Eating BIG in Southwest Michigan

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties 
- The Beauty and Bounties of Southwest Michigan 

Summer is here and with it so are trips to Southwest Michigan - one of my absolute favorite places this time of the year. When you cross the state line from Indiana on 94 you’ve officially entered Harbor Country - a region consisting of eight small towns along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan: New Buffalo, Grand Beach, Michiana, Union Pier, Three Oaks, Lakeside, Harbert, and Sawyer. The area is popular with Chicagoans like myself some of whom have been visiting for the majority of our lives. It’s crazy how close it is and also also how far away it seems from the hustle and bustle of the big city. 

Michigan's Harbor Country

Though Southwest Michigan consists of more than just Harbor Country - in total it makes up seven counties incl. Berrien, Branch, Cass, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and Van Buren. The area is home to some of the best beaches in the country - full stop. If somebody tells you the Midwest doesn’t have beaches bc it’s landlocked they have clearly never been to a beach in West Michigan. The sand is soft and the water is clear and it's shark free at that. Along with the beaches you also have access to great beer, bud, biking and berries as the area is home to some of the Midwests best breweries, an independent cannabis industry and one of the largest crops of blueberries in the nation. Today’s post is a few years in the making and it will include spots not just along the lake but also visits to some of the cute little towns away from the lake. I love driving around or biking this part of the state - it’s such a relaxing place. There's an indescribable aura to the area and a big part of it is the lake and the Dunes that overlook it but you'll find just as much natural beauty inland along the St. Joseph River and such. SW Michigan has long been a favorite playground of mine as far as outdoor fun but the food and drinks part has taken off too. Every year there’s new spots worth a stop. I've put together a google maps guide linked at the end and I included a few of my favorite breweries, a good blueberry farm, and the areas best dispensary. As always your trip begins at S'C'&C.  

Pics from Southwest Michigan (click to enhance)
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Oaks Eatery (Three Oaks)

Three Oaks is a cute town 10 minutes east of New Buffalo. It’s home to Drier’s Meat Market which was featured back in 2012. The butcher shop is a national historic landmark dating back to the late 1800’s that’s known for its Liverwurst or Liverbest as they call it. Oaks Eatery is also worth a stop for breakfast in the area. They call themselves a farm to table restaurant which is a bit played out but the quality of the ingredients is a cut above most other breakfast and lunch spots. I recommend a couple of classics in the form of buttermilk pancakes and corned beef hash - both are excellent renditions.

Breakfast at Oaks Eatery 
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Ray & Al's (Galien) 

Speaking of liverwurst - the sandwich at Ray & Al’s is wonderful for those of you that mess with liver. I fell in love with this bakery slash sandwich shop as soon as we first pulled up on it. It’s one of those spots where you just kind of know everything is going to be good but whatever you choose to get make sure to add some donuts to your order. They’re some of the absolute best in the Midwest.

Sandwich and Donuts at Ray & Al's
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Red Arrow Roasters (Harbart)

There’s lots of coffee spots in the area. I’m not a coffee drinker so I can’t tell you which one has the best beans but do visit Red Arrow Roasters for a delicious buttermilk biscuit. These may be the best of their kind north of the Mason Dixon line though it's a BYOJ establishment (bring your own jam). 

Buttermilk Biscuit with Honey Butter at Red Arrow Roasters
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Jovani's Kitchen (Sawyer)

The Spicy Fish Kathi at Jovani’s Kitchen is served out of a walkup window connected to a wine bar and it’s a welcome addition to the area. I wish we had a street food option like this in my hood. Fried chunks of hake go into paratha rolled out by an Indian mother who works the register while her son in-law does the cooking. The fish is well seasoned and the sauces take it all over the top. Good samosas too.

Spicy Fish Kathi at Jovani's Kitchen 
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Susan's Sawyer (Sawyer)

If you're looking for a nice place for a date night type of dinner check out Susan's in Sawyer. It's got a beautiful bright dining room with a large outdoor patio area and Chicago connections. I like to sit at the bar for Happy Hour and drink local brewed beers (Greenbush Brewing Co. is next door) and eat whatever sounds good as the menu is seasonal taking full advantage of the summer bounty. I did just that on my recent visit and I couldn't resist the smell of the smoke coming from the back where they had Berkshire baby backs on the smoker. Upon my first bite I felt like summer had officially begun.

Smoked Baby Backs at Susan's Sawyer
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Zo's Mini Donuts (Sawyer)

While getting ready to head home on a recent visit I passed this stand selling mini donuts along Red Arrow Highway. I figured that would be a perfect little snack before heading back and that was a good call by me. They fry mini donuts to order and dress them one of three ways and so I was told by the friendly young owner and her friend "glazed are by far the best" so that's what I got. Cute little spot. 

Mini Donuts at Zo's Mini Donuts 
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Red Coach Donuts (Stevensville)

Two things you’ll always find in cute up and coming and often gentrifying areas - boutique donuts and craft breweries often signal that change is imminent in up and coming areas. But on a serious note what towns on Lake Michigan haven’t seen major change over the last couple of decades? Stevensville is a very small town with less than 2000 people - but it hits above it's weight with places like Welcome Inn, a dive bar with a bomb burger that was featured HERE back in 2021. It’s also home to the Watermark Brewing Company and Red Coach Donuts. The former is a great place for a beer on a warm and sunny day and the latter is a great place to start your day regardless of the weather. 

Donuts at Red Coach Donuts 
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Grande Mere Inn (Stevensville)

Head to this old school supper club sitting atop the Covert Ridge for a picture perfect plate of lake perch. Your fish at Grand Mere Inn is preceded with some house made breads and spreads. If there’s a single dish that best represents the Great Lakes Region this is it and as someone who has ate his weight in lake perch I can assure you this is one of the best places in all of Michigan to get it. It’s all about the quality of the fish and here they use yellow lake perch which produces a much more tender filet that should be lightly breaded and preferably pan fried. There was a time when lake perch was prevalent in both the lake and on dinner plates at places like the late great Phil Smidt’s in Whiting but those days are a thing of the past save for a few places like this. If you plan to visit over the summer get reservations or be prepared to wait - it’s a popular place with stunning views of the lake.

Lake Perch Dinner at Grand Mere Inn 
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Clementine's Too (St. Joseph)

We ended up at this tourist friendly spot by the beach a few fourth of Julys back. There was a long wait at my preferred lake perch place so Clementine's Too would have to do. This is the second outlet of a popular spot in South Haven which is about 30 minutes north up the lake. They make their own onion rings and they carry lake perch and have cold locally brewed beer on tap so no major complaints but I didn't like how they season the breading with all sorts of dried rosemary. 

Lake Perch Plate at Clementine's Too
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Anemel (Benton Harbor)

This is perhaps my favorite place to open out here in the last few years which is kind of surprising because places like it often fail to deliver on the food end. But Anemel was able to put the "Big Star Blueprint" to use with a great open air location right in the heart of Benton Harbor just a short walk from the beach. The menu is described as "Tex Mex meets the Midwest" with a couple sandwiches and a handful of tacos along with a handful of other options including a cheeseburger quesadilla that was clearly crafted by someone who wanted to make something fun and fantastic. I loved the well seasoned meat mixed with fried potatoes, oozy cheese and the cheese skirt crust was a nice touch as was the delicious burger forward dipping sauce. The tacos are also good. They have a more upscale place called Houndstooth but I’ve been turned away upon arrival at opening twice now. 

Cheeseburger Quesadilla at Anemel Torta 
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DiMaggio's Pizza and Burgers (Coloma)

I’d long wondered about this old school pizzeria found along M63. I stopped in a couple summers ago and was served a pizza that looked similar to that from the Quad Cities, at least in terms of slicing style (long rectangular strips). DYK that Quad Cities style pizza is originally from the Northwest Indiana region, which isn’t far from here? DiMaggio’s lay the toppings on thick. Sausage isn’t crumbled but it’s a nice blend with big hints of fennel throughout. This is a thicker pizza than I prefer but not bad at all ate fresh from the oven, nice and sturdy too. A nice change of pace pizza if you will. Since 1957.

Large Sausage Pizza at DiMaggio's Pizza and Burgers 
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Weekend Taco Stand (Benton Harbor)

I was sad to see that the original location of La Perla had moved (featured HERE in 2013). The mini grocery chain with three locations ditched their original space at the corner of M-140 and Napier in favor of bigger digs 8 minutes up the road in Sister Lakes so it’s not a total bummer. But the best thing about that original location was the street taco stand they setup on the weekends and the good news is it’s still there! Google won’t help you find it but you can plug in the intersections or use 8151 E Napier to help get you there. My most recent visit came just last week but it was later in the day and they were sold out of tripas but still had some barbacoa which is their top taco as far as I’m concerned. A huge stock pot with chunks of shredded beef sitting in a pool of liquid sits front and center. Upon placing your order the taquero reaches into the pot and pulls out a chunks of it which he chops and throws onto the flattop to crisp it up just a bit. Tortillas are dipped in the lard laced stock and toasted on the flattop before being filled with barbacoa, onions and cilantro. From there you dress your tacos at the DIY salsa bar and you got what might be the best tacos in Michigan. 

Barbacoa Taco at La Perla's Roadside Stand
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Caruso's Candy & Soda Fountain

I've always liked the small town charm of Dowagiac which isn't far from Sister Lakes - a place I've been visiting on and off over summer for two decades. I have some longtime friends who's parents have a place up there and sometimes we would go into Dowagiac for food or beer or other stuff including chocolate and malts from Caruso's Candy Shop. This 100+ year old confectionary slash soda fountain has been owned by the same family since it first opened and it still sits in the same place as it did on day one. Going somewhere like here is about as close to time travel as we have. It's a real treat and I always get a chocolate phosphate as you just don't see those at too many places anymore. Caruso's also has a sandwich menu including the regional nut olive which you can read about in my recent roundup from the South Bend area. I opted for the shaved ham sandwich on my last visit and it very much tasted like home by which I mean it was a typical ham sandwich with my choice of toppings on my choice of bread - simple but perfect paired with a chocolate phosphate. Since 1922. 

Ham Sandwich at Caruso's Candy & Soda Fountain
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Baguette de France (Berrian Springs) 

Baguette de France has two locations with the other one being in downtown St. Joseph - making it a great option as far as grabbing food before or after the beach. The second location in Berrian Springs is inland about 20 mins southeast of St. Joseph. They stand by their bread and I'll stand with them - it's good. The fillings aren't quite as up to par but when the bread is this good it can elevate whatever’s inside of it. I like their tuna salad sandwich which pairs well with the beach and warm weather. 

Tuna Sandwich at Baguette de France
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Old Tavern Inn (Niles)

One day last summer I happened to be passing by the oldest business in Michigan which happens to be a bar - how could I not stop for a beer and a bite? So they say Old Tavern Inn is the oldest continued business in the same space going back to 1835. It’s in Niles but it's on the outskirts of town down an old country road. They make massive ham and cheese sandwiches served warm and American Goulash which is one of those dishes that goes by different names in different regions (Johnny Marzetti, New England Chop Suey etc). They’re all some form of pasta mixed with ground beef, tomatoes, onions. Cool dive with cheap beer and decent bar food but nothing special so to say. 

Bar Food at Old Tavern Inn 
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Veni's Sweet Shop (Niles)

Niles has a great little Main street which is where Veni's can be found. This local treasure has been a town tradition dating back to 1910. They make some fantastic turtles and their chocolate covered orange peels are also a favorite. You can't go wrong with any of their homemade confectionaries. 

Candy at Veni's Sweet Shop
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River Saint Joe (Buchanan)

This is perhaps my favorite brewery in Southwest Michigan but that doesn't have to much to do with the beer at River St. Joe which is pretty good. But what I really like about this place is how it feels like a winery in terms of its size and peaceful surroundings. I tend to go to breweries not just for the beer, which you can get anywhere, but for the atmosphere. The breweries around here all have a great setup as far as a large outdoor space with this place having enough to host weddings and such. The menu switches up often as it puts to use both seasonal and local ingredients and they do special events on the weekends like barbecues and such. On my most recent visit I had a delicious house smoked Polish Sausage that came dressed with Chicago style condiments. Good spot for groups.  

Polish Sausage at River St. Joe 
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Click HERE for a google maps guide to all the spots featured in this post. 

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If you liked this post you might also be interested in:

Eating Up Lake Michigan (2012)

Eating Up Lake Michigan Pt. 2 (2020)

Eating Up Lake Michigan Pt. 3 (2021) 

Eating BIG in South Bend (and beyond) (2023)

See ya next time @chibbqking

Roadfood in Southwest Wisconsin

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- Exploring Wisconsin's Driftless Region 

In my opinion the Midwest is at it's best during the summer months when you can really take full advantage of the Great Lakes and such. But fall is wonderful too when the colors start to change and cider donuts start to pop up at roadside stands and the likes. These are the best times to jump in the car and take a ride around a region typically considered a flyover zone. I did so recently with a weekend trip up to the Driftless region of Wisconsin which is a great place to visit in summer and fall. 

Pics from Wisconsin's Driftless Region

The area is a topographical and cultural region consisting of southwest Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa, and the extreme northwestern corner of Illinois. It was never covered by ice during the ice age so it lacks the glacial deposits known as drift. It’s more like New England than the typical flatland of the Midwest. Our homebase was Cashton which is in the heart of Driftless Wisconsin located about 40 minutes east of La Crosse. The area is home to Wildcat Mountain State Park as well as the Kickapoo Valley Reserve plus a handful of cheese factories and Wisconsin's largest Amish community. It was pretty cool getting to stay at an Airbnb on a corn farm in the middle of it all. The towns of Viroqua and Westby were 5 and 10 minutes away and each of them are cute places worth staying in if you can find the right spot. Popular activities in the area include some super scenic drives through the rolling hills and canoeing, trout fishing, hunting and some snowmobiling during the winter. It’s also a great replace to sit back and relax. There was something very soothing about sitting on the porch of the airbnb and listening to the sounds of the Amish horse buggies riding by. Oh and the summer sunsets are absolutely spectacular in these parts.

Sunset in Cashton

Food wise this is a pretty desolate area and with that your options are a bit limited. But La Crosse (Pop. 52,000) is close and each little town has a handful of places plus there’s some great butchers and grocery stores carrying locally grown produce. We cooked a meal or two at our place each day after stopping in at Prem Meats in Spring Green and Mr. B’s Smokehouse in Hillsboro on the way up. We got some high quality stuff including steaks, brats, ground beef, bacon. The Viroqua Food Co+op grocery store was a pleasant surprise for local produce and quality products. Plus local farmers sell their stuff at roadside stands and such. You can also stock up on cheese at handfuls of creameries each of them producing something that's won awards somewhere. I should make note of the curds from Old Country Cheese in Cashton which are the squeakiest I’ve ever had. The key to these is staying away from the curds they keep in the fridge and buying the packages on the table up front. The squeak is at it's peak when the curds are at their freshest so you want ones that are still warm.

Pics from the Driftless 

Activities wise we got rain on a couple days but managed to check out most of the popular outdoor spots the highlight of which was a cruise down the Mississippi River from La Crosse into Prairie du Chien. I’ve always been fascinated with river towns especially those on the Mighty Mississippi and we had perfect weather that day. There’s plenty of state parks and places to sit on the river as well as some cool bars and restaurants found up and down both sides of Minnesota and Iowa and Wisconsin.

Pics from the Great River Road 
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Ring's Bar (Plain, WI)

First up was a return to Ring’s in Plain, WI. One hour northwest of Madison on the outskirts of the Driftless Region. It's one of a handful of candidates for my best burger in the state, and the country by extension. What makes these great is the old school broiler device used to make them. That and the fact the beef comes from directly across the street from Straka Meats. Also of note is the locally baked bun that’s soft but stable enough to hold all the liquid that seeps into it. These are thick and juicy and come with a hearty slice of Wisconsin cheddar plus house pickles, onion, brown mustard. Since 1951.

Cheeseburger at Ring's Bar
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Footjoy Farm (Cashton, WI)

It was a Friday Fish Fry when we drove up but the Driftless Region is home to a handful of pizza farms which are popular on weekends in the warmer months. So the truth is the best fish fry's are closer to the Great Lakes and not all the way over here near the Mississippi where most spots serve cod and a few do catfish but there’s no signs of lake perch and few when it comes to walleye. So I decided to check out a Pizza Farm which are popular in these parts. They’re exactly as they sound. This one is also a brewery and the beer is very good but the pizza is why I visited. It’s a base of sourdough made with Ingmar Red and Edison White Wheat sustainably grown on their local farm. Most of the toppings are also locally sourced while the pizza options range from traditional to chef driven. I’m a purist with pizza but will venture out of my comfort zone at places like this so I landed somewhere in the middle as far as the style goes. A supreme is served up with sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers, black olives, red onions, and mozzarella cheese and I mean no shade when I say that it reminded me of what Digiorno Pizza wants to be. Don’t get me wrong I’d eat this again without qualm but I haven’t had a frozen pizza in a decade and it’s been longer since I ate a Digiorno but that’s what I thought of with this. Maybe it was the supreme toppings or bc this pizza was one of the sturdier versions I've come across in the same way a frozen well done pizza comes out. 

Supreme Pizza at Footjoy Farm
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Neuie's Vogue (La Crosse, WI)

La Crosse is a river town and a brewing town which means there's a ton of bars. I can't confirm this but someone there told me they have the most bars per capita but lots of spots lay claim to that fact. What I can confirm is that at one time La Crosse held the record for most bars on one street in the Guinness Book of World Records. Before riding down the Mississippi we got some breakfast at one of the towns many watering holes. Neuie's Vogue had a nice setup paired with a typical menu that included at least one item you wont find elsewhere, their famous Flash Burger. It's a hamburger steak smothered with mushrooms, onions, green peppers, jalapenos, bacon and cheesy hash browns. Pic'd below is the medium sized offering (the entire length of a full size dinner plate). You could tell this was cooked with care. I ate half of it and was stuffed. Wisconsin bar food is in a weight class all it's own. 

The Flash Burger at Neuie's Vogue
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Pete's Hamburger Stand (Prairie du Chien, WI)

One of the main reasons for my visit to the Driftless was so that I could revisit Pete’s Hamburgers in the Mississippi River town of Prairie du Chien (seriously). Where do we begin with this one? For starters it’s what I believe to be the 2nd oldest hamburger stand in the country dating back to 1909. They make the burgers the same way today that they did back then as the stand and it's old time cooking method is grandfathered in with the town. Fresh balls of beef are cooked on a steaming hot flattop in a puddle of water and onions unlike anywhere else. The end result is a flavor bomb of grilled onions and beef that can’t be beat. No cheese here as cheeseburgers weren’t a thing when they opened 113 years ago. You can add ketchup, mustard, or horseradish mustard but they’re best enjoyed in an unadulterated manner. It was twelve years between visits but they were exactly as I remember them to be - the best hamburgers. I don’t care if the price has almost doubled ($3.25 in 2010) I would pay double today’s price as there’s nothing else like these limited edition burgers available weekends only while the weather is warm.

Hamburger from Pete's Hamburgers 
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Borgen's Cafe (Westby, WI)

The word Westby is Norwegian for "Western City" and Westby Wisconsin is a town where many Norwegians first settled going all the way back to 1848. The town of just 2300 celebrates it's Norwegian roots with statues, gift stores and restaurants like Borgen's Cafe. I decided to try their homemade meatballs in gravy served with lefse on what felt like the first day of Fall. Lefse is a Norwegian style flatbread that can include riced potatoes as well as butter, milk, and lard. This was pretty good comfort food but not anything worth going out of the way for. The lefse was pretty plain. 

Meatballs with Lefse at Borgen's Cafe
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Rockton Bar (La Farge, WI)

Our final stop was another spot I was very much looking forward to checking out. Sunday Charcoal Chicken in the Kickapoo Valley Reserve is a thing and that's bc at the end of every week this bar in the middle of the Driftless Region grills up anywhere from 100 to 200 lbs of chicken attracting bikers, canoers, campers and locals alike. I was a bit disappointed that there was no chicken on the grill when I arrived but the smell of it was was obvious as was the taste which was full of smoke in a way that can only be achieved with live fire being used. The chicken itself was a really good quality but I wanted some jerk sauce or nam jim jaew to go with it. Charcoal chicken dinners have become popular in these parts and I’m pretty sure Rockton Bar is the reason why. It was rather dead on my visit around noon on a Sunday and I soon realized that was because the Packers were playing at 3:15p. 

Pics from Rockton Bar's Sunday Charcoal Chicken Dinner
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Note: Click HERE for a Google Maps Guide to all the spots featured in this post.

See ya next time @chibbqking