For 53 years, Albano’s has served up classic pizza in Michigan City. How popular is the pizza? First, Albano’s doesn’t deliver. Second, the “I Love Albano’s Pizza” Facebook page (created by a fan) has 1,175 members from Australia to Arizona.

Jim Albano Jr. marvels at the success of the restaurant that was started by his dad, Jim, and his uncle, Russell, in 1957.

“Pizza is what we’re known for,” says Albano, “but we also serve a lot of Italian beef sandwiches and tacos.”

If that sounds like an odd combination, Albano admits it is, but it’s also one that’s proven popular among Albano’s regulars. It came about on a trip to Chicago by his father, who bought some tacos there, liked them and figured they would be easy to fix.

“We were the first to sell tacos in Michigan City,” says Albano. A few years ago, the restaurant revamped its menu and when word got out, regulars flooded the place with requests not to dump tacos.

Ken “The Hammer” Larson opened Hammer’s Food & Drink in 1995 after graduating from Purdue University and completing his professional boxing career, which is the interesting theme displayed throughout the restaurant.

If you are looking for a place where champions come to feast, then definitely pay a visit to Hammer’s and enjoy the photos of celebrities and teams that have dined there. Hammer’s has proudly served teams from Purdue, USC, UCLA, Tennessee, Duke and North Carolina. Offering recipes that have been passed down through generations (The Hammer’s family owned the famous Red Lantern Inn Supper Club), the restaurant is quiet and elegant in atmosphere.

Inside the Creekwood Inn, Kelly's Table is a warm and intimate dining space surrounded by windows looking out onto the gardens and wooded grounds of the inn. The restaurant features a cozy fireplace on cold nights and a sunporch bar for enjoying a drink before or after your meal.

The chef and owner of Kelly's Table is Patricia Kelly Molden, a LaPorte resident with over 30 years of experience. Her background includes training in classic French cuisine under the late chef John Snowden of Dumas Père Ecole de la Cuisine Français, where she later became his assistant in catering and cooking lessons.

Portofino Grill is located in the Clubhouse at Briar Leaf Golf Club on Highway 39 in LaPorte, Indiana. It began in April of 1998, when two people with the same vision made a commitment to use quality ingredients, showcase new flavors and provide a warm, inviting dining experience.

The menu is diverse and creative, so whether you are in the mood for a Choice hand-cut steak, fresh fish or a roasted duck salad, we’ve got you covered. Executive Chef Lawrence Headley and his staff also take pride in accommodating any personal and dietary requests. The dining room overlooks a portion of the golf course, setting the stage for the theme – Casual Fine Dining in a Country Club Atmosphere.

SAHARA RESTAURANT

Sitting inside Sahara, it's easy to imagine being transported
to a Mediterranean hilltop restaurant overlooking the ancient seaport dating back nearly four millennia, particularly as Greek and Arab music plays over the sound system of this
intimate eatery. Sahara is a handsomely appointed restaurant with blood orange-painted walls, exposed brick walls and an antique molded tin ceiling painted yellow.

What looks like a glass garage door opens up the room to the refreshing spring air. Sahara is a tapas-style restaurant with small plates of exquisite dishes, hot and cold appetizers
prepared with exotic spices and unusual herbs both delicious and memorable. It's a Mediterranean-style of dining familiar to the warm weather people of that neck of the world, a style conducive to conversational eating at a casual pace and
sampling a wide selection of foods.

STOP 50 WOOD FIRED PIZZA

Our specialty is the authentic Naples Style Pie prepared and cooked just as it was 169 years ago in a wood-fired hearth oven at over 900° F.

Our mission is to provide our guests authentic Napoletana pizza, house-made gelato and fresh salads using only the finest fresh ingredients, cooked using time-honored traditions and served in a warm inviting atmosphere. We also offer the finest micro-crafted beer and wine.

Naples, Italy, is considered the birthplace of this style of pizza (Napoletana), dating back to 1839, and it is as much a method of rich tradition as it is a food. It is an art blending the heritage of dough-making, the complexity of fire management and the craft of maintaining fresh ingredients. This combination produces a thin-crust pie that is crispy on top and bottom while chewy in the center, powerfully aromatic, rich in flavor and full of character. The pie will have slight blackening on the cornicione (outer rim of the crust) and the bottom.

A perfect antidote to the bustle and demands of high tech everyday life awaits you at “The East Shore of Pine Lake” located in LaPorte, MI. Accept our invitation to this charming turn of the century vacation spot, inspired by its own rich tradition for a carefree retreat. After challenging yourself to a game of golf or enjoying an afternoon drive to discover the bounty of the orchards, make sure you join us for dinner at T-Bones Pier 11.

T-Bones is the East Shore’s classic Steakhouse. Surround yourself with elegant Victorian woodwork and an elaborate coffered ceiling while dining on steaks, chops and seafood. The fine wine selection is just the start of a magnificent dining experience. Move on to freshly prepared starters and graduate to an entrée grilled to order on our natural cherry wood burning grill. The seasonally changing menu features naturally farm raised beef, fresh seafood, and many USDA Prime Cuts.