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May 07, 2023

Butcher at Dyer Texas Roadhouse competing in national meat

Juan Roblero from the Dyer Texas Roadhouse is competing in the national

Juan Roblero from the Dyer Texas Roadhouse is competing in the national meat-cutting challenge in Dallas.

Juan Roblero from the Dyer Texas Roadhouse is competing in the national meat-cutting challenge in Dallas.

Juan Roblero from the Dyer Texas Roadhouse is competing for the national meat-cutting challenge in Dallas.

A butcher at a Northwest Indiana steakhouse is looking to carve out a place in history.

Juan Roblero, who works at the Texas Roadhouse on Calumet Avenue in Dyer, won multiple local and regional levels in the national meat-cutting challenge. He competes Tuesday for Texas Roadhouse's "Meat Cutter of the Year" title in a competition in suburban Dallas.

He's one of 30 finalists who will compete on the ice at Children's Health StarCenter for a $25,000 grand prize.

Video provided in partnership with The Times, JEDtv and WJOB. Sponsored by Strack & Van Til.

Each butcher gets 30 to 40 pounds of beef, including one sirloin, one ribeye and one filet.

The meat cutters are timed and judged on speed, quality and yield. All of the cutting is done at 38 degrees to ensure the quality of the meat.

The award will go to whoever yields the most steaks with the highest quality cut.

"It's really an art," says Jason Mennie of Texas Roadhouse. "We host this annual competition to celebrate our professional meat cutters. We love our people, and our meat-cutting program is one way we show appreciation and reward their hard work and dedication."

Roblero is one of four Indiana candidates, along with Ivan Xique from Fishers, Antonio Benitez Gregorio from Indianapolis and Adelio Cabrera Nolasco from Avon. Rodrigo Rodriguez and Elias Gutierrez from Kenosha, Wisconsin, are the other Chicago-area candidates.

Each butcher works in a 35-degree walk-in cooler at Texas Roadhouse, hand-cutting each steak served in the restaurant. They typically cut about $1 million worth of meat a year.

A new aquarium and pet shop is coming to downtown Lansing.

Greg Kowalski, who recently bought Mancino's Pizza & Grinders, is opening Aquatic Life and More at 18155 Roy Street in the former Lansing Chamber of Commerce office downtown. It's next to the Pour on Roy wine bar in the same building as Mancino's.

"It was empty and I came up with an idea that would be great for the community and for kids," he said. "It's a little pet store with freshwater fish, saltwater fish, birds, guinea pigs and feed. It's nothing crazy."

It's the first aquarium to come to town since Terry's Aquarium and Pet Store at 3642 Ridge Rd. burned down in 2004, ending a 20-year run selling fish, birds and puppies to the public. Terry's transferred all the surviving animals to its longtime location in Hammond and never reopened in Lansing.

Kowalski has been setting up the shop by installing shelving, fish tanks and water filtration devices. He expects to open Aquatic Life and More in the next two or three weeks.

"I've always been into that kind of stuff since I was a kid," he said. "Lansing hasn't had anything since Terry's Aquarium burned down. I myself have an aquarium in my house."

Aquatic Life and More will stock many different species of fish such as cichlids, guppies, bettas, goldfish, neon fish and the clownfish featured in "Finding Nemo." Prices will range from $10 to $100 for saltwater fish, and $3 to $40 for freshwater fish.

"We'll have all the typical fish," he said. "We'll have some fancy guppies. We'll get getting some nice fish customers are going to like."

It also will sell aquariums, filtration systems and everything one needs for setup and maintenance. The store will have everything from 10-gallon starter tanks to 55-gallon tanks, as well as fish food, gravel, tank cleaners and other supplies.

"I think it's a good, relaxing thing to have in the house," he said. "Fish calm you down. I've had an aquarium since I was a kid. It's a good hobby."

The shop also will have other pets, like parakeets, finches and other birds.

"We might have hampsters and possibly reptiles," he said. "It won't be too crazy."

He hopes over time to expand the business and possibly open other locations.

"Eventually with a new business, the goal is to extend it to have other businesses if possible," he said.

Kowalski invites people to come in and check the store out.

"People can come in and enjoy it and look as much as they want," he said. "Taking care of fish is a very good thing. It will make you more responsible."

It's playtime at the Public Bar & Rec sports bar in downtown Crown Point.

Offering a more active night out on the town than one would find at many watering holes, the new sports bar at 210 S. Main St. just south of the Old Lake County Courthouse Square features golf simulators and multisport simulators that allow people to play football, soccer, baseball and zombie dodgeball. It hosts both private parties and league play, giving people the chance to compete in teams on virtual golf courses or sports arenas.

It also has darts, air hockey, shuffleboard and foosball for those who prefer old-school games.

The bar serves up beer, wine, hard seltzers and frozens like a Rainbow Claw, with rainbow sherbet and lime White Claw, and an orange sherbet mixed with a vanilla vodka shake called The Fred. Cocktails include a Blueberry Cucumber Mule, a Blood Orange Whiskey Smash and shareables like a whiskey-infused Southern Peach Tea that's meant for three or more people.

The food skews toward pub fare. It has many appetizers, including nachos, boneless wings, Bosco sticks, pickle spears and jumbo pretzels. It also has salads, wraps, quesadillas, mac and cheese and many taco options, including Buffalo Chicken tacos.

Public Bar and Rec is open from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. Sunday.

For more information, call 219-207-8006 or visit publicbarandrec.com.

Cheese Almighty is now serving up gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches in downtown Crown Point.

The sandwich shop at 210 S. Main St. invites diners to "step into a realm of all things cheese." The restaurant, in the same building as Public Bar & Rec, offers an array of grilled cheese sandwiches, including The Triple Crown, which melts cheddar, Muenster and Swiss in thick Texas Toast, and the Duke of Herb, which blends Havarti and mozzarella with basil pesto, roasted garlic, roasted red pepper, spinach and balsamic glaze.

Over-the-top options include The Flamin' Maiden, which coats sourdough bread with Flamin' Hot Dust and stuffs it with a block of Velveeta cheese and mac and cheese, and The Lord Supreme, which mixes mac and cheese with pulled pork and Crystal Hot Sauce.

All sandwiches come with a choice of regular or Cajun chips and drips for drizzling like spicy queso, marinara sauce, beef gravy, ranch dip or the traditional tomato basil. Diners can also get a bowl of tomato basil soup.

Cheese Almighty is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Sunday.

For more information, call 219-207-8006 or visit cheesealmighty.com.

Schillings, one of the biggest names in home improvement in the Region, opened a showroom in downtown Valparaiso.

The home improvement retailer, which operates massive showrooms and lumber yards on Wicker Avenue in St. John and in Mokena, now has a showroom at 175 W. Lincolnway in Valparaiso.

Schillings Marketing Director Dave Stump said the showroom will more conveniently serve customers in Porter and LaPorte counties, who currently have to travel to St. John to browse its wares. The showroom features an array of building materials, including windows, doors, cabinets, countertops, faucets, sinks, backsplashes, flooring, decking and lumber. One can look at different samples of quartz, granite and siding.

The showroom is located on the second floor of the building that houses the popular Stacks Bar and Grill, which is expected to help drive foot traffic, Stump said.

Schillings has the slogan "building America since 1945." It also operates a distribution center in Cedar Lake and sells its products online, shipping nationwide. It offers complimentary services like planning, 3-D renderings and budgeting for home improvement projects.

The new showroom in Valparaiso caters to homeowners doing renovation projects, people building new homes and contractors, Stump said. Customers can browse materials to find their preferred look and style for a variety of home projects, including kitchen, bath and office renovations.

The showroom has displays for sale and terminals for ordering. It carries products like Paramount Ecco HD flooring, MSI Ice Bevel Herringbone mosaic tile and Calcutta Leon countertops.

Schillings' new showroom in Valparaiso is open by appointment only but Stump said it may eventually add regular hours.

For more information, call 219-465-8898 or visit schillings.com/valpo.

Dunkin', the breakfast artist formerly known as Dunkin Donuts, will soon open another coffee and donut shop in Schererville.

The New England-based chain that evolved from being a donut shop to a Starbucks alternative often enjoyed by actor Ben Affleck, is coming next to the Dairy Queen just east of Austin Avenue on U.S. 30.

A local Dunkin' franchisee bought land at 275 U.S. 30 in Schererville. It's less than two miles from the Dunkin' at the Crossroads of the Nation intersection just west on U.S. 30 and about 4.6 miles from the Dunkin' east on U.S. 30 in Merrillville.

The Dunkin' will be located at the end of a newly built strip mall and feature the customary drive-thru. While Dunkin' locations are fairly common throughout Northwest Indiana, this will be the first on U.S. 30 catering to eastbound traffic, said Brett McDermott of Crown Point-based Latitude Commercial. It will be one of of the few drive-through coffee shops in Lake County on the south side of U.S. 30 catering to eastbound traffic, joining the Starbucks by the Meijer in Merrillville and a Coffee Cabin in Hobart.

"I’m really excited for this strategic location. It will be the only Dunkin’ located on the south side of U.S. 30 from Illinois to Valparaiso. It will be a great option for people traveling east on US 30 and a different traffic pattern from the current Schererville location."

Ryan Plus Pharmacy closed after about a year in downtown Highland.

The independent locally owned pharmacy, one of several to pop up around Northwest Indiana recently, operated at 2727 Highway Ave. It provided medications, vitamins and diabetic supplies.

If you would like your business to be included in a future column, email [email protected].

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Business Reporter

Region native Joseph S. Pete is a Lisagor Award-winning business reporter who covers steel, industry, unions, the ports, retail, banking and more. The Indiana University grad has been with The Times of Northwest Indiana since 2013.

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