By Erika Peterson
Looking for the best pizza places in Southwest Michigan? Check out what these local guest bloggers had to say about their favorite pizza places in this corner of the mitten. Some of them may surprise you.
Josh Nowicki
The Livery & Haymarket Taproom
Two of my favorite pizzas in Southwest Michigan are Mikey’s Bad Trip at The Livery in Benton Harbor and Elote at Haymarket Taproom in Bridgman. Both are very unique pizzas and contain ingredients not found on most pizza menus.
I love the pizza at The Livery. Their handmade crust is amazing. In fact, of all the pizzas I have ever tried the texture of their crust is one of the best – I love its perfect chewiness. Another aspect that makes it special is that it contains spent grain from their brewery. Moreover, their pizzas have unique flavor profiles and utilize local and seasonal ingredients. The Livery offers many great choices of delicious pizzas but Mikey’s Bad Trip is by far my favorite. It is deliciously creamy with a delightfully salty finish. The ingredients for this special pizza are cream sauce, mixed mushrooms, mixed herbs, truffle salt, black pepper and a cheese blend. I hear from talking to one of bartenders that people drive an hour or more just to get this pizza and I can understand why.
The pizza at Haymarket Taproom really surprised me in the best possible way. I initially went there to try the beer and did not even know that they made pizza. But wow do they ever! When you walk into the building you are greeted with the comforting and delicious aromas of a wood fire and pizza. Wonderful and unique combinations of toppings cooked in minutes make dining there very enjoyable. My favorite on their menu is Elote. Its ingredients include whipped ricotta, cilantro, roasted corn, cotija cheese, mozzarella & umami mayo. I am often skeptical of the word umami (I spend time in Japan every year gorging myself on delicious food). In this case, they are doing the term justice since the mayo does contain fish sauce, a great source of umami flavor. Don’t worry though, it is not fishy at all, there is just enough to make it extra savory.
Erika Peterson
Public House and Greenbush Brewing Co.
Everywhere I go, I’m always on the hunt to find the best pizza. Everyone knows cities like Chicago or New York are famous for it but lucky for me, I can find great pizza right here in Southwest Michigan.
A couple of my favorite places to get pizza here are at the Round Barn Brewery & Public House and Greenbush Brewing Co. At the Public House I like to get the “Create Your Own” pizza with pepperoni and add extra fresh mozzarella cheese. (I’m a little less adventurous with my pizza toppings). They also have three specialty pizzas on their menu and a lot of other topping options. I love the pepperoni that the Public House uses. It’s very flavorful and it’s always crispy which gives the pizza a good texture. I also like how chewy the crust is instead of being hard or crunchy. This pizza is on the thin side so it will disappear sooner than you think.
Greenbush pizza is a similar style to the Public House with a little thicker crust. The pizzas come in one size and are build-your-own. They do offer a unique specialty pizza that changes frequently so be sure to ask before ordering. Recent flavors have been Thai Chicken, BLT, BBQ Brisket and Crab Rangoon.
Where do YOU go for the best pizza in Southwest Michigan?
Do you have a favorite pizza in Southwest Michigan? Send us the name of the pizza destination with a description of your favorite pizza and we’ll add your suggestion to this blog.