Our Review of Ozarks Brasserie

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Since the publication of this story Ozarks Brassier has closed — 09-12-2023]

Amid the lively bustle of the Branson Landing lies Ozarks Brasserie, a restaurant and bar that offers a calming place for a shopping respite. Inside, the interior features sleek modern lines with neutral tones, and soft natural light bouncing off the lake outside drenches through the large picture windows.

Ozarks Brasserie is an upscale chef-owned restaurant that serves both French and Italian-inspired dishes. Chef Collin P. Thornton and Nathanael Parnell boast impressive culinary résumés that include stints at places like five-star luxury resorts, The Ozark Mill at Finley Farms and Top of the Rock.

My husband, Chandler, and I are both French and Italian food aficionados and have been to both countries for tasty excursions more than once. So, we decided to head out to Ozarks Brasserie on one sunny evening for a date night. After looking at the drink menu, we immediately knew that some cocktails were in order. I’m always down for a spritz, so I ordered the Taney Shimmer featuring a sparkling wine base with lemon oleo saccharum, which is a syrup made using the natural oils in lemon peels. However, the bright-hued hibiscus bitters on the top of this bubbling layered cocktail really stole the show at first sip.

Chandler got the Last Cast, and I partook in a tasting. It was the perfect cool-off drink with strong notes of ginger and a garnish of mint and lime. The addition of blueberry-matcha syrup gave off an uplifting and grounding flavor all at once.

The bread service immediately made a good impression. The crumb of the bread was open and airy, and black salt topped the pad of soft butter that was resting on a blend of red wine vinegar and olive oil. We ordered the fried calamari as our starter, and the spicy romesco dipping sauce was so good we asked for seconds.

To get an idea of the variety, we ordered the seafood pasta off of the dinner menu and the croque monsieur from the more casual bar menu. The seafood pasta was definitely the winner. The shrimp and scallops were salty and tasted straight out of the sea, and the addition of artichoke added a tangy kick amid the creamy alfredo sauce. In terms of the croque monsieur, the presentation was great. The skewer garnish featured pickles, a banana pepper and a cherry tomato. However, we both wish the bread was just a little thicker to support the quality ingredients inside it.

To round off the experience, we ordered the crème brûlée. The hardened caramelized sugar on top was divine, as was the cookie garnish that tasted a bit like peanut brittle.

As I took in the views of Lake Taneycomo with my spritz and pasta, it felt a bit like I was back at Lake Como in Italy. It’s amazing how the Ozarks can do that to you sometimes.