Lottinvilles Restaurant & Bar: Review

Posted by okclocalvore on Aug 22, 2012 in Restaurant Reviews | 2 comments

 

How is it that I have lived in Oklahoma for a decade and I had never heard of Lottinvilles Restaurant & Bar until very recently?  I have been finding so many hidden gems throughout this OKC Localvore adventure, I want to schedule seven reviews a week.

 

Lottinvilles has been an Edmond favorite for 13 years.  Over three years ago, they moved from a log cabin on S. Kelley in Edmond into a larger, more upscale restaurant less than a mile away at 801 Signal Ridge Rd.  The current location is still reminiscent of a log cabin on the inside… the only thing keeping me from being convinced I had been transported to Colorado or Lake Tahoe was the absence of pine trees peering down through the windows situated up high along the pointed, vaulted ceilings.

 

 

Justin and I planned a Saturday date night at Lottinvilles.  I logged onto their website and made reservations for two at 7:45 through their OpenTable reservations system.  They happened to be steadily busy but not slammed that night, so they honored our request to move from a table for two out in the open to a large, cozy booth in the corner.  (Thank you from the collectively 13-foot tall couple with the camera out at dinner.)

 

Our server, Jereomy, greeted us enthusiastically.  After establishing that we had never dined at Lottinvilles, he went all the way through the menu and he was engaging and concise while doing so.  He explained that the fare at Lottinvilles has a strong southwest flair, referencing cuisine popular in New Mexico and Arizona.  Jereomy told us about the restaurant’s pride in their fresh vegetables and herbs plucked straight from the onsite garden.  He told us Trudy’s Chicken Salad ($11) was a recipe from one of their loyal patrons named Trudy.  He even revealed that their steaks were prime steaks from Stock Yards in Chicago  - the same place the legendary Bob’s Steak and Chop House in Dallas gets theirs.

 

Jereomy was extremely knowledgeable and had an answer for every question we had.   We asked him what Lottinvilles was famous for and he told us the Smoked Cheddar Jalapeño Meatloaf ($17) and Bennett’s Rotisserie Roast Chicken ($16) were very popular.  We had reviewed the menu before heading to the restaurant and had our eyes on both of these items so we were sold.  We also ordered the Roasted Serrano Salsa with chips ($5) because he told us it can be pretty hot at times.  This time, the orange-tinted salsa was medium-hot but very good with a unique flavor and thicker texture.

 

 

While we waited, we snacked on the delicious complimentary homemade sourdough bread and salty butter and gazed around at our gorgeous surroundings. I realized very quickly that there is an acute attention to detail in this restaurant.  Jereomy’s knowledge.  The lighting.  The neatly-folded tablecloths.  The decorations.  The directional signage to the restrooms and the cleanliness of the facility.  The staff’s awareness of our camera and not walking in front of our shots.  Really, everywhere I looked I found interesting details.

 

Rico, the General Manager, stopped by our table and called Jereomy out (with good humor) for not telling us about the specials.  Jereomy had definitely given us plenty of information on the menu and we had decided so quickly on our entrees that I can understand how he missed it.  Rico told us the Kabuki Sirloin Kebabs were too good to pass up so he kindly offered to bring us a complimentary kebab to share.

 

 

Boy, were we glad Rico brought us that skewer!  The sirloin was cooked medium and was juicy.  There was a smoky, subtly sweet sauce drizzled over the kebab that complimented the sirloin and charred vegetables.  Delicious.

 

 

The slow-cooked Rotisserie Chicken was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.  The dark meat was so flavorful and the skin had a hint of rosemary and garlic.  The “mashers” as they call them were buttery.  My grilled peppers, onions and zucchini were clean (minimal oil, no butter) and tasted very fresh.

 

 

The meatloaf stole the show for me.  Now, this is not Mom’s meatloaf.  It is reminiscent of a muffin and covered in a smoky, unsweetened (yes!) ancho chile sauce that has notes of BBQ sauce in it.   This was a very southwestern meal topped with corn, jalapeños, tomatoes, cilantro, plenty of cheese and two fried tortilla strips. When the meatloaf was cut into we could see plenty of cheese, onions, peppers and jalapeños on the inside. The calabasitas (squash, zucchini and queso fresco) provided balance to the meal.  (Side note: It’s just as good reheated for leftovers!)

 

 

We rounded off our dinner with a slice of Key West Key Lime Pie with a sweet graham cracker crust.  Again, Lottinvilles put their twist on this dish topping it with fresh pineapples, strawberries, kiwi and a dollop of crème fraîche.  I especially loved the fresh fruit, as that is my dessert of choice.

 

We had a spectacular experience at Lottinvilles.  It was a home run with the friendly, professional service, the attention to detail in presentation and cleanliness, the energetic-yet-romantic atmosphere and the interesting things we learned about this restaurant. These are all reasons we will absolutely be returning soon. Rico told us Sunday brunch is the time to be at Lottinvilles. I can’t find anything about it on their website but I have seen them mention it on their Facebook page, so check there for more information on brunch and other specials.