2023 Summer Valparaiso Magazine

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CULINARY ADVENTURES AWAIT | MAIN + LINCOLN George Djurovic and staff, Main + Lincoln COOKING UP MAIN + LINCOLN SERVES A UNIQUE BLEND OF VARIOUS EXPERIENCES TO VALPARAISO. By Haleigh Vander Vinne eorge Djurovic, chef and co-owner of Main + Lincoln, was in the kitchen, cutting an entire salmon when I arrived to interview him. Known for his extensive background in cuisine, dating back to 1997 -- from attending Le Cordon Bleu, a renown culinary school in Paris, to working at Le Bernardin in New York City, one of the original Michelin Guide’s three-star restaurants -- I expected him to be in a pristine chef’s outfit but instead, he was wearing jeans and a simple apron, prepping an entire salmon. “Cutting this fish is very much representative of what we do with everything here, which is to say everything comes in this fresh state,” said Djurovic. One Meal Inspired a Lifelong Passion When asked what his most memorable meal was, Djurovic laughed. He has loved and 4 SUMMER 2023 | experienced so much diverse cuisine that it was tough to choose just one, but he settled on the night that sparked his passion. “I think one meal that comes to mind that got me excited about fine dining and cuisine was my senior prom dinner at a restaurant called the Everest Room in Chicago,” said Djurovic. He painted a picture of an incredible formal dining room, large windows facing west for a famous sunset view, new foods to taste such as raw tuna and rabbit, and waiters taking care of them. “It was really special and after that, I knew this is what I want to do,” added Djurovic. How to Make Cooking at Home Equally as Special as Going Out Many people veer towards going out to eat versus cooking at home. “The main reason I think that people don’t cook at home is the chore involved in it,” said Djurovic. Why bother with going to the grocery store, prepping, and cooking the food, then cleaning the dishes afterwards when you can just go to a restaurant? To help make cooking at home a special experience, Djurovic used his exposure to restaurants in Chicago, New York, and Paris to open a grocery store. “I could take all the things that I learned how to do in all these wonderful restaurants and then apply it to cooking at home,” said Djurovic. “That’s really what I love, knowing that I’ve helped people in the cooking process,” continued Djurovic. His advice to make cooking at home less of a chore: Clean while you cook. And he practices what he preaches. There was not a sliver of excess salmon on his worktable during our interview. What New American Cuisine Means Djurovic, a Valparaiso native, returned home at a fortuitous time to become co-owner and chef at Main + Lincoln. Drawing from his influences and experiences, he blends cuisines – American, Mexican, Asian, and others – to represent America’s diverse history as the melting pot. He calls it “new American cuisine”.
Season and mood influences Main + Lincoln’s menu. “We all collaborate here, bounce ideas off of one another,” added Djurovic. They pull from what their parents and grandparents have made, places they have eaten recently, or their favorite meals growing up. “Those conversations take place all the time. From that, we curate the menu,” said Djurovic. He defined new American cuisine as “a combination of all the people who’ve come here and brought all the food they grew up with,” further adding that America’s cuisine is “truly a melting pot”. The Melting Pot in the Heart of Valparaiso Restaurants bring a sense of escapism and theater to Valparaiso, attracting visitors from surrounding areas, continually mixing the melting pot of cuisine. Main + Lincoln adds another dining experience to Valparaiso, one that is sincere and wholesome. “We’re very much dictated by the idea ‘Would we serve this to our grandma?’” said Djurovic. “I don’t know how many other restaurants are cutting whole salmon,” chuckled Djurovic. NEXT CHAPTER. You have a vision for your business, we have the expertise to help you get there. As we celebrate our 150th year, find out why businesses just like yours have trusted us for generations to provide access to the financing you need for what’s next on your Horizon. Where beautiful smiles begin! Where beautiful Where beautiful smiles Dr. Where Anthony Puntillo beautiful begin! Dr. Where smiles Christopher Crane beautiful begin! smiles begin! smiles begin! Dr. Carolyn Gardiner Dr. Anthony Puntillo Dr. Dr. Christopher Anthony Puntillo Crane Dr. Anthony Puntillo Dr. Dr. Carolyn Christopher Gardiner Crane Crane Dr. Anthony Puntillo Gardiner Dr. Christopher Carolyn Gardiner Crane Dr. Carolyn Gardiner HorizonBank.com/BusinessLoans www.pandcsmiles.com www.pandcsmiles.com www.pandcsmiles.com www.pandcsmiles.com Crown Point Merrillville Crown Point Schererville 1539 S Court St 200 West 84th Dr 1000 Caroline Ave Crown Point 1539 S Court StMerrillville Crown Crown Point Point, IN 46307 Merrillville Merrillville, IN 46410 Schererville Schererville, IN 46375 1539 S Court St 1539 S Court St200 West 84th Dr 200 1000 West Caroline 84th Ave Dr (219) 662-2264Crown Point (219) Crown 769-7447 Merrillville Point, IN 46307 (219) 322-8552 Crown Point, IN 46307 Crown 1539 S Court Point, St IN Merrillville, 46307 IN 46410 200 Merrillville, West Schererville, 84th IN Dr IN 46410 46375 911 Wall St Valparaiso, IN 46383 (219) 462-3537 Merrillville Valparaiso 911 Wall St 200 Schererville Valparaiso Valparaiso, West IN 84th 46383 Dr 911 Wall St 1000 Caroline Ave Merrillville, (219) Schererville 462-3537 IN 46410 Valparaiso, 1000 Schererville, Caroline IN 46383 AveIN 46375 (219) 662-2264 Crown Point, IN (219) 46307 769-7447 Merrillville, (219) 322-8552 IN 46410 (219) Schererville, 462-3537 IN 46375 (219) 662-2264 (219) 662-2264 (219) 769-7447 (219) 769-7447 (219) 322-8552 Offices also (219) 662-2264 located in Crown Point, (219) 769-7447 Merrillville and (219) Schererville 322-8552 Schererville Valparaiso 1000 Caroline Ave Valparaiso 911 Wall St Schererville, IN 46375 911 Wall Valparaiso, St IN 46383 Valparaiso, IN 46383 (219) 462-3537 322-8552 (219) 462-3537 Valparaiso 911 Wall St Valparaiso, IN 46383 (219) 462-3537 | ValpoChamber.org 5
Page 1 and 2: SUMMER 2023 VOL. 23 ISSUE 3 George
Page 3: SUMMER 2023 CONTENTS BUSINESS SNAPS
Page 8 and 9: CULINARY ADVENTURES AWAIT | DON QUI
Page 10 and 11: Find a New Place to Call Home Openi
Page 12 and 13: TRUST MATTERS. ESPECIALLY WHEN IT
Page 14 and 15: CULINARY ADVENTURES AWAIT | THE LIN
Page 16 and 17: Insurance may be the last thing on
Page 18 and 19: BUSINESS >> BUSINESS SNAPSHOTS SNAP
Page 20 and 21: CHAMBER >> CHAMBER FOCUS | SALUTE T
Page 22 and 23: MEMBER INVESTOR ANNIVERSARIES ANNIV
Page 24 and 25: Business Banking, We Make It Simple
Page 26 and 27: NEW MEMBER INVESTORS MEMBERS >> NEW
Page 28 and 29: IVY TECH Proudly Promotes EDUCATION
Page 30 and 31: AROUND TOWN >> AROUND TOWN Around T
Page 32 and 33: At Valpo, we're proud to share our
Page 34 and 35: VALPO VIEWFINDER VIEWFINDER >> VALP
Page 36 and 37: Now, more than ever... experience a
Page 38: FINAL THOUGHT THOUGHT >> FINALA KEY

2023 Summer Valparaiso Magazine

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