A trip down memory lane
I just returned from a trip to Northwest Indiana to visit my 90-year-old mom who sadly is not doing very well. Thanks to all of you who have sent messages of prayer and support to me directly and mentioned good thoughts to Mary while I was gone.
After a string of days spent mostly in the hospital I decided to venture out for dinner one night. I spent my summers growing up in this part of the country. My parents had a lake cabin there since I was 9. For my night out I headed to a place they introduced me to early on, the Heston Supper Club. It has been there since before my first visit so at a minimum we will give them over 50 years in business. The “town” of Heston, a more accurate description would be the “stop sign of Heston”, is primarily an agricultural community. There is a small gathering of now very nice homes on rural tracts of lands surrounded by corn fields. It is however strategically placed minutes from LaPorte where my folks had their lake cabin and about 30 miles from South Bend.
The placement has kept the supper club going I guess. It is a classic old “supper club”, we all know the type. Dark but not gloomy, a long bar lined with rows of martini glasses, and comfortable tables big and small looking out over the rural countryside. The specialty is prime rib and other hearty fare along with a good selection of locally sourced fresh water fish. I recall the food being fabulous and indeed it still is. Of course, I went for the prime rib, albeit the “modest cut”, can’t quite imagine what the larger ones might have been like!
I decided to forgo the cocktail and asked for the wine list. Here is the shocker of my trip to this place that looms so large in my memories…. The wine list was great, navigable and having all the right things for a restaurant like this, are you ready though? About 20% of the selections were from Northwest wineries! I was struck by the reach of our local wine industry all the way to this small town in Northwest Indiana. The wines they had were not all the big-name wineries we know either. Sure, Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling was on the list but there were other smaller producers too including some I did not even know.
As our own local wine industry continues to grow it is not only fun to find our local favorites in the most far flung places but nice to know we can access wines we know well and like to enjoy with a great meal. My experience with the Heston Supper Club was really special. The memories of being there with my mom and dad and other family flooded back. Especially with my mom not doing well the moment was even more poignant. Beyond the recollections though the current part of the experience was every bit as good.
As I mentioned above the food was spectacular, and the wines I chose were well matched for the fare and delicious. My server Vanessa did a great job. She was attentive without being pushy to get a table back in the mix when it was occupied by a single diner. Her suggestions were spot on both in food and beverages. My one regret is with their glassware. As I said Heston has a really good wine list with selections from across the globe that are perfect with the food they are putting out. It is time for them to move beyond the rolled edge tiny wine glasses from the local restaurant supply and bring in some Riedel or other appropriate crystal stemware. They would sell more wine and improve the experience even more. Perhaps though that would be a leap that should not be taken, diminishing the old supper club feel. I will leave that to the proprietors as they obviously know how to run a restaurant.
It is probably unlikely that many of our readers will find themselves in this tiny enclave. If you do travel to the Midwest though I would recommend a trip to Heston, Indiana and the supper club there. The drive there will tell you much about life in the rural heartland of our country, and you will be thrilled with the food, and you will be able to enjoy ample choices of great wine that span appellations and price points.
If there is a topic you would like to read about or if you have questions on wine, you can email George@thedinnerpartyshop.com, or make suggestions by contacting the Healthy Community section at the Coeur d’Alene Press.
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George Balling is co-owner (with his wife Mary Lancaster) of the dinner party, a wine and table top décor shop located by Costco in Coeur d’Alene. George worked as a judge in many wine competitions, and his articles are published around the country. You can learn more about the dinner party at www.thedinnerpartyshop.com. Be sure and check out our weekly blog at www.thedinnerpartyshop.com/home/blog-2 You can get all of these articles as well as other great wine tips by friending us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/#!/dinnerpartyshop.