Of Notoriety: Lighthouse restaurant sold, ‘Late Nite' fan lamenting, free Broadway concert Thursday

Chicago Tribune

23-07-2025

Chef Chris Pappas, owner of Crown Point's Meraki Hospitality Group, is purchasing Cedar Lake's Lighthouse Restaurant from the remaining LLC associated with the restaurant's late founder, Dean White, who died at age 93 in 2016.
Chef Chris, an award-winning culinarian and Northwest Indiana native and resident, will take ownership on Aug. 11.
Opened in April 2009, The Lighthouse, which seats about 250 people, including the full-service bar, plus a banquet area that seats another 200 people, along with outdoor lakeside dining, was partly owned by Bill Wellman, then vice-president of communications for Whiteco Industries, as well as Whiteco's CEO and principal owner. Wellman died in 2022 at age 97.
As an active member of the Northwest Indiana community for decades, Chef Chris celebrates the legacy of Lighthouse's original owners. White Lodging took over management of Lighthouse Restaurant in 2016 following Dean White's passing.
'It is an immense honor to continue the legacy of the White family and Lighthouse Restaurant,' 35-year-old Pappas said.
'Meraki's goal is to honor the rich history and traditions of this beloved establishment while simultaneously enhancing the culinary experience and overall quality for guests. We are excited to build upon the strong foundation laid and ensure that Lighthouse Restaurant remains a beacon of exceptional dining and special event experiences on Cedar Lake for years to come.'
Dana Hernandez, Lighthouse Restaurant general manager, has been with Lighthouse Restaurant since 2010
'My biggest priorities are our staff and our guests, and I know these are Meraki's priorities as well,' she said.
'I'm pleased to know that Lighthouse Restaurant will remain local, and family-owned, with this transition.'
Meraki Hospitality Group is a familiar name for local guests, as the company serves the community through Crown Point's Provecho Latin Provisions, Ramen District, The Grand Catering + Events, 55-year-old local staple Pappas Restaurant & Bar, and Chef Pappas' latest concept opening late summer 2025 called Parisi's Italian Kitchen, with more details found at www.merakihospitalitygroup.com.
Located at 7501 Constitution Avenue in Cedar Lake, the Lighthouse Restaurant is a two-story, 11,600 square foot building structure on Cedar Lake that features a full-service restaurant and bar with seating for up to 250 guests on the first floor. The second floor offers a private dining facility for weddings and special events with a wood dance floor, with further details found at www.cedarlakelighthouse.com.
Last week's announcement by CBS about cancellation of 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' has hit one local fan extra hard. Ron Blake of Hobart, who served as a Hobart City Council member, has spent years campaigning to be a guest on the show to talk about his documentary project.
'There arguably might not be anyone in the country more impacted by this news than myself, given that I've spent 24,000 hours of my life over the last 10 years trying to become a guest on this popular late-night comedy show,' Blake said Wednesday.
'I've been going out every single day since November of 2015 and meeting strangers who have written stories of support on 519 giant foam boards for my efforts to recover from PTSD and to get on this comedy show. Now, I have just 10 months to make this symbolic goal happen before the show is gone forever.'
The final episode of the talk show will air in May 2026.
'I now live in Phoenix, Arizona, but grew up most of my life in Northwest Indiana. I was a Hobart city councilman and a longtime head coach at two high schools back in the region. Much of my family and many of my friends and former colleagues still live in Lake, Porter or LaPorte counties,' Blake said.
His documentary titled 'I Am' officially began limited previews and screenings last March.
'It's really about my odyssey of overcoming the brutal rape and beating I sustained at the hands of three men in my downtown Phoenix home,' Blake said.
'As a result, I needed years of physical therapy, mental health counseling and surgery from the extensive injuries, dissociative amnesia and even a suicide attempt.'
He said the film addresses the trauma as well as 'the ongoing, uplifting nine-year cross-country journey' he's been on as a survivor to recover from post-traumatic stress disorder and to reach a symbolic goal.
The much-anticipated Grant Park Music Festival's 'Broadway Night: The Magic of Rodgers and Hammerstein' is at 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 25, and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 26, outdoors at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. Three Broadway stars, Mamie Parris, John Riesen, and Lisa Vroman, will join the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus in this musical celebration of the enduring legacy of Rodgers and Hammerstein. Led by dynamic conductor Lawrence Loh, this concert features beloved showstoppers from 'South Pacific,' 'Carousel,' 'The Sound of Music,' 'The King and I,' 'Oklahoma!,' and others. Attendees can secure a reserved seat with a One Night Pass or Membership or grab a free seat in the back half of the Seating Bowl (first-come, first-served basis) at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion or on a blanket on the sprawling lawn. More info is available at www.grantparkmusicfestival.com.