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Most of the tables at Tetherow Golf Club Bar & Grill have a view of the golf course.
Pete Erickson / The Bulletin
Take a Mulligan
Fine dining with a view at the Tetherow Golf Club Bar & Grill
By John Gottberg Anderson / For The Bulletin
Published: November 13. 2009 4:00AM PSTIf you’re a chef and your name is Mulligan, could there be a more perfect place to cook than at an upscale golf club?
Rian Mulligan has found his perfect location at Bend’s Tetherow Golf Club Bar & Grill. Opened for members in April, the restaurant has quietly let it be known that it welcomes the general public for lunch and dinner.
In golf parlance, a mulligan is a second chance at a shot, a friendly “do-over.” When a companion and I came for a midday meal at Tetherow, we found it only so-so. But we took a mulligan, and a subsequent dinner surpassed our expectations.
Lunch with a view
As we entered the twin doors of the Tetherow clubhouse, we were greeted by a plush seating area surrounding a double-sided fireplace. Ahead and to the left, through a broad passage, 10 tables, seating 32 guests, and a cozy bar with five stools offered marvelous views across a Scottish-style countryside.
I ordered steak frites, a simple version of the classic French dish. Strips of flank steak, cooked medium-rare (as per my order), were layered upon a liberal amount of French fries and topped with a generous scoop of tangy house-made pico de gallo. But why the strong aroma of truffle oil? The kitchen had used the pungent fungi in making the potatoes. A little bit goes a long way, and as much as I like truffle oil, this was too much.
My friend opted for a Caesar salad and a seared ahi tuna sandwich. The salad was disappointing. The romaine lettuce was overly chopped; the house-made dressing was thick and unfortunately tart. Focaccia croutons and shaved Pecorino cheese normally would have made a nice Caesar, but here they were trumped by the salad’s shortcomings.
Her sandwich was rather ordinary. The fish, cooked medium, was presented between slices of toasted sourdough bread with an aioli dressing. Watercress sprouts, sliced cucumber and plum tomatoes added garnish.
Service was friendly and well-trained but not as knowledgeable as I might have appreciated.
For example, we were presented a glass of white wine that clearly, by its darker color, was not as it should have been. This was not apparent to our server, although the restaurant manager quickly agreed and replaced the glass with one far more satisfactory.
An outstanding dinner
An evening meal, however, was marvelous. I was joined this time by two friends. The only stumbling point was the “amuse bouche,” a chef’s-choice starter often offered by fine-dining restaurants to stimulate the palate. At Tetherow, it was a spicy, Southern-style cornmeal-and-green onion hush puppy, served with an edible (but bitter) flower. My biggest complaint was that it was served dry: It badly needed a dipping sauce to add some moisture and sweetness.
To open, I ordered an appetizer and shared tastes with my dining companions. Mulligan made his version of the classic crab cake with lobster and shrimp, in addition to crab, and without the breading so often used to fill and bind the seafood. Tetherow’s version was a hit. The cake was topped with a caper aioli and preserved lemon, and presented in a wash of basil oil. Had it been removed from the deep fryer about a minute sooner, it would have been perfect.
Our entrees were phenomenal.
I had wild mushroom ravioli, all the more impressive for the way it balanced a variety of strong flavors; rather than competing, they complemented and played off one another. Stuffed with three cheeses — Parmesan, Romano and Pecorino — and cooked al dente, the raviolis were cloaked with sauteed Oregon Coast chanterelle and royal trumpet mushrooms in a rich pesto-balsamic sauce.
Truffle oil this time was more judiciously used in the steaming of chopped asparagus, and the ravioli was gently seasoned with a black-truffle salt. Although the aroma was strong, it was gentle on the palate.
Chicken and steak
One friend’s entree choice was coq au vin, a traditional French-style chicken in wine sauce. The key to the success of this plate was the use of bacon and balsamic vinegar, along with red wine, in the demi-glace that covered the baked thigh and leg. Pearl onions and mushrooms accompanied the dish, along with a portion of silky mashed potatoes. I thought it was excellent. My well-traveled friend opined that it was the best coq au vin she had ever eaten.
A premium New York steak was my other friend’s entree selection. Grilled with the bone in, the medium-rare beef was served on a bed of wilted spinach and presented impressively upon a sea-salt platter that imbued its flavor into the meat so that no additional salt was needed. A good-sized serving of tender, sauteed royal trumpet and chanterelle mushrooms accompanied the plate.
I passed on dessert, but my friends shared a poached pear with vanilla gelato, drizzled with champagne vinaigrette and served with a beignet. They ate every bite of their sweet.
Tetherow is Mulligan’s first opportunity as a head chef, and he’s making the most of it. Formerly a cook at The Blacksmith, he is assisted by sous chef Zack Hoffman, and the pair ably handle the entire kitchen themselves.
I think, like many young chefs, Mulligan must be cautious in his application of ingredients for which he has a particular affinity. Truffle oil and balsamic vinegar are wonderful flavors, but the use of just a little bit can go a long way.
SMALL BITE
In search of festive Scandinavian food for the holiday season? Chef John Nelson of the Blue Olive Restaurant at Brasada Ranch is offering a winter menu of hearty and intriguing dinner entrees to bring out the Swede in diners who venture to the Powell Butte resort. Among the choices: a thick-cut pork loin marinated in glogg, or mulled red wine, served with a horseradish-apple sauce ($26); beef hash topped with basted eggs and a Swedish pancake filled with lingonberries ($19). Open 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. 16986 S.W. Brasada Ranch Road, Powell Butte; 888-701-2987 or www .brasada.com.
RECENT REVIEWS
Country Catering Co. (B-): Highly regarded by many for its tri-tip steak and ranch-style barbecue, this friendly family operation has a deli counter with fair prices at breakfast and lunch times. The meat is good but the sandwiches, in particular, and specialty salads are disappointing. Open 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. 900 S.E. Wilson Ave., Bend; 541-383-5014 or www.bendcatering.com.
Diego’s Spirited Kitchen (A-): Bringing a creative gourmet sensibility to classic Mexican and Southwestern plates, Diego’s boasts a professional wait staff, moderate prices and a rich, dark ambience. Dishes include the likes of pork carnitas raviolis, coconut-shrimp tacos and a vaquero steak in a bourbon-chipotle sauce. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. 447 S.W. Sixth St., Redmond; 541-316-2002.
John Gottberg Anderson can be reached at janderson@bendbulletin.com
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