By: Clay Bowen
Dining on the square is not for the faint of heart. Neither is operating a restaurant. Hanging one’s shingle among Oxfords right angled restaurant scene is most certainly daunting but fearless. Just the thought of it makes me faintly hear Frank Sinatra singing, “if I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere”. In a town where fine dining cozy’s up to college bars, pizza joints, and a vibrant night life, the food scene is unapologetic with hubris and unforgiving in its exclusivity.
Proudly sitting among this eclectic variety of dining options is The Oxford Grillehouse. The name itself is straight forward, as is the food. But straight forward works. It also forces your kitchens hand to deliver on its namesake. When a restaurant is unassuming yet classic, one can bypass pleasantries and get down to brass tacks. You know you are getting exactly what you came for and that is where the Grillehouse shines. As for the recently added restaurant that sits directly above The Grillehouse, guests are in for a very different experience. Known as “The Balcony”, it delivers on its name, but straight forward it is not.
I recently decided to make a quick visit to “The Balcony” on what I would consider a quintessential early fall evening on the square. When asked if we wanted to sit on the balcony or in the dining room our decision required little thought. It’s often said, “whats in a name”? Which I found to be incumbent upon me to find out.
As a chef myself, I’ve spent nearly two decades of my life in professional kitchens. Now I enjoy writing about them, among other topics. I don’t make it a habit to fawn over restaurants or chefs alike, especially when I’m writing about them. Yet on the other hand, I don’t critique them either. I simply try to understand a restaurant and check its pulse. Most of the time It’s easy to feel how lively a place is before even taking a bite.
As I ascended the stairs of the former Roosters Blues House, I could feel that we were in for something special. After all, it was imperative that it be. Because old habits die hard and old bars die even harder. Filling the space of a once beloved night club is a sure fire way to have your new concept battle tested. If done right, the past will be forgotten and new moments will be remembered.
There is something special and unspoken that we all identify with when it comes to dining out. The moment our napkins are placed in our laps and our eyes meet over neatly pressed linens, time then freezes. We find ourselves within a reprieve from the outside world that awaits beyond the restaurant doors. Conversations seem to mean more and the food tastes just a little bit better. Every single one of us has a memory from dining out, and most of us plan to make more.
I did just that. With an expert ensemble of foodies, being my wife, our teenage son, and our daughter that attends Ole Miss, we made lite work of an array of dishes while soaking in the picturesque view from the rightfully named Balcony.
With juxtaposed menu items such as Grouper Picatta, smash burgers, and duck breast over whipped bourbon sweet potatoes, it’s difficult to not respect the slight hard right turn “The Balcony” takes from The Grillehouse. It’s reminiscent of the college kid that wants to forge their own path but still remain close to home. One might say, art imitating life. But the classics are there too, because if you know how to cook a steak and it’s worked for you since 2013, then it’s imperative to cook a steak upstairs.
If you’re not hungry but have other plans for imbibing with a few of their specialty cocktails, you can take comfort in knowing that a late nite menu is available until midnight. Who needs gas station fried chicken when you can munch on sliders, quesadillas, and hot Cheeto fries well into the night, all while relaxing on one of the best balconies the square has to offer.
But enough about the actual balcony for now, because the dining room itself is a visual wonderland that grabs you by the hand the moment you walk through its doors. I couldn’t help but pause and take note of the song that played over the speakers as I made my way over to the bar. It was “This must be the place” by The Talking Heads”, seemingly the most fitting proverbial background music for such a hip joint.
Large red oversized booths line the far wall. You feel as if you’ve stepped into a different era, while the lighting pulls you into a more modern time. Much like the menu, there is little room for presumption. I hear that later into the evening once the lights go down and the music goes up that your reprieve becomes a party. With the assistance of craft cocktails enjoyed in wrap around booths that can fit the whole crew, you could blink and you might think you ended up in Vegas. But not new Vegas, we’re talking The Rat Pack kind of Vegas. The urge to leave the company of good booze and great music in search of that lite night food craving is stifled by chicken and waffles. The balcony’s offering of late night vittles serves as an exclusive option that is not easy to find close to midnight on the square.
I didn’t get a chance to meet the Chef/Owner. His name is Clint Boutwell and he clearly has earned his chops in Oxfords dining scene. I would have very much enjoyed meeting him but I also found it unfair to catch him off guard. I don’t pander nor do I want to be pandered to. That’s the funny thing about featuring a restaurant. If you announce that you’re coming to dine and plan on writing about the experience, then you receive the royal treatment. But if you arrive unannounced then you have solicited an unfair advantage. Lucky for me and lucky for them, I don’t critique.
There is an empathy that transcends throughout prose written by Chefs. Although many have made it big by tearing others down through criticism and self indulgent opinions, that is simply not the way.
I’m often asked about my favorite places to eat. I rarely share my answers to that question because my reasons for liking a restaurant may be very different from someone else’s. Food is subjective, therefore my opinion shouldn’t matter. So when I write about a restaurant I write from a chefs perspective. I make sure that I understand why a restaurant matters and what allows it to speak for itself.
“The Balcony” spoke on behalf of Chef Clint and his staff. It said “we’ve arrived”! I’m going back very soon. Perhaps I’ll give them a heads up when I do, although I don’t deem it necessary. The view is literally and figuratively above all. It invites you to view the square from an off the beaten path lens. The food is time tested and the staff is kind and genuine. Memories may always linger on that balcony, but new ones are waiting to be made from Oxfords catbird seat, known as “The Balcony”.
