Best meals for a family in Orland Park: 94 West and the Grape Vine bakery

If you want to really splurge, affordably, the best restaurant in Orland Park is 94 West Steak & Seafood restaurant. The top pick off of their menu is the 22 Ounce Prime Rib "Johnny's Cut" served with garlic mashed potatoes. It's $38 per person but it is the size of a brick. It's huge. There's the smaller 18 Ounce Prime Rib "Mary's Cut" which is only $34 with the Garlic Mashed Potatoes, too.

94 West is a high end, classy restaurant where you go to enjoy a meal with the family.

The ambiance in the restaurant reflects the quality of the service and the food.

Make sure to say hello to the owners, Brian and Maria Sjord.

Check it out.

But you don't always want to go out to eat. Sometimes you just want to stay home and enjoy a great quality meal, too. Maybe watch a great movie at home, or just sit around family style with the family in the comfort of your own home.

No place better serves take out than a little bakery called The Grape Vine. It's Middle Eastern (Mediterranean, if you prefer). They have a fabulous menu prepared int heir kitchen for pick-up and enjoyment.

I always order a "jar" of stuffed grape leaves (about 90 leaves). That's lamb and rice wrapped in grape leaves and simmered for about 45 minutes over a selection of lamb, chicken or kifta kabob (ground meat and parsley).

My favorite, when I'm not ordering grape leaves to take home is the Shish Kabob plate. You can order it based on the number of people you are serving. Each person is about $10 and you get top grade sirloin, chicken and kifta on a bed of yellow rice and sliced almonds, and slices of green peppers, tomatoes and onions.

Order for three people and it's really a full meal for four. Grab some hummus or diced salad with Tahini (ground sesame seed paste) sauce from Ziyad Brothers Importing (the nation's best distributors of fine Mediterranean foods -- www.Ziyad.com.)

You MUST try the shish kabob take-out. It's phenomenal. The meat is the best, which makes this little bakery one of the tops in the region.

(closeup of a portion of the large aluminum tray that you will get.)

-- Ray Hanania
www.hanania.com