Don Pedro

316 Torrence Ave., Calumet City

(708) 862-7747

7840 Wicker Ave., Schererville

(219) 365-0500

Modestly decorated, spacious and bustling restaurant with full bar. It features a traditional, extremely varied Mexican menu with abundant portions of fresh, homemade food. Appetizers include freshly made guacamole and warm, crunchy nachos. Five different charcoal-broiled steaks are on the menu, with fluffy Spanish rice, refried beans and green salad. The usual Mexican favorites also are available: fajitas, flautas, enchiladas, tostadas, tacos, burritos and various combination plates, all served with rice, beans, sour cream and guacamole. Mexican breakfast is served day or night. Caramel flan and delightful fried ice cream, with a combination of "smooth and crunch" are the desserts. Schererville hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays. Calumet City hours are 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Fridays, Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sundays. Entrées

$6.95 to $11.95.

Cuisine: Mexican

Reservations: No

Smoking: Not allowed in Calumet City restaurant; allowed in Schererville

Kids menu: Yes

Price: $$

Bar: Full bar

Tip: Mexican breakfast is served day or night.

don Quijote

119 E. Lincolnway, Valparaiso

(219) 462-7976

www.valparaiso.com/dining/pages/donq

True Andalusian cuisine presented in a storefront environment decorated with a mix of Old Madrid and Victorian Americana. Small sidewalk cafe during summer. Twenty-five different tapas are offered as well as traditional Spanish paella with seafood; pinchos marunos, grilled veal and pork with saffron rice; lamb with olives. Outstanding authentic Spanish desserts, pitchers of sangria and a wine list representing Spain and California. Live Spanish music on weekend evenings. Open for lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; dinner 5 to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 5 to 10 p.m. Fridays; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays. Closed Sundays. Entrées with salad, $12.95 to $20.95.

Cuisine: Spanish

Reservations: On weekends

Smoking: No

Kids menu: Yes

Price: $$ lunch; $$$ dinner

Bar: Full bar

Tip: Live Spanish music on weekend evenings; try a pitcher of sangria.

Duneland Beach Inn Restaurant

3311 Pottawattamie Trail, Michigan City

(219) 874-7729 or (800) 423-7729

www.dunelandbeach.com

Located in the wooded dunes just east of Long Beach, the cheerful dining room at this charming inn features well-spaced tables with white napery and buzzes with activity especially on weekends. Starters may include calamari, Crab Louis, grilled flat bread with such toppings as sautéed portobellos with garlic and caramelized shallots. Main courses include soup or salad and may be crab cakes with chipotle aioli, red snapper with citrus beurre blanc sauce or prime rib with horseradish sauce. Extensive wine list in the $20 to $30 range. Key lime pie and cheesecake head the dessert list. Open for dinner only from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; 5 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Entrées in the $12 to $23 range. No smoking. Reservations required. All major credit cards. Parking.

Cuisine: Upscale casual

Reservations: Yes

Smoking: No

Kids menu: Yes

Price: $$$

Bar: Full bar

Tip: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday brunch.

El Pueblo Authentic Mexican Restaurant

5350 U.S. 6, Portage

(219) 764-TACO (8226)

Martha and Arnulfo "Fito" Marquez's El Pueblo Authentic Mexican Restaurant in Portage features El Pelon that should be called El Gordo because it easily can serve two adults and one child. This carnivore's delight comes in a molcajete (a footed Mexican mortar used for grinding) and features grilled steak, chicken, shrimp, bacon and chorizo with sautéed onions, bell peppers and tomatoes, and is topped with pico de gallo and white cheese sauce. Served with rice, beans, guacamole, salad and three tortillas, The Bald One is a deal at $12.99.

Everything is made from scratch using recipes that have been handed down through the generations. Expect the usual suspects, plus seldom-seen chalupas, chiles rellenos, tostahuac (a flat tortilla topped with beef, lettuce and guacamole), sopes and gorditas, to name a few. And on the weekend, look for menudo and posole. You'll be started with a basket of housemade chips, a carafe of red salsas, tomatillo sauce and pico de gallo.

Guacamole doesn't come with every dish, so make it a point to order it. It might need a little salt, but it's brimming with the rich, luxurious mouth feel only this vegetable can produce. El Pueblo goes through seven cases of avocados a week.

If you have room for dessert ($1.99 to $3.79), consider the fried ice cream, cheese cake chimichanga, sopapilla, flan or fried banana and ice cream.

The margaritas use Los Cabos wine (made from the agave, a cactus plant) and the glasses are rimmed in coarse sugar, not salt. The Strawberry Margarita is a winner but I hear the Piña Colada version is just as good.

A children's menu (most items $3.59), carryout, private-party accommodation and pick-up catering are in place, and smoking is allowed in a special section. There's an express lunch ($5.99 and less) 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. This is a place Latinos frequent but gringos are solidly welcome. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, until 10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Cuisine: Mexican

Reservations: No

Smoking: Smoking section

Kids menu: Yes

Price: $

Bar: Beer and wine

Tip: Try the wine margaritas. Live mariachi music on select days.

El Salto -- REFLOW NEXT TIME USED, Munster and Chesterton locations added

3304 Calumet Ave., Valparaiso, (219) 462-0100

805 Ridge Road, Munster, (219) 836-0600

757 Indian Boundary Road, Chesterton, (219) 395-9890

A friendly, informal spot where you can satiate that craving for authentic Mexican food. Several of the signature dishes, like bistek El Salto, and the restaurant's name, come from a recreational park in the Michoacan province of Mexico. Other good choices are the carnitas dinner, sautéed pork tenderloin with grilled onions, served with rice, refried beans, guacamole salad and three warm tortillas. Pollo loco features grilled chicken with onions and spicy pico de gallo, served with the same side dishes. Plenty of enchiladas, tacos, and burritos in combination dinners. Children's plates. Margaritas, beer and wine. Open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, until 10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays. Prices average $8 at dinner; less at lunch.

Cuisine: Mexican

Reservations: No

Smoking: Allowed in Munster and Chesterton; not allowed in Valparaiso

Kids menu: Yes

Price: $

Bar: Margaritas, beer and wine

Tip: A friendly, informal place that serves traditional and Michoacan cuisine.

El Taco Real

935 Hoffman St., Hammond

(219) 932-8333

This friendly and busy meeting place serves up addictive margaritas with baskets of warm tortilla chips and chunky homemade salsa to begin before offering an array of traditional appetizers like hot, crisp, spicy and creamy nachos -- crisp corn taco chips with refried beans, cheese, jalapeño peppers and carrots (a nice touch). Mains include carne asada, seared marinated skirt steak, pollo endiablado, a half-chicken first dusted with paprika, garlic and black pepper and slowly broiled; pork spare ribs and pork tenderloin all served with frijoles, Spanish rice and a lettuce-and-tomato salad. Fish dishes only during Lent. Desserts include traditional rice pudding, flan and buñuelitos. Large selection of Mexican beers. Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and until 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays. Appetizers and basics $3 to $10. Main courses and daily specials $7.50 to $16.

Cuisine: Mexican

Reservations: No

Smoking: Yes

Kids menu: Yes

Price: $$

Bar: Full bar

Tip: Fish dishes only during Lent. Desserts include flan and buñuelitos.

Flossmoor Station Restaurant & Brewery

1035 Sterling Ave., Flossmoor

(708) 957-BREW

www.flossmoorstation.com

A colorful, lively brewery and restaurant in a renovated circa-1906 railroad station adds even more charm to Flossmoor's already quaint downtown. Abundant menu of bar food, fresh salads, chargrilled burgers, deli sandwiches, dinners that concentrate on chicken, seafood and steak, not to mention pub specials of superlative fish and chips and the intriguing Burrito That Ate Flossmoor. Generous portions partner well with five beers brewed onsite or the respectable wine list. Cheerful and efficient service and lots of ambience make this restaurant a good value. Patio dining in warm weather. Open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and noon to 9 p.m. Sundays. Soups, salads, sandwiches $3.95 to $9.95; dinners with soup or salad $11.95 to $19.95.

Cuisine: Pub grub

Reservations: No

Smoking: No

Kids menu: Yes

Price: $$

Bar: Full bar

Tip: Cheerful and efficient service; patio dining weather permitting.

Freddy's Steak House

6442 Kennedy Ave. at 165th Street, Hammond

(219) 844-1500

A popular spot for steaks, prime rib, seafood and chops in Hammond, under new ownership since May 2005. Prime rib special ($24.95) on Tuesday night. More modest size also available along with signature rib eye in three sizes ($19.95 to $23.95), porterhouse ($22.95), fillet medallions ($19.95) and New York strip steak ($24.95). Twelve seafood, and four chicken entrées fill out the menu ($11.95 to $24.95), plus ribs and lamb or pork chops ($13.45 to $19.95). A relish tray with crisp fresh vegetables, bread basket, soup or house salad, and choice of potato come with dinner. Desserts include key lime pie, tiramisu and bananas Foster. Friendly, efficient service. Open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; to 10:30 p.m. on Fridays; from 4:30 to 10:30 p.m. Saturdays; and 3 to 8 p.m. Sundays.

Cuisine: Steaks/seafood

Reservations: On weekend

Smoking: In bar

Kids menu: Yes

Price: $$$

Bar: Full bar

Tip: Old-time steak-house dining with sandwich menu options at lunch.

Fuji Japanese Restaurant

5942 U.S. 6, Portage

(219) 763-4131

If you're into authentic nori-wrapped rice rolls, you can watch them being made at Fuji Restaurant in Portage. Not a sushi fan? Then let owners William and Amy Wang dazzle your taste buds with teriyaki, yaki tori (kebab), gyoza (pot sticker), yaki meshi (fried rice), harumaki (spring roll), tempura and more. The menu is comprehensive and features udon and soba noodles and build-your-own bento boxes ($10.95 to $13.95) in which the food is presented in their own compartments like the little jewels they are. All dinners come with miso soup and a small fresh salad with ginger dressing. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., you can't miss with the lunch box for $6.95. It includes one selection from among 20 entrée choices, including teriyaki and tempura, four California sushi rolls, salad, white rice and miso soup. Such a deal! The emphasis in Japanese cooking is on vegetables and lighter, nonspicy foods, but in a nod to American tastes, William Wang will kick it up a notch if you're so inclined. He

makes everything from scratch, including the sauces. Check out the sake-spiked teriyaki. It's out of this world. For dessert, there's green tea and red bean fried ice cream ($3.50). Fuji offers a pleasant dining room or carryout services. The owners are delightful, the flavors are bright and fresh and the prices are right. There may be a language barrier but pointing to pictured menu items works. Barring that, there's usually an English-speaking server who'll get you through. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and noon to 9:30 p.m. Sundays.

Cuisine: Japanese

Reservations: No

Smoking: No

Kids menu: No

Price: $$

Bar: No

Tip: The lunch box, available between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., is a deal for $6.95.

Gamba Ristorante

455 E. 84th Drive, Merrillville

(219) 736-5000

Nobody does white-tablecloth dining like Benny Gamba. Merrillville's 10,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art restaurant has a piano bar and lounge and banquet seating for up to 200. Rabbit with pancetta and creamy polenta ($12), and foie gras with brioche, apple and applewood bacon ($13) are on the menu. So are a 20-ounce porterhouse steak ($33) and veal in many guises. Starters include Carpaccio of Kobe Beef with truffle and lemon oil ($13), Sashimi of Fresh Tuna with wasabi and pickled ginger ($9), Shrimp Cocktail with Cognac sauce ($10), and specials like the Grilled Scallops with arugula-artichoke pesto. Lunch fare includes a recent special of Pan-seared Halibut with Pernod sauce over Northern beans, spinach and carrots ($13), gnocchi, lamb shanks and more. Look for scrumptious desserts -- tiramisu, cheesecakes, panna cotta, cannoli cake, chocolate pistachio cake, and crème brûlée. If you visit the restaurant at night, you're in for a dazzling experience with light

reflected in the many windows, chrome and marble (don't miss the avant garde sinks in the restrooms). And when the weather gets warmer, dine in the brick courtyard, patterned after a square in Gamba's hometown of Altamonte, Italy. Dressed business casual or to the nines, an epicure or novice, you'll get the same treatment. When you book a table, it's yours for 2-1/2 hours if you care to linger that long. Gamba's three restaurant tenets are taste, hospitality and service. And he delivers. Gamba racks 95 different wines, over half of them for less than $40 a bottle all the way up to a $700 1997 Chateau Margaux. Not sure what to eat? Let Benny take your palate on a magic carpet ride. Lunch: $7 to $12; Dinner: $17 to $33. Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch Mondays to Fridays; 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays; 5 to 9 p.m. for dinner Mondays to Thursdays and 5 to 10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Closed Sundays.

Cuisine: Fine Italian

Reservations: Recommended

Smoking: In bar

Kids menu: No

Price: $$ lunch; $$$ dinner

Bar: Yes

Tip: Outdoor dining when weather permits