Being a fine-dine restaurant in a park has its challenges. Just ask Shawn McCoy, owner, operator, and head chef at Brown Dog Café in Summit Park off Pfeiffer Road. Jewish diners-out will recall that Summit Park is the former Blue Ash airport, which was converted about a decade ago from landing strips and hangers to mixed use, including parkland, retail locations, and multi-family residential.
“Before we moved here, we were shooting for the stars,” said McCoy, speaking of a menu and dishes that were worthy of the best French eateries around. But there was incongruity, too. “When we got here, we were in the middle of a mud field, and people (Brown Dog patrons) were upset. Literally, they had to walk in the rain and the mud to get to us,” he said, adding that the pavilion where Brown Dog is located was something of an island surrounded by a soon-to-be park setting that was under development. Hence, the mud fields and the messy trek to Brown Dog’s door.
The Brown Dog Café’s all-veggie pizza
Being in a park setting necessitated a more casual, approachable style than Brown Dog Café brought with them from its previous location. So, the need for changes, both in the menu and the price points park-visiting patrons might expect. They were looking for a different mix of menu choices, and some that appealed to kids, for whom parks often are the central draw. McCoy said one approach was obvious: “We added a pizza kitchen. Everybody loves pizza. In fact, burgers and pizza, they are our most profitable items. If we have 200 people (in the restaurant), 90 will order a burger,” McCoy stated, adding that pizza on the patio is a favorite as well.
The patio and pizza oven at Brown Dog Café
Those numbers may suggest the gourmet side of Brown Dog’s heritage has been lost. Not so at all. In fact, there are truly gourmet items on a menu that features plenty of burger and pizza options. In a sense, Brown Dog Café has fashioned its offering into the best of both worlds from a dining standpoint. Jewish diners wanting a fine-dine experience may want to consider the wild mushroom ravioli or the pan roast salmon (hold the prosciutto) for their meals.
The ravioli may be my choice, since it reminds me of my grandmother’s from-scratch ravioli of a similar type. These ravioli, like hers, are handmade, in the Brown Dog kitchen. The ravioli are filled with shitake and oyster mushrooms mixed with goat cheese. The sauce for this Italian dish is a brown butter flavored with sage, producing a silky sauce that is both rich and delicate at the same time. The entrée is served with an asparagus sliver and red onion sauté and topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Yum!
If your taste buds are calling for salmon, the farm-raised Verlasso filet offered at Brown Dog is what we recommend. Verlasso salmon is among the world’s best farmed fish, coming from the icy waters produced by the Antarctic Humboldt current in the South Pacific off the coast of Patagonia. The salmon roast is served with a spring vegetable risotto infused with lemon vinaigrette. Remember, ask your server to hold the prosciutto.
A big, juicy gourmet burger with French fries
At the other end of the spectrum is pizza, for kids from toddlers to every age beyond. As McCoy stated, who doesn’t like pizza? My favorite is the Mediterranean, which features herbed ricotta and goat cheese as the base, and spinach, artichoke, red onion, grape tomatoes, banana peppers, and olive tapenade. Another pizza that is high on my list is the Margherita, a simple and delicious pie that you will find all over Italy. This pizza has a marinara base that is covered with provolone cheese, fresh basil, tomato slices and fresh mozzarella. Nothing better than a tongue-burning hot slice of pizza and a cold beer in my book.
See you at Brown Dog Café!
