The Blue Dog Cookhouse

As we walked in my first impression was that we were transported to this Midtown Manhattan circa ‘90’s Bistro. Immediately to our left we could see a fully appointed bar with several patrons engaged in conversation. The hostess greeted us and checked us in for our 7:30 reservation. While being guided to our table I immediately took note of the layout and openness of the dining room. As soon as we were seated our server for the evening Dalizza came to the table, poured us water and let us know the Special of the day. Shortly after that, a runner brought the table a basket of popovers and jalapeno butter. What a delicious pairing. Dalizza was on point and extremely patient with us. We like to take a lot of time between our drink, appetizer, entree, and dessert. We do with most of our visits, this way we get a full rounded effect of the flavoring, taste, and texture of our meal all while taking in the ambiance.For our drinks, we ordered Tito’s Mule and a Blue Dog Smoked Old-Fashioned. Doris’ mule was served in a highball glass and topped with a charred lime disc. My Blue Dog Smoked Old-Fashioned has to have been one of the best old-fashioned’s that I’ve had in a very long time. It arrives at the table topped with an attached smoker. It is then uncovered at the table in front of you so you can see and smell the apple wood smoke rising from the drink. The combination of Fistful of Bourbon and the 7yr Flor de Caña is absolutely welcoming as it mellows the drink out incredibly. For those who drink Old-Fashions, you’ll know what I mean when I say sometimes the drink has a little bite. The sweetness of the rum knocks the bite right out.For our starters, we had an order of the Grilled Octopus that comes with farm potatoes, yuzu chimichurri, and blistered cherry tomato. The Octopus was tender, moist, and very flavorful. We also ordered the Buffalo Cauliflower that is tossed with sweet chili and served with blue cheese ranch.For our entrees, we ordered the Shrimp and Grits that were made with cheddar, grits, pepper, tomato, and blackened butter. The shrimp and grits are a hit with the flavoring of the shrimp totally on point. The sauce was absolutely delicious so many places do not do this dish justice when it comes to the sauce. We love our shrimp and grits and highly recommend these. We also ordered the Seafood Tagliatelle which consisted of blue crab, extra jumbo shrimp, and plenty of squid in a diablo soy tomato sauce all topped with an arugula salad. This was another hit; Chef Chris Barre has a great palette and definitely knows what this market likes!