The Lodge Restaurant of Castle Hills

Did you ever go to a dinner party with your parents when you were young? Perhaps one at the house of your father’s wealthy friend?

The house might have been in a nice part of town and set back from its wrought iron gate. Perhaps old oak trees peppered the grounds providing celestial lighting over the Mercedes parked nonchalantly alongside the stone edifice.

Remember?

At the age of nine these things go unappreciated. When wearing a clip-on neck tie the only question on your mind is “are there going to be any other kids there?”

The Lodge is that sort of place and, thankfully, there weren’t any kids there.

There were, however, plenty of people enjoying celebratory anniversary dinners, myself included. April 7th must be a popular day to get hitched.

In the celebratory manner of the occasion, we decided to go all out and ordered Chef Dady’s Signature Tasting Menu.

What kind of food is on this tasting menu you ask?

Well, Gayot.com categorizes it as a “contemporary” menu, which makes me think of Biga-esque fusion cuisine consisting of braised antelope gizzards. That doesn’t seem accurate, as most of the dishes are quite traditional.

The Lodge identifies itself as having a “New American menu”, which seems like a good description, although it conjures up images in my naïve head of high-end hot dogs and chicken fried steak.

Fortunately that’s not what you’ll find at the Lodge.

What you will find is a series of familiar, well executed dishes. Beef tenderloin served with carrots and yukon gold potatoes - juicy and large enough to make your palate and stomach feel equally indulged. Fortunately I had a light lunch.

The quail also had a comforting familiarity, but felt like the valedictorian of the culinary academy was turning in another A+ homework assignment. You almost expect the high quality and are left looking for the spark of unique brilliance.

I’m pleased to say that Chef Dady accomplishes this unique brilliance by taking traditional low-brow favorites and adding a twist. Ever had the S’mores at Bin 555? An excellent example that is a throwback to the days of clip-on neckties. The dish that sticks out in my head from The Lodge was the sandwich/salad/soup course which was comprised of a bite-sized grilled goat cheese sandwich, a tiny mixed green salad with candied pecans, and an excellent soup (although the name escapes me). The tiny grilled goat-cheese sandwich had enough of a twist to it to make you think “I wish I had thought of this” without being overly complex. It’s this sort of dish that my inner 9-year-old and outer 27-year-old enjoy equally.

So with its cozy romantic atmosphere (only about 3 tables in each of the bedroom-sized dining rooms), will the Lodge be taking future anniversary reservations away from my paragon of local dining?

Probably not. The service was excellent, but still miles away from a restaurant like Le Reve. Small details were missed (the hostess didn’t pull the chair out for my wife), and although the staff was pleasant and knowledgeable I still found something absent. There’s not the same sense of occasion that I got from Le Reve or Alinea. It’s hard to explain, but spectacular service can build the level of anticipation that is crucial to any lustful endeavor – especially fine dining.

The high expectations and lofty comparisons illustrate the formidable quality of The Lodge. I’ll probably head back to try the next seasonal menu – just look for the smiling guy with a mouthful of peanut butter and a cake-stained clipped-on tie.

Food: 4.5 Cuy
Service: 4 Cuy
Ambiance: 4.5 Cuy
Value: 4 Cuy

Overall:

What?? You've been with the same woman for three hundred and sixty five consecutive days? Count me surprised...I mean...well...ya know....YOU??? Take her to this place to celebrate and she just might reconsider her plan to leave you for the pool boy.

*pardon the crappy cell phone pictures. Romantic lighting = crappy pictures.

Peruvian Food

“So, is it like Mexican food?” seems to be a common question.

My reflex is to say “no”, but if there’s one thing that I learned on my recent trip to Peru is that defining a country’s food by one or two dishes or regions doesn’t do it justice. In Texas the dominance of cheese enchiladas likely isn’t representative of entrees from Mexico’s interior or coastal regions.

That’s my disclaimer. I was only in Peru for two weeks, and spent time in Cusco (touristy area) and my wife’s coastal hometown of Trujillo, so I don’t have the whole picture when it comes to Peruvian cuisine. The upside of travelling with a native is that I got to taste things that I probably wouldn’t otherwise consider. The downside is that I endured 3 days of penance on the porcelain throne for my culinary promiscuity.

But the ceviche was totally worth it.

In Trujillo they take fresh fish and shellfish and soak it in a lime-based sauce. Throw some thinly-sliced onions on the side with a few chunks of yucca and some roasted corn and you’ve got one tasty meal. Be prepared though, as every flavor in Peru punches you in the face as if to question the masculinity of your palate. The Ceviche de Conchas Negras is a prime – and delicious – example.

A ceviche lunch for two people runs about 5 to 10 bucks. That’s only if you’re a big spender. Most restaurants offer a 3 course meal known as menú (not the paper list of food) consisting of an appetizer, an entrée, a dessert and a drink for the reasonable price of $3 to $5. Waiters are all on a salary, so tipping isn’t the norm.

Drink options are as varied as the meals, ranging from Inca Kola (tastes like Big Red but looks like Mountain Dew), to Chicha Morada. If you’re in the mood for an adult beverage, I would highly recommend a Pisco Sour. This social lubricant also had the special ability to improve my Spanish on several occasions (or so I thought).

Guinea pig (cuy) is served in several different ways, but they all involve a plate of tiny claws and ribs, usually with a terrified rodent head looking back at you. This punctuates an interesting difference between Peruvians and Americans: they truly understand where their food came from.
As I ate the cuy it was impossible not to be aware that an animal was killed for my lunch - and I’m okay with that. There’s no way to mitigate it by claiming fractional ownership, or disguise it by forming it in an unnatural shape.

It’s there staring you in the face. Literally.

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Food: 1 Cuy (get it?)

Service: How's your spanish?

Ambiance: Do you like lawn furniture?

Value: Enough to make you feel like you're stealing.

Overall: Highly recommended.

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Are you planning on meeting your mail-order Peruvian bride for the first time? Drink plenty of electrolytes and be sure to try some ceviche while you're there.