by LINDEN GROSS, One Stop Writing Shop
The name Deschutes Roadhouse doesn’t conjure up haute cuisine that’s as lovely to look at as it is to eat. At least not yet. But give this new Sunriver bistro a try and it will.
“The chef is just going to send things out,” assistant manager Joe told me when we confirmed that I’d be bringing along three friends for the restaurant review. Little did I know that a four-course dinner awaited us.
Our first course—dubbed Impressions instead of Appetizers or Starters—consisted of a seafood trio that was almost too pretty to eat. Thankfully, we got over that initial and short-lived reaction.
A deconstructed crab salad served with micro greens was topped with walnut butter that tasted like a nutty and slightly sweet deconstructed crouton. Next to that lovely lumps of crab had been drizzled with lemon aioli. Fresh as fresh can be meets buttery decadence. Clearly this restaurant speaks my language.
The second element of the trio featured a diver scallop—golden brown and pan-seared to the perfect tenderness—served with carrot oil and topped with a fine dice of celery and red pepper.
Finally, a pan-seared prawn, which was simply and beautifully cooked, proved the perfect vehicle for the accompanying avocado mango relish spiked with just a soupcon of Serrano heat. “Fantastic!” exclaimed one of my tablemates.
Since we hadn’t expected a four-course dinner, I hadn’t warned the restaurant about any food issues. We just figured that whoever couldn’t eat a particular dish simply wouldn’t participate. But missing out on an entire course due to a shellfish allergy didn’t seem fair. The chef was wonderfully accommodating, whipping up a salad of micro greens, walnuts, red and yellow tomato and goat cheese served atop puff pastry and tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette.
We moved on somewhat regretfully to our next course—called Creations. Any nostalgia about the first course was quickly wiped away by our dueling entrees.
A medallion of filet mignon served on a rosetta of roasted garlic mashed potatoes was topped with a veal reduction gravy and long crispy parsnip chips. The dish had everything a meat lover like myself could want—a super tender, tasty steak, a rich, scrumptious sauce, potatoes that we would have ordered a bucket of to take home if we could haveand crunchy parsnip goodness. Who knew those last two words even went together. Not me.
Chef John M. Lipkowitz—who became an executive chef at just 22 before taking his culinary innovations to the Rio and the M Resort in Las Vegas and now Sunriver—also served us duck breast that had initially been seared on the grill and then wrapped in collard green leaves and roasted in the oven. The sushi roll effect was not only stunning, the earthy collard green wrap provided an unexpected and most successful contrast in texture as well as taste.
Since one of our table members doesn’t eat meat, the chef sent out one of the evening’s fish specials—roasted fresh, meaty halibut served in a light citrus butter sauce with tiny blanched cherry tomatoes atop turmeric rice with a hint of lemongrass. The plating of the rest of our dishes had reminded us of flowers. This one actually featured an orange marigold. “The colors look like a sunset,” exclaimed my meat-free friend. She was right.
Our third course was a Peach Tarte Tatin. My mother made the best Tarte Tatin I’ve ever tasted, and I use hers as the standard. Most restaurants don’t measure up. This one does. The rustic pie crust was perfect and the peaches, which weren’t over-sugared, tasted like summer.
We ended the meal with glasses of 10-year-old Taylor Fladgate tawny port and slices of smoky aged cheddar and nutty parmesan, melon draped with prosciutto, and figs—the dried ones coated in honey, the fresh ones drizzled with a balsamic reduction. Downright civilized!
The Deschutes Roadhouse Bar & Bistro, located a block west of the river where Boondocks used to be (about ¼ mile west of the Sunriver Village Mall), describes itself as a modern American bistro. That doesn’t just reflect the food. The dining may be upscale, but it’s the kind of place you can arrive dressed to the nines or in your shorts and T-shirt straight off the trail. You’ll feel comfortable either way, whether inside the attractive establishment or outside on the vast new deck.
A single caveat: Like most restaurants, this one has a generous hand when it comes to salt. So if you’re not a salt fan like me, you’ll want to mention that when you order.
Deschutes Roadhouse Bar & Bistro
17363 Spring River Road; Sunriver
541-593-3333
http://deschutesroadhouse.com/
Chef-Owner: John Lipkowiz
Hours: Open daily 4pm-close
Photos courtesy of Deschutes Roadhouse
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