Harbor Country/SW Michigan - Stop 50 Wood Fired Pizzeria

Anyone been to this place in Michiana Shores, IN yet? A little out of the way for me but sounds like its worth a detour:

http://www.harborcountry-news.com/articles/2006/09/25/local_business/story18.txt

From the recent Dish e-mail:

On a recent weekend tooling around Harbor Country, Ruby discovered Stop 50 Wood Fired Pizzeria (500 S. El Portal Dr., Michiana Shores, Indiana; 219-879-8777), a bucolic spot every bit as dedicated to Neapolitan authenticity as is Spacca Napoli (1769 W. Sunnyside Ave.; 773-878-2420). “We get some of our ingredients from the same place as Spacca,” says Chris Bardol, the co-owner/chef. Bardol, a former salesman for Sara Lee, opened the place in July after a mind-blowing trip to Pizzeria Bianco, the legendary Neapolitan-style spot in Phoenix. Now he loads his own 900-degree oven with oak/apple/cherry wood that’s been seasoned for a year—and he grows fresh herbs in planter boxes outside the restaurant. The pizzas, of course, are terrific, with that patented tender/crisp, blistered-edge crust; mild buffalo mozzarella; acidic San Marzano tomatoes. Get in your car and go.

Trix and I have longstanding pizza debate. The question is: what is more important to the greatness of an overall pizza, the crust or its toppings? I’m from the school that believes that truly great pizza, no matter how wonderful, well-proportioned, and tasty its ingredients are, cannot reach the highest levels without it being just great bread.
Finding a pizzeria anywhere that masters the art of breadmaking could possibly be one of the most futile exercises I know and when you find such a place, you know you’ve found something special.



We found such a place in Stop 50. Its owner, Chris Bardol, is a local from the area. His love for pizza is immediately obvious after talking to him for just a few minutes. After being inspired by the legendary pizzamaker, Chris Bianco of Pizzeria Bianco (Phoenix) fame, he decided to attempt true artisanal pizzamaking in his local environs.
Bardol told us that he uses a 10-year old sourdough starter, which he feeds daily and that he prefers to use as many domestic ingredients, as possible to maximize freshness such as locally grown basil, mozzarella from Greco (Chicago), and tomatoes from California (Stanislaus). He wisely makes one exception with his use of Caputo 00 flour from Italy.

I could talk about his toppings but the real genius of this place is in the bread. I’m not going to say that it’s the very single best crust I’ve had but I will say, without hesitation, that I’ve only been to a handful of other places that are in his league. The pliability and flavors are exemplary.

We had 2 pizzas— a straightforward margherita as well as sausage. Bardol’s pies are much thinner than most traditional Neapolitan-style pizzas but because of his use of correct proportions of ingredients to crust, they don’t lose their integrity on any front. He also prefers to use minced garlic and adds it directly to the pie, opting not to cook it in the more usual way directly in the tomato sauce. This gives his pies a more noticeable garlic-y element. His use of coarse sea salt is also a real nice touch. My only complaint is his use of inferior domestic mozzarella instead of a more vibrant variety.



After leaving, I fired up a stogie outside and knew that I had just experienced the best pizza I’ve ever had in the Midwest.

Disclaimer: Sorry if our posts are redundant, but we both were dying to write about this place, so we decided not to confer at all, and write our own posts.

When pizza is good, it’s really good. Today we drove through oil refineries and steel mills and blighted neighborhoods to eat pizza, and as it turns out, it was well worth it.

On a recent weekend tooling around Harbor Country, Ruby discovered Stop 50 Wood Fired Pizzeria (500 S. El Portal Dr., Michiana Shores, Indiana; 219-879-8777), a bucolic spot every bit as dedicated to Neapolitan authenticity as is Spacca Napoli (1769 W. Sunnyside Ave.; 773-878-2420). “We get some of our ingredients from the same place as Spacca,” says Chris Bardol, the co-owner/chef. Bardol, a former salesman for Sara Lee, opened the place in July after a mind-blowing trip to Pizzeria Bianco, the legendary Neapolitan-style spot in Phoenix. Now he loads his own 900-degree oven with oak/apple/cherry wood that’s been seasoned for a year—and he grows fresh herbs in planter boxes outside the restaurant. The pizzas, of course, are terrific, with that patented tender/crisp, blistered-edge crust; mild buffalo mozzarella; acidic San Marzano tomatoes. Get in your car and go.

I have to agree with the sentiment of this blurb—get in your car and go for sure, but don’t expect Spacca Napoli when you get there (or buffalo mozzarella or San Marzano tomatoes for that matter). Sure, there are similarities to Spacca, but this pie is a distinctly different interpretation of vera pizza napoletana. The beauty of this pie lives inside its crust. The dough is thin, and has an audible crispness to it, but still manages to retain the distinctive chew of great bread. Born from a decade-old mother, this bread is brought to life by wild yeast that contorts the crumb into something igneous, and the slight sourness of the dough takes the flavor of this pizza into the realms of unicorns and gnomes. It’s what does it for me. It’s what blows my mind. It happened when I went to Una Pizza Napoletana, and it hasn’t happened since…until today. Save for some good olive oil and a little sprinkle of sea salt, “toppings” are completely unnecessary.

But in the real world, pizza has sauce and cheese and other stuff. Bardol is certainly thinking about what he’s putting on top of his pizza, but he’s not necessarily blindly following the dictum thrown down by the powers that be over at the VPN offices. He gets what there saying, and has deep respect for it—but he’s not a slave to it. His tomatoes, for instance, are not from San Marzano, but rather California, chosen for their sweetness (we ate a small bowl of them and they had a natural sweetness that balanced the acidity very well.) He puts a little freshly minced garlic on his pies, but just a bit. And his cheese is not mozzarella di bufula, but his purveyors use no preservatives, which he says is a leading cause of funky pizza. In other words, the man is thinking hard about the design of his pie, and the results are delicious and unique. And for those of you who refuse to eat your pizza with a knife and fork, Stop 50 slices its pies into wedges with a giant mezza luna, which makes sharing easier.

Again, I still think that when you have bread that’s this good, the fewer things that go on top, the better it’s going to taste. Next time I go (which will be very soon), I’m looking forward to trying the Marinara pizza with just tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, oregano and sea salt. Though Bardol wants to stick to mainly pizza, he offers a couple of other things on the menu like soup and salad and an intriguing panini—a sort of high-brow Italian beef. In the morning he roasts beef in the wood burning oven while it’s warming up (around 400 degrees), and then lets it rest. At lunch he’ll slice it off and add peppers and onions and put it on bread made from his sourdough. Sausage is done the same way. For dessert there is a small selection of house made gelati.

Oh, and did I mention that Bardol is a really nice guy—totally unaffected, warm, passionate and so it’s no surprise that the space he’s created in Michiana Shores strikes exactly the same chord.

Hi,

From downtown Chicago to this destination, it is estimated at 67 miles and 90 minutes time. I'm gather the time estimate is loco, though how long did it take you to get there?

All those pizza's looked very good and well within travel distance. Thanks for the dual write up!

Regards,

We took the long meandering route 41 (Lake Michigan circle tour) to route 12 through the scenic industrial sites of Gary, Hammond, and Ea(s)t Chicago , so it did take us about 90 minutes. However, I bet it would be something less using I-94.

Mary and I went tonight for dinner at Stop 50 too. A great pizza and meal. Mary had a cup of the Italian Wedding soup which was outstanding with plentiful, small, sweet, Italian meatballs. I would highly recommend it.



We also had a mixed sampler appetizer with wood roasted stuffed Italian Peppers, bread sticks, and fire roasted zucchini and squash. All were very good.


A Margherita pizza followed. I have to concur with PIGMON and Trixie-pea. A great pizza, especially for the area. The garlic was a just a little overpowering but not distractingly so.



Mary was full, but I had a hankering for some gelato. When the waitress asked if I wanted some dessert she left before I could order and came back with the dessert tray. I just wanted some lemon gelato. On the tray was a creme brulee cheesecake which suddenly made Mary find a little room in her small tummy. This was by far the best cheesecake either one of us have ever tasted. If fact, I would have to put it up in the top ten desserts of all time. Just an outstanding mix of different desserts.



Our next meal will consist of a Marinara pizza and a House Panino (Beef & sausage, with roasted onion, green pepper, tomato, and cheese) which really looked good as I saw one walking by. I talked to the owner for a few minutes before the evening rush came in. A great guy who has passion for what he is doing.

You guys are killing me! I didn't get a chance to get to Stop 50 this weekend, and now I won't be back up here for two weeks. Sounds great, very excited to have something of this kind of quality around here.

Fastest way to get here from Chicago is to take 94 and get off at the second Michigan City exit #40 and take Hwy 20 West toward Michigan City, then look for the turnoff to Hwy 212 North right away. After about 5 miles 212 will merge with Hwy 12, and keep to your right. Once your on 12 get into the left lane immediately and make the first left turn - don't miss that left, it's your only chance for miles to cross the railroad on the west side of the highway.

Here's a place I found in my hometown. The wait for completion of my backyard pizza oven project (MAM 505) was getting to me so my baby and I went out for pizza. I had heard of a place in town that served real wood-fired pizza but never gave it much thought. The world is full of posers. We showed up at a place that used to be a little mom & pop convenience store in my youth. Well, it changed. A lot. A four foot wall rings the outside of the building. Atop the wall sits various planters of herbs (free for the pickin'). Very inviting. Inside, I stopped and froze in place. Immediately I knew. I had been here before. The rustic no-nonsense interior and the huge, round mass of bricks comprising the wood burning oven beckoned. Come in. Either I stumbled onto the Star Trek Holodeck or the dude who runs this place built a replica of Pizzeria Bianco right here.
Like any geek, of course, I walked over to the oven. I like to think I'm somehow being pulled. Anyway, mouth agape, I'm staring at the oven. I start blathering about things in the non-sensical. But Chris Bardol, the owner, doesn't seem fazed. He understands because he is one of us. A real Pizza Geek. He gave me a quick tour. I'm handling the peels and gaping into the awesome WoodStone oven. Somehow sensibility took over and I returned to my table. After a short while, sensing I wouldn't bite and most of the foam around my mouth had dissipated, Chris came over to our table. I said "Dude, this place is cool, have you ever been to Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix? Confession. Chris said he was there about four years ago and like the rest of us, he drooled. He said he lurked around the counter and dreamed. I said, “Me too!” And I have video to prove it. We both agreed that Chris Bianco is a true gent and he seemed oblivious to the hoards of wide-eyed, mouth breathing pizza geeks which gather around his pizza counter, daily. Chris said he has been in the food industry for years and wanted something for his wonderful wife, Kristy, and himself...but what. Once inside Bianco's, he knew. Pizza!
They bought a place in his old neighborhood and voila!
Well... more like dream, plan, work, work, work.. figure out... plan some more... sweat sweat -cry & scream...work some more. And then, like magic...Voila!
Well folks, my baby ordered the firecracker appetizers (garlic salted fingers of blistered pizza dough which come with a roasted crucible of some kind of a hot sauce and goat cheese concoction. Mmmm!
Of course, the pizza. Two things about good pizza. First, in a wood burning joint you have to order a pizza margherita. To me and just about everyone else, this is a baseline. Next, how does it taste cold? In this case, I will never know about number two. You see, the knife and fork are just superfluous table weights. I am compelled to pick up the slice, fold it like you’re supposed to and eat it like the pizza gods intended. *Munch*Munch*Gulp. Gone.
Honestly, I have no need to travel to Phoenix for pizza.
Somehow, Chris Bardol, who used to be just like us, figured out how to get on the other side of the looking glass. He ain’t no poser.
This pizza is awesome.

HaHa, HaHa! Make it unanimous.

I managed to get there last Sunday, the gods scheduled the Bears at night which allowed for a leisurely outdoor lunch on a perfect October day supplemented by perfect pizza. My wife and I split the appetizer sampler: grilled zuchini, blistered bread slices with tomato sauce for dipping, and hungarian peppers stuffed with homemade sausage - all of which were outstanding. House chianti was very tasty, and at $6 a glass very reasonable. Pizza margherita was perfect, the crust with just the right chew. I love garlic, so the dose of crushed was welcome. As good as the sausage was on the app, a sausage pizza is next on the list.

Truly blessed to have this place around here, a proprietor who seeks perfection and brooks no compromise. Simple, honest and perfect. Bravo!

I read this thread a few days ago - perfect timing for my family's annual apple-picking journey in the St. Joseph, MI area.

On the way home last Saturday evening, we barely found this place. I made the mistake of exiting 94 at 239 and winding through some pretty desolate areas. But I guess that is all part of the adventure.

The place was packed, but we were seated at the last available table. The hostess, waitstaff and chef/owner were all extremely pleasant and made us feel wanted. Too many restaurants make you feel as though you're lucky to be there.

The kids were given crayons and paper to color on. A small but nice touch.

We ordered the appetizer platter - garlic bread sticks, stuffed peppers and fire-roasted veggies - squash and zucchini. Everything on the platter was outstanding. The stuffed peppers were served with a pretty spicy tomato sauce. I love heat and this dish made me loosen my collar a bit.

Then, we ordered the sausage pizza (mainly for the kids) and the prosciutto - which had, of course, prosciutto, but also roasted pistachios, lots of garlic and rosemary (and cheese). This pizza was fantastic. Crispy, flavorful crust. The pistachios were a very unique and welcome addition to the pizza.

A note on the sausage - it was very tasty and different than regular italian sausage. It was also sliced into thin rectangles - almost reminding me of gyro pieces. My son loved it.

The place is somewhat small, but quaint and very tastefully decorated. The chef/owner was stopping by each table. A nice touch that I rarely experience.

Wish I lived closer - I would probably be here all the time. As for now, it is penciled (rather, penned) in as our dinner on the way home from the annual apple picking trip. Can't wait until next October! What a great new tradition this will be.

Meant to mention that we tried this spot and really enjoyed it. Thanks to the pizza experts and the Michiana experts for pointing it out. Great crust, and thus very good pizza. I liked the tomatoes, but agree that the cheese could be upgraded to make a better pie. I had forgotten about the cheesecake rave, but my son, who always gets cheescake covered. Damn, that is tremendous cheesecake. Gelato, not so much. Wedding soup was nice. I wish more Chicago restaurants had this otherwise common Italian-American specialty. Service was an issue. Over-extended, underexperienced server really was trying, but was way "in the weeds." Last, and least, requests for salt and crushed red pepper were flatly and awkwardly denied by same. Not sure if this was policy or a lack of shakers (e.g., could only get cups of soup b/c not enough bowls were on hand).

Anyway, don't pay too much attention to the minor quibbles. This is great pizza. Let me reiterate that I'm squarely on the side of PIG-Pea, Bruce et al. that Stop 50 is a must-stop in the area and, for pizza lovers, a destination. The quirks will get worked out, I'm sure.

PS, the owner was very proudly showing off this theread to local customers and was mentioning a surge in business when I was there. When places like this, Katy's, Honey One, etc. get some of the business that they deserve (or ink, and then business), it reflects well on this site and its devoted.

This thread had me contemplating a drive to Indiana this week. I just called to ask if they were open for lunch and the person who answered the phone said that they are now closed on Tuesday & Wednesday, but open at 11:00 A.M. the rest of the week.

I'd like to add to the applause. Drove to Ann Arbor this past weekend, and timed the drive there to arrive for pizza at about 1:00.* I agree with all the plaudits for the pizza, but want to add a plug for the panini. Why order panini at a pizza joint? It's really just pizza in another form. They make a their standard pie into a panini by placing the filling on the surface of a standard pie, and then, after it's cooked, they cut the pie in three and folds each of the thirds in half. You end up with a V shaped panini with the wonderful pizza crust on top and bottem. I had the roast beef, which was a modest amount of wood-roasted meat, peppers, onion and cheese. The panini featured the bread, as it should, and was just as good as the pizza.

In chatting with the owner, by the way, he obviously knew about LTH and commented that the LTH folks were extremely nice people. You could see he loved having knowledgeable folks down from Chicago.

Jonah

* It's a very easy stop if you're driving that way. It takes about 8 to 10 minutes to get there from the highway, so we left the highway and were back on the road in less than an hour.

Jonah wrote:
In chatting with the owner, by the way, he obviously knew about LTH and commented that the LTH folks were extremely nice people. You could see he loved having knowledgeable folks down from Chicago.
Jonah

After we ate I talked to him for awhile. I gave a couple of LTH cards and told him about the site. Of course, Pigmon was there a couple of hours before me. Chris said he had heard of LTH before.

I think I'm going to run over there this weekend.

Cathy2 wrote:From downtown Chicago to this destination, it is estimated at 67 miles and 90 minutes time. I'm gather the time estimate is loco, though how long did it take you to get there?

This is probably like sand to the desert--but always pay the tolls and take the Skyway, avoid the Gary Expressway like the plague.

I've made it from Michigan City to 55th st/Garfield exit in less than an hour many times, just depends on traffic.

I decided to take my wife out to dinner tonight and remembering that she had suggested Stop 50 a couple of weeks ago, I called to see if Stop 50 was open. Great news, they open tonight after being closed for the past 6 weeks.

I talked to Chris, the owner, before Christmas about hosting an LTH event. He's all for it. I'm going to start planning an dinner with him. Because Stop 50 is located in Michigan City, IN I'm going to plan something for a Saturday around 5:00 or so. I'm thinking this will be sometime during the last 2 weeks of March or during April.

Let me know if you are interested in this thread. I'll firm up a date and details a little later and post to the events board.

I'd be interested, especially if we could work out some carpooling.

Great idea, Bruce. Depending on date and time, naturally, I'm very interested.

Bruce wrote: Let me know if you are interested in this thread.

I might have to drive up
from Indy for this event.

Bruce, Good to see you Friday. I just wanted to follow up on our conversation this weekend and post that I would love to host an LTH event. LTH members have been incredible and I am glad to now be a member.

Good to be back in front of the fire.

avatrr wrote:Bruce, Good to see you Friday. I just wanted to follow up on our conversation this weekend and post that I would love to host an LTH event. LTH members have been incredible and I am glad to now be a member.

Good to be back in front of the fire.

I haven't had time to post a note, but Mary and I were very happy with our pizza and house pannino. Do you still have the Creme Brulee cheesecake?

I'm leaning toward April 21 for an LTH Pizza party. Easter and tax season should be out of the way and that would be a great night to eat.

Just saw this thread!

I am really excited about this place as I have lived just up the road growing up and have never been.

Are your winter hours different at all from summer hours?

Seeing this thread reminded me that I had not posted about my trip to Stop 50 last November. Dulled by the passage of time the details may not be as fresh in my mind as they once were, but luckily I've got pictures.

Stop 50 was easier to find than I thought it would be. I was on my way back to Chicago from a visit to Michigan and pulled off the road for an early dinner. I got there around 4:30 P.M. and found Chris, the owner, and a waitress all alone just waiting for me to arrive. Chris is an affable fellow who was familiar with LTH. We struck up a conversation soon after he saw me taking pictures.

Chris Bardol Making a Pizza


I started off with an appetizer of wood roasted veggies and home made garlic bread. This dish was cooked in the wood burning oven to order...including the garlic "bread", which was actually a pizza crust that was baked and cut into strips for service.

Stop 50 Wood Burning Oven


This dish was outstanding! There was roasted green and yellow zucchini and some piquant peppers (anaheims perhaps?) that were stuffed with sausage and topped with some tomoatoes; served with a cup of tomato sauce and the above mentioned garlic bread.

Stop 50 Wood Roasted Veggie Appetizer


This was the best dish of the day IMO (though the pizza was good as well). If I was returning to Stop 50 and could only order one thing, it would be this dish, particularly the stuffed peppers.

I followed up the veggies with a pizza margherita. The pizza was well made with quality ingredients. I'd characterize the crust as a cross between Euro style and traditional Chicago thin crust, in that it was somewhat crispy, but still had the blistered spots that Neapolitan lovers cherish so much.

Stop 50 Pizza


Detail of Crust


If Bruce gets an outing together, I'll be there for sure if my schedule permits.

stevez wrote:Stop 50 was easier to find than I thought it would be. I was on my way back to Chicago from a visit to Michigan and pulled off the road for an early dinner.

I had a little harder time finding it. I also pulled off coming back from Michigan (the New Buffalo exit- 12W, I think). It was pitch black, difficult to see and I recall missing the sign to Michiana Shores and having to turn around. The signage to Michiana Shores was spotty, but I managed to stumble upon it anyway. But it really is in the middle of nowhere on a residential strip. It's definitely worth the trip anyway.

the New Buffalo exit- 12W, I think

It's NOT at Stop 50?

Mike G wrote:

the New Buffalo exit- 12W, I think

It's NOT at Stop 50?

Stop 50 refers to the old train line that no longer runs that far.

Bruce wrote:

avatrr wrote:Bruce, Good to see you Friday. I just wanted to follow up on our conversation this weekend and post that I would love to host an LTH event. LTH members have been incredible and I am glad to now be a member.

Good to be back in front of the fire.

I haven't had time to post a note, but Mary and I were very happy with our pizza and house pannino. Do you still have the Creme Brulee cheesecake?

I'm leaning toward April 21 for an LTH Pizza party. Easter and tax season should be out of the way and that would be a great night to eat.

We do still have the Creme Brulee cheesecake. April 21 works for me, just keep me posted.

jpeac2 wrote:Just saw this thread!

I am really excited about this place as I have lived just up the road growing up and have never been.

Are your winter hours different at all from summer hours?

Our winter hours are currently Friday & Saturdays 5-10pm cst. Sunday 11am-9pm. Once the weather begins to warm up and everyone comes out of hibernation, we will begin to add days and hours until we get to summer hours of 7 days a week from 11am - 10 pm.

stevez wrote:

Mike G wrote:

the New Buffalo exit- 12W, I think

It's NOT at Stop 50?

Stop 50 refers to the old train line that no longer runs that far.

Actually Stop 50 refers to old bus line stops that ran down Lake Shore Dr. (LSD) years ago. The Stops are still posted and used today as a point of reference and "local lingo" to articulate where some one lives or where you are going to go to the beach.

LSD ends at Stop 43 where it was taken back by Mother Nature in the 1950's. We named the restaurant Stop 50 in the spirit of my home town local lingo and help aid in the location, even though we are not on LSD, we are located in the lake shore community of Michiana Shores IN.

Hope this helps!