Over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house we go. Well… there wasn’t any woods, but there is one river, a few canals, a couple of steel mills and one large oil refinery to get from Highland to my grandparent’s house in the featured town on this edition of the blog – Whiting, IN. I grew up going there for July 4th parades, Christmas Eve’s, and visiting almost every Sunday afternoon. Sitting outside on Lake Ave two blocks from Lake Michigan, you had the cool breeze off the lake and the pungent smell of burnt corn known as Amaizo. You could almost touch your neighbor’s house by reaching out the window, the streets were full of parked cars on both sides leaving room for one, and the garages were in the back of the house with access only from an alley.
The city on the lake shares its culture and address with the Hammond neighborhood to the west, Robertsdale. At the turn of the 20th century, the bigger city to the south, Hammond, started annexing small towns to the north in order to get access to Lake Michigan. Although the corner towns of Robertsdale and Roby fell under the law of Hammond, The city of Whiting had the oil magnate, Standard Oil, to keep their independence. But, there was a large gap between Hammond proper and Robertsdale, where Whiting was just a street away. Although they are in different school districts and different tax zones, the culture and addresses were the same. With only one post office in the area, and before zip codes, all mail whether Whiting, Robertsdale, or Roby would be addressed to Whiting, IN. In this supersized blog, I would like to take you on a journey to somewhere completely different than small town livin, but so similar in as the friendliness of the people and way of life still screams quintessential Indiana.
The Tenderloin?
There is no tenderloin in Whiting. I searched every menu in every café and restaurant in the area. There was a place that had one, but it was deep fried after being frozen and not even served as a sandwich. They wanted to put gravy on it and bring it out with no bun. So, instead of writing a quick blurb about something that misses the intent of finding a great Indiana Tenderloin, I’d figure I would feature a couple different Northwest Indiana culinary heavyweights that everyone should try when hanging out by the Great Lake.
There is no other food that one could consider a Northwest Indiana specialty, especially in Whiting, as lake perch. Mostly served on Fridays, it is tradition with the majority Catholic population from when we couldn’t eat meat on Fridays, but today it can sometimes be found week-round. The “gone before it’s time” restaurant Phil Smidt’s used to be the icon of lake perch in the whole universe, but closed its doors back in 2007. I wandered into a small bar on Calumet Ave called Frankie V’s which is just a block away from my father’s old high-school. The bartender/owner, Martina, was able to have the cook fry me up a couple fillets. It’s hard to get the real lake perch outside (and even sometimes inside) of NW Indiana. Many times in good restaurants I’ve ordered it up and out comes a giant filet which is obviously the more bland tasting ocean perch. The easiest way to tell is that the pieces are small. If fried, it is curled up from its sides. Sometimes it is flat when sautéed in butter. What you may give up in quantity, you get back ten-fold in quality. The thin sweet flaky fish just melts in your mouth with every bite. Frankie V’s perch was superbly prepared fried with a crisp light salty breading that complemented the tenderness of the fish. Sitting at the bar in NW Indiana, even at 11:30 on a Sunday, people come in and out. I found myself engrossed in friendly conversation about sports, travel, and history of the area with the bartender and everyone else around. Frankie V’s is that neighborhood tavern that sits on every corner of old time Indiana. It worth it to make some time to stop in and bring the whole family to try their pizza, steaks, and of course, lake perch.
Northwest Indiana is a suburb of Chicago, which is known for its outstanding pizza. Although deep dish gets the glamour, I consider that to be for the tourists. The real Chicago pizza is the thin crust tavern style pizza. Cut in squares, the outer crust is more of a cracker while the center is soft. A thick spicy layer of sauce in the middle with a thin stiff gooey cheese cover that is better when it is burnt. And the topping of choice for most in the area is – sausage (mushrooms are also popular too). Large, spicy pieces of sausage that weigh down the corners of the middle pieces that you must support while transporting the square from the cardboard box to either your plate or directly into the mouth. We brought home a pizza from Capri’s, which recently moved across the plaza to its new expanded space with more dining area and adequate air-conditioning for everyone. Although not our first choice, as a jurassic staple of a Whiting pizza place was closed for the Pierogi Fest next week, Capri’s should have been our original choice. We were able to take it home to the Whiting (Robertsdale) area native – my dad, where he gave it the seal of approval. Check out that picture below, the sauce overflowing the edges and the caramelized cheese. The rest of Indiana really don’t know what they are missing out on with the NW Indiana tavern style pizza.
The final foodplace I would like to feature is Arnie’s Doghouse. Not only is it known as the place where “Man bites dog”, it’s also best darn hotdog you can get in the state. Granted, it’s a block away from my grandparents old house, but you can’t replicate the smells and tastes from the Vienna beef dog and the golden fries. Most get the sausages to-go, but there is a counter you can sit and eat at while watching them fill orders of all the other goodies they prepare. I know it is just a hotdog and fries, but I just can’t comprehend how it is so good. You can buy a Vienna beef dog at the store and cook yourself or go get one at another stand, but it pales from getting it at the store on Indianapolis Bvld. Sitting at the counter and chomping on the fries, I just got that warm feeling of being back at grandpa’s house sitting outside on a cool summer Sunday evening.
The Town
There are coffee shops and there are plant stores, but why not combine them into one shared space? That is what Ixxa Coffee has done. They focus on coffee in Latin America from high altitude regions that utilize sustainable farming. Does that mean the coffee tastes any good? Well, it tasted plenty good to me. I picked up a cup and then sat in the patio surrounded by plants. Later on I went inside and purchased a plant for my office at work. They suggested a “Snake Plant” since it doesn’t require much watering and is really hard to kill. That’s my kind of care. It looks good too and now sits by my window reminding me of the day I went to the shop that only sells coffee and plants.
Right on the Whiting strip in the old nickelodeon is a game store called Mind Benders. Inside you can find a large selection of puzzles, toys, and games. You will find treasures for all ages as the store does not cater exclusively to young children as some toy stores do, nor does it have the dark teenager D&D vibe other game stores have. The owners were out on the floor that day and will not only show you the next new and trending puzzle game, they will play with you. Just like trying on a pair of pants at the department store before you buy, you can test some of the gameplay before taking it home. My boys picked up a couple of unique Rubik’s Cube style puzzles and I got a couple more Lego minifigures for my office collection. It is the perfect place for a gift for that hard-to-buy-for nephew or testing a new puzzle to buy for the next neighborhood gamenight.
The Mascot Hall of Fame is a crazy kids museum right at the end of 119th Street near the lake. The three story carnival showcase has the image of a museum that elects mascots (5 a year just like baseball) into a hall of fame. But, just like the mascots are a crazy fun portion of the sport, the “museum” is an interactive fun center with hands-on activities centered on the “sport” of being a mascot. The 2nd story is where the mayhem is at. You can dress up as a mascot and record a video wowing the fans, you can learn patented mascot dance moves in a virtual studio, you can “manufacture” a mascot with a bells and whistles train show, and they even have a build-a-bear where you can build-a-mascot on the premises and buy mascot clothes and accessories for it. The first story has an activity center where the kids (and adults if it is not busy) can play any sport with a soccer goal, a football goalpost, basketball hoops, a hockey net, and every variety of ball known to America. There are even leather lounge chairs in the “Penalty Box” where adults can rest while their kids burn off all the extra energy. Make sure, if you go, to bring kids with you. Going, even as a group, as an adult would make one bored and feel out-of-place. But, if you have a child, grandkid, or cousin between 3 and 9 years old – go for it, they will have a blast! My only gripe about the whole place was the absence of one – Purdue Pete! He’s been around since 1956 and is probably the most recognizable mascot around the world. It is a travesty and akin to The Beatles not being in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
There is a saying, “It’s the journey, not the destination”. That’s how I felt about heading to the monument at the Indiana – Illinois state line. I’ve heard about it, but I never been to it before, and we had a heck of a time finding it. First we tried to reach it from the Indiana side. After taking the casino exit and making a U-turn into the marina, we were denied entry (aka - I didn’t want to shell out a parking fee) and told to access it from the Illinois side. Good thing for Google maps as we traversed a couple diagonal streets, went under the railroads and the Skyway, through a Chicago neighborhood, and took a back alley behind a park to get to it. Was it cool to see? Somewhat… It was erected in 1838 back when Martin Van Buren was president, so that makes it 185 years old. You could stand in two states at the same time. But like my other travels when detour to state tri-points… The journey is better than the destination.
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you will have discovered a bunch of old theaters on Main Streets’ across the state. There is just something about the old movie houses and stages that fascinates me. Well… that could be traced back to 2001 when my uncle and I went to the Hoosier Theater in Whiting to see the movie starring a pre-Pirates of the Caribbean Johny Depp called “Blow”. I was only a few years removed from working at a cineplex in my high school and college years so I was familiar with the inner workings of an indoor movie theater. I was totally blown away by the ornamental and historical features of the grand spectacle of the movie house from back-in-the-day. I had never realized the detail given to the ceiling, the side walls, and the stage. It looked like something in a church rather than a dark cinema complex. Walking into this in 2023 still gave me the awe and wonder of the entertainment venue that you cannot find in current theaters. From the blue lighted dome in the ceiling, to the gold frieze on the side balconies, and the opulent chandeliers it is like walking into a time machine and seeing a play in Paris at the time of Louis the 16th. Our movie was the new Mission Impossible. The sound reverberates throughout the auditorium like nothing you would get with the high powered speakers used in the theaters of today. The screen sits back behind a curtain and stage and perfectly immerses you in the visuals of the film. This is the only way to really enjoy a movie. It was meant to be seen as a special event in a grand palace. Even the lobby was like a dark waiting room that would build the anticipation of the patrons as they munched on their popcorn for the doors to the space to open. My grandfather used to tell stories when he was a kid going to the Hoosier Theater. It would cost him a nickel on Sundays and he would be able to watch cartoons and shorts the whole afternoon in there. With my kids in there during this trip you have at least 4 generations of Tomko’s that have enjoyed this entertainment space. There is a good chance that my grandpa’s old man had entered to watch a show back in that time, in fact, they could have even dragged his own grandpa to a show in there. So, there is a possibility that 6 generations of Tomko’s have been entertained in that same venue, and if my kids bring their children someday… The Hoosier Theater in Whiting is the movie theater I have been searching for all along even though that I had already found it all those years ago.
You can’t really go to Whiting without checking out Whiting Park. Right off Lake Michigan you can stroll along the shore while gazing at breathtaking views of the Chicago skyline in the distance. A pier juts out where you can get a 360 degree view of the lake and all the recreational boats speeding around. There are playgrounds, gazebos, and shelters if you just want to hang out and have a picnic. Whihala Beach also sits on the west end of the park if that is your thing. Whatever you do and no matter how much time you have in town, make sure to at least take the drive through the park and see the edge of the state.
Everyone is familiar with the Major League in baseball, if not they have surely heard of the New York Yankees or the Los Angeles Dodgers. Those squads have farm teams directly affiliated to help develop a large pool of young players known as the minor league. There is a third league out there of independent baseball. Not affiliated with the major league teams, they usually consist of college players on summer break and older players that have “retired” from the professional leagues. Whiting has one of these independent league teams and, unlike the rest of the teams in this leagues that play at high-schools, they built a stadium for them at the end of 119th St. The Northwest Indiana Oilman play in Oil City Stadium that seats 1,100, but usually only draws a couple hundred on normal days. It is built well and feels like professional stadium. The brick grandstand and walls that enclose the field keep an intimate setting for sitting back and drinking a beer in the sun while the cool breeze from the lake cools you down. Be sure to bring your kids as there are plenty of opportunities to get a ball. My brother and nephew joined us for the game and he and my youngest were on the prowl at the foul lines ready to pounce at anything that left the field. Nephew got 5 balls while my youngest son got 3. Even my oldest snagged one that popped out near our seats and down a stairwell. The backdrop in the outfield is also one of the most beautiful and unique. The BP oil plant is in the background, and if you don’t appreciate the beauty of an industrial skyline just wait till night where the lights and a flame provide the setting. Sometimes you don’t need the big stars and the fancy scoreboards to sit back and enjoy a baseball game, just a quiet Indiana town with a beautiful park that would make anyone say, “Let’s play two!”
I was so glad to travel back to the town where my dad grew up and his side of my family resided. I have so many great memories of that area. The urbanization can be intimidating to small town Indiana, but there is nothing to fear in a little close living. The people are great, the food is extravagant, there are fun places to see, and would be a great area to grow up. I absolutely loved taking my boys around the streets where their great, great, great grandparents once hung out on. It will also be a great place for first timers to discover something new. And… I hear they have some great pierogi's there too, heck, they have a whole festival celebrating them.
I see 8 goofy looking mascots in his picture, how many do you see?
by Michael Tomko
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