't enough for you, Guzzino

might tear himself away from the kitchen to jaw a little. If so, consider yourself lucky. This guy is one of a dying breed of restaurateurs. Oh, the stories he can tell! Given a little encouragement, he probably will. You don't want to miss this one, paisan! The restaurant opens at 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Cuisine: Italian

Reservations: On weekends

Smoking: No

Kids menu: Accommodated

Price: $$$

Bar: Full

Tip: The veal is succulent.

T-Bone's Pier 11

1110 Lakeside St., LaPorte

(800) 575-3880 or (219) 324-4192

www.pleastshore.com

T-Bone's Pier 11 is attached to the Blue Heron Inn in LaPorte. Indoor and outdoor dining for 14 overlooks Pine Lake and the inn's floating boat houses. Fermin Martinez, who has been owner John Diedrich's executive chef for 16 years, is tickling diners' fancies with seafood, duck, veal, lamb shanks, and 16-ounce namesake T-bones grilled over wild Michigan cherry wood. The meat is hormone-free and never marinated and the prime rib is truly prime. "Only 2 to 2-1/2 percent of beef is prime in this country, and we're serving it," Diedrich says. Don't miss the custard potatoes, a scalloped affair with mozzarella, Asiago and Swiss cheeses. The apple galette with caramel sauce, one of many housemade desserts, is said to be killer. Hours are 3:30 to 9 p.m. daily.

Cuisine: Steaks and seafood

Reservations: Yes

Smoking: In lounge

Kids menu: No

Price: $$$

Bar: Full bar

Tip: T-Bone's serves hard-to-find prime beef.

Teibel's

U.S. 30 and U.S. 41, Schererville

(219) 865-2000

www.teibels.com

This restaurant is a local institution, famous for serving fried chicken dinners with all the fixings family-style, lovely fresh seafood and many other entrées, such as a 16-ounce rib eye steak, beef Burgundy, and tender center-cut pork chops with homemade applesauce. A bit like having lunch or dinner at your favorite aunt's. All entrées include tomato juice, relish tray, bread, tossed salad, fresh vegetables and ice cream. There also is a first-class group of luscious desserts to choose from if the ice cream isn't enough. Wine list is adequate and there is a children's menu for kids ages 8 and younger. Luncheon menu includes some good salads and 10 different sandwiches as well as the famous chicken and seafood. Down-home, top-quality food, comfortable seating and warm, friendly service. An asset and value in the region. Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays.

Cuisine: American

Reservations: On weekends

Smoking: In bar

Kids menu: Yes

Price: $$

Bar: Full bar

Tip: Famous for lake perch and chicken.

JD