El Salto has just opened a new Mexican grocery store in Valparaiso.
It's on Lincolnway right next to Domino's pizza and Au Naturel Market.
They carry fresh produce, dry goods, pan dulce sweet breads, meat,
fresh tamales, and household goods and toiletries. They provide
excellent service. The selection of fruits and vegetables is a mix of domestic and imported produce, and all is fresh and ready to
eat without needing time to ripen.
In Hobart / New Chicago / Lake Station, La Rancherita bakery and El
Ranchero restaurant are my favorites. From Old Ridge Road, turn at the
rooster statue onto Michigan Street (it's at 3559 Michigan St). The
mural on the wall is pictured above and is a landmark. Their restaurant
is busy at lunch time---free chicken-tomato noodle soup comes as an
appetizer with the meal. The pan dulce Mexican sweet bread is 35 cents
to 75 cents a piece. My kids love the watermelon-shaped cookies, and I
like what my mom calls elephant ears (different from the fried dough at
the county fair) that in Spain was called palmeras. Next time I am
there I'll take a picture of those to share.
Tarimoro is a larger Mexican grocery in Lake Station located at 330
Central Avenue. The produce is fresh, ripe, ready to eat, and the
prices are great. They have a selection of piñatas for children's
birthday parties. They also sell gift items like the piggy bank
pictured below.
