The Lodge At Bayou Bend

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The Lodge at Bayou Be nd TTR W ine Cafe

1 Birdsall Houston , TX 77007 RESTAURANT REVIEW

17 Restaurant - Alden Hotel Arturo's Uptown Italiano Ashiana Indian Restaurant Backstreet Cafe Bistro Moderne - Hotel Derek Bistro Toulouse Boom Boom Room Brennan's of Houston Coco's Crepes & Coffee Cova W ine Bar

Brunch on the Bayou—The Lodge at Bayou Bend by M. Martin The location of the Lodge at Bayou Bend is not easy to find; the restaurant is nestled in a setting of towering trees, an artfully manufactured waterfall, and the manicured yet primitive banks of Buffalo Bayou. Birdsall Street, which intersects Memorial Drive a few blocks west of Shepherd Drive, could be overlooked in entirety if you did not know what to look for. Even after we had found it, it took the prompting of the parking valet to take the correct footpath to the restaurant's front door, through gardens and past the waterfall. Formerly the Rainbow Lodge and now under new ownership, returning and first time patrons will get a new menu to experience with the same gorgeous views.

D'Amico's Italian Market Cafe El Pueblito Place Farrago W orld Cuisine Field of Green's Hugo's Kirin One Japanese Sushi Buffet Kubo's Sushi Bar and Grill laidback manor (closed) Last Concert Cafe Marine's Empanadas & Bakery Max's W ine Dive Niko Niko's Oporto Cafe and W ine Bar Pico's Mex-Mex Restaurant Rouge New American Cuisine

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It is easy to see why both restaurant incarnations in this setting have chosen to incorporate the word 'lodge' in their names. The building looks like the private hunting lodge of someone who has the means to

09/03/2009 11:49 AM

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enjoy nature without sacrificing any amenities. It is a multilevel building with dining areas on several levels, all open to a soaring, spacious interior providing many pleasing views of the grounds and the nearby bayou. Through this setting, the staff moved like culinary ninjas, all clad in black (suits for the wait staff, set off by cream-colored sport shirts, even more ninja-like tunics for the bus staff) and all unfailing courteous and unobtrusive. The visual setting was complemented by a soundtrack that range between neoclassical ambient and acid jazz. We began our meal, as we often like to do, with cocktails—in this case, a Bloody Mary, a blood-orange mimosa, and an amusing concoction called a 'dreamsicle', intended to invoke the orangeflavored frozen sweetness of the eponymous childhood treat, an intention in which the bartender most certainly succeeded. The bloodorange mimosa was a very refreshing variation. In addition to their ruby red coloring, blood oranges have a dryer flavor than most orange varieties, highly suitable for combination with champagne. The Bloody Mary was a good rendition of the brunch standard, garnished with pepper-stuffed olives, that nicely complemented an amuse bouche of fried fish atop microgreens that happened to show up at the same time as our drinks. From there, we proceeded to an appetizer of smoked Tasmanian salmon, served toasted brioche with a caper aioli and a dollop of truffled egg salad. I had not previously been aware that salmon were indigenous to the far southern hemisphere, and I saw little to distinguish Tasmanian salmon from its northern brethren—although, as smoked salmon goes, this was definitely high in quality, with a buttery richness and a smooth, complex flavor. As an entrée I opted for the roasted Kurobuta pork medallions while Mrs. Martin had decided in favor of the Eggs Benedict Florentine. Kurobuta Pork is essentially to pork what Kobe beef is to beef—Japanese black hog finely marbled with a dark, sweet flesh, this pork product is a far cry from "the other white meat" so aggressively marketed in recent years. The Lodge's Kurobuta medallions are served on a base of braised mixed greens with cheddar biscuits and a hollandaise flavored with jalapeños and duck sausage. The term "biscuit" fails to do justice to the rich, flaky pastries, although "cheddar" was certainly evident, particularly in the golden crust. The hollandaise sauce effectively married the other ingredients—although the duck sausage component was overwhelmed by the pork. The Eggs Benedict Florentine combined standout presentation with quality ingredients-- Prosciutto di Parma and wilted spinach arranged artfully atop brioche, served with a chive-flavored hollandaise and "hash browns" that more nearly resembled a potato soufflé. At last, we were asked if we had room for dessert. It was a rhetorical question—of course we didn't, and of course we were going to order it

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09/03/2009 11:49 AM

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anyway. We received a pistachio passion fruit terrine, a tawny port pyramid, and an orange chocolate bombe. The terrine was a delightfully detailed and ornate cylinder, served in slices, half filled with a passion fruit mousse and pistachio-flavored Bavarian cream, and marvelously complemented by a passion fruit sauce. The tawny port pyramid was just that—a chocolate pyramid filled with a port-flavored mousse, key lime curd, and maraschino cherry, served on a base of chocolate sponge cake and almond cookies. The orange chocolate bombe consisted of a hemispherical shell of dark chocolate filled with orange-chocolate mousse, orange-flavored chocolate sponge cake, and orange caramel, adorned with an elegantly crafted sugar butterfly and a candied orange slice (special thanks to pastry chef Edet Okon for his remarkable edible artistry). All too soon afterward, it was time to finish our coffees, reclaim our vehicles, and re-enter the world at large. The Lodge at Bayou Bend is an astonishing, world-class dining experience, a nature retreat, and home to some of the most skilled and gracious hospitality I have ever encountered. Navigating to this fine and private place is not without its challenges but it very, very much has its rewards.

© 2007 Cuizine Magazine.

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09/03/2009 11:49 AM