Being tabbed as a great place for Foodies is a nice way to score. Being tabbed by a first-class regional publication as a great place for Foodies is like a home run. Being tabbed by a first-class regional publication in the heart of the summer tourist season as a great place for Foodies is like a walk-off grand slam. Such is the case for three Berrien County restaurants who have been ranked numbers one, two and three on a list of the top five “Michiana Seafood Restaurants to Get Hooked on This Summer.”
Michiana Life magazine, a beautifully published magazine targeting upper-income households across Michigan and Indiana as well as free distribution at more than 200 public locations, argues in their current edition that “We may live in the Midwest, but with Lake Michigan so close, folks in Michiana are able to ditch the corn fields in favor of the open water.” The magazine then proceeds to identify their top five picks “where us Midwesterners can get a taste of the coast at home,” when we are in search of relief from summer’s heat & humidity through lighter fare such as seafood.
Their top three are right here in Berrien County — the Lakehouse Restaurant & Bar in St. Joseph, the Grand Mere Inn of Stevensville, and The Stray Dog Bar & Grill in Harbor Country. Here’s a bit of what the readers of more than 8,000 copies of the magazine are being told about each:
1: Lakehouse Restaurant and Bar
Located a stone’s throw from Lake Michigan, this restaurant easily boasts the best view on the list.
Classic seafood lovers will find their favorites in perch and salmon, but the menu also boasts calamari, ahi tuna, walleye and a crabcake sandwich. The walleye, a rarity on many menus, comes on a bed of quinoa — an excellent palate cleanser for the fish — and is topped with a relish of tomatoes, red onions and balsamic vinaigrette and feta cheese to round out the texture of the meal.
The family-friendly restaurant celebrated its third anniversary in May, and is located at 3029 Lakeshore Drive, St. Joseph, Michigan.
2: Grande Mere Inn
The Grande Mere Inn is a southwestern Michigan institution.
The restaurant and its owners, the Racine family, have been giving back to the community for 37 years.
The menu offers a great selection of seafood: there are acquired tastes such as escargot and oysters, as well as perennial favorites such as shrimp, lobster and crab, as well as more difficult to find items such as swordfish. The lightly battered perch, paired with dill tartar sauce, will keep you coming back year-round.
The restaurant is located at 5800 Red Arrow Highway, Stevensville, Michigan.
3: The Stray Dog Bar & Grill
The Stray Dog rebuilt in June 2013 after an electrical fire devastated the restaurant in 2012. The restaurant has the fewest seafood choices on this list, but what it lacks in breadth, it makes up in depth. Stray Dog offers three different types of fish tacos — tilapia, shrimp and mahi — that are packed to the gills.
The three mahi tacos are stuffed with black beans, red onions, corn, tomatoes and citrus slaw, and each is topped with a melt-in-your-mouth avocado slice. They come on flour tortillas, but don’t be afraid to ask for corn tortillas if that’s your flavor. Arguably just as eyebrow-raising is the hard-to-find-on-a-menu-in-the-Midwest grilled grouper.
The restaurant is located at 245 N. Whittaker St., New Buffalo, Michigan.
Michiana Life is published by Leader Publications, with Ambrosia Neldon serving as Editor & General Manager. For those unfamiliar with the publication, they define themselves as a magazine that “Strives to replicate the true spirit of the region and those who call it home.” They define their readers as, “Intelligent, upwardly mobile, and realizing of the potential for business and cultural opportunities springing up around the region. They hold jobs in a variety of industries and are involved in their community.”
The magazine is available free of charge at upscale locations and retail outlets reaching readers where they shop, as well as being circulated in hotels, medical offices, banks, real estate and Chambers of Commerce throughout Michigan and Indiana. You can find a list of places that have the magazine by clicking the link below:
