J’s Peapod reopens, Mixtape Social Kitchen opens, Raising Cane’s and Chipotle coming, Jet’s Pizza opens two locations, one Flamingo Pizza owner departs

The J’s Peapod at 19285 Burnham Ave. has reopened, while the former J’s Peapod at 3212 E. 171st St. remains closed after owner Jeff Lo died suddenly late last year.

The restaurant, which does a bustling takeout and delivery business, has been an institution in the Calumet Region for more than three decades. It’s a go-to for Chinese food, serving customers in Lansing, the broader south suburbs and Northwest Indiana. 

Lo died at the age of 61 in December. His family initially shuttered both J’s Peapod restaurants but has reopened the Burnham Avenue location with the same menu as before.

J’s Peapod serves family-style dinners, combination plates and house specials like the Kung Po Three, Garlic Delight, Mushroom King, Lobster Sauce Combo, Curry Supreme, Beef and Scallops, and Singapore Noodles.

The varied menu includes Szechwan, beef, pork, chicken, seafood and egg foo young. Popular items include sweet and sour chicken, orange chicken, beef and broccoli, and shrimp and scallops.

For more information, call 708-895-8582.

The much-anticipated Mixtape Social Kitchen did a soft opening in downtown Valparaiso.

The new restaurant opened at 55 Franklin St. on the Porter County courthouse square.

Owners Corey and Blair Muno, who also own Tomato Bar in Valparaiso, Schererville and Crown Point and Blockhead Beerworks in Valparaiso, decided to do a fresh concept in the 2,500-square-foot space after closing down the gourmet hipster taco joint Ricochet Tacos, which had been in the space since 2017 and spawned a second location in downtown Crown Point, which remains open.

They previously owned the acclaimed farm-to-table fine dining restaurant Valley Kitchen & Bar in the same storefront in downtown Valpo.

Mixtape Social Kitchen is a trendy new concept in which the menu describes lettuce as letty.

The menu includes entries it calls “biggies,” such as a Wagyu smash burger with white American cheese and red onions, an Impossible smash burger, a lobster roll with clarified butter and a buttered brioche roll, a pastrami and swiss sub with “feisty” pasta salad, steak frites with chimichurri, a yolky egg and sun-roasted tomato sauce and a Cuban with braised pork tenderloin it calls the Missile Crisis.

The small plates, or smalls, include truffle fries with Parmesan, Wagyu chili cheese fries, blistered shishito peppers with avocado, Rice Crispies and grilled lemon smash, a fried grouper snack with remoulade and grilled lemon, Pad Thai wings, salt and pepper wings, a goat cheese dip with Tomato Bar marinara, a street corn flatbread and a bacon flatbread with caramelized onions, gruyere cheese and champagne lettuce.

Salads include mixed greens, a Caesar with truffle croissant croutons and a Chip Chop salad with lettuce, peanut bacon, golden raisins, puffed rice, avocado, tomato, cucumber, egg and blue cheese crumble. It can be topped with grilled chicken or steak for an upcharge.

For more information, call 219-531-8888.

Raising Cane’s is opening its much-anticipated Michigan City location on May 30.

The fast-food restaurant is building its first Northwest Indiana location at 5000 Franklin St. in Michigan City. It serves fried chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, Texas Toast and coleslaw.

The Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based fast food chain attempted to open its first Northwest Indiana location across from the Southlake Mall three years ago in the Crossings of Hobart, but was thwarted because a previous owner had the exclusive right to sell chicken products at the outdoor shopping center.

Raising Cane’s has been growing rapidly across the country and will finally open a Region location at the the former Buffalo Wild Wings location in front of the Meijer superstore. That chicken wing chain moved up the street to a location outside the Marquette Square Mall. The new Raising Cane’s will have a double drive-thru.

The chain, which opened near the Art Institute and Wrigley Field amid a Chicagoland expansion in recent years, has a simple, straightforward menu that focuses on juicy southern-style chicken fingers. It has the slogan “one love” to reflect its unwavering commitment to chicken fingers. The only difference between various combos is usually how many chicken tenders come with the meal.

The business concept famously earned the founders a C- grade at Louisiana State University, but it’s proven to be immensely popular, leading to more than 700 locations around the world.

Detroit-style deep dish pizza was reputedly invented at Buddy’s Pizza in 1946 by baking the pie in an automotive drip pan that was used to hold tools at a local auto plant in the Motor City. The metal pan caramelizes the Wisconsin brick cheese along the crispy, buttery crust, ensuring cheesiness in every bite.

Detroit-style pizza, which gets more of its mass from dough than does the cheese- and sauce-heavy Chicago-style deep dish, has been one of the trendiest pizza styles in the country in recent years. It’s popped up on more and more menus, including at Culinary Misfits and Carriage Court in Crown Point and the original Journeyman Distillery in Three Oaks.

It’s being popularized around the country partly by Jet’s Pizza, which first planted its flag in Northwest Indiana in Hobart and now has opened two more Region locations.

The suburban Detroit-based chain recently opened at 7943 Indianapolis Boulevard in Hammond and a few miles south at 332 Indianapolis Boulevard in Schererville. It specializes in eight-sided pizzas, which are actually two square pizzas in the same box so that every piece includes the highly desirable crust.

Jet’s Pizza opened in Hammond by the new Dunkin and Verizon Wireless just south of the Borman Expressway and just north of the Little Calumet River, while the Schererville location is in the former Tzatziki Greek Street Food location in the Shoppes on the Boulevard. It’s also coming to Valparaiso.

Founded in 1978 in Sterling Heights, Michigan, it has grown to nearly 450 locations across the country. In addition to the Detroit-style deep dish it’s known for, it also serves hand-tossed, thin crust and New York City-style pizzas. It offers BLT, BBQ chicken, Aloha BBQ chicken, bacon chicken ranch and Hawaiian pizzas, as well as the options of cauliflower and gluten-free crusts. 

Chipotle is under construction in St. John.

The fast-casual Mexican chain known for its big mission-style burritos, fresh ingredients and much-loved guacamole is building a 2,375-square-foot restaurant at 9525 Wicker Ave. in St. John. It’s between J&M Golf Shop and the Dairy Queen, across from Welch’s Stop and Shop.

“Chipotle will be an exciting addition to the town of St. John,” Town Manager Bill Manousopoulos said. “This location will have a Chipotlane which will be a drive-thru pick-up window. We look forward to the opening around July 2024.”

The Pilot Travel Center in Burns Harbor is reopening after a major remodeling.

The Duneland Chamber of Commerce will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening from 12 to 4 p.m. Thursday. The truck stop at 243 Melton Road underwent major renovations it plans to show off to the community.

The grand opening celebration will include food samples, games, prizes, free swag, goodies and the presentation of a $20,000 check to the Duneland School Corp.

Pilot Flying J is the largest network of diesel fuel stations in the United States with more than 750 locations under the Pilot, Flying J & Mr. Fuel brands.

“We are excited to showcase our newly updated travel center with the Burns Harbor community and the travelers we serve every day,” said Allison Cornish, vice president of store modernization and development at Pilot. “We continue to listen to our guest’s feedback and strive to make their travel experiences easier and more enjoyable.”

A longtime institution in Miller underwent an ownership change but will remain a family-owned pizzeria.

One of the owners departed Flamingo Pizza of Miller, at 8341 Locust Ave. in Gary’s Miller Beach neighborhood, which is known for its stone-fired pizza.

“After 23 incredible years of building something truly magical, it’s with an array of emotions that I announce my departure from Flamingo,” owner Christy Simpson said in a social media post. “This journey has been nothing short of amazing, filled with memorable moments, challenges, and growth. From a pink airbrushed building with bars on the windows and possibly the worst bathrooms in Northwest Indiana to a place where the community gathers to celebrate life’s monumental moments. We’ve laughed, we’ve cried and we’ve supported one another on our best days and our worst. I will be forever grateful for the unwavering support of our loyal customers, amazing team members, and the invaluable people that got us through the recessions, economic shifts, mandatory shut downs, staff shortages and the days we weren’t at our best, you all have been an instrumental part in Flamingo’s success. While it’s difficult to say goodbye, I am excited for this next chapter and the opportunity to explore new adventures. I will always cherish the memories and lessons learned during my time at Flamingo. Thank you for being a part of this incredible journey. Your support has meant the world to me.”

The restaurant is still family-owned and operated.

“Just wanted to take a second and let everyone know that Flamingo Pizza is still family owned and operated. I will continue to be 100% involved at Flamingo and things will remain the same,” owner Nick Divich said in a social media post. “I wanted to take a moment to thank Christy for all her hard work and dedication to Flamingo over the last 23 years and we wish her the best in her future endeavors. I would also like to thank my hard working staff for going above and beyond every day to ensure great customer experiences. Last but not least, I would like to thank the wonderful customers for their continued support over the years. I will be here to continue to serve the community and keep Flamingo at its best for years to come. Please feel free to contact me personally with any questions or concerns. See you at the bird!”