A different sort of castle: The Castle of Muskogee.

I recently visited the Ozark Medieval Fortress and was impressed by the workmanship I found there. But I’ve had several people ask me if I’d ever been to a proper Renaissance Faire… I had not. They encouraged me to go.

Now, as a matter of full disclosure, I must mention that I am a card-carrying member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, which I’ve been a part of for 20 years now. I know a lot about the Middle Ages. I do my research. I get fussy when my garb isn’t just so or the recipe I’m redacting doesn’t meet my own high standards. These things, though, I had to throw out the window before visiting the Castle of Muskogee, the home of the Oklahoma Renaissance Festival.

This annual event takes place during all the weekends of May each year at a specially built 60 acre facility on the north side of Muskogee. Performers come from several states out to join in the festivities and recreate the Middle Ages.

There is a certain amount of whim and fancy about the whole affair, a fact not lost on me when we arrived on the grounds on the last day of April. The parking lot is set out with north-south roads bearing the names of English kings and east-west roads named after the six wives of Henry the Eighth. There was a lady in peasant wear at the front gate hawking programs for folks entering the “kingdom” (this program is also available online here).

After purchasing your ticket, you proceed to the gate and launch yourself into a different sort of world. It is… entertaining. It’s amusing. It’s not all that accurate, but for the average Faire-goer it’s a lot of fun.

Our first stop was in a clothing shop, where one might obtain clothing to blend in with the natives. Dresses and separates ranged from $40 to $400 depending on the material used and how elaborate each piece was. We quickly noticed we were in the minority -- most of the attendees were making some sort of attempt at Medieval-esque clothing, though the hemlines for most of the ladies’ clothing I saw while there would have been scandalous even in Victorian times.

We passed a leather shop and pottery and paused at a stand selling turkey legs. My photographer absorbed my gripes about the fact that Henry the Eighth would not have been likely to have seen a turkey leg (turkeys come from North America) and that they certainly wouldn’t have been available to the peasantry, and how the closest thing to a funnel cake would have been the Indian delicacy known as a jalebi. He laughed at me and in not so many words hinted that I needed to loosen up a bit.

We ventured into an open-air tavern, where beer and soft drinks were being served. Security guards mingled with the public and with festival workers, some eating hunks of stew from wooden plates with plastic forks. There I spotted a woman wearing -- I kid you not -- a fluorescent green and day-glow fuschia Tudor-style dress that was about a foot shy of the ground. Underneath she wore a crinoline and stripey socks that matched her dress. Her headpiece sported matching beads and feathers, and it was by this nickname “Feathers” that her fellow festi-villians called her. She was bright and cheery and the kids loved her.

Onward we went, past more clothiers, a jewelry shop and a stand that sold rock lanterns, a pantaloon shoppery and a collection of catapults and trebuchets into a large building. This facility hosts demonstrations such as a Queen’s Tea, bards singing, courts and the like. There’s a pub in one back corner and an armory where you can look up your last name and get a printout of your family crest.

Outside this facility there was a carriage waiting, a white carriage drawn by white horses. For a fee, a few people can take the carriage around the entire park and relax a bit.

On the other side of the road from the facility was a grand ring where sometimes jousting and the like take place. There was a falconry demonstration going on, with the showing of a great red tailed hawk and a few owls. This I found fascinating… the bird were the real thing.

We passed by more shops, by a blacksmithy and a real armory where armor and helms were being created and sold. A soothsayer had a booth there, as did a weaver and a guy selling fox tails to wear.

It was about this point that I really noticed the children passing by. There were a lot of children, from toddlers and tots to pre-teens, most of them dressed in some attempt at Medievalwear. There were little witches and pirates and Vikings and harem girls, all bouncing about and all seemingly headed in the same direction. Parents carried a few but far more were on foot, peering into booths and attractions along the way.

We stopped in at a small area off the beaten path, a series of decks and stepwork cloistered in the trees. A small group called the Talstin Troubadours were just wrapping up their gig. It was shaded and cool amidst the trees. Paths took off in different directions on the elevated boardwalks above the undergrowth, taking gentles back in all directions like a little bit of a maze.

We emerged onto another road, this one teeming even more with children who were heading towards a bevy of activities along the roadside. There was a gigantic dragon’s head, which children were coming through with squeals of delight, the apparent end point of the big maze that started on another road. There were children digging for buried treasure in a sand pit with joy and fervor. There was a paper making station where kids were making paper together.

And there were camel rides -- for a fee, one or two children at a time would be carefully placed on a camel’s back by an adult. They would bob up and down on the slowly pacing camels as they were lead around the ring. The camels seemed amused by these activities, leisurely enjoying the smattering of sunlight that played through the leaves of the overhanging trees.

For other kids there were pony rides, the ponies shorter than I am, the kids laughing and waving to their parents, who without exception were snapping away with photographs. Every parent I saw had a camera… and most carried bags, full of the things that keep kids clean and happy like diapers, wet wipes, beverages and perhaps a favored toy or two. I was just starting to get what this Castle was all about.

A little further along the way we passed through the Gypsy Camp, where dozens of gypsies were lounging about in the woods and under tents, sharing some small skills like bracelet weaving and bad (but not dirty) jokes with the passers by. The colors here were even brighter than we’d seen in other areas, with all the scarves and skirts and such about. Gypsy wagons sat entrenched in the dirt, staging areas for the activities of the day.

Further even still was a stage at a pub and a collection of food vendors selling everything from Reuben sandwiches to stew in bread bowls to, of all things, Haagen-Dazs ice cream. There was a giant chess board in action and all manner of shops. We did take a look through a gate and back to a pit used at the Mud Stage, but they were in-between shows at the time.

There were games of skill and chance available for the kids to play, and I watched as axes were thrown and arrows were shot. One young man went after a bale of straw for a good 20 minutes with his bow and arrow, somehow always managing to hit one of the other targets instead. He kept on until finally he managed to strike the target. His parents cheered every shot.

We managed to make it up to the Maypole just in time for a Maypole Dance, where the participants were members of the crowd chosen to learn how to wrap the pole with the weaving dance. There were kids and seniors and every age represented, all assisted by festival workers. The participants all seemed to be doing their best to learn the appropriate actions. When they made it around the second time there were bursts of laughter.

And it was this, really this, that bore home what I was experiencing. The Renaissance Festival at the Castle of Muskogee (and I suspect, other Renn Faires as well) isn’t about authenticity per se. It’s about a good time, especially for the kids, and just about every kid I saw there had this look about them, this gaze of wonderment that was a joy to behold.

So should you go? Absolutely. You should go at least once. If even a cynic like me can find a great time to be had at such a place and be able to let loose and let go, you should be well set. Don’t expect authenticity. Expect amusement. And maybe a little astonishment. And some turkey legs.

You’ll find the Castle of Muskogee on the northwest side of the city… directions there can be found here. It’s open every weekend in May and Memorial Day. For more information, check out the website or call (918) 687-3625.

And in case you were wondering what goes on the other 11 months of the year -- the Castle of Muskogee hosts a Halloween Festival, Christmas Kingdom... and it's a prime location for obtaining fireworks.  Strange?  Well, there you go.

Road Eats: Duke's Diner in Warner, OK.

I stop a lot of places just on a whim…it’s just the nature of what I do. So on a trip to Muskogee to visit the Rennaisance Fair at the Castle, we found ourselves in need of sustenance. We decided to turn off Highway 64 and see what we could find out by Interstate 40.

The place -- a white building lettered red. Duke’s Diner. It looked promising and there were a whole lot of cars and trucks around the place, so we figured it was worth a stop-in.

We were told to sit anywhere and chose a place next to a window in a front corner. There were a group of guys towards the back sharing a table and tall tales and such.
That seemed like a good sign.

We looked through the menu. I’d been griping a lot about how I was tired of burgers, but the first thing I spied was half a dozen burgers listed on the menu. There were several sandwiches, hot dogs, burritos, plate lunches, barbecue dinners and potato options. We both managed to miss getting a burger -- which I was told later should have been one of our choices -- but did manage to choose two very different things.

While we waited, I found my way to the “Worsh Room” to freshen up. I just thought that bore mentioning, especially because of the unusual sign over the hallway.

We got our plates, and my dining companion started shooting away at his Sliced Brisket Plate Lunch ($6.95). It came with French fries, baked beans and Texas toast. The brisket itself was tender but with little smoke ring, uniform in color and with a barbecue sauce heavy on honey, paprika and liquid smoke. The bold sauce was a good match for the brisket.

The barbecue beans were flavored in-house, baked beans with bits of pork floating in amidst the beanery. Ample servings all around.

A perfectly normal plate lunch, right? Well, then there was my lunch.

I didn’t want to eat too much and then get out in the heat (it was pushing 80 degrees and was awful humid). So I went with a Burrito Supreme ($4.95). First thing I noticed was that the items listed on the menu were, for the most part, not inside the burrito. Instead, the burrito itself was perched atop a pile of lettuce with chunks of tomato, fresh red onion and cheese shreds. It was doused in a healthy dose of nacho cheese sauce and covered in chili. Two of them, by the way, run $6.50.

So… what I had in front of me appeared to be a burrito salad. I could think of no better way to describe it. Sadly, I never saw the sour cream or salsa that was supposed to go with the order.

But… the presentation was so bright and cheery, was it really that important? There was just something fabulous about the bright and deep yellow sauce against the bed of lettuce and tomatoes… it was gorgeous to photograph, so we did, again and again, until I was reminded that we did need to be on the road so we might go ahead and get to the castle while it was still open.

And… it was a burrito. It was a white flour tortilla stuffed with seasoned beef and beans. And for a moment I wondered if it came from a microwave. But it was better than a microwave burrito. Somehow there was a crustiness to it, as if it had been deep fried before being added to the mass of burrito salad it appeared in. And it hit the spot.

When we went to check out, I noticed this board. I don’t know what the story is, but for some reason amongst the business cards and flyers there are keys -- a truck key, a house key and who knows what else. I have no explanation for this. I wondered about it and am still wondering about it.

So, Duke’s Diner? Yeah, a decent stop. They do all-you-can-eat ribs Saturday nights 5-9 p.m. and those are supposed to be scrumptious. If you’re heading out I-40 in eastern Oklahoma and need a bite to eat, it beats the tar out of Waffle House and the drive-thru operations. And it’s reasonably priced. It’s open Monday through Saturday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (918) 463-2276. There’s also a drive-thru.

Eating Branson.

Several readers have asked me how I go about collecting information for this blog. Well, there are several ways. Sometimes I just go to one place in-between my daily duties and gather what I need. Other times I make a day of it and pick up material for a couple of columns. And then there are the travelogue trips.

Over this past week, I have been collecting information for an upcoming issue of Let's Go magazine on Culinary Branson. The once humble Ozarkian burg is now an entertainment superhub, with hundreds of shows and attractions to enjoy. However, it can sometimes be culinarily misconstrued, to the point of a friend suggesting I call my piece "Branson, Still Covered In Gravy."

Happily, I can share with you that not only is the town not covered in gravy (it'd pour down into the valleys, anyway), it's vibrantly full of food choices. I've had the pleasure on my last several visits to pick up a bit here and there. This time around, I enjoyed quite a lot. It all started with hor d'ouerves from Bleu Olive consumed at a reception at Chateau on the Lake on a pleasant Thursday evening. This delightful lamb-and-brie-in-pastry snack was a great pick-me-up to us road-weary travelers. They also served up warmed stuffed grape leaves. The restaurant itself is located at 2nd and Commercial downtown, and offers a good bar and American-ized Mediterranean cuisine.

I was fortunate enough to be a guest at a special dinner Thursday night at the Chateau, and I certainly enjoyed it. Chef Doug Knopp is finally back from his stint with Four Seasons. His creations are definitely more high-end than you would expect in a city like Branson -- but hey, who's complaining. This salad-and-cheese plate included Bundle of Organic Field Greens (wrapped in a super-thin long slice of cucumber, yummy), Crostini with Tomato Comfit (good match, sure), slice of brie cheese and raspberry vinaigrette (that's what you see being drizzled from the spoon there). Chef Knopp's abuse of tomatoes is highly condoned... the comfit tomato was tasty enough, but pales in comparison to the "overnight tomato" in the entree he served up -- a very surprising plate of contrasts that delighted some and shocked others at our table.

The herb-soaked beef filet topped a mound of savory-sweet apple and sweet potato risotto, under that cap of "overnight tomato," and with the accompanying fois gras butter was this delightful "who needs to eat anything more" complete dinner in itself. The tartness of said tomato made me wonder what made it an overnighter, and if it had somehow been proportionally bruised by late hours and deadlines like I had been in my overnight days.
The fun part of the entree, though, was the Orange Chili Glazed Sea Bass with Vanilla Foam. Because there is no way any sane person would have put said items together. Just wouldn't have happened. Think delicate sea bass with what could be an overwhelming whack of a sauce reminiscent of a General Tso base -- covered in whipped cream. That's right -- whipped cream on fish. It should not have worked. But it did -- brilliantly.

Our dessert came from the mind and skills of a fabulous pianist and performer, Dino Kartsonakis. I was lucky enough to work with him and his wife Cheryl back on a trip during my TV days, and he seems to be just as warm and popular as ever. The two of them have ventured into a bakery... based on this particular item, called Dino's 24Karat Cake. It's a carrot cake he's made for a while, packed with carrots and walnuts and uber-rich. The raspberry and white chocolate sauce it was served with just make it more of a party. I liked it so much, I showed my disappointment with the server who came to reclaim my plate. I was rewarded for my insolence with another slice in a take-home box.

Next morning, we were up and early and headed over to Silver Dollar City. I know people who go to Silver Dollar City at certain times of the year, just to eat. They start heading downhill on one side of the park in the morning and end up back the other side, having consumed just about every sort of good thing you can think of.

I started at Eva and Delilah's Bakery, which is just inside the entry to the park. These lovely eclairs greeted me, close enough to snatch and big as a sub sandwich. Tempting, no? I overheard a conversation about all the great eats at the shop, and how the bakers here start at 3am and continue to cook until the park closes each day. The gentleman in this photo is making up their cheese sticks. I was tempted to start begging for samples, but I had another destination and deadline to meet, so passed. Besides, I reasoned, I could grab something on the way out of the park.

Good thing my manners held me back, because when I arrived at the special breakfast I was headed to I discovered this lovely cinnamon roll loaf. This is what my folks call monkey bread -- with the rolled up bits all crammed into a loaf pan, easy to break off and share.

The morning's gathering included a lot of information on upcoming events, such as the Bluegrass and BBQ festival coming up the last two weeks of May. What startled us was the sheer amount of food. You tell the good folks there that you're writing about food, and they take good care of you. They always take good care of folks, anyway. I was quite content with the ginormous bowl of succotash set on our table -- just like I am when I get a bowl on-park.
But it was followed by more food, and more food, and more food.

Such as Harvest Skillet (green and yellow string beans, carrots, potatoes and ham).

Such as very good fried chicken.

Such as the gargantuan tray of pork ribs and pulled pork barbecue that arrived at the table.

Corn on the cob.

Mashed potatoes and milk gravy.
A real family reunion-style meal that was passed around and enjoyed by all. Don't worry -- the leftovers (oh heavens, were there ever leftovers!) were sent to the park's cantina... and undoubtedly consumed with as much gusto as we mustered.
The Silver Dollar City folks also set us up with two desserts -- a slice of delectable Hummingbird Cake (no worries -- no hummingbirds were injured in the making of said cake) and a slice of Raspberry Lemon Torte like that proudly served on the Showboat Branson Belle. I could have inhaled it all, but I was too busy savoring my fourth piece of fried chicken. I'm all into chicken thighs, in case you were wondering.

We all headed out after that to different points in the park. Lots of people went to the ice cream shop, but my traveling companions and I headed down hill towards the Opera House to catch a show.
On the way, I captured lots of food-related photos, such as a succotash skillet in the making.

I refrained from entering Honey Heaven this time around -- I've purchased more honey and honey-related sweets there in the past decade than I care to admit. Highly addictive.

Silver Dollar City offers a whole lot of those foods you can't really get anywhere else commercially, such as hot-and-ready pork rinds (here's the before and after photos) that you eat like chips. There are also strange Ozarkian things like fried pickles and calico potatoes.

Barbecue is a big thing here now -- and I saw it in all its glory, ribs and brisket and chicken and pulled pork and beans, wafting from a couple of different places. Even with the vast repast I had just eaten, I was still tempted.



I was also heartened to find some truly accessible healthy snacks for kids being offered. Sure, there was plenty of kettle corn and fries to go around, but there were also neat cups of prepared fruit as well as whole fruit to purchase and nibble. I'm all about that.

We went to see the Zhejiang Chinese Acrobats show -- about an hour of incredible feats, just about the right amount of time to be amazed and to have an infant fall asleep in your arms. Beautiful artistry. I love this time of year... WorldFest is always rather cool.

After the show, we wandered and shopped and gawked. My insatiable appetite came back, and I wandered into the Frisco Barn, where delights from around the world were available. There I dined on Greek moussaka and spanikopita and Irish fish and chips. And completely forgot to photograph them. Silly me.

We had scheduled ourselves in to a session for the new Silver Dollar City Culinary and Craft School, which opened last fall. It's in a gorgeous building across from the Red Gold Hall. The craftwork inside comes from the park's own artisans and craftsmen, including this fabulous copper backsplash. I was not expecting such an impressive facility.

Our instructor was Debbie Uhrig, a native of Platt, MO. She had been a music educator but followed her path on to being a food writer (sound familiar?) and cooking consultant. She started doing cooking demos and ended up with the spectacular and wonderful job of sharing her knowledge with others at Silver Dollar City.

Debbie shared with us a lot of little tidbits about the park in addition to her own past.

For instance, the Red Gold Hall is named for a specific type of tomato grown around the turn of the 19th/20th century and later that was called "red gold" because it was a great cash crop.

She also shared tips for cooking bacon on sheet pans and revealed that all of the bacon served at SDC is cooked in that fashion.

The two soups she covered in her hour long class were created by people who worked there.

She demonstrated Silver Dollar City's Potato Leek Soup, a rich bacon-grease tinted concoction that was heavy with lots of cream and butter.
She also shared the recipe for the Ozarks Red Gold Bisque, which I thought was just about perfect and will be trying at home myself.

We also sampled the park's famous Ginger Cookies, and received recipes for what we had sampled. Yes, there are samples with the $10 class -- good sized samples that are worth sitting in during a time when you could be sampling the park's other goodies.

We had to leave shortly after class to make it to our dinner date.

On the way out, we passed by more of the park's food fare, including giant skillet dinners being prepared, hot funnel cakes being pulled out of the fat and dappled with powdered sugar,
and peanut and pecan brittle being handmade in the park's signature candy store.

Our dinner date was at one of Branson's many dinner shows. Once confined to just a few spots, the trend is growing, and for that we are somewhat happy. We have enjoyed the great show with Todd Oliver and his dogs on the Showboat
Branson Belle, and watched
the rodeo-like splendor (and eaten with our fingers) at the Dixie Stampede.

The new early dinner show at the Dick Clark American Bandstand Theater is quite different. For one, the hotspot features a full bar. For two, the show is definately for a different crowd -- Bob Anderson is a man who's made his money
off his unique ability to bring the Rat Pack back to life through musical interpretation (and what a fun little show it is).

What was strange, though, was the dinner itself. The salad was quite possibly the strangest salad I have encountered. It started off well -- lettuce, tomato, a little cabbage, peanuts. Then raisins, dried cranberries, fresh strawberries, croutons, and what
seemed to be Catalina dressing. Maybe it was a retro salad -- and that would have been kinda cool.

Our entrees were a little surprising because they weren't retro -- meat and potatoes, veggies and bread. Not that my traveling companion (my mom) didn't enjoy the pork tenderloin -- she said it was just fine. My chicken with its dollop of mango salsa was also fine. The mashed potatoes were filling and the veggies were... veggies. The diamond-shaped bread, though, was pretty awesome.

Dessert was surprisingly simple and good -- a pudding mousse layered with Oreo cookie bits and a bit of strawberry. And that's what I wanted to see more of.

I would recommend that the theater consider doing some sort of retro dish, such as Hot Dog Casserole or Creamed Chicken, stuffed green bell peppers or cabbage rolls, even fondue (now there'd be a fun thing to offer!). Maybe it'd be a bigger crowd-draw. Maybe not. Just a thought.

The show was great, and afterwards we took advantage of all the great photo opportunities available in the lobby, including a chance at an inter-generational photo with my mom and daughter.

Next morning, we got up and attended breakfast over at The Titanic, catered by a local place called Flame. Eggs Benedict and
custom-filled crepes were an excellent idea. I don't know if that also holds true for vodka-laced Bloody Mary soup in shotglasses... but when in Rome....

Later, we hopped over to the Branson Convention Center for the Great American Pie Show, and were lucky enough to chat with Al Roker of NBC's Today Show. He was in town to judge at the show and to offer copies of his new book. He's now my second-favorite Al.

The show itself was something. The exterior room contained booth after booth of vendors offering everything from cakes and pies to dips and chips -- you really could get a full meal off the offerings. The interior room featured the theater space and samples from Country Mart, Highland Dairy and more --
as well as the individual kitchens for those participating in competitions. I like the look and feel of the new Convention Center -- it's rather pretty.

We took time out while downtown to visit Dick's Five and Dime -- an emporium of all sorts of every sort of good you can imagine. I include it here because of its vast collection of kitchenware and implements -- from "pinch" scoops to aluminum funnels to pie birds to copper Jello molds. It's an impressively stuffed place to check out, but something that can absorb several hours of your afternoon if you let it.

We caught another dinner show Saturday night at the Circle B Chuckwagon Dinner and Show. This one, I thought, had the chance to be boring or expected. Instead, I found it to be the biggest and most pleasant food surprise of my trip. Talk about getting it right. There's popcorn for all comers when you arrive. Then everyone's served their chuckwagon meals -- big hefty servings of beef brisket (with a house BBQ sauce available), chunks of sausage, whole baked potatoes with butter, corn muffins (yes, they're Yankee sweet), baked beans, applesauce, and iced tea. Somehow, we missed out on our applesauce, but the food was incredibly good. I thought the beef brisket hit that perfect note on the moistness and seasoning scale even before the sauce was added. The corn muffins were also a favorite. The show also offers root beer and sasparilla for those who want more than tea to drink. The meal was capped off with a gooey and rich cinnamon roll that was perfect -- PERFECT for the evening. And the show was full of corn and beans of the comedy sort -- which ain't a bad thing.

Sunday morning we ventured over to Grand Village for breakfast at the Hard Luck Diner. It's a cute little 60s style diner where the wait staff sings for you. Not only did the cooks whip up a beef serving for pork-allergic me, we were plied with several rounds of pancakes. Of course, you go for the atmosphere -- and if you have an infant in the family, you'll get as much attention as the waiters.

We stopped in at Sugar Leaf Treats for more information about the family that runs the bakery and a taste of the baked goods. The apple strawberry turnovers were mighty fine.

One little secret -- Mulberry Mill, a little Victorian-era gift shop with a big secret. The shop spans three spaces -- and the one in the middle contains one of the best dip-sampling bars I have ever seen. There were a dozen different dip-and-dipper samples available to try, along with raspberry lemonade and two sorts of Fireside Coffee. For those who dig the sample gig, it's a must-stop.

Later in the day, we stopped in at one of our favorite places, Montana Mike's. The small steakhouse chain offers reasonably priced large hunks of beef and other good eating. All around town, you'll see coupon offerings for 1/2 an order of onion rings. This is what that looks like -- enough onion rings to happily serve two.

I usually go for a ribeye or a sirloin dinner, but this time around I asked for a suggestion. Our waitress recommended the Ribeye Steak Sandwich ($9.99) -- and I'm glad I did. The hearty seven inches of butter-soft beef on an oversized bun was accompanied by a mayo sauce on the side and lettuce and tomato on the sandwich -- and an impossibly large serving of French fries. Seriously large -- Whatta-Burger large. I found myself completely unable to comprehend consuming said fries, thanks to the vast nature of the sandwich with which they were served.

We also sampled the Five Berry Cobbler ($5.99) -- raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, and strawberries cooked up under a crunchy crust and topped with vanilla bean ice cream. I don't know how anyone could ever get around to trying dessert at Montana Mike's, though -- the portions are all so very large.

We wrapped up our culinary sojourn with a Sunday night dinner -- namely, the five course Winemaker Dinner that was part of the Missouri Wine Festival at Chateau on the Lake. The dishes, again by Chef Knopp, were accompanied by wines from Mount Pleasant Winery -- an old winery with a new facility in Branson.

After an appetizer of brie and beef salami wrapped together and served with Ten Bucks Sparkling (a refreshingly eppervescent and sweet white), we enjoyed a salad course of Baked Brie and Portabello Mushroom with Parmesan cheese and pine nuts. We did find the pea tendrils that accompanied the dish a bit unnecessary.








The intermezzo that followed, a shaved lemon ice, was perfect.

Dinner was Sorghum-Glazed Salmon with Grilled Beef Medallions, served with sculpted Yukon whipped potatoes and a savory stack of marinated and grilled vegetables with rosemary.

The meat and fish were good -- but it's the vegetables that stick out in my mind, simple comforting food that held their own with the more expensive protein items.

And then there was dessert -- a lovely chocolate glazed cylinder next to a small pile of cream that first led me to think "oh my, a Ding Dong." Nothing of the sort. In fact, this Hazelnut Marquise Au Chocolate was a compressed and delightful stand of power chocolate with a side of sweet flavored cream. The port served with it gave the dish a very round and chubby feel, not at all unwelcome. It was a good and fitting ending to the day.

I'm still de-charging from the trip -- and its uber-rich food. But I do have to say -- Branson has come a long way in a short time. Many of the shows and eateries are doing well to offer visitors not only something new but other items that are orally accessible and that appeal to the standard diner. The prices for these things is not at all unreasonable as well.

Anyway, be looking for the article in Let's Go, and more about my latest Branson adventure in upcoming editions of this blog.