Reed’s Hollow fits Beaverdale

Beaverdale marches to a beat that few outsiders even hear. The neighborhood still supports an independent bookstore, a mid-century-style Chinese café and an independent sporting goods store. Its restaurant scene might not draw the buzz that Western Gateway, East Village and Ingersoll do, but it should. Flying Mango, Christopher’s, Chef’s Kitchen, Le Jardin and Grounds for Celebration all cover their culinary specialties with unique style and professional charm.

Egg and onions at Reed’s Hollow.

More than any other part of the metro, Beaverdale’s restaurants represent life styles as much as culinary styles. Mango is for Jimmy Buffet people, Christopher’s for Calabrese elegance, and Rice Bowl is for the crowd that never quit wearing the cardigans Perry Como made popular.

One young friend complains that Beaverdale has too many niche restaurants and “needs more junk food and average restaurants.” The new café in the old Tally’s venue will further disappoint him. Reed’s Hollow is a creative concept from Gas Lamp brain trustees James Wilson, Ryan Flattery and Zach Gutweiler. The space has a salvaged barn wood, old-fashioned vibe with a balance between indoor and outdoor seating. The bar is a focal point. Specialty cocktails and craft beers are plentiful, but the wine list barely existed on my visits. Gutweiler’s menu consists of small plates (in the style of Eatery A and Lurra Cocina) that lend themselves well to wine drinking, so I hope this is temporary.

Almost everything is an original take. Jerky ($5), served in a brown paper bag, was made with antelope and black vinegar. Fritos and bean dip ($5), my favorite dish, was more of a take on dhal than bean dip. It used yellow Indian lady beans and a deeply flavored masala curry with Mexican corn chips. Beet fries ($6) were served with kewpie, a Japanese style of mayonnaise made with extra egg yolk.

Salmon taquito ($10) featured salmon tartar and salmon skins wrapped in a fuille made of butternut squash with an avocado mousse and fresh crema on top. PBJ salad ($8), stuffed pecan butter, mint, aronia berry jam and dandelion greens inside vinegar treated Romaine leaves. Seasonal pickles ($8) with homemade rhubarb ketchup did not really improve on traditional french fries. Bone marrow ($13) seemed small but looked great with Fresno peppers and bacon jam to spread on challah toast.

Squash soup ($6) was another favorite, with bone marrow, sunflower greens and squash seeds. It was served tableside so that it would not be spilled when carried across the dining room in a bowl. Another big success was the orange chicken ($11) gizzards, served with sushi rice crispies, carrot glaze, asparagus and egg custard. Fried duck egg with onions ($11) mixed creamed ramps and shaved daikon with custard. The most expensive item on the menu at $25, “not BBQ short ribs,” cooked a boneless piece of meat sous vide and served it with horseradish mashed potatoes, onion greens, crispy kale, pear balls and mushroom gravy.

A pear pie was the size of a samosa and was straddled by two creamy concoctions. A deconstructed cheese cake presented ice cream made from brewers’ yeast. It was too salty for my palette.

Bottom line — Reed’s Hollow will be a success. It fits its neighborhood well by mixing eccentricity with tradition. Gutweiler is a creative chef with a good palate. The seasonal ingredients on the opening menu suggest he is committed to that which is truly fresh and local.

Side Dishes: Alliance for Natural Health-USA released results of long-term testing of popular breakfast foods. Glyphosate was found in 11 of 24 foods, including eggs and coffee creamer. Glyphosate was best known as a treatment for venereal disease before Monsanto discovered it was as good at killing weeds as it was at killing syphilis. It’s the active agent in Roundup. CV

Jim Duncan is a freelance writer who has penned nine different columns for Cityview and its sister publications beginning in 1987.