Valpo Fan Zone HL Tourney Travel Guide

A guide for Horizon League basketball fans: The best places to eat and drink in Northwest Indiana, with a focus on the City of Valparaiso

 

Well, for most of you, the unthinkable has happened. The Valpo Crusaders are the 2011-12 Horizon League regular season champions, and that means that (at a minimum) the weekend heart of the Horizon League Tournament will be taking place in Valparaiso, Indiana (pop. 30,000). Many around the league have voiced their displeasure at the prospect of having to spend this weekend somewhere other than one of the large cities that has hosted this event in the past (Indianapolis and Milwaukee, most recently). Between the perception that Northwest Indiana is nothing more than steel mills and strip clubs and the reality that Valpo is not a large city I understand where that trepidation comes from. So that’s why the Valpo Fan Zone has put together this little guide to help you survive, and perhaps even enjoy your forced journey into “Da Region.” Just think on the bright side. You won’t ever have to pay for parking!

Below you’ll find some recommendations for a few of the best places to eat and grab a drink in Valparaiso and the greater Northwest Indiana area (as well as a few places to kill some time as well). I’ll classify each place and link to their website for your convenience. Hope this is useful to you, even if it is just one person’s opinion. However, if you end up vehemently disagreeing or feeling like I led you astray all I can offer is the assurance that it was not my intent. I want all the visiting fans from Valpo’s HL competitor’s to have a chance to enjoy the change of pace from being in a large city along with what charms the area has to offer. We’re expecting you all back next year!

Part I: Valparaiso

Valpo has tons of fast food and chain restaurants. So if that’s what you’re looking for you should be good. If a specific national chain you particularly enjoy isn’t represented in Valpo, there’s probably one just twenty minutes west on Route 30 in Merrillville. Here are a couple quick hits for the best local places to eat and drink in Valpo.

1)     Kelsey’s Steak House – Restaurant – Kids Acceptable – A rare “mid range” steak house. Quality steaks for between $20 and $35 dollars. Great atmosphere in its recently redone building. Fun fact: It’s current location used to be Denny’s. You’d never know, until you stop to think about the fact that a great steak house is situated in a Wal-Mart parking lot. Go here over Strongbow’s, unless you really want turkey or baked goods.

2)     Pikk’s Tavern – Restaurant – Kids Acceptable – Downtown Valpo’s best all-around option. About as kid friendly as Kelsey’s (see above). Cool atmosphere that’s supposed to feel like a relaxed version of a Chicago steakhouse.

3)     Bistro 157 – Restaurant – Don’t bring the kids – The best place to eat in downtown Valpo, with the most elegant atmosphere. Not surprisingly, it’s pretty expensive. Go to Pikk’s if you want food that’s still really good for a little less cash and in an atmosphere that’s more laid back. If you really want a memorable date night. This is the place.

4)     Gelsosomo’s – Restaurant – Kid Friendly – Great pizza. Try the BBQ chicken pizza if that’s you’re kind of thing. It’s great.

5)     Wing’s Etc. – Restaurant – Not very kid friendly – A good sports bar. You know that because of all the lacquered wood. The food is much better than Buffalo Wild Wings. However, Buffalo Wild Wings is located downtown, while Wings Etc. is in a shopping plaza over by Route 49.

6)     Industrial Revolution – Restaurant – Kid Friendly – The décor in this place will help keep you distracted. The whole place is a shrine to American Industry, and that includes History Channel specials on the TVs and a model train. The food is a step up from the typical places you have to go with the kids, but nothing too sophisticated. Very close to the ARC.

7)     Schoop’s – Restaurant – Kid Friendly – Northwest Indiana’s local burger chain. Feels like a 50’s malt shop. Great burgers and ambiance for the kids.

8)     China House – Restaurant – Kid Friendly – Great nostalgic atmosphere. Located downtown, you’ll feel like you’re eating in the Chinese restaurant from A Christmas Story. Food is typical Chinese restaurant fare. If it’s a chilly day, make sure to order a pot of hot tea to start.

9)     Pastimes – Bar – Not Kid Friendly – The best all-around bar experience in downtown Valpo with, good atmosphere a decent beer selection and ok food. Smoke free. There is no dominant Valparaiso University bar, but you’re more likely to run into university people here than most other places.

10)  Old Style Inn – Bar/Restaurant – Not Kid Friendly – For older couples looking for an old school bar experience at a slower pace, you will love this place. Great prime rib as well. Smoking allowed.

11)  Franklin House – Bar – No Kids. – Billed as Porter County’s oldest bar. Smoking allowed, more townies, and maybe a little older crowd, but definitely younger than Old Style.

12)  Northside Tap – Bar – No Kids. – Generally crowded and oddly shaped bar area offers a unique experience. Smoking allowed, with a younger, townie focused crowd. Limited beer selection, but good wings.

13)  Parea – Restaurant/Bar – Not kid friendly – One of downtown’s newer offerings. Decent atmosphere. Last time I was there mixed drinks with brand name liquors were surprisingly cheap.

14)  Jimmie’s Café – Breakfast – Kid Friendly – Located downtown, a great “greasy spoon” breakfast place, with classic small town atmosphere. Cash only, last I checked.

15)  Inman’s – Attraction – Kid Friendly – Home to the nationally ranked Valparaiso University women’s bowling team. It’s a bowling alley, so if you want to bowl go here.

16)  Cinemark – Attraction – Kid Friendly – Valpo’s local movie theatre. It doesn’t have a ton of screens, but it’s new and pretty nice.

17)  Chapel of the Resurrection – House of Worship – So-so for kids – The tallest structure on Valparaiso University’s campus this uniquely designed building dominates the center of campus. Check out it’s unique interior, including an absolutely massive organ. Shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes to see it all though.

18)  Figure 8 Brewery – Tasting Room – No Kids. – Great locally crafted beers. The tasting room is small and fills up quickly. A fun place. No food.

19)  Designer Desserts – Cupcakes Store – Kid Friendly – If you have any sort of Lenten resolution regarding sweets, do NOT go near this place. Awesome cupcakes will have you salivating.

20)  Opportunity Enterprises – Popcorn Store – Kids OK. – A great local outfit that provides jobs for developmentally disabled individuals. At their factory there is an attached store where you can buy their flavored popcorns, along with the other products they make. A great endeavor to support.

 

Part 2: Greater Northwest Indiana

Some highlights from across Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties.

1)     Marti’s Place – Demotte – Restaurant – OK for kids. – Lot’s of deep fried seafood. Located along the banks of the Kankakee River. You will feel lost going here because it’s in the middle of nowhere. Unique atmosphere.

2)     Three Floyd’s – Munster – Brewpub – No kids. – Great brewpub featuring Three Floyd’s awesome brews as well as a large selection of other specialty beers. Good food, and an atmosphere to match Three Floyd’s unique bottle labels. Small seating area that fills up quickly. Located on the site of Three Floyd’s actual brewery.

3)     Shoreline Brewery – Michigan City – Brewpub – No kids. – Very good food to go along with solid beers (brewed on site), although the beers are not as good as Figure 8 or Three Floyd’s in my opinion. Located in an interesting building near both the outlet mall and the Michigan City Power plant (which despite its massive cooling towers is NOT a nuclear power plant).

4)     Portillo’s – Merrillville – Restaurant – Kid Friendly – The Chicago classic has an outpost in NWI as well. Known for their hot dogs, make sure to try the Chop Salad as well.

5)     Lighthouse Place – Michigan City – Outlet Mall – OK for Kids. – If outlet mall shopping is your thing then NWI has you covered at this location. Weather is a factor as you must be outside to move from store to store.

6)     Bartlett’s – Beverly Shores – Restaurant – Not great for kids – This is one of my top recommended places. A cool atmosphere in a converted gas station along US 20. US 20 is one of the old highways, like Route 66, and it has that pre-Interstate feel to it. The restaurant is owned by the same people who own Bistro 157 in Valpo, so the food is great, but it’s more of a relaxed atmosphere, along the same level as Pikk’s. Good beer selection. Smaller seating area that fills up quick.

7)     Blue Chip Casino – Michigan City – Attraction – No kids – The best overall casino in Northwest Indiana. Includes a number of quality buffets and a hotel.

8)     Albanese Candy Factory – Merrillville – Attraction – Your kids will love you forever – The actual factory is on-site but you can’t really see any of it. Basically a massive candy store. Definitely worth a stop, especially if you are on the way to Merrillville for your accommodations, or to visit a chain restaurant.

9)     Portage IMAX – Portage – Attraction – Kid Friendly – If the you really want the IMAX experience NWI has that as well. Just about 20 minutes to the northwest in Portage.

10)  South Shore Line – Several Stops – Attraction – So so for kids – The South Shore train line makes regular trips between South Bend and down town Chicago. There are several stops in NWI, all up by Lake Michigan. Dune Park is the closest station to Valpo, and parking is free. Probably best to avoid parking your car at any of the stops from Miller Beach on west. The train line ends in Chicago under the corner of Randolph and Michigan Avenue. From there you can use the L to get to most of the cool spots in the city, without the hassle of driving, and the expense of parking your car. The journey on the train itself is an interesting transition from the forests of the lakeshore, through heavy industry and then the urban blight/working class neighborhoods of the Far Southside of Chicago. The train also passes through Hyde Park before finishing its run. I could see some kids being mesmerized by the journey, and others hating it. Thus the “So so” rating. Make sure to check your return schedule if you plan on being back in Valpo for a game. It is just over 20 minutes from the Dune Park Station to the ARC.

11)  Indiana Dunes State Park / National Lakeshore – North of Chesterton – Attraction – So so for kids – Awesome natural beauty surrounded by the factories of America’s steel industry. A unique and special place. Kids may be a little bored. Tire them up but getting them to try and run up a sand dune. Chicago is just barely visible across the lake from here. Obviously very weather dependent.

 

Butler fans, try to stop looking down your noses at Valpo for a couple days, and you might actually have a good time. Everyone else, I know you’ll be fine. Safe travels, and see you at the games!

 

-Courtesy of the Valpo Fan Zone