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"Harvest" signage at 1059 S. Big Bend in Richmond Heights will soon be replaced with that of "Riverbend Restaurant & Bar."
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The Napoleon, one of Riverbend's specials: lump Blue crab, crawfish, and Gulf shrimp, layered with fried eggplant and topped with a cognac cream sauce.
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Ask SLM's dining critic Dave Lowry about Riverbend's Turtle Soup and be prepared for a mouthful of descriptive prose.
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Another special: Crawfish Enchiladas
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A popular appetizer special: Crabmeat au Gratin.
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And yet another: Shrimp Dauphine.
The rumors started swirling in mid-June, about two days after Harvest restaurant (1059 S. Big Bend Boulevard) closed its doors after a 18-year-run (the post-mortem scoopage, here) …that Sam Kogos, owner of Riverbend Restaurant & Bar, might be interested in moving his operation into that building, a larger space with better kitchen facilities.
Two weeks ago, it was reported that the city granted Kogos a liquor license and conditional use permits.
Yesterday, a lease was signed and the deal was finalized.
Now four years old, Kogos' New Orleans-themed restaurant located at 701 Utah Street met with popular and critical acclaim almost instantly, despite being hamstrung by an all-electric kitchen and only a counter top deep fryer.
Kogos reports that after brief remodel, a new and improved Riverbend will debut in the 3500 square foot, 90-seat space, ideally by mid-October, in time to benefit from the lucrative holiday season.
Kogos looks at retrofitting differently than many other operators, preferring to do so without incurring a ton of debt: “My goal was not to spend a lot of time or money remodeling,” he said. “I was looking for a turnkey operation--not a half million dollar build-out—and luckily I was able to find exactly what I was looking for.” And he feels the central location is perfect, as its closer to home for much of his existing clientele, “plus the new access on and off highway 40 makes it all the more convenient.”
So the bar will stay where it is, walls will be painted, pictures will be hung, and some new furniture and TV’s will be added. “My goal is to create a comfortable space,” Kogos noted, “not a fancy space.”
Kogos—along with chef Steve Daney, once a cook for the mayor of New Orleans--says their food is Riverbend's main attraction. SLM has called out Daney's étouffée, the eggplant Napoleon, and in a recent feature on "Neighborhood Restaurants," its weekend specials... Others swear by the seafood gumbo, or the red beans and rice...
The New Orleans native says that the menu will not change and that the same recipes will be followed. But the more spacious kitchen–equipped with a grill, deep fryer, and salamander—will allow for more variety and flexibility, plus the ability to handle catering events, which Kogos had to previously decline.
He’s also been toying with the idea of a late night “gumbo & poorboy” menu, "to attract the Wash U kids I see going to every other restaurant in the neighborhood." And after the new place gets established, adding a jazz brunch, “like they do at the Commander in New Orleans.”
In the meantime, come October, we can all look forward to Riverbend's turtle soup, "easily among the best soups in town," according to SLM dining critic Dave Lowry. And the jambalaya, and the the crawfish & corn bisque, and the oyster bread... as well as Daney's Creole bread pudding, as oddly addictive as the rendition another Steve--Steve Gontram--made famous at the very same address.
