Five Star Restaurants

The absolute best restaurant to eat a fine dinner for a great holiday

2011-12-25T15:45:00.001-08:00

Normally, I love to cook for the holidays. But this Christmas, we decided to take it easy and instead of slaving over the oven, we wanted to go out an enjoy a great meal. There are a lot of restaurants where you can enjoy a great meal, but there is only one in the Southwest suburbs where you can really enjoy a fabulous meal worthy of Christmas or even New Years. That's 94 West Steak and Seafood, 15410 94th Avenue in Orland Park.

94 West is the absolute finest restaurant where you can get one of the best meals not only for quality but even for price. We ordered the Prime Rib. Now, my son ordered the 18 ounce Mary Prime Rib and I ordered the 18 ounce Johnny's Cut. I thought, for some reason, that the cuts would be pretty normal. But the Prime Rib I got was huge. I mean huge! It melted in my mouth it was so good.

Alison got the Sea Bass which was phenomenal. And We had the buffalo shrimp and the buffalo calamari as starters. Wow!

I figured this was one of the best Christmases we have had in a long time. The weather was beautiful -- one of the first Christmases I can remember where we didn't have any snow. Not a snow flake. It felt like a slightly chilled California with a clear blue night sky and bright stars.

What a perfect Christmas. Thanks to owners Brian and Maria Sjord. What wonderful hosts and phenomenal food. Try it.

Don't forget that they have a Special New Year's Eve dining evening planned from 11 pm until 3 am only $25 a person including a while roasted Filet Mignon carving station. Lobster Newberg saute station, Scottish Salmon, Tilapia, snow crab and more. Reservations for open menu available from 3 pm to 5 pm.

Visit www.94westrestaurant.com for more details.

-- Ray Hanania
www.Hanania.com

GRAND BUFFET Restaurant

2010-09-19T16:17:00.001-07:00

GRAND BUFFET Restaurant

18305 S. LaGrange Road, Tinley Park, Illinois
(708) 802-8908
Reviewed: Sept. 19, 2010

There are many buffet restaurants but usually they are poorly run and the food is not so desirable. They attract many of the region's poor who don't have enough money to eat full meals and view the buffets as an economic option, which they are.

Grand Buffet (Originally named China Buffet) is an exception in terms of service and quality of food. The food menu is phenomenal.

It offers sushi and chef-grilled steak, chicken and seafood with vegetables and Asian sauces.

The buffett stations are filled with freshly made food that's hot and moves quickly. Most importantly, the place is very clean and the staff works hard to service you while you are eating, monitoring your drinks and offering any assistance you need.

The all-you-can-eat lunch buffet (Mon-Fri) is only $7.95 per person, (children under 7 are half price, ages 7-11 are $5.99). The all-you-can-eat dinner buffet is $10.95 Mon-Fri and $12.95 all day Saturday and Sunday (Children 6 or under are half price, and $8.99 for kids under 12.) Seniors get a 10 percent discount.

I love this place and eat there often.

Visit their web site at: www.grandbuffettinleypark.com

Charley Horse Munster Indiana hosts two Blackhawks stars at autograph session to celebrate Stanley Cup victory

2010-06-15T18:30:00.000-07:00

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Bryan Sord

JUNE 15, 2010 219-836-4040

Charley Horse Munster Indiana hosts two Blackhawks stars
at autograph session to celebrate Stanley Cup victory

Two of the members of the Chicago Backhawks will host an autograph session at a special Stanley Cup Celebration Monday night June 21 at the Charley Horse Sports Bar in Munster Indiana.

Featured Blackhawks guests are Andrew Ladd, #16 leftwing, and Kris Versteeg, #32 also leftwing. The event will be at Charley Horse Restaurant, 8940 Calumet Avenue, in Munster, Indiana.

Charley Horse in Munster is operated by Bryan Sord. Sord also operates two other Charley Horse Sports Bars in Tinley Park and also New Lenox, in Illinois. And, Sord operates the popular 94 West Steak & Seafood restaurant in Orland Park.

“We’re very honored to have Ladd and Versteeg join us to celebrate the Stanley Cup victory,” said Sord who opened the franchise in Munster, Indiana in February of 2010.

Charley Horse is a very popular hangout for sports aficionados, and offers not only a superb menu of food but also features one of the only “Ice Bars” in the region.

“The Ice Bar is a section of the bar that is made of solid ice. Our customers love it. It is a tough challenge to maintain but it adds a special ambience today’s sports customers demand,” Sord said.

“These autographs are highly sought especially in the wake of the spectacular Stanley Cup victory by sports memorabilia collectors and Blackhawks fans.”

Past celebrities have included the face of Blackhawks hockey, Bobby Hull, Tony Esposito, former goalie for the Blackhawks, and his brother, Phil Esposito, a Center. Both Espositos have been honored with admission to the Hall of Fame.

The autograph session starts at 7 pm and costs $125. Seating is limited and every participant will receive two autographs from each player. Reservations are required in advance by calling 815-463-1700.

94 West Steak & Seafood Restaurant is also the location for the new reality TV show on Comcast Cable TV, “Star Chef Chicagoland,” which is broadcast every Friday night on Channel 19. Details on the show can be obtained at www.StarChefChicagoland.com.

Bryan Sord’s Restaurants include:

94 West Restaurant

http://www.94westrestaurant.com/

15410 94th Ave.
Orland Park, IL 60462

(708) 364-9494

Charley Horse Restaurants & Sports Bars

http://www.thecharleyhorse.com/

8940 Calumet Avenue

Munster Indiana

219-836-4040

901 Lincoln Highway

New Lenox, Illinois

815-463-1700

Fax: 815-463-1717

9501 W. 171^st Street

Tinley Park, Illinois

708-873-9455

End

Center for Science in the Public Interest lists top worst menu meals

2010-05-26T03:40:00.001-07:00

Nutrition Action Healthletter Exposes 9 Caloric Heavyweights

May 24, 2010

WASHINGTON—Would you top a Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pepperoni Pizza with six Taco Bell Crunchy beef Tacos? And then eat the whole thing? Well, pass the Pepto-Bismol, please: The nutrition and food safety watchdogs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest today conferred its Xtreme Eating awards on nine items from seven American restaurant chains.

“One might think that chains like Outback Steakhouse and The Cheesecake Factory might want to lighten up their meals now that calories will be required on their menus, courtesy of the health care reform law signed in March,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “But these chains don’t promote moderation. They practice caloric extremism, and they’re helping make modern-day Americans become the most obese people ever to walk the Earth.”

Photo Credit: Melissa Pryputniewicz
The Outbeak Steakhouse New Zealand Rack of Lamb plus the
sides has 1,820 calories, 80 grams of saturated fat, and 2,600
milligrams of sodium.

Most people wouldn’t think to order two orders of deep-fried steak and eggs for breakfast at a casual chain like Bob Evans. But if you order Bob Evans’ Cinnamon Cream Stacked & Stuffed Hotcakes, you’ll be getting 1,380 calories and 34 grams of bad fat—about what you’d get in two country-fried steaks and four eggs. But the hotcakes are worse because seven grams of their bad fat comes from trans fat—more than one should get in three and a half days. Syrup adds another 200 calories for every four-tablespoon serving.

Pancakes, which are usually lightly fried white flour topped with sugary syrup, have never been a healthy breakfast. But Bob stuffs his hotcakes with cinnamon chips made of sugar and fat; adds a layer of cream-cheese-flavored filling; and tops them with sugary "cream" sauce, whipped topping, and powdered sugar. And that makes the item one of CSPI’s top Xtreme Eating dishonorees for 2010.

To put these numbers into context, keep in mind that the average American should consume about 2,000 calories per day, and consume no more than 20 grams of saturated fat. Others examples of Xtreme Eating include:

California Pizza Kitchen Tostada Pizza with Grilled Steak. With 1,680 calories,1½ day’s worth (32 grams) of saturated fat, and more than 2 day's worth (3,300 mg) of sodium ordering the single-serve pizza is like eating a Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pepperoni Pizza topped with six Taco Bell Crunchy beef Tacos.
Five Guys Bacon Cheeseburger. At McDonald’s, most people probably wouldn’t opt for a second Quarter Pounder (410 calories each). But at one of the trendy Five Guys’ 550 outlets, one Bacon Cheeseburger sans toppings has 920 calories and a day-and-a half’s worth (30 grams) of saturated fat. A large order of French fries at Five Guys has 1,460 calories—about triple the calories of a large order of fries at McDonald’s. (Famous Five Guys patrons pleasetake note.)
P.F. Chang’s Double Pan-Fried Noodles Combo. You could eat 10 egg Rolls and not top the 1,820 calories in this dish. “They fry these noodles to make them hard and crunchy, while you end up soft and flabby,” says CSPI nutrition director Bonnie Liebman. If this noodle dish does indeed have the 7,690 milligrams of sodium to which the chain confesses, that would be about three teaspoons of salt—a five-day supply.
The Cheesecake Factory Pasta Carbonara with Chicken. When CSPI first dubbed fettuccine Alfredo a “heart attack on a plate,” it was because CSPI’s lab tests found it had 1,500 calories and 48 grams of saturated fat. But, according to the company, this dish—with four cups of white-flour pasta, smoked bacon, chicken, and Parmesan cream and butter sauce—has 2,500 calories and more saturated fat (85 grams) than one should consume in four days. It’s like eating the chain’s onion-ring-topped Grilled Rib-Eye Steak with French Fries, and a slice of Tiramisu Cheesecake.
The Cheesecake Factory Chocolate Tower Truffle Cake. A tower of any food is rarely a good idea. This six-inch-long, three-quarter-pound slab of cake has 1,670 calories and two-and-a-half days’ worth (48 grams) of artery-clogging saturated fat. Feel like eating 14 Hostess Ho Hos for dessert?

The full list of the 2010 Xtreme Eating Awards is published in the June issue of Nutrition Action Healthletter.

“I wouldn’t accuse California Pizza Kitchen or P.F. Chang’s of being a threat to national security, but with a quarter of young Americans too heavy to join the military, these and other chains ought to get the extremes off their menus,” said Liebman. “At a minimum, they should disclose calories on menus now, even before federal regulations make it mandatory.”

Packaged-food manufacturers recently made a commitment to slash a trillion calories from the foods they produce by 2012. But the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation includes only one restaurant company, Darden, the parent company of Olive Garden and Red Lobster. And none of the companies involved in the initiative are revealing any details on how calorie reductions will be achieved. CSPI noted that, while a trillion calories sounds like a lot, it represents only a drop in the bucket of the more than 350 trillion calories that Americans consume every year.

“For all the industry’s rhetoric about providing consumers with ‘choice,’ the choices at restaurants mostly range from bad to terrible,” Jacobson said. “The healthy choices are largely afterthoughts and Xtreme Eating reigns supreme. If chain restaurants want to practice corporate responsibility, they should substitute fruits, vegetables, and whole grains for white flour, sugar, salt, and fat.”

The health-reform law enacted in March gives the Food and Drug Administration a year to propose a regulation specifying how restaurant chains with 20 or more outlets should disclose calories on menus and menu boards. The law will also require chains to make information about saturated fat, carbohydrates, sodium, and other nutrients available to diners upon request.

New reality TV Show launched: Star Chef Chicagoland

2010-05-15T05:18:00.001-07:00

New reality TV show launched, Star Chef Chicagoland

Columnist and media consultant Ray Hanania launched a new reality show this week called "Star Chef Chicagoland."

The program will feature celebrity judges and chefs. The chefs will bring int heir favorite recipes and serve them to the judges for review and commentary.

Star Chef Chicagoland is filmed in the kitchens and dining rooms of 94 West Steak & Seafood Restaurant, 154th and 94th Avenue in Orland Park, one of Chicagoland's top restaurants.

Celebrity Judges include regulars Bryan Sord, owner of 94 West Steak & Seafood Restaurant and also owner of the Charley Horse Restaurants in Hammond, Indiana, Tinley Park and New Lenox. Also judging is Nemer Ziyad, a member of the Les Ames Escoiffier Society of chefs and the Vice President of Ziyad Brothers Importing one of the largest distributors of Mediterranean food in the country (www.ZiyadRecipes.com).

The first Celebrity Guest Chef is Je'Niece Mac, the daughter of the late comedian Bernie Mac. She is the executive director of the Bernie Mac Foundation.

Our first celebrity chef is Heather Warthen, of 22nd Century Media Newspaper Group and editor of the Orland Park Prairie Newspapers. Heather prepares her favorite recipe "Pesto Chicken"and a dessert of Vanilla Roasted Pears in Episode 1 filmed this week and slated for broadcast Friday may 28.

The show will be broadcast every Friday on Comcast Cable TV on Channel 19 at 7 PM or 8:30 PM depending on your suburban location. The show is broadcast in 145 suburban Chicagoland locations and is a part of Hanania's Radio Chicagoland and TV Chicagoland enterprises. www.RadioChicagoland.com.

The show web site is www.StarChefChicagoland.com.

Celebrity Chefs Nemer Ziyad, Je'Niece Mac and Bryan Sord.

Heather Warthen talks with host Ray Hanania with Nemer Ziyad at the table in background.

All photographs courtesy of photographer Glenn Kaupert www.GlennKaupter.com.

end

200 sports fans turn out for autograph session with Blackhawks star Tony Esposito signs autographs at Charley Horse Munster Indiana

2010-04-18T04:31:00.001-07:00

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Bryan Sord
APRIL 13, 2010 219-836-4040

200 sports fans turn out for autograph session with Blackhawks star
Tony Esposito signs autographs at Charley Horse Munster Indiana

Famed Blackhawks super star Tony Esposito signed autographs for more than 200 people during a special event Monday night April 12 at the Charley Horse Sports Bar in Munster Indiana.

Esposito’s autograph is one of the most coveted in the hockey league. The event was at Charley Horse Restaurant, 8940 Calumet Avenue, in Munster, Indiana.

Charley Horse in Munster is operated by Bryan Sord, who operates two other Charley Horse Sports Bars in Tinley Park and also New Lenox, in Illinois. Sord also operates the popular 94 West restaurant in Orland Park.

“We had a great time last night with Tony Esposito. He’s a big supporter of the community and a frequent guest at our restaurants,” said Sord who opened the franchise in Munster, Indiana in February of this year.

Charley Horse is a very popular hangout for sports aficionados, and offers not only a superb menu of food but also features one of the only “Ice Bars” in the region.

“The Ice Bar is a section of the bar that is made of solid ice. Our customers love it. It is a tough challenge to maintain but it adds a special ambience today’s sports customers demand,” Sord said.

“We are proud to be able to bring some of the best sports personalities to our establishments and Tony Esposito is one of the best. His autograph is a highly sought one by sports memorabilia collectors.”

Past celebrities have included Bobby Hull and Andrew Ladd. Esposito is a former goalie for the Blackhawks and he and his brother, Phil Esposito, a Center, have been honored with admission to the Hall of Fame.

Sord said that Hull will be at the Charley Horse Sports Bar & Restaurant in new Lenox, 901 Lincoln Highway, on Thursday April 22 also signing autographs and watching the 1^st round play-offs featuring the Blackhawks and Nashville. The autograph session starts at 6 pm and costs $35, followed by viewing of the game at 7:30. Sord said there is limited seating for the first 150 patrons. Reservations are required in advance by calling 815-463-1700.

Bryan Sord’s Restaurants include:

94 West Restaurant
http://www.94westrestaurant.com/
15410 94th Ave.
Orland Park, IL 60462
(708) 364-9494

Charley Horse Restaurants & Sports Bars
http://www.thecharleyhorse.com/

8940 Calumet Avenue
Munster Indiana
219-836-4040

901 Lincoln Highway
New Lenox, Illinois
815-463-1700
Fax: 815-463-1717

9501 W. 171^st Street
Tinley Park, Illinois
708-873-9455
Photos from the event:

End

Legendary Blackhawks star Bobby Hull joins patrons viewing 4th game of 1st Round Stanley Cup playoffs at New Lenox Charley Horse restaurant

2010-04-18T04:27:00.000-07:00

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Bryan Sord
APRIL 18, 2010 219-836-4040

Legendary Blackhawks star Bobby Hull joins patrons viewing 4^th game of 1^st Round Stanley Cup playoffs at New Lenox Charley Horse restaurant

(New Lenox) – Blackhawks superstar Bobby Hull will join patrons at the Charley Horse Sports Bar & Restaurant in New Lenox April 22, Thursday, to watch one of the games in the 1^st round play-offs for the Stanley Cup.

Hull will also autograph photographs for patrons at the restaurant before the start of the game which is expected to feature a play-off game between the Blackhawks and Nashville.

Charley Horse in New Lenox, 901 Lincoln Highway, operated by Bryan Sord, who operates two other Charley Horse Sports Bars in Tinley Park and also Munster, Indiana. Sord also operates the popular 94 West restaurant in Orland Park.

The autograph session begins at 6 pm at the restaurant, followed by the game at 7:30 pm, Sord said.

“Bobby Hull has been a big supporter and enjoys mingling with the fans. He loves hockey and this is a rare opportunity to watch a Blackhawks play-off with one of the game’s greatest legends,” Sord said.

Tickets for the autograph session and game viewing are $35 and must be purchased in advance. To make reservations, call 815-463-1700.

Charley Horse Sports Bar & Restaurant
New Lenox, Illinois
815-463-1700

Bryan Sord’s Restaurants include:

94 West Restaurant
http://www.94westrestaurant.com/
15410 94th Ave.
Orland Park, IL 60462
(708) 364-9494

Charley Horse Restaurants & Sports Bars
http://www.thecharleyhorse.com/

8940 Calumet Avenue
Munster Indiana
219-836-4040

901 Lincoln Highway
New Lenox, Illinois
815-463-1700
Fax: 815-463-1717

9501 W. 171^st Street
Tinley Park, Illinois
708-873-9455

End

Black Hawks star Tony Esposito signs autographs for patrons at Charley Horse Munster Indiana April 12

2010-03-29T11:43:00.000-07:00

Black Hawks star Tony Esposito signs autographs for patrons at Charley Horse Munster Indiana April 12

Famed Black Hawks super star Tony Esposito will sign autographs during a special event April 12 at the Charley Horse Sports Bar in Munster Indiana Monday April 12.

Esposito, who’s autograph is one of the toughest for collectors to obtain, will provide autographs to the first 150 people at the Charley Horse Restaurant, 8940 Calumet Avenue, in Munster, Indiana.

Charley Horse in Munster is operated by Bryan Sord, who operates two other Charley Horse Sports Bars in Tinley Park and also New Lenox, in Illinois. Sord also operates the popular 94 West restaurant in Orland Park.

“We’re very excited to be able to bring Tony Esposito to our Charley Horse Sports Bar in Munster Indiana,” said Sord who opened the franchise in Munster, Indiana in February of this year.

Charley Horse is a very popular hangout for sports aficionados, and offers not only a superb menu of food but also features one of the only “Ice Bars” in the region.

“The Ice Bar is a section of the bar that is made of solid ice. Our customers love it. It is a tough challenge to maintain but it adds a special ambience today’s sports customers demand,” Sord said.

Sord said tickets for the Tony Esposito event are $35 per person.

“We’ll only sell 150 and it will be first come first serve. We are proud to be able to bring some of the best sports personalities to our establishments and Tony Esposito is one of the best. His autograph is a highly sought one by sports memorabilia collectors.”

Past celebrities have included Bobbie Hull and Andrew Ladd. Esposito is a former goalie for the blackhawks and he and his brother, Phil Esposito, a Center, have been honored with admission to the Hall of Fame.

The autograph session will begin at 6 pm.

For more information, contact the Charley Horse Sports Bar in Munster.

Bryan Sord’s Restaurants include:

94 West Restaurant
http://www.94westrestaurant.com/
15410 94th Ave.
Orland Park, IL 60462
(708) 364-9494

Charley Horse Restaurants & Sports Bars
http://www.thecharleyhorse.com/

8940 Calumet Avenue
Munster Indiana
219-836-4040

901 Lincoln Highway
New Lenox, Illinois
815-463-1700
Fax: 815-463-1717

9501 W. 171st Street
Tinley Park, Illinois
708-873-9455

End

Online Restaurant Column: 94 West goes far out

2010-03-22T11:49:00.000-07:00

Online Restaurant Column: 94 West goes far out

By Ray Hanania

When I was a kid, my parents took me to a restaurant where they served sour-tasting little green pasta, we called “squiggles.”

I never knew the name of the place, but it was on the Southwest Side. Hey. To a kid, green squiggles were great. Of course, my parents tried to make me eat the spinach, sour kraut and meats, but who listened to their parents.

About a week ago, I happened to finally get around to visit a new restaurant that opened in Orland Park called “94 West.” Orland has a wealth of new restaurants and I’m not sure I’ll actually get around to eating at all of them in this lifetime.

But what attracted to me to 94 West, first, was a large white fountain with a statue in its open courtyard that was surrounded by tall palm trees. Yeah. Palm trees. Real ones. Rustling in the Fall air. I wondered, how long will those trees last, but then figured, what a gimmick.

Well, the Palm Trees are stored for the winter and will be back up in the spring, but when I sat down with my wife, the first thing the waitress brought out was a small dish of little green sour-tasting pasta. Squiggles.

Turns out that the COO of 94 West, Bryan Sord, is the son of the man who owned the restaurant my parents used to dine at where I splurged on green squiggles as a child.

The restaurant was called the Candlelight Lodge and it was located at 55th and Spaulding. Johnny Sord and his wife, Mary, ran the place with the help of their own kids, Wayne, Alan, Susan and Bryan, for years and the “Green Noodles” were famous and popular even with adults.

John Sord died in 1999 and his wife, Mary, closed the restaurant. After her death, Bryan decided he’d open his own place, give it a new name but offer the same kind of service, great food and Green Noodles.

Okay. I’ve outgrown my limited childhood diet and try to eat other things like steak, lobster, fine soups and even asparagus, too. And I have to say that if great food was the reason my dad went to the Candlelight

Lodge back in the 60s, it’s definitely a place he’d be headed today.

I don’t know what their secret is, but the steaks were the best I’ve had in years. My wife ordered hers rare – which is too bloody for even an Arab like me – and I ordered mine medium well. We both agreed they melted in our mouths. Not tough at all. Easy to cut and great tasting.

Sord says he broils them at extremely high temperatures “to seal in the flavor” but I think he does more and doesn’t want to tell.

We started off with the spicy unbreaded Calamari, the way real Italians prefer, and dug into a combo special of steak, lobster and crab legs.

The menu has all kinds of shrimp appetizers, Escargot, Ahi Tuna, and the main menu features steaks of all kinds from Filet Mignon to Rib Eye, New York Strip and Porterhouse for two.

It’s a little pricey, as good food goes. The lowest is $26 for a petit filet and the Porterhouse for Two is $65. But I have spent less and gotten worse. And as my mom always said, if you are going to spend your money, you might as well enjoy it.

And you will enjoy this meal, no matter what you select.

It has chops. Seafood and an assortment of soups and salads, with vegetable and potatoes on the side.

But the big deal was the dessert finale.

Sord insisted I try their specialty, the “Chocolate Lava Explosion.” What can I say. I’m Arab. It appealed to me right away. And when they brought out the chocolate iced cake, ince cream and strawberry sauces, it was sizzling hot and the best dessert I’ve ever eaten.

The dessert menu includes other choices, too. Tiramisu, carrot cake and all kinds of cheese cakes (Pumpkin Pie cheesecake, New York style cheesecake and Chocolate Mousse cheesecake), and the usual fare of fresh fruits, strawberries and nuts.

I wouldn’t call the dining room Spartan, but it is simple and has class. It’s not cluttered. It’s very clean and the wait-staff is not only efficient and pleasant, but they’ll walk you through the menus and their assortment of California and some French wines.

Check it on the weekend with a reservation if you want to impress your date, or your wife. But they have a great lunch menu and also a Sunday Brunch from 10 until 3.

They even have a kids menu, something that when I was a kid, no one thought to offer.

And, of course, scoop up those Green Noodles.

They’re great.

The Scoop:

94 West Steak and Seafood

15410 S. 94th Avenue, Orland Park

708-364-9494 for reservations

Ample parking

Dress casual to fine

END