REVIEW: Desserts are surprising star at White Swan BBQ
BY SCOTT CHERRY World Scene Writer
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
The kitchen manager at the new White Swan BBQ, Fish & More likes his anonymity, but he has worked in more kitchens and opened more restaurants than I can count over the past 35 years or so. And he has cooked cheesecakes privately for no telling how many other restaurants.
Many years ago, well before I was reviewing restaurants, I was a guest in his home kitchen when he was cooking cheesecakes for a couple of upscale restaurants, and I recalled how marvelous they were.
Therefore, we had high expectations when we ordered the cheesecake with sour cream glace and raspberry sauce ($4.50) at White Swan, and by golly, it was better than I remembered. It was creamy and crumbly at the same time, and had a rich but not over-the-top flavor.
To help get in the spirit of the season, I also ordered a sweet potato pie ($4.50), made with brown sugar, molasses, eggs and cream, and the spicy flavor had me wishing I had a full pie for the Thanksgiving table.
It isn’t often I start a review with desserts, but few restaurants make their own, except for the occasional cobbler or pie, and the White Swan desserts are special. In addition to those mentioned, it offers bread pudding, cobbler and flourless chocolate cake with vanilla sauce.
As for the savories, White Swan features barbecue — brisket, sliced pork, pulled pork, chicken, hot links, bologna, ribs — along with fried catfish, burgers, soups and chili.
We had a three-meat combo ($12.49) with ribs, sliced brisket and catfish. It wasn’t clear to me what meats were available for the combo, so I asked our server, Sharon, if I could have a rib and a piece of catfish to go with sliced brisket.
“Oh, honey, it’s going to be more than a rib or piece of catfish,” she said.
That was an understatement. My platter held two nice-sized catfish fillets fried in a light cornmeal batter, four ribs cut St. Louis style and three large slices of brisket.
The farm-raised American catfish had a fresh flavor, the ribs were firm to the bone but tender, and the tenderbrisket was pink in the middle with a wide smoke ring around the edges. Regular and hot barbecue sauces were on the table, but it was difficult to tell much difference between the two.
The dinner also came with a relatively moist hushpuppy and a choice of two sides. I selected green beans cooked with bits of bacon and thick, dark-brown baked beans dotted with green bell pepper and pork or brisket.
We also had the porker sandwich ($4.75) piled high with pulled pork. The meat was a little dry and benefited from some additional sauce.
A side house salad ($2.95) was simple but fresh, with crispy lettuce, bright-red tomato wedges and shredded cheddar with a smoky ranch dressing.
I was told the chili is made with cocoa, beer and coffee, which sounds like a must-have on a raw winter day.
The space, which has three dining areas, has held a tea room, an Italian restaurant, Mexican restaurants, a barbecue spot and an American restaurant called the White Swan over the past 15 years.
Building owner Mirza Shahivand said when he pulled the Mexican-style facade off the front of the restaurant, the old White Swan sign still was there, so he kept it for the new restaurant.
Find more of Scott Cherry's reviews in Thursday's Weekend magazine or online at tulsaworld.com/cherrypicks.
WHITE SWAN BBQ, FISH & MORE
5646 S. Mingo Road
918-893-3483
Lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Friday, dinner 5-9 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; accepts all major credit cards.
Associated Images:
White Swan Smokehouse BBQ platter. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World
|
