The wood-fired salmon topped with pumpkin-seed-and-cilantro pesto comes with farro risotto and root-vegetable hash - a wonderful fall dish.If you go• Where: Bald Headed Bistro, 201 Keith St. SW, Cleveland, Tenn.• Phone: 423-472 -6000• Hours: 5-9 p.m. Monday, 5-10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday• Entree price range: $19-$64• Alcohol: Yes
Whoever said "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts" may have been talking about Bald Headed Bistro in Cleveland, Tenn. I mean that in a good way.
THE SPACE
I was a little perplexed about how such a seemingly nice restaurant - I've been Internet stalking this place for years - could be housed in a strip mall ... in Cleveland. The restaurant sits off the main-facing part of the strip mall, which looks exactly as you'd expect. But after passing the bakery at the front corner, I started to see traces that were more in line with what I'd expected: boxes from which firewood peeked out, flickering gas lanterns, contemporary high-top tables tucked under towering space heaters.
Once we rounded the corner, I gasped.
The restaurant is part of a back row of storefronts that face an open-air walkway. Strings of twinkling white garden lights decorate BHB's corner. They're draped in rows, forming a fairy-like pitched roof. They entwine the trunk and branches of a tall tree close to the restaurant. Across from BHB's exterior bar area, a blank wall has been transformed into a mural of a Rocky Mountains scene I'm sure I've pinned on my "I want to go to there" Pinterest board.
It was like we'd stumbled into another dimension.
The interior is kind of like a "Great Gatsby"-fied hunting lodge. Rocky Mountain artisan handcrafted wooden chairs are pulled up to white-linened tables. Overhead, the light that emanates from the opulent Art Deco chandeliers is just low enough. The wait staff bustles about in crisp white chef's jackets and neat black pants. There are wood accents, scattered images of a moose (BHB's logo) and stuffed heads on the walls.
THE FOOD
The weekend's specials included lobster mac and cheese with black truffles ($15). I've never chosen my entree so quickly - but the specials weren't available until Thursday. So I compromised by starting with the crab and lobster cakes ($12 for two). My boyfriend said he tasted mostly breading and that they needed perhaps just one more ingredient to make them stand out. I thought they tasted like the fresh crab cakes I've had in other high-end restaurants; comforting in their mild-tasting simplicity, despite the carrot-thyme puree. We both agreed that they were delightfully soft, though the lobster had a sort of grittiness.
BHB's main focus is on steak. It's one of the two places I've ever been that carries prime grade, representing the Top 3 percent of cattle in America; the other being in D.C. My boyfriend is a butcher. He said the prices were reasonable: $64 for the prime 14-ounce bone-in filet; $55 for the prime 16-ounce bone-in cowboy ribeye. Even the traditional offerings are certified Black Angus and come from Kansas, cattle country. But he opted for the more unusual wild-game and bacon plate ($29).
I'd read a review online about the wood-fired salmon ($26), so I chose that as my main meal. Sharing the plate were farro risotto and root-vegetable hash. The salmon, probably an 8-ounce piece, was brushed with pumpkin-seed-and-cilantro pesto. The fish was cooked perfectly, though it had a saltiness that was startling yet not quite overpowering. When paired with the supple, creamy risotto, however, it was heaven. I couldn't quite discern what the small chunks of vegetables were, but they had a satisfying variation of consistencies, none were overcooked, and I'm pretty sure the low lights glinted off a pool of buttery cream ... which I ran them through.
The pistachio tart ($7), when paired with the one-of-a-kind buttermilk ice cream from Atlanta (Morelli's maybe?), was good. On its own, however, the tart was almost bitter. I wish we'd gone with the white-chocolate pecan pie from that same review ($6) or the intriguing fried pumpkin pie ($6).
THE SERVICE
Someone constantly and quietly refilled our water glasses before they got too low. Our server was approachable yet professional. He explained the menu in just enough detail and gave pointed advice when I couldn't decide between the salmon and the pan-seared grouper with porcini ravioli, roasted-tomato and kale saute and brown-butter garlic sauce ($28). I prefer unobtrusive service, but there were times we wished he would've come back. However, a group of servers is required to deliver each table's food, since plates are placed in front of diners at exactly the same moment, and the restaurant was busy for a cold Wednesday night.
THE VERDICT
BHB has built a name for itself for its food, wine list and ambiance, and it delivered, though I'd built it so far up in my head that it would've been hard to meet all my expectations. But there is one expectation that must be fulfilled - lobster mac and cheese. Besides, we could all use an escape from time to time.
Contact Jennifer Bardoner at jbardoner@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6579.