Spire Farm to Fork

My husband and I went to Spire this afternoon for lunch.  We both ordered the Walleye sandwich with kalamatra olive egg salad with house salad.  I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful this combo was!  The flavors truly made my mouth very happy!  
The house salad had a wonderful dressing with aged cheddar cheese.  I couldn't stop myself from trying to eat all of the salad and sandwich.  Which I could not do.  (The portion size is very generous)  
Even though the restuarant was very busy, our service was excellent.  
We are very lucky to have such a wonderful restuarant in our area.  No need to drive to Chicago for high end dishes!  The price of this meal was very fair.  (10 dollars per plate)  
(BTW you HAVE to try the Bacon Spire Beer!  It is amazing!)
I can't wait to go for dinner!

Spire's model of local and seasonable ingredients is all the rage in the trendier places I frequent in DC (where I live), Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and other culinary hotspots I get to visit often. I hoped Brad would find his stride in a restaurant, but wasn't sure how he would be received in NW Indiana.

I had the opportunity to visit in November while in Chicago for a conference. I rented a car and drove down to meet some friends, no small investment of time and money just to eat at a restaurant. It was a pilgrimage of sorts, back to my hometown, but primarily to try out Spire just over a month into full operation.

Was it worth it? Absolutely. From the decor (centering on some impressively crafted birds made from Lake Michigan driftwood) to the cuisine, Brad and his team have hit this out of the park. If this place opened in a major city, he'd be on the hot list of must-go places (in fact, Spire would outshine many of the places in DC created by some of Top Chef's best and brightest). That his model is built on showcasing what is found within 100 miles, and cooking seasonably and organically, makes this all the more impressive (as another commenter put it, this is the midwest in the middle of winter!).

I started with some casual conversation over drinks as my friends arrived. There was no push to turn the table. The menu was well proportioned--enough choices to please a range of diners but not overwhelming. In this age when chefs are prone to dress up descriptions of dishes with pretense, it was refreshing to see (on the menu and in the dishes) a straightforward presentation of ingredients that called attention to the main elements of the dish.

I started with the house-smoked trout with roasted beets. The trout was perfectly smoked, delicate in flavor and just the right moisture level. The accompanying beets were just right, roasted and finished with a touch of vinaigrette.

I moved on to the bison filet. Technically, this was perfectly executed--seared on the outside to the right char and rare on throughout the middle. In taste, it may have been the best piece of red meat I've ever eaten. It infused with richness that beef rarely offers and was so tender it melted. I was worried the creamed leek sauce that accompanied might overpower the dish, but it was a fitting side. This entree was alone worth the trip.

I finished with the carrot cake, which was playfully served in three parts. Moist, balanced flavor, attractive presentation.

The service was capable and pleasant with only a slight hiccup here or there--I had to ask for a fork when my entree was served, so I guess there's minor refining to be done on that end.

I want to see Spire work out and so far, Brad and his team seem to be off to a wonderful start. I will be determined to make it back soon and see what is cooking.

Living and dining in the San Francisco Bay Area creates a high culinary standard due to the diverse and high quality restaurant scene. The mild climate also creates a situation where many restaurants are able to offer organic, locally grown ingredients.  year-round. Thus, I was apprehensive whether such a difficult culinary model could be achieved in a small town in the Midwest in the middle of winter.

Fortunately, Spire far exceeded my expectations, delivering high quality food at reasonable prices. I added photos of each course of our meal. Local residents should support this restaurant, as chef's of this quality are rare outside of large cities.

Pros:
-Excellent food quality. The chef creates very interesting food combinations, some of which we questioned on paper, but worked very well when we tasted them.
-We were told that the menu items rotate every few weeks with a few "favorites" that stay through menu rotations. (This is typically the sign of a highly engaged chef, catering to available ingredients while keeping the kitchen staff on their toes by not continuously making the same dishes for months or years.
-The restaurant is brand new with a very modern style. We were told that much of the art work is by local artists and can actually be purchased if you are so inclined. The dining area is lined with windows over looking a golf course that is probably more picturesque outside of the dreary winter. The restaurant also had an appropriately sized bar.
-Prices were very fair for the quality of food.

Cons:
-While our waitress was very attentive, she could have been a little more friendly.

Other items:
-The lunch menu is much more simplistic than the dinner menu. If you have the option, I'd recommend going for dinner.  However, the dinner prices are more expensive than the lunch prices, as is typical with most restaurants of this quality.
-Not a con from my view, but the menu may not be initially appealing to a picky Midwestern palate. While they do offer "meat and potatoes" (hamburger/fries at lunch and ribeye/potatoes at dinner), many of the dishes had much more complex flavors. Take a risk and order something that you wouldn't normally order!
-Again not a con from my view, but the portion size isn't the 2000 calorie and 2-meal portion size that you might get from a typical chain restaurant like Applebee's, Chili's, or Friday's. Portion size is the correct and appropriate size for a high quality meal.