By Dave Woods

dwoods@joplinglobe.com

BRANSON, Mo. — When you think cities known for their great restaurants, good food, fine wines ... what comes to mind? New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Branson?

Wait, Branson?

If a handful of creative and committed culinary professionals get their way, Branson will soon be a city everyone thinks of when it comes to treating your tastebuds to a night on the town.

And why not? After a long day of shopping, shows and sightseeing, what better way to recharge your batteries than with a great meal and a cold beverage at one of Branson’s growing list of new eateries.

Up on Highway 76, music icon and veteran Branson entertainer Andy Williams recently spent more than $1.5 million to turn a financially failing sports bar into a one-of-a-kind restaurant experience featuring old family recipes, top-notch service and a pop-art collection. And down on the new Branson Landing, nearly a dozen dining destinations have opened their doors to offer tourists and locals alike a wide variety of places to break bread.

Andy’s favorites

They’re listed on the Moon River Grill menu as “Andy’s favorites.”

Williams admits it was the recipes he remembers his mother whipping up in the kitchen that provided much of the inspiration for the menu.

“I used my mother’s recipes for the chicken vegetable soup, for the rhubarb shortcake, for the spaghetti and meatballs, and for the meatloaf,” he said. “Pot roast, chicken pot pie, mac and cheese, and catfish are all things that I really liked. They’re what you call comfort foods.”

Although he designed and decorated the grill himself, he said he had a little help when it came to putting the menu together and perfecting the old family favorites for mass production.

“Mainly I used my brother, Don, who is the cook in the family,” Williams said. “He kept the recipes of my mother’s. He spent about two days in the kitchen with my chefs on the things that just weren’t turning out the way we wanted them to.”

Hours of work were spent on perfecting menu favorites such as the chicken pot pie, for example.

“We finally got it the way we wanted, which was with a lot of carrots and not too stiff,” he explained. “It should be creamy.”

The next step was to ensure consistency in the dishes’ preparation and presentation.

“We don’t want people to come in one time and get a wonderful duck breast, and then come in another time and get one that isn’t so wonderful,” he said. “That’s what you don’t want.”

Inconsistency kills, he said.

Wine and art

Not only is much of the menu based on old family favorites, the wine list offers four California varieties — a cabernet, merlot, chardonnay and white zinfandel — specifically bottled and labeled for Williams in addition to the other vintages offered.

“We made a deal with a wine company up in Napa called Round Hill Winery,” he said. “I had a wine-tasting at home with about 10 friends. Round Hill sent some samples to taste, and we picked the ones we liked the best. The ones we really liked, the ones that came out way ahead in our tasting, are the ones on the menu.”

Not in the mood for the fruit of the grape? Williams suggests a drink called a Naughty Betty. The fruity, mai tai-like beverage is named after an eye-catching painting of a chimpanzee in a dress that hangs behind the bar at Moon River Grill.

“Naughty Betty was painted by Donald Roller Wilson, a painter out of Arkansas,” Williams said. “He’s collected by a lot of celebrities. Robin Williams is a big fan of his.”

Naughty Betty really is naughty, Williams emphasizes. He said to just read around the painting when you are in the bar to find out why.

“There’s a little bit of a story about Naughty Betty,” he joked.

In addition to Naughty Betty, Williams displays much of his pop-art collection — including works by Andy Warhol and Roy Liechtenstein — on the walls of the restaurant’s dining room.

Located at 2600 W. Highway 76, the Moon River Grill opens at 11 a.m. daily. For more information, call (417) 337-9539.

Williams offered up recipes for two of his favorite menu items.



Andy’s favorite chicken pot pie

1 chicken, quartered

3 tablespoons butter

2 large carrots sliced 1/4-inch thick in half-moon shape

1/2 medium onion diced in 1/4-inch cubes

4 stalks celery, leaves removed and cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1 teaspoon thyme leaves

1 teaspoon rubbed sage

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

2/3 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon chicken base

1 pint heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2/3 cup frozen peas

Frozen pie dough

Melted butter for top

Place chicken in pot and cover in cold water. Add 1/2 each of carrots, celery and onion to pot. Add half of herbs. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Remove chicken and strain stock into another pot. Put stock on back of stove on high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce by half. Remove skin from chicken and meat from bones, leave meat in about 1-inch square pieces. While stock is reducing, melt butter in steam kettle over medium-low heat and add remaining vegetables and herbs to kettle. Cover and sweat until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Whisk flour into vegetables to make a roux and cook for three minutes, stirring constantly. Add 1 quart reduced stock and remaining ingredients.

Roll pie dough out to 1/4 inch and place in soufflé dish, covering bottom and sides. Fill with filling to 1/4 inch from top. Cover with another piece of dough and pleat edges. Brush top with melted butter, place all on sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes. Serve with your favorite vegetable or by itself.



Andy’s favorite chocolate cake

7 ounces butter

1/2 pound semi-sweet chocolate

4 whole eggs, room temp

4 egg yolks, room temp

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

Melt butter and chocolate into double boiler over low heat. Whip room-temperature eggs with sugar (if necessary, heat over hot water until room temperature) in mixer until eggs turn canary yellow. On low speed, add chocolate-butter mixture to egg mixture. Add flour to batter a little at a time and blend slowly. Scrape bottom and side of bowl to incorporate all of the flour.

Butter and flour muffin tins. Make sure tin is very clean and dry. Fill with batter. Bake in convection oven for exactly nine minutes (regular oven about 13 minutes). Do not overcook.





The new Branson Landing offers a variety of upscale eateries that will appeal to a wide variety of visitors.

Bar Louie, for example, opened in May at 801 Branson Landing Road. The menu features a selection of American bar food and sports 16 big-screen televisions. It is open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily.

The restaurant also shared one of their menu favorites.



Bar Louie’s Izc’s enchiladas

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 10 to 12 minutes

1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 pound finely shredded pepper jack cheese and cheddar mixture

16 ounces commercially available red enchilada sauce

1 large yellow onion

3 green onion stems sliced on bias

3 table spoons garlic powder

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

12 corn tortillas

6 ounces vegetable oil

1 rectangle casserole dish

Bring 1 gallon water to a soft boil. Add chicken, garlic and bay leaves. Leave until chicken is fully cooked. When chicken is done, remove from water and dice. Mix chicken with yellow onion, 8 ounces of enchilada sauce and 1/2 of cheese mixture. Add salt to taste. Heat oil on large skillet on very low heat. Dip each tortilla in oil until it softens and becomes limp (secret to success). Place a generous portion of cheese, chicken and onion mixture onto each tortilla and roll up. The mixture should fill all 12 tortillas. Place each rolled tortilla in a casserole dish with remaining sauce and cheese mixture. When ready to eat, place the dish in a 350-degree oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. When done, garnish the entire top with sliced green onions.



The next time you find yourself running out of steam after spending the day digging through dollar stores, or have a few minutes to kill before the next show starts, give one of these new Branson Landing eateries a try:

Cantina Larado, Gourmet Mexican Food

Address: 1101 Branson Landing Blvd.

Hours of operation: Open daily at 11 a.m.

Phone: 417-334-6062

Reservations: Available, not necessary

Style of cuisine: Gourmet Mexican

Bar: Full bar available, 30 specialty tequilas

Entree prices: Average lunch $12, dinner $22

Seats: 225 inside plus patio seating for 130

Opened: Nov. 2006



Famous Dave’s

Address: 1201 Branson Landing Blvd.

Hours of operation: Open at 11 daily

Phone: 3344858

Reservations: Reservations or call-ahead seating

Style of cuisine: Barbecue

Bar: Full bar available

Entree prices: Average $10

Seats: 320

Opened: May 2007



Garfield’s Restaurant and Pub

Address: 1221 Branson Landing Blvd.

Hours of operation: Open at 11 daily

Phone: 335-3701

Reservations: Walk-ins welcome

Style of cuisine: American traditional

Bar: Full bar available, happy hour 3-6 M-F

Entree prices: $10

Seats: 300

Opened: Nov. 2006



Joe’s Crab Shack

Address: 717 Branson Landing Blvd.

Hours of operation: Open at 11 daily

Phone: 337- 7373

Reservations: No reservations accepted

Style of cuisine: Seafood, steaks & burgers

Bar: Full bar available

Entree prices: $13-17

Seats: 289

Opened: Spring 2006



Waxy O’Shea’s Irish Pub

Address: 235 Branson Landing Blvd.

Hours: Open at 11 daily

Phone: 348-1759

Reservations: For large parties

Style of cuisine: Authentic Irish cuisine, eclectic menu

Bar: Full bar available featuring Irish whiskies, imported beers

Entree prices: $10

Seats: 200

Opened: June 2006

Entertainment: Live music Wed, Fri and Sat. & Thurs. pub quiz



Piztros Pizza Bistro Bar

Address: 111 Branson Landing Blvd.

Hours: Open daily at 11

Phone: 348-0330

Reservations: No reservations accepted

Style of cuisine: Pizza bistro

Bar: Full bar 23 frozen daiquiri flavors

Entree prices: $10

Seats: 400 with patio seating available

Opened: July 2007



Liberty Tavern at Hilton Promenade

Address: 3 Branson Landing Blvd.

Hours of operation: Open 6:30 a.m. daily

Phone: 336-1112

Reservations: Recommended, not required

Style of cuisine: Traditional American fare featuring local ingredients

Bar: Full bar available, happy hour

Entree prices: $15-30 for dinner

Seats: Patio seating available

Opened: Feb. 2007



Coming soon to Branson Landing:

White River Fish House

Wedding Italiano