Riverbend had a following way before it moved to the Clayton area. It became established on Utah Street in South City, where it had an intimate, corner-bar ambience. Its recent move to the old Harvest spot will allow it to feed more fans, but they’ve got a ways to go before warming up their cavernous new space. The roaring fireplace with large gilded mirror sitting on the mantel adds an appropriate Big Easy touch, and a few other items adorn the mostly grey walls.
As for the food, it is appropriately New Orleans-y (where the chef hails from), and spicier than I remember from meals at the city location. A starter of Peel & Eats ($14) was excellent, with the 1/2 pound of shrimp offering nice, big specimens—sweet, too. The accompanying remoulade, house-made of course, was delicious but very peppery (cayenne, most likely). A Large Greek Salad ($9) was quite good, with the usual mix of crisp greens, pepperoncini, cukes, feta and more. It came with a tasty oil and vinegar house-made dressing laced with thyme and other herbs.
Moving on to a couple of classics, the Shrimp Creole was especially noteworthy, with its deep red stock that melded flavors like bell pepper, tomato and cayenne. It had a depth of flavor that implies a slow simmer of ingredients. The shrimp were good, and the sauce spicy but appealing. The mound of fluffy white rice on the plate helped cut the heat.
Crawfish Etouffee ($15) was similarly hot and tasty. The crawfish came as nice, big pieces, with good texture and sweet flavor. This dish, based on a roux, had a buttery undertone. Best of all, however, was the massive mound of BBQ Shrimp ($22) in a very buttery, hot sauce and rosemary-laced liquid anchored by bread underneath. It was well worth the pile of napkins required to keep hands (and mouths) presentable while digging into the extra-large shrimp coated in butter and Cajun spices. They were sweet, spicy and oh-so-good. A side of Dirty Rice, for $2.50, makes a good accompaniment to just about anything, as the oiled and spiced rice is hearty and cooked with ground beef—and meals here are mostly à la carte.
Don’t miss the bread pudding, which is eggy and nutmeg-y, as well as doused liberally with a creamed whiskey hard sauce. I especially liked its crusty-baked top, a good foil for the spongy pudding below. Also good: Naked Turtle Caramels ($10), a collaboration with local purveyor The Caramel House. The chocolate-less confections were buttery and chewy, with bits of pecan inside. Loved the wax paper wrapping, too.
[amuse bouche]
the scene | New Orleans-style gumbo joint
the chef | Steve Daney
the prices | $6 to $14 starters, $12 to $22 entrees
the favorites | Shrimp Creole, Naked Turtle Caramels, Bread Pudding, BBQ Shrimp, Oyster Po’ Boy, Dirty Rice
[chef chat] >> owner, sam kogos
why move to big bend? A much larger kitchen space and a higher traffic area
describe your cuisine. Cajun/Creole, but with more of a New Orleans influence from where we grew up. We use many family recipes.
spicy dishes—are they popular? Very popular. Not many restaurants use the type of spices we do, so we are unique in that regard.
any new dishes planned? Yes, we’ve added some already and plan to add a few more.
talk about your decor. Casual and comfortable—we’re going for a relaxing atmosphere.
1059 big bend blvd. | 314.664.8443
Photos: Bill Barrett
