Indiana's Lake County readies for celebrants
Red hearts and green shamrocks soon will be aflutter in Lake County, Ind., as it prepares for celebrations honoring a pair of universally popular saints.
St. Valentine's Day will be recognized in the traditional manner as the region's premier chocolatier offers special gift baskets and boxes. St. Patrick's Day will be celebrated appropriately with lively jigs, sentimental ballads and, inevitably, kilted bagpipers, as well as frothy pints of dark brown stout and breakfast "puddings" of both the black and white varieties.
Plan an overnight stay at Merrillville's Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza, revitalized after a $11-million-plus makeover. Guest rooms feature Sleep Number Beds with settings ranging from zero to 100 representing ideal combinations of mattress comfort, firmness and support. (You can find your ideal number -- estimated by gender, height, weight, sleep position and sleep surface -- at www.selectcomfort.com.)
In addition to new bedding, guest rooms feature flat-screen televisions and upgraded bathrooms with granite countertops. The Atrium Lounge includes semi-private cabanas with flat-screen televisions and wireless Internet capacity.
You'll find things Irish (including "Irish for a day" St. Patty's celebrants) at T.J. Maloney's, conveniently located on the hotel premises. The pub extends the celebration with its St. Patrick's Festival that runs March 12-17 (with entertainment 9 p.m.-midnight, with an 8 p.m. or earlier start on March 15 and 17). It features Celtic bands, including Siochain (Celtic for "peace"), the Katie Sullivan Band and New Element. Maloney's offers live entertainment every Friday and Saturday and Celtic karaoke on Thursdays.
Irish fare includes Colcannon Soup (a chowder featuring creamy potatoes, bacon, leeks and cabbage), shepherd's pie, a Celtic version of chicken pot pie, Dublin-style corned beef and cabbage and beer-battered fish and chips featuring cold-water cod. Versions of potato boxty (stuffed potato pancakes) feature chicken, braised beef and corned beef. Desserts include Bailey's Irish Cream cheesecake and warm Irish whiskey bread pudding.
A traditional Irish breakfast assembles Irish bacon, Irish pork sausage, tomatoes, white pudding, black pudding, eggs and mushrooms. This hearty "fry up" is served with traditional soda bread.
Also adjoining the Radisson is Star Plaza Theatre, where an eclectic lineup includes musicals, rock 'n' roll, country and comedy acts and symphony performances. Upcoming is the New Shanghai Circus (Jan. 25), "Arthur Live!" (Feb. 8 and 9), "Jagged Edge, Fabulous and The Dream" (Feb. 10), "Chicago: The Musical" (March 9), "70s Soul Jam" (March 22) and Engelbert Humperdinck (May 9).
Velvety dark chocolates are among the temptations at the Albanese Candy Factory and Outlet Store in Hobart. You'll also find chocolate double-dipped nuts, raisins and coffee beans, as well as popular chocolate-covered orange peel. Best sellers include chocolate pretzels and chocolate malt balls. You can buy a ready-to-go Valentine's box or basket, or have one custom-assembled with your favorites.
For memories of days gone by, visit the "nostalgic candy" counter. There, you'll discover such old-fashioned treats as Blackjack gum, Snaps, Necco Wafers, Charleston Chews, Mallow Cups, Chuckles and Sugar Babies. Take a tour, enjoy a sample or two and be sure to check out a 32-foot-tall chocolate waterfall. Lots of visitors schedule a stop simply for the candy factory's signature Gummis -- full-flavored, soft and chewy -- of which it produces 35,000 pounds during every eight-hour shift.
Cafe Borgia has built a strong local following, attracting a cadre of repeat diners from the Chicago area to the Munster, Ind., eatery. Owner-chef Mike Jesso has taken awards in national competition and had his recipes featured in foodie magazines, such as Gourmet and Bon Appetit. Start with calamari salad, gnocchi al forno, mussels marinara or Italian sausage with white beans, escarole and extra-virgin olive oil. Pizzas are classic Roman-style, thin and crispy, while chicken Vesuvio is prepared to perfection. Specialties include Tuscan-style duck ragout and polenta and risotto with smoked chicken, mushrooms and Parmesan.
One of the region's newest attractions is a Hammond branch of the mega-outdoor store, Cabala's. This 185,000-square-foot destination department store for outdoor enthusiasts not only sells outdoor gear, but features museum-style wildlife displays and an aquarium. Supplementing retail areas are an indoor archery range, dog kennels and a restaurant. The average shopping visits last more than three hours.
Adding additional appeal will be The Splash Universe indoor water park annexed to a 150-plus-room hotel that will start construction this year for completion in 2009. It will be located next door to Cabala's.
If you go
Information: Lake County Convention & Visitors Bureau, (800) 255-5253, www.lakecountycvb.com; Indiana Tourism Hot Line (800) 884-4612, www.enjoyindiana.com.
Mileage: Merillville is about 45 miles southeast of Chicago.
MikeMichaelson is a travelwriter based in Chicago andthe author of the guidebook"Chicago's Best-Kept Secrets."