Missouri Life June 2023

FIND DINING

By Land or by Lake The 1932 Reserve restaurant is a sure thing on the shore. STORY Chef Daniel Pliska Osage Beach. The building has an interesting history that began in 1932 when it first opened as Franklin Lodge, the area’s first lakeside lodging. The building is situated on a famous cove, where audiences in the ’50s and ’60s were wowed by professional water skiers performing spectacular maneuvers. Later, the building became the Osage Beach Lodge then served as a root beer factory for a short time before it closed and was sold in 2014. Current owner Mark Spears saw the potential of the building. After investing in an extensive renovation, he unveiled it as a luxury property complete with six loft apartments offered as nightly vacation rentals and a first-class restaurant. Mark wanted to find a chef with a worthy pedigree who could set his restaurant apart in the crowded restaurant scene at the lake. He found that chef in Scott Romano. Originally from New Jersey, Chef Scott was a protégé of New York Chef/Restaurateur Charlie Palmer, a James Beard Award winner. Scott traveled and opened restaurants for Chef Palmer in prestigious dining regions of the country, including Dallas, Los Angeles, and California wine country. After working and travel ing with his wife all over the country, Scott decided to relocate near his wife’s family at Lake of the Ozarks. I arrived at the restaurant and entered through the patio with its tall, fire-burning, portable space warmers and headed into the main dining room. As I sat with Chef Scott, he explained his philosophy for his style of New American Cuisine with Asian, French, and Mediterranean influences. He took me for a short visit to the kitchen to meet the kitchen crew, then served me several dishes from the seasonal menu. First came the Sesame Cauliflower Fritti served on a sweet and slightly spicy sauce made with pineapple, Mirin (a Japanese plum wine), and fermented black A ccessible by land or by water, the 1932 Reserve restaurant sits beside the Lake of the Ozarks at

beans on a bed of kimchi fer mented in-house—a true fusion dish that could be found in Southern California. Next came two of the most popular entrees: Chilean sea bass

Clockwise, 1932 Reserve offers diners a lovely lake view. The spiced apple cake features cinnamon buttercream, streusel, and vanilla ice cream. A salmon burger is elevated with pastrami spices and pecan-smoked bacon. Chef Scott Romano and writer Daniel Pliska stand near the restaurant’s well-stocked bar.

and grilled double-bone pork chop. The crispy sauteed Chilean sea bass was presented on a bed of sugar snap peas and fingerling potatoes with crispy sauteed fresh baby artichoke hearts, ringed with a flavorful basil beurre blanc (butter sauce) and garnished with pea ten drils. The brine-cured pork chop was served on a bed of creamy grits and pureed parsnips and an ever-so-lightly smoked pureed apple sauce topped with roasted shards of parsnips. This was a delightful combination that reminds me of the classic northern French dish, Pork Normandy. Then the 18-ounce Cowboy Ribeye arrived. It was served with charred baby carrots and creamy, layered au gratin potatoes. The steak was topped with roasted garlic bacon butter and rested on a pool of rich borde laise sauce. During the meal, I was treated to an old fashioned cocktail that was smoked tableside in a closed wooden box—impressive presentation, to say the least. For des sert, I tried a chocolate and peanut butter brownie with coffee ice cream and a chocolate and caramel sauce. It was a truly decadent meal and worthy of the luxury loft hotel on a historic arm of the Lake of the Ozarks.

CHEF DANIEL PLISKA is a certified executive chef and author. He teaches culinary arts at Ozarks Technical Community College in Springfield.

Discover more features and specials at 1932Reserve .com.

CREDIT 1932 RESERVE

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