Spire Farm to Fork

My husband and I were really excited to try this place. Beautifully decorated restaurant with a wonderful view. I loved the fresh herbs on the tables.
The food was not terrible but, for the price, we expected much better. We ordered a loaded potato appetizer and the potatoes were kind of burnt. My husband asked for a medium rare steak and it was a little to uncooked for his taste. The fried potatoes that came with his meal tasted like they were cooked the day before and re-​heated. My steak was burnt in some places, but overall it was OK. I ordered the augratin potatoes which was a square piece of potatoes and cheese that looked like a casserole. It tasted like it had been frozen and reheated.
The service was slow, which was surprising. It took about 45 minutes to get our meals. It was Valentine’s day but since it was snowing so hard I think (hope for this places’ sake) that many people cancelled their reservations because the place only had about 20 people at most. However, you would think that a restaurant would be ready to bring their A game on a night like Valentine’s day, when most people go out to eat-​even people who normally don’t dine out. Also, the chef came out to speak with a couple who were sitting near us, for about a half hour. He seemed to be close personally with this couple and i’m pretty sure the length of his chat is directly correlated with how long it took our food to be prepared.
This mediocre meal cost us a total of $ 104 with tip included. Totally not worth the price. It is doubtful that we will be back. It’s definitely not worth the drive for us.

Front of the house is great! Who ever comes up with this menu is a complete idiot. Farm to fork is great. I don’t know about this place though. For the price, the quality was there but not the quantity, i had to eat the plants in the centerpiece to finally fill me up, don’t think they charged me extra but I’m sure they did when they told me to bend over

Off the beaten path, but well worth the few extra miles! Had a lovely lunch, celebrating Mom’s birthday. Our server was attentive, and made excellent suggestions. We will return!
Started with a delicious Bloody Mary and a glass of wine for mom. BLT with corn chowder, worth a return visit. Dessert was fantastic!

Spire is fantastic. My wife and I discovered this place a couple years ago when we were in La Porte for a weekend getaway. It was good enough that after we ate there once (we were only in town for a couple days) we made a return trip for lunch the following day before we left. Most recently we drove an hour out of our way on our trip up to Chicago for a late lunch.
All of the food we’ve had has been great. The restaurant itself is located on a golf course (which is a little odd) but it gives you a nice view. The atmosphere is casual, the waitstaff has all been very friendly. It’s just a great restaurant. I wish it were closer to Indy. We haven’t ordered the same thing twice on any of our three visits and we haven’t been disappointed yet. Next drive up to Chicago we’ll be pit stopping here again.

Spire was highly recommended to us by friends so I might have had too high of expectations going into our dinner. We began with the flatbread which was a thick focaccia with a light spread of pesto and fresh herbs. The dish was heavy and uninspiring. My husband got the corn chowder and I got the house salad and there was no complaints with either of these. For dinner, we both got the prime rib, medium rare, that was served with Brussel sprouts and a potato mash. The prime rib was overlooked and lacked flavor. The 1 cup of mashed potatoes had at least a full tablespoon of pepper in them which made them incredibly spicy. Finally, the Brussel sprouts needed to cook another 5 minutes. Our table mates got the half chicken and corn casserole which they really enjoyed. For dinner, we got the cannoli cake (nothing to write home about) and our friends got the apple crisp that they loved.
For the price, we won’t be back to give them another shot. For four people with 5 drinks it was $ 240

Wonderful, delicious, locally sourced. It was a beautiful day so we sat on the porch with a view of the golf course and the pond. Smoked pork chop and polenta was excellent. The bison burger I had was really juicy and just perfectly cooked. We will be back to try everything on the menu!

Returning to LaPorte to visit my dad we went back to Spire for lunch twice during our 3 ½ day stay… I must say that I was NOT wow’d this time around… seems like they’ve lost their attention to details and had the same two soups as they served in March… REALLY? Let’s get creative Brad! The coffee service the first time was awful and I felt sorry for the server as she did not know what she was doing… This restaurant is still one of the better places to diner in LaPorte but needs to step up it’s game!

I selected Spire Farm to Fork for a birthday dinner party for 17 based on recommendation of a family member and checked in with Brad well in advance to plan. He was extremely accommodating throughout the process and offered/​made modifications to suit my particular needs. The setting and the ambience of the restaurant are lovely, and on this particular evening there was local entertainment which was pleasant. For a group of middle aged and youngish boomers it was the right acoustic level– not so loud that it interfered with conversation and yet we were aware of the music.
My guests rated their meals from very good to outstanding and all agree the plating was nicely done.
The corn pudding, a signature dish consisting of a salmon fillet sitting on a corn pudding base was delicious as was the pork chop. Several ordered filet mignon which were beautiful cuts of meat and very tasty despite all being undercooked. The sides including wonderfully prepared green beans, roasted carrots and potato concoctions were all very good, and, we passed on dessert due to a birthday cake waiting at home.
The only thing preventing a five star rating was the slow pace. The lag time between getting the food cooked, plated and delivered to the table seemed unreasonable.
Though I make only semi annual visits to La Porte from my home in the restaurant capital of NYC, I believe Spire Farm to Fork is, hands down, the best restaurant in La Porte.
Whether the timing glitch is a one-​off, I don’t know, but I’ll be back every chance I get!

I’ve been meaning to try out Spire for months, but I am only ever in the area when I visit family, and they’re more the «pizza and fried chicken» types. Well, today was my birthday, so my family had to indulge my «foodie» side. I was very excited to show them «the other side». Unfortunately, this place failed on every count except service, and beautiful views. Our server was wonderful, fast, calm and efficient despite being the only visible worker in the entire place. It took just under a full hour to get our entrees, despite the fact that we were the first people in the place (an hour after opening) and they never did get properly busy while we were there. My medium rare bison flat iron steak was as well done as well done can get. My mother’s meatloaf was riddled with undercooked spots (even by my medium rare-​eating standards). They did comp a dessert as apology for the entrees, but $ 55 for two entrees that were that incompetently executed still stings — and we weren’t about to accept their other offer of a do-​over after the first round took almost an hour. The pistachio cake for dessert was perfect, and I wish the entire lunch could’ve have been summed up by that cake. It’s just too bad this place did not live up to expectations and was probably one of the more disappointing dining experiences I’ve ever had. I think Spire exists solely for a class of the «elite» that simply don’t know (or have had) any better. The entire experience cost over $ 100 and took almost two hours and the most (only) memorable item was the dessert. Now, I have no problem dropping $ 100-​$ 150 on a good meal, but this experience left me feeling utterly robbed of my time AND my money.

Back in NW Indiana to settle an estate, my sister and I slogged through a difficult week fueled by some pretty depressing food. What a bright spot Spire provided! I think I swooned over the creamy vegetable soup — so much flavor. The peanut stew and orange polenta cake were tasty, and their names don’t hint at how beautiful they were. By the time we finished dinner, live music was playing indoors, which would have been fun to hear, but we were so peaceful relaxing over dinner outdoors. For the most part we were the only two seated outside, but the server didn’t forget us — she was friendly, helpful and just the right degree of attentive. We’ve got one more trip to make to NW Indiana to wrap up the estate, and despite the long drive to La Porte from where we’ll be staying, I’m already looking forward to heading to Spire for delicious food and a boost to my spirits.

Second visit for us. We found this restaurant thanks to Unilocal a couple years back while traveling. We made it a point on our way to Ohio to stop here again for a late lunch today. This restaurant is in a golf course clubhouse. It has large windows along the back bringing the outside in. There are high-​tops, low tables, outdoor seating and a nice bar with a great view. I love the box on the table containing rosemary and scissors and a block of salt and a grater. The food is fresh and good. I revisited the BLT with carmelized bacon and tomato jam with seasoned fries. My hubby had the chicken burger with gouda and an aioli with a bowl of potato soup. I tasted both… yum! Sandwiches come with a side of fries, salad or soup. Our server Beth was friendly and attentive. It’s pricey… the fish tacos were $ 25 for lunch… but good food. I recommend this place. Dinner on the patio in the summer would be so nice.

I take customers here on the regular, because I know the excitement of the food always trumps the sometime mundane business conversation. The last visit was fantastic food wise, we both had the bison filet with Brussels sprouts. You don’t need to pick up a knife, in fact, a spoon will do to when it comes to the filet of fantastic. With that being said, the server skipped over the initial explanation of the eccentricity of the farm to fork meaning, the tables Himalayan sea salt, and the fresh growing herbs on the table. It’s such a fantastic touch to start the dinner off whe they explain the whole premise during the meet and greet. However the service was fantastic, the food even better, and the ambiance brilliant.
Get the bison filet! You will not regret it. Promise.

I will start with the disclaimer that I boosted their rating up 1 star out of love for the farm to fork movement (as I thought they were intentional in this regard and not just lip service). That being said, there were dishes executed well (bison filet, sorbet, tart, coffee, chocolate martini) and dishes not executed well (prime rib, salad, bread). Service was fine. Presentation good. A first for me was a salt block and grater on each table. Compared to other farm to fork restaurants, cost was similar, but quality/​execution/​success of dishes was a clear step down.
Constructive criticism about a couple of dishes:
1) prime rib: medium was over-​cooked, meat lacked flavor, could not taste horseradish in sauce
2) carrot soup lacked complexity; would have benefited from addition of fresh herb (s)
3) salad was too simple (lettuce and shredded cheese only); dressing without much flavor; I only tasted oil
4) I am going to assume the roles were made from scratch, but they did not taste so

Came here for lunch– beautiful venue overlooking a golf course. The service was superior and the food was very light, fresh, and flavorful. Couldn’t have asked for a better meal-​The quality of the ingredients really shows! Overall an excellent experience!

My fiancé and I were staying at Serenity Springs this past weekend and decided that we wanted to go out for dinner. After looking at the restaurants in the area we were swayed by the fact that Spire Farm served local food, and the dishes sounded interesting. Before reviewing the food, I would like to say the service we got was wonderful. They found us a table despite us not having a reservation, and both the host and the waitress were very friendly and quick to serve.
The food however was a bit of a disappointment. The steak was really fatty and the food was bland especially the Chorizo Soup which I don’t really understand how that’s even possible with Chorizo. The portion sizes were pretty small and with the prices that were charged I expect a little more food. The salmon I ordered was about 4 ounces and was on top of a very small and thin circle of corn pudding. All in all, we were really not impressed, and while we will definitely be returning to Serenity Springs in the future, Spire Farm to Fork will not be getting our business.

My boyfriend and I discovered this place when we visited my lake home in New Buffalo, MI a couple of weeks ago. We enjoyed the food so much that we ended up going back again during our week stay! The zucchini pasta was absolutely to die for! Great place! I would definitely go back again! :)

The rolls that were served before dinner were dry and boring.
Each entrée comes with a free soup or salad, we had soup and it was quite good.
Entrée’s were great. Great mixture of fruits and meats.
Baked Alaska dessert was good, but it wasn’t really baked Alaska. They might want to change the name.
Good portion sizes, maybe a bit on the pricey side, but I do expect to pay more for local food.
Great view of the gold course. I think we brought the average age down drastically, but maybe it was because it was a Wednesday night.
I might not go here again but I definitely enjoyed my trip.

What a wonderful find! My daughter and I are back from Denver visiting grandma in Michigan City and we saw an ad for Spire Farm To Fork in Edible Michiana. We love farm to table restaurants and I was excited to try Spire. It exceeded my expectations! First, it’s in a beautiful new building overlooking rolling hills on a golf course, so the location and restaurant is beautiful. But more important is the food. Just purely fantastic! We shared bruschetta that came with a nicely roasted and thus slightly caramelized lemon to squeeze on it. That was after rolls with a blueberry rum reduction jam. Then we all had a mixed salad and I had an amazing chicken with a chicken reduction, my daughter had a white bean and chorizo soup and my mother had sea bass. For desert, my daughter had raspberry ice cream baked Alaska, I had a cherry and dark chocolate crisp and my mother had lemon lime sorbet. We all loved it!
Truly one, if not the best restaurant in the Michigan City area. Fresh, creative and delicious in a beautiful setting!

Spire may be somewhat expensive, but the quality of food makes it 100% worth it. The local-​grown, grass-​fed, sometimes organic food is perfectly prepared and extremely delicious — and the perfect amount is served also.
The atmosphere is very trendy and upscale. My boyfriend and I ate outside for a late dinner this visit, and the view overlooking the golf course is lovely. I thoroughly enjoyed my order of Bruschetta (Summer Squash, Cheddar, Lemon) and Green Bean Salad (Cherry Tomato, Cheddar, Bacon, Cherry Vinaigrette). The green beans were perfectly done — just al dente. My boyfriend’s Cream of Green Bean soup was delicious, but the real winner was the Half Chicken (Dark Chicken Reduction, Potato Purée, Rosemary Butter). This was amazingly succulent, the perfect juicy texture, and so full of complimentary flavors that each bite was a piece of heaven.
For fresh and healthy Farm to Fork experience, I strongly recommend Spire Restaurant!

We loved Spire so much that we ate here twice in 24 hours.
We were staying at a B&B in LaPorte for a little weekend getaway, and we were not wholly impressed by the food scene. We’d heard about Spire, and the proprietor of the B&B recommended it, so we figured we’d head out for dinner. After a little difficulty finding it, we walked into the trendy, attractive restaurant that overlooks a golf course.
There were several things on the menu that looked great. We loved the list of the only 10 things that they source from outside the local area. We asked the waitress if we could turn the mac and cheese entrée into an appetizer, and she obliged. It was some of the best mac and cheese I’ve ever had – great noodles, little chunks of apples and pecans… just a really thoughtful flavor combination. We both got steak for dinner. I can’t say that it was the best steak I’ve ever had, but it was sufficiently good. It came with some tasty potatoes. We got a chocolate flight (crème brûlée, mousse, and some other yummies) and a scoop of ice cream, and that was all great, too.
The next day we had no plans for lunch, and we decided to go back. The lunch menu is completely different and offered us some other choices. On the recommendation of the server, I had a chicken sandwich that was cooked perfectly… probably the best chicken sandwich of my life! It came with practically an ice cream scoop of delicious goat cheese on top as well as some tasty French fries. My husband got the BLT, which was a little nontraditional (tomato jam instead of actual tomato), and he loved it.
We were so impressed with Spire. Everything we learned about the chef/​owner and his food philosophy impressed us. This restaurant would thrive in a larger market with no problem. I wish they would open a second location in Indianapolis :) I suspect that from now on, our trips to Chicago will include a detour into LaPorte just to eat at Spire.