Much at Steak
Swan Lake Chophouse Brings Fresh Flavor and Inviting Decor
Writer / Lois Tomaszewski
Photography Provided
New owners often bring changes, and in the case of Swan Lake Chophouse, those changes make for a delicious dining experience.
Formerly known as Dickies, named after Swan Lake Resorts previous owner, new owners Ed Kennedy, Angie Bowman, Kristen Hovermale and Matt Hovermale wanted to forge their own identity with the restaurant.
We also really wanted to focus on steaks, fish, ribs and burgers and make sure we were using some of the best cuts we could find, says Matt Hovermale, general manager. With these changes, we just felt the Chophouse name fit what we were wanting to do.
That focus on iconic favorites is paying off. The Chophouse recently won second place in the recent Lakes Burger Battle with their Candied Bacon Burger. This is a half-pound burger topped with candied bacon, sriracha mayo, cheddar and crispy fried onions on a potato bun.
This burger is available daily on our menu and is one of the best burgers I have ever had, Hovermale says. It complements our standard Chophouse Burger that we offer for $6 on Tuesday nights, which comes with an order of fries.
The burgers are just a few of the many menu items offered to guests. There are some holdovers from the Dickies menu, such as the smoked wings, firecracker shrimp and French onion soup. Longtime dinner favorites are the in-house smoked ribs, and the fish and chips dinner.
I believe the Chophouse gives our region another great restaurant to choose from, Hovermale says. We are going to work to provide the best quality steaks, fish, ribs, etcetera, and strive to give every guest a memorable experience along with some pretty cool views of our facility.
The culinary staff, led by Manager Aleeshia Fisher, has added several new menu selections. The Burrata Bruschetta, which includes a tomato basil salad, burrata cheese, pesto and balsamic glaze served on a toasted crostini, is a popular and new selection. For dinner, new menu items include the Coconut Macadamia Salmon, Tuscan Rosemary Chicken and Burrata Pesto Chicken.
The stars of the menu, however, are the Black Angus choice-cut steaks. Dinners include the choice of an eight-ounce Sirloin, 12-ounce New York Strip, eight-ounce Filet Mignon, 16-ounce Center-Cut Ribeye, and 24-ounce Tomahawk Ribeye.
Our goal was to give our guest a memorable dining experience when they visit, Hovermale says. Our customer base ranges from our locals to our golf groups to conference and wedding guests. We tried to come up with a concept that could fit everyone and give every guest something they can enjoy. We are working very hard to make that happen, and will work to keep things fresh and exciting for our guests.
That freshness was accomplished with the renovation of the restaurant. The tables, chairs, paint and flooring are all new, and the bar was relocated. A window was added to serve the patio and deck.
We opened up a few walls that gave the space a much more open feel, and allowed us to show off the spectacular golf course views we have here at the resort, Hovermale explains.
Bedrock Construction’s restaurant renovations are just some of the changes underway or planned for the entire resort. The owners have changed the color palette, which will be reflected in the redesign of guest rooms and common areas, and eventually the conference center.
Our hope is that the guest will walk in and enjoy the newly renovated space, and leave thinking they had a great meal they want to tell all of their friends and family about, Hovermale says. We want people to feel like they can join us not only for special events in life like birthdays, anniversaries, etcetera, but also feel like they can stop in for a meal any day of the week. We want our guests to come in and have a great time with their friends and family, and be able to take memories away from their experience.
Swan Lake Chophouse is located at 5203 Plymouth LaPorte Trail in Plymouth. For more information, call 574-935-5680 or visit swanlakeresort.com/chophouse.
