One of the first gastropubs in the area, Shoreline Brewery has been welcoming food and beer lovers at the edge of Lake Michigan for nearly 15 years. With a focus on globally inspired cuisine that is made with care, the family-owned and family-friendly brewery believes in fresh food and making as many menu items as possible from scratch.
Unlike some breweries where food is an afterthought, Shoreline Brewery emphasizes “the food as much as the beer,” according to Executive Chef Barry Smith, who designs the menu to focus on good flavor and good value. Ever adventurous, Chef Barry and owner Sam Strupeck recently expanded the brewery’s global menu in a new and delicious direction.
The Perfect Pair
Chef Barry has always believed that pizza and beer are the perfect pair and talked about adding pizzas – and a brand-new stone-hearth deck oven – to the menu for several years before launching an artisan pizza menu this spring.
After experimenting with a variety of dough recipes, Shoreline Brewery and Chef Barry collaborated with Sysco Grand Rapids to create standout pizza dough. The brewery uses Gold Medal™ Neapolitan flour from General Mills to add the right amount of body to the thin Neapolitan-style crust.
“You may think in a micro-brewery that food would take a back seat to beer, but not here, only the best will do,” said Michael Krygier, account executive with General Mills Foodservice. “We are proud to work Shoreline Brewery’s team as they tested several flours to help them find the consistency and flavor they were looking for.”
Popular pizzas on the new menu include Italian fennel sausage with arugula, sunflower seed pesto, basil and mozzarella as well as a Mexican chile pizza featuring blistered corn and sous vide pork belly.
In addition to pizza, the brewery is also beloved for its diverse menu of soups, salads, sandwiches and entrees such as fish and chips, pork ribs and pasta dishes. Chef Barry and his team, always inspired to try something new, also offer several a variety of unique “beer snacks” and small plate dishes, from items like artichoke fritti, thick-cut onion rings and scotch eggs to handmade pierogies, poutine and ahi tuna sliders.
Come One, Come All
Shoreline Brewery is less than an hour from Chicago and home to extensive tourist traffic in the summer, as people seek to escape the city and enjoy a day or more at the beach.
While the warm weather brings in more visitors, the brewery welcomes people “from all different walks of life” year-round. The growing list of beers and family-friendly environment make it a great place for everyone to unwind, catch up and enjoy fresh, mouth-watering food.