This is officially the last day of the 365 Things To Do In Michiana, so I would like to make this last post just a big THANK YOU!!! to all that have taken time out their routine to read this blog and of course to thank those businesses that took time out of their busy day to talk with me about what they do.

I have been asked, on several occasions, as to what I am going to do next. Will I continue to do the blog? Will I do something totally different? The answer is probably YES. As things come up, I will still post on the 365 Blog….and I am thinking of doing something different as well. Something that would still be community oriented…..just trying to smooth out the details.

I have also been asked several times to post about what I have learned during this process and been asked about what were some of my favorite posts. So, here it goes.

I guess the biggest thing that I learned, and it was echoed over and over again, is how we have some truly great people in our community doing creative things for their business. Contrary to what the media might have you believe, it is the mom and pop small businesses that really make our economy work and we have a WHOLE bunch of great small business leaders right here in Michiana! They are great to talk to and were very willing to help me on what I was doing with this blog.

An unfortunate part of doing this project, was that there were some good businesses that I did posts on that are actually out of business now. Of course this happens for various reasons, mainly to do with our economic climate right now. Another question that I have been asked several times is: “I bet you can tell me where NOT to go in Michiana as well?”….Yes, that is 100% true, but I opted to not make a list or to talk about those businesses….I wanted this project to remain positive.

Back on to the positive, there have been several posts that were my favorites or ones that really stuck out. Day 24, Soup Of Success falls into that category, it is such a worthy cause that is worth your time to read about……..SERIOUSLY! click on that link, read about it, you will want to go visit them after reading to buy some of their soup and baskets!!!! There are the  many festivals and fairs that take place in Michiana. There was The Midway Tavern, Day 35, that is such a cool place to go hear live music. There is The Center For History in South Bend along with some really cool places to check out art, like Circa Arts and Ben Roseland’s Art Studio.  Some of my favorite Italian and Pizza places to do posts on were Cosimo & Susie’s, Davinci’s, New York Boys Pizza and D.C.’s Pizza and Subs. There were the new places, like Rivals Sports Den, and some that have been around awhile like South Side Soda Shop, Eddie’s Steak Shed and Maxi’s. There is my choice for best Pulled Pork Sandwich, which is Mattern’s, and just a couple really cool things to do and see like Joshua Tree Imports, Earth and Space Museum and the always hip to be retro Rumor Has It. Not to mention the GREAT people at Joshica’s Planet Canine and definitely one of my new favorite places to go out to dinner and hunt ghosts at, the Woodland Inn. I know that I am leaving some places out on that, but I can’t just recap everyone

There are still places for me to visit, though 365 Things sounds like a lot (and it is) there are actually more things that I have not gotten too yet that I hope to post about still……..just not everyday like I have been. I am looking forward to taking a break and probably getting caught up on some much needed blogging for my real estate business.

Once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking time out of your busy days to read about what I post about! We have a great community here in Michiana, and hopefully I have been able to highlight it for you and bring to light some things that you did not know even existed around us. I encourage you to take the 365 list and go visit these places. Take care and have a Merry Christmas!!!!

Sincerely,

Barry Skalski

Recently, I heard about a newer restaurant called Margarita’s which is an authentic Mexican restaurant. When I looked it up, I must admit, I was little puzzled to find that it was in Middlebury. Not that there is anything wrong with Middlebury, just that with all the Amish stuff out there, I didn’t expect there to be a Mexican place.

That said, as I was driving through Middlebury today, I decided to stop in and give it a try since I wanted to try it anyway. I am glad I did. The service was VERY prompt and the food was great. I don’t know a bunch about the background of the restaurant, other than that it is locally owned and not a chain and that the owner does the cooking.

Being the chicken quesadilla fan that I am, I had that along with a taco and some rice. The food came out right away and was very hot and good.  Margarita’s does the typical chips and salsa while you wait for your food, but like I said, the wait was not very long. All the reviews I have read have been typical of mine. Good food, good prices, good service. What more can you ask for?

If you are out Middlebury way, then give it a try, I think you will like it. They are open for both lunch and dinner every day.

My blog of places to go, places to eat and things to do, wouldn’t be complete without a post on one the area’s best Italian restaurants, Pasquale Rulli’s on Division Street in Mishawaka. From the moment you walk in, the place just says Italy! From the smells to the photo’s on the wall, you have no doubt that you are about to have an evening of good atmosphere and great food! There is something to be said for great Italian food that is freshly made from scratch!

Rulli’s is not going to be found on “restaurant row” in Mishawaka, in fact, you will find it right in the middle of a residential area….kind of old school. A hidden gem if you will.

Their specialty is probably their pizza which has a sweet sauce to it. If you order the spaghetti and meatballs, just be warned that the meatballs are HUGE.  Another great plus about Rulli’s is that they don’t break the bank. Good quality at a good price.

Because I like bargains, I subscribe to most if not all of the the local coupon specials…..like Groupon, Living Social, WSBT Deals etc…..

The other day, I received an email with an offer for D.C.’s Pizza in Elkhart so I went ahead and bought it to give me more incentive to give it a try. And boy am I glad that I did!!!

I must admit, I had never heard of D.C.’s prior to this, so I was not sure what to expect. I did a little background work by checking on Yelp and Urbanspoon for some reviews, and all of the review sites were really positive about D.C.’s……one thing I kept reading about was their sauce.

I must say, the sauce is one of the best I have ever had. I like a sweet pizza sauce, and this one is a VERY sweet sauce……I LOVED IT! And according to what I have read, they make their own sauce. The crust I had was a hand tossed, though they do offer a different styles including a Chicago Deepdish that I am looking forward to trying some day. They also offer a TON of different pizza options, which means that I am also looking forward to trying the BBQ Chicken pizza that they have as that has become a new favorite of mine recently.

Other menu items include sandwiches, Mexican, wings, Italian, salads and breadsticks. I just had to mention the breadsticks! Try their breadsticks with cheese….you will NOT be disappointed! They are some of the best in the area. They also offer a dessert pizza that looks like the American Flag.

Make sure you look up D.C.’s Pizza on Facebook for more information about the restaurant. They are open Monday through Thursday 11:00 am to 11:00 pm, Friday and Saturday from 11:00 am to 3:00 am and on Sunday from Noon to 10:00 pm. They do offer local delivery to Elkhart and Bristol, pickup and dine-in options.

We have gotten a small taste of the winter snow recently, but when it hits full throttle soon, why not make your way to Berrien Center in Michigan to do some snow tubing or cross country skiing at Five Pines Ministries. The big draw is the snow tubing. Five Pines offers up a 400 foot tubing hill!! The cost is $8 per person per day. Of course, right now there is not enough snow yet, so you just have to wait until the big snow fall that I am sure will be coming soon.

Same with the cross country skiing, but once the snow falls they offer trails that vary from hilly to flat open land in a beautiful wooded countryside. The cost of the cross country skiing is $7 per person per day.

Five Pines also has an activity center open that offers a wood burning stove, a general store and a snack shop that offers pizza, snacks, coffee, hot cocoa and more.

Five Pines Ministries is located at 6597 Smith Road in Berrien Center. To visit their website for more information, click HERE.

I say, again, that this baffles me.

Let me start by saying that I am a Christian. ANYONE who knows me, knows that I am firm in my faith.  And while I am far from perfect, I do try to follow the bible the best I can. I will also add, that I too use the terms Merry Christmas and Christmas Tree when describing the upcoming Christmas Remembrance or Reflection. I guess that is where I start to question this whole controversy, which to me, really isn’t a controversy.

Christianity isn’t supposed to be about Us Vs. Them, which is what it seems to me these posts are about. I am not suggesting that Christians start saying “Happy Holidays” or “that sure is a nice Holiday Tree!”…….I am not suggesting that at all. We should say Merry Christmas!

But do we need to scream it at people and belittle them for having, God forbid, a thought that is different than our own? Our we THAT insecure about our faith? Do Christians really think that these types of posts will draw ANYONE closer to Christ? One thing I am confident in saying, is that using a bullhorn to get your message across usually turns off the very people that you are trying to get the attention of.

In the mean time, I have not once went into a store where a Christmas Tree was called a Holiday Tree. I have not once this Christmas season went into a store and recall “Happy Holidays” be said to me. From what I can recall, it is always Merry Christmas……or maybe that is just what I hear. Merry Christmas. Even if something else is said, maybe I just hear “Merry Christmas!”.

Christmas seems to bring out the best and the worst in people. Sometimes it is hard to keep focus on what is important. You see, I feel that Christmas is a frame of mind. It is not something that you buy in a store. It is not about “twinkle” lights on the outside of a house. It is not about a nicely, or not so nicely, decorated tree. It is about how we treat others and remembering the birth of Jesus and all that goes along with that.

If you go by my house, you will not see the “twinkle” lights or a Christmas Tree. Not that I don’t like looking at those things, they can be neat to look at, and the lights can be very entertaining when they are set to music and such. It’s just that I don’t believe in them. I don’t feel the need to have them to confirm my belief. They seem very unimportant to me.

Instead, I will go about saying “Merry Christmas” and hearing the same said back to me, even if it is something else that is said.

My wife and I will go about doing what we always try to do, deliver food to people that are in need. Praying for those that we cannot reach or help. Donating to worthy causes like the homeless shelter or adopting a family in need or donating food and supplies to animal shelters that are in need…….we like to show love to our four legged friends as well

I would encourage everyone to SHOW your Christmas Spirit instead of preaching it from a bullhorn.

Merry Christmas!

I spent the first 23 years of my life in Niles, so I am no stranger to Pete’s Patio on North 5th Street. Pete’s has been  around for about 50 years now and has an excellent reputation for Pizza. It had been several years since I had been there, so I decided that my 365 Blog would not be complete if I did not get a post about Pete’s before the 365th post.

In case you have not noticed yet, I am a HUGE fan of pizza. My guess, is that most of us our. My favorite pizza is with a hand tossed medium to thick crust, so Pete’s is a little harder for me to judge, because it is a thin crust pizza. I have done postings on a few thin crusts in the area, probably the most notable place that has a thin crust is Barnaby’s…..or at least they get a lot of great reviews for their thin crust. But I have to say, all things being equal, I will put Pete’s right at or near the top of the list when it comes to a thin crust pizza. That’s not to say that I feel it is the best overall pizza in the area, but it is a good thin crust! I think because of the cheese they use. I guess my problem with most thin crust pizza’s, is that the toppings tend to be a little thin as well. But Pete’s has a nice stringy cheese to it and there is plenty of it.

Of course Pete’s is more than just pizza, but it is the pizza that they have the reputation for. They do have a wide variety on their menu, like, chicken parmesan, other italian dishes and various types of fish. They even have steaks and ribs. But pizza is the attraction here!

The restaurant is one that has been around awhile. It is not one of those newer, open concept dining room style places. There is a little bit of an old time feel to it with the picnic checkered table cloth and not a lot of windows. Some people may dislike it, but I have no problem with it. You are there for the food, at least that’s my opinion.

Pete’s is open Tuesday through Friday from 4:00 pm to Midnight, Saturday from Noon to Midnight and Sunday from Noon to 9:00 pm. You can find their page on Facebook by doing a search for Pete’s Patio.

A little over a month ago a new, small, locally owned authentic mexican restaurant opened up in downtown Elkhart. I had heard a couple of good things about it, so Kimberly and I wanted to give it a try. It was a little hard to find. Although it is downtown, it is on one of the side streets, kind of off the beaten path….if you know what I mean. But it is worth the search though.

As I stated, I had heard a couple of good things about it from friends, but I had also read a couple of reviews as well. This place is truly authentic style mexican food!

Beyond us going to it, I really do not have a lot of information on it to report on. The food was good, we had fajitas, the chips and salsa was spicy (something I really like), the service was prompt and the restaurant looked new, fresh and clean. It is not a very big place at all. They probably had about 12-15 tables.

The restaurant is located at 102 Middlebury Street which is almost right on the corner of Main and Middlebury by the railroad tracks in downtown Elkhart. They are open 11:00 am to 8:00 pm daily except for Tuesday when they are closed. You can find them on Facebook by looking up Antojitos Mexicanos Authentic Mexican Food.

We have probably all watched on YouTube the various Christmas light shows that are synchronized to music wishing “why isn’t there anything like that around Michiana?” Well, now there is!!!!

Jaim Wolfe at 10183 Heather Brooke Drive in Osceola has synchronized over 18,000 lights to a 10 minutes of music to create a pretty cool show! Kimberly and I decided to drive by his house tonight to check it out for ourselves and we REALLY enjoyed it! You drive up by the house, I suggest parking across from the house, turn the lights off on your vehicle and turn your radio to 93.5 and enjoy the show.

The show runs nightly Sunday through Thursday from 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm and on Friday and Saturday from 5:30 pm to 11:30 pm, according to the Facebook page which is Heather Lakes Christmas Light Show. You can also do a search on Facebook for OCLights and it should come up that way as well.

You can also see a video of the show by click HERE.

I am not typically a big coffee house guy, because I don’t drink coffee. However, I do like a good hot chocolate, and who doesn’t like good baked goods? So, after talking with several people about where they have had great experiences with local coffee houses, there was one name that consistently came up, Main Street Coffee House in downtown South Bend. So, this morning I decided to head on over and check it out, and I am glad I did. Main Street Coffee House is one of those locally owned gems that deserve our business!

As most people will be going there for their coffee, it is only right that I try to do my best to talk a little about it. They in-house roast high quality Arabica beans at their Nappanee location and bring it to their South Bend location and from the VERY experienced coffee drinkers that I know, they all rave about the quality of coffee being served.

The baked goods are all made in-house and are incredibly good and they also offer soups and sandwiches. As for the other qualities, they offer free wi-fi and they offer PLENTY of outlets!! That large number of outlets is something that I am always amazed that a lot of coffee houses lack, but not Main Street.

Their hours of operation are Monday and Tuesday 6:30 am to 10:00 pm, Wednesday through Friday 6:30 am to 11:00 pm and Saturday from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm. To visit their website, click HERE.