The Stray Dog

In New Buffalo, Michigan there are many restaurants to venture to where you can get a great bite to eat. The Stray Dog is definitely one of the top spots to hit when in town. It sits right on the corner before you start hitting the Lake Michigan beach. Inside you are greeted with exactly what you would expect, a warm host and dog pictures everywhere. It just starts out your experience with a big smile. Unless of course, you are not a dog person… then maybe focus only on the food rather than the decor.

To start our lunch, we decided to go with their Chilled Summer Rolls and their house made cheese curds. The Chilled Summer Rolls were perfect for the hot weather we had yesterday. It is shrimp, rice noodles, basil, carrot, cilantro, and mixed greens all wrapped in rice paper. They serve the rolls with a sesame ginger dressing and an Asian peanut sauce. These rolls were such a refreshing bite with the crisp veggies inside. The sesame ginger dressing and Asian peanut sauce accompanied the shrimp and rice noodles so well and added a great depth of flavor that typically rolls like this need. Since we had our two boys with us and let’s be honest, 3 & 4 year old boys don’t have the palettes like we do, so we got the cheese curds as well. They did not disappoint! The curds were crispy, seasoned very well and were not lacking cheese. Served with marinara sauce, it was a great bite and perfect for kiddos that don’t enjoy the more complex flavors.

Moving on to the entrees, I had the Grilled Shrimp Po’ Boy and Mia had their specialty; Fish & Chips. The Grilled Shrimp Po’ Boy was very good and I was a little iffy on not having fried shrimp in my sandwich but I have to say, I might be a grilled shrimp po’ boy fan now. The sandwich comes with lettuce, tomato, cabbage mix, and a Cajun remoulade. It really is everything you want in a po’ boy. The blackening seasoning on the grilled shrimp is the perfect way to bring a flavorful punch in every bite. It has a slight heat to it but not enough to make you reach for your water. You’d think that you would miss the crunch from the fried shrimp but fear not. The crispy cabbage mix and lettuce bring that right back into the sandwich. When you take a bite with the shrimp, veggies, Cajun remoulade on that soft telera roll, you know you made the right choice.

The Fish & Chips. A staple in the UK and honestly, a very simple dish. However, it is a simple dish that can be ruined very easily. The Stray Dog does not fail to deliver a great fish & chips.Traditionally, cod or haddock are used. Stray Dog uses beer battered haddock over their house made old bay chips served with their tartar sauce and lemon. Of course, you need to get the malt vinegar when ordering. The beer battered haddock is cooked perfectly. A nice golden crispy batter on the outside and a moist, flaky haddock on the inside. By itself, it is a delicious bite. Add a few sprays of malt vinegar, a squeeze of lemon juice, add their house made tartar sauce and you have a bite of crispy fish that will leave you asking if you should order yourself another one. The old bay chips that come with this is arguably just as tasty as the fish itself. The way they cut their chips makes me want to eat a whole basket full. Think of thick cut steak fries but they cut them super thin. Seasoned extremely well with old bay and fried until golden and crispy. Dip them in that house tartar and it’s the perfect pairing for the classic fish and chips.

The Stray Dog has many items on their menu that we wish we could have tried. Burgers, tacos, turkey clubs, etc… If everything that we had was any indicator for what the other menu items taste like then you can’t go wrong with anything. We will definitely be back to try more and hopefully go out on their roof top bar area overlooking Lake Michigan. If you are ever in the New Buffalo area, give this place a try!

Oink’s Dutch Treat

Oink’s is one of those places you go to as a kid and never forget it. Luckily for me, I was able to go as a kid and continue going into my adult years. This year they go into their 40th season of serving people their wonderful flavors. It is a local staple in New Buffalo and a must stop whenever we are in town. They are well known for the extensive selection of ice cream flavors, 50 to be exact, and the famous decor that covers the entirety of the inside, outside and all over the parking lot. The ice cream itself is sweet, creamy and some of the best bang for your buck. If you’re in the area then you need to come check it out!