The Chronicle Fancies Oasthouse’s Worldly Take

Brandon Watson over at The Chronicle takes a trip out to Four Points to taste the fare at Oasthouse Kitchen + Bar. There, he finds wayfaring-inspired food that is lively and enthusiastic in spite of the restaurant's suburban location:

Lightly breaded calamari ($10) is prepared with all the trappings of pad thai, unexpectedly adding a tamarind twang. Deviled eggs use truffle oil, but not aggressively so – using it more for depth than the exact flavor profile. That signature murk is more present in the prosciutto bruschetta ($9), but the spear-carriers – medjool dates, honey, arugula – make it less blasé.

He does, however, quibble with the flatbreads, beet salad, and a few of the sauces:

The thick sauce used with the chicken creole ($17) should have been left alone. The limp spinach "crisps" scattered on top didn't live up to the name and added no additional taste. Likewise, the romesco used with the scallops and risotto ($24) was a touch overbearing with sweet spring peas. And the beet salad ($11), though serviceable, could have used something new.

Oasthouse’s straightforward take on desserts and cocktails won him over ultimately. His favorites were the cookies & milk and the Beerhound cocktail, made with a grapefruit IPA from 4th Tap Brewing Cooperative. Tthe restaurant earned the title of Best New Restaurant at the Culturemap Tastemaker Awards this week, too.

THE BLOGS — The Smoking Ho trekked to the Red Dirty BBQ Festival; Mad Betty hits up Kerbey Lane’s summer menu; Fed Man Walking burgered at True Food Kitchen; Sushi in the ATX previewed Yard House; and Dine With Shayda grabbed sweets from Snow Monster and checked out Oasthouse as well.

— Abigail Bassett