Take a closer look at the Lamasco Bar & Grill's new gastropub fare
EVANSVILLE – The Lamasco Bar & Grill is selling so much grilled octopus that they ran out the other night. Right in the middle of service, too − not at the end of the night.
The efforts by new owner/chef Charles Mereday and his partner and pastry chef Brittany Hadden to transform the Lamasco from a neighborhood dive into a gastropub – so, still a neighborhood dive, but now with gastronomic specialties such as grilled octopus and lamb chop lollipops – is going well.
“Dinner is really getting dialed in,” Mereday said. “We’re selling a ton of food. Tons of the octopus and tons of fresh oysters. It’s random, we’ll have a slammed Monday night and then be slow one Friday, but overall we’re selling 200% more food than the bar did before we brought the new menu.”
What is a gastropub?
If you’re not up to speed with what’s going on over at Lamasco, the idea is this – the core personality of the Lamasco Bar and Grill hasn’t changed. The décor is the same, there is still karaoke some nights, it’s still open late, you can still get domestic beer in a plastic cup.
There are still good burgers and fries and pizza on the menu alongside fried appetizer baskets and nachos. But new, more upscale menu items and top shelf crafted cocktails have been added in addition. The bar welcomes all its former casual patrons, but is drawing in a new crowd as well, of foodies who enjoy expertly crafted cuisine in a down-to-earth atmosphere. That's the idea of a gastropub.
Mereday started out serving dinner only, but the bar is now open for lunch and Saturday and Sunday brunch.
He plans to stick with the core menu he opened with (we’ll discuss some of the dishes below) and run frequent specials to keep it exciting and gauge what Evansville diners like most.
Charles Mereday’s philosophy
Mereday attended Johnson and Wales University in Charleston, South Carolina and opened his first restaurant in the late 90’s. Since then he’s owned or run several kitchens, from large hotels to fine dining restaurants in the Caribbean. His philosophy is simple and fundamentalist -- Good cooking is about good ingredients prepared with care.
The key, for him, is not cutting corners. So, stocks for the sauces and soup are slow-simmered on the stove for days. The pork for the pulled pork nachos is carefully seasoned and oven roasted overnight before being hand shredded. Duck legs are cured with a salt and herb rub for 24 hours, rinsed and gently poached in duck fat overnight, and, finally, cooled and pulled from the bone to make the duck confit for tacos.
Now that he knows there’s a good market for fresh seafood, he’s having great quality oysters and fish flown in overnight from a company in Boston. He only gets a little at a time to ensure freshness. Recently he ordered some fresh hake, a fish with mild, white flaky meat. He seared it simply with salt and pepper, then served it with browned butter and lemon over sweet potatoes and spinach, letting the flavor of the fish take center stage.
When summer arrives, look for him to use as much local produce as possible, centering dishes around ripe tomatoes and sweet corn. He’s working on bringing locally-grown lettuce from APE Aquaponics and mushrooms from Beautiful Edibles on board for specials right now.
Another plus of eating at Lamasco is that the chef is preparing your food. Almost always, while a chef may develop the dishes, the food placed upon diners’ plates is prepared by line cooks. At Lamasco, Mereday and Hadden, who also does the baking and dessert prep, are the only two cooks. It makes for a very long week for them, but it ensures that quality is consistent.
On the menu at Lamasco Bar & Grill – all-day menu
Some of favorite dishes on the all-day menu are:
Pulled pork nachos – Pork shoulder is slow-roasted in the oven overnight in the French style with carrot, celery, onion and thyme, then pulled and piled on tortilla chips with queso cheese sauce, barbeque sauce, ranch and pico de gallo.
Lamb sliders – Moroccan flavors abound in these little sandwiches. Ground lamb is formed into patties spiced with cumin, coriander, cinnamon and more and seared. They’re served on buns topped with fresh goat cheese and tomato jam made by cooking baby heirloom tomatoes down with onion and garlic, spices and a splash of red wine vinegar.
Baseball sirloin – There’s a 14-ounce ribeye steak on the menu, but the 12-ounce baseball sirloin has been the better seller. It’s a cylindrical steak that has the appearance of an enormous filet, and is nice and lean. It’s served with garlic butter and sides for $24.
Pizza – Fresh dough is par-cooked over the char-grill and then finished with toppings to order. Have a standard pie with pepperoni or sausage, or something a little more unique like the Tarte Flambee pizza inspired by a traditional dish of Alsace, France, with Gruyere cheese, bacon, caramelized onions and a touch of sour cream; or the spinach and feta pizza with a white sauce and tomato.
Shrimp appetizers – Shrimp is always popular, and Mereday likes to change his shrimp appetizers to keep it exciting. He’s done barbeque shrimp with actual barbeque sauce and jalapeño cornbread, a New Orleans-style barbeque shrimp in spicy butter sauce with French bread, and currently on the menu are shrimp sampi served on crostini toasts.
Soup – The soup of the day will change often as well. Gumbo will make regular appearances at it was very popular over Mardi Gras. Mereday has done some chowders, chili, and plans to do a lobster bisque soon.
Desserts – Hadden is responsible for desserts and has put together some great ones. Right now there is a banana pudding cheesecake made with a crushed vanilla wafer crust and caramelized banana puree whipped right in with the cheesecake mix, garnished with whipped cream, sliced fresh bananas, and crushed nuts.
More: Evansville-area food news: 15 bites of food news for you this week
Lunch specials at Lamasco Bar & Grill
At lunchtime, rather than offer a completely separate lunch menu, Mereday is adding a list of changeable lunch specials. A few that have been offered are:
Meatloaf – This has been by far the best selling lunch special. It’s made in house and served with mashed potatoes and veggies.
Tacos – Look for tacos made with beef short ribs, and during lent there are crispy fried cod tacos with slaw, mango salsa, chipotle mayo, jalapeno peppers and fresh lime.
Sandwiches – These also will change but look for the same juicy pulled pork that tops the nachos to be served in a bun with fries on the lunch menu.
Beet Salad – Beets are served with oranges, goat cheese and orange vinaigrette. Shrimp, chicken, steak or salmon can be added.
Brunch at Lamasco Bar & Grill
Brunch is served on Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. It also has been very popular, with people waiting at the door for the restaurant to open. The menu encompasses breakfast dishes from the every-day to the unique.
Biscuits and homemade gravy with a sunny-side up egg
Eggs benedict
Omelets with bacon or sausage and your choice of spinach, onion, olives, cheddar, American cheese or pepper jack cheese.
Shrimp and grits
Breakfast pizza
Breakfast burrito
French toast
The Lamasco Bar & Grill
Location: 1331 W. Franklin St.
Phone: 812-437-0171
Hours: Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-midnight or close; Friday 11 a.m.-2 a.m. or close (bar menu served until 1 a.m.); Saturday 7 a.m.-2 a.m. or close (bar menu served until 1 a.m.); Sunday 7 a.m.-midnight or close
Website: lamascobarandgrill.com
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Lamasco Bar & Grill's new gastropub menu
