Crown Point's Local Foods Satisfy Hungry Appetites
Comfort any hungry appetite with some hometown Crown Point comfort food. Here's a sampling.
The Circle Restaurant, located at 110 S. Main St. on the public square, offers Americana fare such as sandwiches, burgers, steaks and apple pie, along with specialty items such as a spicy meatloaf sandwich, butternut squash ravioli and chocolate hazelnut cheesecake. Tantalizing dinner entrées include the Circle filet, an 8-ounce filet mignon stuffed with blue cheese and topped with crispy bacon bites, and the Northern Italian veal stew, featuring cuts of veal with vegetables in a red wine reduction. Appetizers range from yellowfin tuna bites served with anise, caraway spice, wasabi aioli and a melon salsa to margherita pizza made with a 12-inch, cracker-thin crust and topped with marinara, fresh basil and shredded mozzarella.
At Pheasant Valley Country Club‚ the Pheasant Valley Restaurant serves steaks‚ seafood‚ chicken and more. Customer favorites include a pork osso bucco served with risotto‚ grilled salmon with fresh asparagus‚ and beef tenderloin tips served over penne pasta with fresh sweet peppers and sautéed onions. Cheesecake‚ carrot cake and double-chocolate cake sweeten the menu. The restaurant and banquet facility hosts wedding receptions and corporate outings‚ as well as events on most holidays and special events such as wine and beer tastings.
Cows, education, fun and award-winning cheeses come together at Fair Oaks Farms, one of the country’s largest dairies and a growing northwest Indiana agri-tourism destination. Fair Oaks Farms features all kinds of family fun activities, from a climbing wall in the shape of a giant milk bottle to a look inside a birthing barn, where about 80 calves are born every day. Its on-site cheese factory allows guests to witness world-class cheeses in the making. Among the award-winning creations is an aged Gouda that won the Cheese and Butter Grand Champion of the World Dairy Expo in 2007. The cheese factory includes a café and a store. For more information, visit www.fofarms.com.
At the Crown Point Farmers Market, vendors sell a variety of fruits and vegetables along with herbs‚ baked goods‚ eggs‚ meats and cheeses. Potted plants, flowers, organic soaps, candles and other arts and crafts are also available. Market events include live cooking demonstrations, a forum on food and nutrition, and tips from Master Gardeners. The market is open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Saturday from June through the second week of October on South Main between Hack and Walnut streets‚ one block south of the Old Courthouse Square.
Dawn Food Products Inc. bought its Crown Point facility in 1987 and produces mainly puff pastry, Danish pastry and muffins. Today, Dawn Food Products has more than 40,000 customers, 4,000 products, 40 locations and 3,500 employees worldwide.
