Michiana Shores, Indiana?

Anyone here near Michiana Shores, Indiana?  This place sounds promising.  pb

I just discovered that this is just up the way from Gary. Ironic, huh?

porkbeaks


I just discovered that this is just up the way from Gary. Ironic, huh?

Proving that by not being in Gary it can't be as good as the pies from the city where they originated in the United States.

Stop 50 is the BOMB!  Some of the apps are a little "bleh" but the pizza is really top nosh.  They use a 25 year old sour dough starter, a super hot wood fired oven and all the finest ingredients.  The pizzas are Neopolitan in style except they cook the center a little more so they aren't drooping too much when you hold a slice.  I steer clear of the "wild" mushroom pizza.  They appear to be nothing more than button mushrooms and they render so much water that they tend to be soggy.  I think it'd make more sense for them to use a mix of good shrooms and make a ragout of sorts and put that on a pie.  They really believe in just using the plain flavors of the ingredients where I would opt to season things a little more on SOME of thier pies.
My favorites are the Margharita, the Marinara, the Prosciutto which comes with rosemary and pistachio and the sausage.  Those are KILLER pizzas.  If you're a good eater and aren't averse to leaving with a piece or two (maybe) then I'd reccomend a pizza per person, maybe a little less.  Three pizzas usually works for four people. 
The ice cream is homemade as well and it too is very good.  Last time I was there, (last week) we had almond and pistachio and they were both very nice.
Chris and his wife are opening a new place sometime in the next couple months on HWY 212 in Michigan City.   It's called SODA DOG and they are going to be doing gourmet 100% beef hotdogs along with homemade sodas.  It'll be in the old Roxanne's Drive Inn if anyone remembers that place.
These pizzas are worth a days trip to go to.  It can get hectic during the summer season so I reccomend going early for dinner or go for lunch.  They have both indoor and outdoor seating.  Indoors it can get pretty hot in the summer if near the oven.  Go take a drive, it's well worth it.  There are some very interesting things not far away such as the Hesston Steam Museum.  Great for kids of all ages but the ankle biters go absolutely nuts there.  Very good and fun working museam open during the summer months.  www.hesston.org  Otherwise, you can climb Mount Baldy and enjoy a day at the sand dunes and if you're looking for the great indoors, there is a large outlet mall.  Beverly Shores Indiana, just west of Michigan City on HWY 12 is the new home of Bartlett's www.eatatbartletts.com  it's a very cool and good road house which was opened by Gary and Nicole who own Bisto 157 in Valpo and Miller Bakery Cafe in Miller Beach. 

Stop 50 represents a trend in pizzas I like. The wood-fired Neapolitan or artisanal as they call it. There are several places in the Twin Cities serving pizza like that now and Washington DC's most popular places are that way.

Yes, it is eerily close to Gary, IN but I am not going to hold that against them.

If we camp at the Indiana Dunes State Park again this May this might be the place we try.

Do you camp at the campgrounds in Beverly Shores?  If so, you're right next to Bartlett's. 

I haven't. I've always stopped at Indiana Dunes State Park. They completely remodeled their campground and it is really nice.

The campground I'm talking about is State Park.  This is the one: http://www.nps.gov/indu/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm

If that's where you go, give me a heads up.

This is clearly spillover from the birthplace and home of the best pizza on the planet and quite possibly the universe, Gary, IN.

Finally, the culinary world is getting at least geographically closer to recognizing the apex of pizza.

Ha, I'm not sure about all that.

I did read some of the thread about Gary Indiana and Pizza.  I've been to most of those places, ONCE.  That should sum up my opinion of those joints.  I think the original poster has some emotional ties to those pies and the establishments they came out of. 

The origination of pizza and Gary, Indiana has become a revered Roadfood.com urban legend.

ringguy,

The national lakeshore park campground is not on the lake as the Indiana Dunes State Park campground is and does not have electrical sites. I doubt we would ever stay there.

ringguy


Stop 50 is the BOMB!  Some of the apps are a little "bleh" but the pizza is really top nosh.  They use a 25 year old sour dough starter, a super hot wood fired oven and all the finest ingredients.  The pizzas are Neopolitan in style except they cook the center a little more so they aren't drooping too much when you hold a slice.  I steer clear of the "wild" mushroom pizza.  They appear to be nothing more than button mushrooms and they render so much water that they tend to be soggy.  I think it'd make more sense for them to use a mix of good shrooms and make a ragout of sorts and put that on a pie.  They really believe in just using the plain flavors of the ingredients where I would opt to season things a little more on SOME of thier pies.
My favorites are the Margharita, the Marinara, the Prosciutto which comes with rosemary and pistachio and the sausage.  Those are KILLER pizzas.  If you're a good eater and aren't averse to leaving with a piece or two (maybe) then I'd reccomend a pizza per person, maybe a little less.  Three pizzas usually works for four people. 
The ice cream is homemade as well and it too is very good.  Last time I was there, (last week) we had almond and pistachio and they were both very nice.
Chris and his wife are opening a new place sometime in the next couple months on HWY 212 in Michigan City.   It's called SODA DOG and they are going to be doing gourmet 100% beef hotdogs along with homemade sodas.  It'll be in the old Roxanne's Drive Inn if anyone remembers that place.
These pizzas are worth a days trip to go to.  It can get hectic during the summer season so I reccomend going early for dinner or go for lunch.  They have both indoor and outdoor seating.  Indoors it can get pretty hot in the summer if near the oven.  Go take a drive, it's well worth it.  There are some very interesting things not far away such as the Hesston Steam Museum.  Great for kids of all ages but the ankle biters go absolutely nuts there.  Very good and fun working museam open during the summer months.  www.hesston.org  Otherwise, you can climb Mount Baldy and enjoy a day at the sand dunes and if you're looking for the great indoors, there is a large outlet mall.  Beverly Shores Indiana, just west of Michigan City on HWY 12 is the new home of Bartlett's www.eatatbartletts.com  it's a very cool and good road house which was opened by Gary and Nicole who own Bisto 157 in Valpo and Miller Bakery Cafe in Miller Beach. 

Thanks so much for your report ringguy. I grew up in Northwest Indiana , but have lived in Denver for the past 38 years. My wife and I make it back to NWI most every summer, so it will be good to know about this new place. Hearing that it is run  by the same owner as Miller Bakery Cafe makes it all the more appealing.

I just posted in another thread on pizza, that last summer we stopped at Flamingo Pizza in Miller for pizza.  And now, Stop 50 looks like a must do for our upcoming summer trip, thanks to you !

I have been following this thread and I am very disappointed about your take on Stop 50 in Michiana Shores.  Yes, the pizza is good and fresh but for the same money you can get LOTS more pizza elsewhere.  C'mon, $12.00 for a personal pizza?  And that's just the starting point.  The salads start at $8.00 for a dinner salad!  And this is in Michiana Shores - no view of the lake or any view for that matter.  Then you add your wine and before you know it, you're shelling out mucho bucks for not much food.  The proprietors must really get a laugh at all the upscale summer vacationers.

Cheap food ain't good, and good food ain't cheap. -- Dr Smoke

Mosca


Cheap food ain't good, and good food ain't cheap. -- Dr Smoke

If you wanna use the bathrooms, it'll cost ya a dollar - - Dr Smoke

TJ Jackson

Mosca


Cheap food ain't good, and good food ain't cheap. -- Dr Smoke

If you wanna use the bathrooms, it'll cost ya a dollar - - Dr Smoke

LOL, I was there and they were free.

Hey is the Hesston Bar still there . Held meetings there years ago. Great Steak !

Yes, the Heston Bar is still there and they still have GREAT food!  Much better deal than Stop 50.  This summer you could get a full meal for $15.00 during the week.  Entree, salad, side dish plus the their wonderful cheese to start off the meal.  That amount will get you a small personal pizza and half a dinner salad at Stop 50. And that's all.  It's not worth that much money.

RUkidding


Yes, the Heston Bar is still there and they still have GREAT food!  Much better deal than Stop 50.  This summer you could get a full meal for $15.00 during the week.  Entree, salad, side dish plus the their wonderful cheese to start off the meal.  That amount will get you a small personal pizza and half a dinner salad at Stop 50. And that's all.  It's not worth that much money.

Based on your posts here one gets the impression that you believe cheaper is better because it's cheaper.

Forget about price, Heston does have pretty good food, especially their steaks. Also, a little further along, in New Buffalo, MI you can get a very good pizza at Brewsters. It's only about 25 minutes further east than Michigan City.