From the category archives:

Restaurants

La Esperanza – Go For the Chips and Salsa

December 13, 2009

Entering La Esperanza (Spanish for “hope”), you are greeted with cheerful decor, festive Mexican music and hosts who seem to speak English as a second language. The menus and signs boast “authentic Mexican” food, a phrase that has often puzzled me. After all, should’t authentic Mexican food have to be from Mexico? I searched Google [...]

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Rathskellar vs. Gianneto’s: Michiana’s Deep Dish Pizza Heavyweigh Bout

July 7, 2007

It may have been perfected in Chicago, but chefs all over the world attempt to create their perfect version of the deep dish pizza. Our area has two that I recently put to a challenge. May the best ‘za win. Giannetto’s is located in the historic 100 Center plaza. A Friday night rush hour visit [...]

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The Vine Restaurant in South Bend: Same Yummy Food but You’ll Need Earplugs

June 30, 2007

The saying goes “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. The Vine restaurant didn’t seem to heed this advice when it moved its South Bend location a few years ago. Its last location next to the Chocolate Cafewas warm, quaint, inviting and had a great outdoor seating area. Unfortunately, during its move to a spot [...]

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South Bend, Mishawaka Restaurants

May 22, 2007

You can now search the South Bend Area Blog’s restaurant reviews by location. Click on the image to the left to see an interactive map of our first eight reviews. They include two Mexican spots, two Asian cuisines, a twenty-four hour restuarant, Italian, American, and Greek diners: Beto’s Original Mazatlan China Garden Fondue Hacienda Main [...]

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Fondue Saves the Best for Last

April 6, 2007

The Fondue! (formerly The Fondue Parlor) is set in one of the 100 Center’s renovated factory-type buildings and offers seating options ranging from booths to quaint “two-tops” to tables that can be moved together for the largest of parties. Our meal started with a typical salad followed by an appetizer that was tastier than one [...]

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The Best Sushi Near South Bend

February 27, 2007

There’s no restaurant scene so stylish as sushi. There’s no food more misunderstood. And there may be no cuisine more under-represented in South Bend. The Toyo Grill is working to change that. It’s comfortable if not stylish and covers the expected territory for a sushi place. Next to the more crowded Bonefish Grill, Toyo is [...]

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Hacienda, A Fiesta Every Night

January 22, 2007

The South Bend Area’s staple for Mexican food is Hacienda. They boast multiple locations – 12 in Indiana and Soutwest Michigan – and have either remodeled or rebuilt many of them in the last few years. While the newly clad decor and themes are nice, I prefer the original location in the 100 Center. It [...]

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