LTHForum.com

The Bride and I concluded a lovely day wandering in Indiana at Stop 50, followed by a sunset climb up to the top of Mount Baldy, and then down to the beach.

Charming people as always at Stop 50 - I just stood and watched them making pizzas, making casual conversation, but mostly just enjoying watching them work the dough, build the pizzas and manage the oven. A warm buzz of activity.

Excellent pizzas, too. The wild mushrooms were particularly good. Bought three (margherita, wild mushroom and pear gorgonzola) between the two of us, so we would have something to give us strength for the drive home.

_________________
d
Retired, gone fishing, and exploring my curmudgeon within

I really enjoyed the pear, gorgonzola and red onion pizza I had there this summer...

went to Stop 50 today YUM!

_________________
my food shots

went here this weekend for the first time in a long time - just wanted to get a couple things off my chest: first, this is the second time we ordered the wild mushroom pizza, which did not have anything remotely wild on it (pretty sure it was all button mushrooms - am i missing something here?). it's a pet peeve of mine to see the words "wild mushrooms" describing something and then be disappointed when the food arrives.

second, we ordered a side of marinara sauce, and were shocked to discover a $3 charge on the check. who charges $3 for a half cup of marinara sauce? oddly enough, their other venture, sodadog, only charges $1 for a side of sauce.

I would like to apologize to milic13. We did run out of "wild Mushrooms" by Sunday. We do update our servers when ingredients run out, but at times we miss our mark. We will work to do a better job of communicating ingredient changes.

I am picking up Morels this Thursday for Friday's dinner.

_________________
Life is a state of mind....I mind pizza

At least the prices on that haven't changed since September 2008 (upthread):



Really my only quibble with otherwise one of the strongest restaurants in the Midwest, and I don't think that's a hyperbole. Great Lake Shmeat Lake.

That's really unfortunate. We've eaten at Stop 50 many times, had the wild mushroom pizza a few times, and they've always been wild mushrooms - absolutely not button mushrooms. The post following yours suggests you caught them on a bad night, their fault, but not at all the norm.

Well, I think that the thing to do is mention (something like) this when it happens, so that a) you can get an explanation and b) the restaurant can actually do something about it. Coming here to vent about an event that wasn't addressed when it happened seems odd to me since there's nothing anyone here can do about it. Of course, in this instance, an explanation from the proprietor was actually given but that's not usually how it goes.

=R=

_________________
I just wanna live until I gotta die. I know I ain't perfect but God knows I try. --Todd Snider

Spit out the gum, sister!

Twitter: ronniesuburban

i find this to be a regular occurrence in restaurants in general, that's why it's a pet peeve of mine (hence the venting). however, upon the mention of morels above, i may have to go back and try it a third time.

The Chow Poodle and I took a day trip to SW Michigan today. After a dissapointing breakfast in Glenn, we went to Stop 50 for lunch. I'm happy to report that they are still at the top of their game. We ordered the combination appetizer platter as pictured above. It was still cooked the same way and is just as good as ever. The sausage stuffed peppers remain one of my favorite dishes anywhere. We also had a mixed green salad, which featured a great mix of fresh lettuces and a judicious amount of a nice vinaigrette. Also, a sausage pizza.

I wish I was in a position to visit Stop 50 more often. I always enjoy the whole experience of going there from the friendly, engaged owner to the great imaginative food. If they were located here in Chicago, they'd be giving Great Lake a run for the longest wait for a pizza.

_________________
Steve Z.
Photographer/Pseudojournalist

"The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook." - Julia Child

Wow!

Finally made my first trip to Stop 50 on the way back from Michigan last week and I was really impressed. In fact, I'd rank it in my all-time top 3, with Bianco and Great Lake being the other 2. Really impressive stuff.


Stop 50 Wood Fired Pizzeria - 500 El Portal Drive, Michiana Shores, IN
A welcome oasis between Michigan and home.



Owner Chris Bardol mans the oven
A friendlier or more passionate guy there could not be.



Appetizer Sampler
Wood-fired summer squash, bread sticks and stuffed peppers, served with house red sauce.



Sausage-stuffed bananas pepper
I did not expect banana peppers here but they -- and the sausage inside them --- were awesome.



Sausage Pizza (tomato, sausage, oregano and mozzarella)
One of 2 pizzas we ordered. I thought the method of thin-slicing wide disks of sausage was genius because the meat covered a large portion of the pizza's surface and rendered flavor over most of it while the pizza cooked. Slicing it thin allowed it to be fully cooked in the same amount of time as the crust. This was just one example of how serious a student of pizza Chris is.



Sausage Pizza
A closer look.


Caramelized edge
Awesome flavor and texture from edge to edge. The crust was just wonderful, with a complexity that continued and continually changed throughout the entire chew.



Parmigiano Pizza (red onion, Parmigiano Reggiano, pistachios and rosemary)
This riff on Bianco's Rosa was utterly fantastic. The fresh rosemary was a sensationally aromatic accent, which subtley flavored the entire pie.



Parmigiano Pizza
Looks good enough to eat.



Parmigiano Pizza
A nice char on the bottom of the pizza, which added an additional layer of flavor complexity to the pie.



Parmigiano Pizza
Here, you can really see the zones of the crust, which ranged from pleasantly chewy in the crown (with a slight exterior crispiness) to almost cracker-like closer to the center.



Parmigiano Pizza
Total 'crustal' integrity, even at the end of our meal.

It took far too long to get there. I most definitely won't let that happen again. Absolutely cannot wait to return. Just fantastic!

=R=

_________________
I just wanna live until I gotta die. I know I ain't perfect but God knows I try. --Todd Snider

Spit out the gum, sister!

Twitter: ronniesuburban

I've been a regular at Stop 50 since they opened although the past 2 years the economy has decreased my visits. This thread has got me a hankering so I'll be visiting today or tomorrow since I'm less than 30 miles away and it only takes about 35 minutes to get there.

As an FYI for others Chris usually has some good quality little fishies (anchovies) available when you ask.

Sodadog has been good. I've been there a few times the past couple of years. Good service with an excellent variety of hot dogs.

_________________
Bruce
Plenipotentiary
bruce@bdbbq.com

Raw meat should NOT have an ingredients list!!

We went today after a visit to Warren Dunes State park.
As usual the pizzas were great!
prosciutto, pistachios, mozzarella & rosemary

We also had a pear, gorgonzola and red onion pizza but the photos are not great (due to a middle of the restaurant table...)

_________________
my food shots

Last time I was there, the prices were not in keeping with the neighborhood. This is not Michigan Avenue, it's Michiana Shores. The pizza I had was the mushroom and was dry. For all the hype, this place did not live up to my expectations at all. I'm sticking with Little Giant.

Alas, today is the last day of the season for Stop 50. We went last night to get our final fix for 2010, and it was outstanding as always, we've been regulars there for 3-4 years even though we live almost an hour away. We'll be watching the website for their re-open next Feb/Mar - thanks to Chris and all the group at Stop 50 for another great year!

We stopped in for a late afternoon pizza yesterday. We ate a little more than half of 2 great pizzas. Brought the rest home and will reheat them in oven for tonight's dinner.

_________________
Bruce
Plenipotentiary
bruce@bdbbq.com

Raw meat should NOT have an ingredients list!!

Try reheating in a cast iron skillet on the stovetop (covered) tjhe pizza does not dry out and the crust crisps up nicely

_________________
my food shots

Too late, but I'll try it next time. Although usually there aren't any leftovers.

_________________
Bruce
Plenipotentiary
bruce@bdbbq.com

Raw meat should NOT have an ingredients list!!

Has returned from their winter hiatus. I stopped in Saturday for an outstanding lunch with a friend. The pizzas continue to be outstanding and the hospitality as gracious as ever. I look forward to a couple dozen pizzas over the next 9 months.

_________________
Bruce
Plenipotentiary
bruce@bdbbq.com

Raw meat should NOT have an ingredients list!!

No offense, and it's probably not, but this sounds like a self serving, promotional posting. Why not have tacked this onto other Stop 50 promotional postings? I look forward to many dozens of pizzas from different restaurants and pizzerias, not just one, and not just over the "next 9 months" ? (is this just the period of time that they will now be open?) But maybe that's just narrow thinking, eh ? ? ?

My guests' and my experience there has been so-so, nothing to write home about. But many have different opinions. But to come out of the blue and say, hey they're making pizza again on a new separate thread, . . . makes one wonder . . . .

Sundaze, have a look at the post count Bruce has.....
Not too many folks spamming this site have over one thousand posts.

I'm going to give him the benefit of doubt and just consider his post as a reminder that Stop 50 is back from winter break.
No more no less. I almost posted a THANK YOU for the note because I was wondering when they would be back....

Plus, the search function here is a but cumbersome.....

_________________
my food shots

You're probably right and I just was a little puzzled about an unsolicited announcement that a seasonal business is again open . . . for business. And they deserve to do well and I hope the best for them. I didn't look at "the count" (1,000 posts) and I regret that. But on the other hand, what does that mean? Are these threads just for announcements of business openings? Or is there something more substantial to it? Don't mean to be obstinate, but what to make of "Joe's Bar and Grill is back in business?"

To speculate on the probable answer to your question, Stop 50 is (so far) the only GNR that is out of the immediate Chicago area, and Bruce lives close, so more times than not it is he who lets us know when Stop 50 opens for the season as well as when they close. As to why it's not in the other Stop 50 thread, your guess is as good as mine. He probably couldn't find it via search or maybe was in a hurry.

_________________
Steve Z.
Photographer/Pseudojournalist

"The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook." - Julia Child

I did conduct a search and after reading the threads (one of which was locked) I didn't feel that adding to the other threads were appropriate. They were a couple of years old, 2 of the threads were about LTH events/get togethers. I was in a hurry and probably should have provided more detail. Nor did I take any photos this trip.

Stop 50 usually closes Thanksgiving and doesn't open until around the first of March. Over the past 4-5 years they have been open they have experimented with winter hours. They have fine tuned them differently each year. They rely on the tourist business and my post was to let people who may be in the area know they are open and the quality hasn't changed. Sometimes there are new items on the menu. Chris is pretty creative with trying some new things. I ordered a new appetizer that may become a regular item. It was off menu and consisted of a large tomato stuffed with bread, cheeses, cooked in the brick oven and served with an order of bread strips. Good stuff.

Sundaze,

Sorry your experience was not as great as mine. No offense taken. I understand that everyone has different tastes. Some even like McDonalds! I've learned over the years that what people like is subjective and individual. I figured out that I'm not going to knock what some else thinks is great. I'm sure you have your favorites as we all do. I'm an Al's on Taylor guy for Italian Beef, Bone-in rib-eye medium rare at Smith & Wollensky, and shell on Salt & Pepper Shrimp at LTH. I don't get on here as much as I did in the past due to expanding interests and less opportunities to visit Chicago.

_________________
Bruce
Plenipotentiary
bruce@bdbbq.com

Raw meat should NOT have an ingredients list!!

After thinking about it, it was a dumb remark on my part about the re-opening announcement and I regret it. After a cold hard winter it's good to turn our thoughts to nice things to do and places to go. As I recall, Stop 50 can be a little hard to find for some. Use of a GPS may aid some in locating it.

Had a really great pizza and a terrific time here today on the way home from our new vacation house in Michigan. Great Neapolitan thin crust with prosciutto, spicy tomato sauce, walnuts and mozzarella. Had a nice chat with the owner, Chris, who is truly passionate about pizza and wood oven cooking. Found out that his dough starter - a biga - is over twenty years old and will help a friend launch a new pizzeria in Ohio in the near future!

If you're in the area, stop by, you'll love it...

_________________
"Barbecue sauce is like a beautiful woman. If it’s too sweet, it’s bound to be hiding something."
— Lyle Lovett

"How do you say 'Yum-o' in Swedish? Or is it Swiss? What do they speak in Switzerland?"- Rachel Ray

Another winner: Prosciutto and Roasted Asparagus

We stopped here with a party of 8 after a weekend camping at Michigan's Warren Dunes.
You'd never know it's there, it's a true hidden gem, with a decent crowd for 2PM on a Sunday (but no waiting). GNR awards for 2007 and 2009 are still prominently shown at the front door.

We ordered two apps and four pizzas (plus dessert). The Firecracker goat cheese in tomato sauce was very tasty, with bits of pizza crust to dip -- a nice taste of things to come. I really liked the Italian sausage-stuffed peppers, a nice bit of spice and fresh peppers.

Sue and I ordered the daily special, which was heirloom tomatoes, gorgonzola, walnuts (although we didn't notice any) and drizzled with balsamic. Out-freakin'-standing. I also had a taste of the wild mushroom, also damn good. Others had the margherita (asked for oregano substitution over the basil -- the fools -- and got freshly chopped oregano), and the prosciutto and pistachio.

Definitely a place I would stop at again when in dune country.

_________________
What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
-- Lin Yutang

After three failed attempts spread over the past four years, I finally wised up and not only called ahead, but made a reservation.

Another peculiar aspect of having never dined here is that the restaurant is practically within walking distance from my parent's house and my mom's favorite food is pizza. This has to do with my finicky father's preference in a restaurant- no wait, quick service (especially with the beers), and quietude. The food is secondary to him to the efficiency and respite of the service and circuses. And I could certainly understand, after this one experience at Stop 50, why he refuses to return. The front of the house was all sorts of backwards- a no-where-to-be-found hostess when we arrived, then an over an hour wait until we were served our pies while we watched later-to-arrive tables nearby receiving their food before us. Add to this a conversation-stifling din- not a relaxing meal.

Its a good thing I am not like my father and value food first. This was some of the best pizza I've ever eaten. The crust, oh that crust- chewy on the inside, crunchy on the outside, charred in the right spots, maintaining its structural integrity throughout, salty enough and just a note of sourdough tang. Pretty darned near perfect. The margherita was spot on- excellently tangy and fresh-tasting sauce. The wild mushroom may have suffered from false advertising (I am a fungus geek after all) with a blend including about half buttons, some enoki, and a few stray bits of maitake (with their robust, slightly smoky character providing the most enjoyable bites). The prosciutto was fantastic, even though I prefer the ham to be applied after the pizza has been cooked a la my standard- bearer at Coalfire. The saltier cheese too made this one savory pie (I like salt). None of us had ever had nuts on pizza before and I thought it was notable that the fresh-out-of-the-oven pistachios on that pie had a kind of stale, squeaky texture, but as they reached room temperature were crunchier. So, I am not entirely convinced by this prep, since pizza like this is best straight from the oven. Definitely worth the experience though, as was the less-than-comfortable dining experience. This is some of the best pizza in the country, methinks.

_________________
blog E-Dogz

In cinematic-trope fashion, I am literally X-ing the days on the wall calendar next to my computer until I'm there on a little escape next month. Having just hit Black Sheep in MN and Great Lake (and with Coalfire as my winter haunt), I'll put Stop 50 against any other, even when service can be goofy (as is endemic of Neapolitan spots, I find).