"I found great treasure on the St. Joseph River in St. Joseph, Michigan…Tavern On The River. When you walk in, you get feeling you are walking into a joint in the Florida Keys. It’s freshly painted and cleaned up, and it’s ready to please locals and tourists alike. You’ll find plenty of tables right on the river’s edge. It’s a fantastic spot! As the 2-man band set up on the dockside stage near the new outdoor bar, we grabbed a couple of brews and started in on the Snack Basket appetizer (Picture a charcuterie basket, instead of charcuterie board. It had a variety of rarities not found in Southwest Michigan, such as deep fried Shishito peppers, which were not breaded and carried a touch of spicy kick. The house-made garlic Cornichon pickles were also excellent and something I had not had before. The basket had several delightful cheeses, including a fantastic feta that crumbled like feta, yet had a velvety smoothness to it. It’s mild saltiness and creaminess cooled my tongue from the zip of the Shishitos. Reading the menu to order the Greek Salad, I learned that the delicious Feta cheese is from Kourellas, one the premier dairy companies in Greece widely known for top quality organic ingredients for the Mediterranean diet. I was impressed with the Greek Vinaigrette, which didn’t have a dominant vinegar bite that I often find in vinaigrettes. We added grilled chicken to the salad for only $4 more, but you can also add crispy chicken, shaved ribeye or choose shrimp to stick with Mediterranean cuisine. For its pizza, Tavern on the River makes a fermented dough that takes 36 hours to ready (according to the owner, Jordan , and it is cooked to perfection. The bottom and edges were crispy, but the center was soft with a little chew. The longer fermentation process enriches both the structure and taste of the dough. “Do you like spicy?” Check out the chicken sandwich called Nashville Hot. This sandwich isn’t for people who say `I like it a little spicy.’” If you can’t handle the heat, don’t order the Nashville Hot from the Tavern on the River kitchen! It was BLAZZIN’ HOT and I LOVED IT!! It is hands-down my new favorite sandwich in St. Joseph. The chicken was so juicy from the buttermilk brine and had an excellent fried crisp. Sweet Hottie pickles, crunchy slaw, lettuce, tomato, and Louisiana mayonnaise awaited their crown…Nashville Hot sauce made with roasted red Fresno peppers. Jesus himself would order this over the Chick-Fil-A Spicy Chicken Sandwich. Lol Bring the whole gang, it is very family friendly place."
