We ordered our apetizer, a special price of $6 for the Houlihan's great stuffed and fried mushroom caps stuffed with herb and garlic cream cheese, coated in distinctly crunchy panko bread crumbs and crisp-fried. Served with cream horseradish sauce. Our server Chris brought them quickly and we enjoyed them while waiting for our dinners. I really think you could make a meal just out of the mushrooms. They were hot, delicious and we were sad to leave two on our dish to leave room for salad and dinner.
We arrived that night at 6:45 and before we knew it, our food arrived and Jim began singing his first selection of Frank Sinatra right at 7 p.m. Wow, where were we again? I looked around and yes, we were still inside the local Houlihan's restaurant in Schererville!
As Jim sang the song you could really close your eyes and picture yourself in Las Vegas enjoying a stage show. Jim does a great job of hitting those memorable notes as well as depicting each singers essence.
Our salads arrived and Jodi's Tuscan salad looked interesting layered with goat cheese, tomatoes, rosemary white beans, balsamic field greens and focaccia crisps. She ate it all and said that the flavors were excellent. My Caesar salad was crisp and fresh and all tossed well to coat the entire salad. It's not hard and Houlihan's seems to have a nice handle on taking that extra 15 seconds to make it right. The flavor was great with added shredded mozzarella on top.
As we enjoyed our salads, Jim walked around our table giving a little nod or wink each time. He is an entertainer and drew the crowd into what he was providing for the night all the while mixing up Frank, Dean and Tony ballots with ease.
Our meals arrived and Jodi tried the special fish dish offered that evening and I chose the Stuffed Chicken Breast using that same delicious garlic-herb cream cheese as was in the stuffed mushrooms. It also was breaded and baked golden brown and served with green beans and mashed potatoes. Yes, I only left a little mashed potatoes on my plate. Jodi's fish was
We relaxed after dinner as I moved over to sit next to Jodi to get a better view of Jim singing. We were not rushed off and that allowed me to order a drink while Jodi ordered her 2nd martini. Again, Chris checked on us several times and she knew we were enjoying the show. I ordered my second Kahlua on the rocks and was impressed how both drinks were served in a tall "rocks" glass and completely filled with ice (like it should be)! The drink just looked fresh and appealing, and it was just Kahlua poured over ice! But folks, I'm telling you, there is a difference in the type of glass used, the size of the cubes and the amount of ice offered. Again, taking that little attention to detail to offer the right drink. I was very happy!
We gave Jim one of our business cards and complimented his entertainment. He offered some discussion inbetween songs and while announcing the band or the arrangement. This also added to the overall affect since the Rat Pack boys always complimented the band after they sang a song.
Jim sings all over the area and you can view his schedule at his website: http://www.tributetofrank.com/ This was top notch entertainment and all at no charge! Our hats go off to our local Houlihan's for offering some entertainment at the local resturant. There were not huge crowds, but it looked like a busier than normal Sunday evening. Perhaps Jim's second performance there the Saturday after Thanksgiving will pack them in. Either way, we'll be there again to enjoy some great entertainment, great service and wonderful food offered by Houlihan's. Learn more about Houlihan's and view their menu at http://www.houlihans.com/ -Rick Bella, for Fooding Around
This restaurant deserves 5 forks! Our highest award.
This restaurant deserves 5 forks! Our highest award.
Photos are from Jim Bulanda's website.
