There’s a formidable beast resting at the bottom of Post-Dispatch Lake beside The Boathouse in Forest Park. This Nessie of our local loch is no mysterious crypto-creature; it’s just restaurateur Mike Johnson, gulping down yet another kitchen in his burgeoning empire.
This spring, the chef/owner behind the popular Sugarfire Smoke House chain, Hi-Pointe Drive-In, and Cyrano’s took on the beloved Boathouse eatery and enlisted journeyman chef Jack “Jack Mac” MacMurray III, who’s managed to change the menu from moribund to poppin’.
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Of course, the fare itself is arguably just the garnish for the Boathouse experience, with its dog-friendly patio and scenic lakeside views of paddleboats and ducks. For the past 15 years, the food has been serviceable, but a recent facelift has dragged the institution into the Age of the Foodie.
A smoked brisket–and–Provel toasted ravioli appetizer could not be more St. Louis. The T-ravs are filled with a beef-and-cheese purée that is surprisingly less than the sum of its parts. The not-to-be-missed starter? The Szechuan Sticky Pork Spare Ribs, a trio of smoked St. Louis–style spare ribs that are deep fried before being coated in a delectably sweet Asian barbecue sauce.
Among the sandwich choices, the barbecued salmon croissant is the sleeper. On our visit, the fish was grilled to perfection—and an anointing of creamy Boursin cheese took the dish to the “there will be no leftovers” level.
The lemon chicken za’atar offered juicy white meat beneath a polite spicing of the Middle Eastern herb blend and a shmear of mild brick-red harissa sauce, though the garnish of pickled Granny Smith apple won the day. Smoked-chicken-and-shrimp penne features special guest star andouille sausage; the pasta’s a smoky, tangy belly-filler that’ll perhaps be best enjoyed after the lake has frozen over.
Desserts from Cyrano’s feature the World’s Fair Éclair, a sundae with an eclair shell that’s split and buoyed up by whipped cream, hot fudge, Muny favorite Ronnie’s Tahitian Vanilla ice cream, and a cherry. It’s the happiest of climaxes to any meal. The bar offers buckets of some 25 craft beers in cans and bottles, as well as pitchers of sweet summery cocktails.
Naturally, the updated Boathouse is popular like Yadier Molina—wait times often stretch to more than an hour. (At press time, the eatery was working on installing Wi-Fi so diners could use the Nowait app.) Consider ordering from the bar’s abbreviated Grab ’n’ Go menu, which includes turkey sandwiches, a Caesar salad, and various platters wrapped for an instant picnic.
Near the bottom of the Boathouse’s new menu is a sly boast: “BHFP RE18”—“Boathouse in Forest Park, Re-Established in 2018.”
You’ll get no argument here: We’re happy to be in the same boat as Johnson, Jack Mac, and their innovative dishes.
The Bottom Line: Plot a course for Forest Park.
