The story below is from our March/April 2024 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
O.T.H. Chophouse & Oyster Bar serves up steaks, seafood and stellar views.
John Park
Seared scallops with brown butter and lime are a can’t-miss seafood dish
When Carlos Brazilian International Cuisine closed its doors, the community mourned the loss of a beloved decades-old restaurant, along with its prime outdoor patio and sweeping views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Happily, the opening of O.T.H. Chophouse & Oyster Bar last August means that Roanoke diners can appreciate the view anew with a fresh culinary vantage point.
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O.T.H. boasts an extensive wine collection that’s housed in a contemporary display.
O.T.H. Chophouse, which stands for On the Hill, is part of Jefferson Street Management, a local restaurant group co-owned by Neal Keesee and Roger Neel. Keesee describes the portfolio, which includes Roanoke eateries such as Frankie Rowland’s Steakhouse, 419 West and Billy’s, as traditional American dining serving steaks, chops, pasta and some seafood. While O.T.H. fits nicely in that vein, the aim is to differentiate it by doubling down on seafood, a decision partly informed by diners’ demands.
John Park
Fried calamari tossed with peppadew peppers makes an ideal shareable meal opener.
As a result, seafood gets equal billing with steaks on O.T.H.’s menu, including a substantial raw bar offering that’s on display near the kitchen, opposite the bar area. There, nestled into crushed ice, you’ll find a rotating roster of fresh oysters, sourced primarily from the East Coast.
Choice specimens include mild, plump Blue Points from New Jersey, earthy-sweet Blackberries from Chesapeake Bay, salty-sweet Carolina Golds from North Carolina and briny Malpeques from Prince Edward Island. If raw oysters aren’t your thing, try the buttery, bread-crumb-topped O.T.H. roasted oysters, a take on Oysters Rockefeller that eschews spinach and is made extra savory with bacon and Gruyère (be sure to amply squeeze the accompanying lemon wedge over them to cut the richness).
The raw bar menu is rounded out with steakhouse classics such as shrimp cocktail and shellfish towers, available in small and large, the latter of which comes with crab and lobster tail in addition to raw oysters, ahi tuna and shrimp cocktail (including both classic and grilled-and-chilled preparations).
John Park
The Aperol spritz flavor changes seasonally, like winter-ready pomegranate.
Although there’s a dedicated fish and seafood menu, where you’ll find crowd pleasers like miso-glazed sea bass, grilled salmon and seared ahi tuna, there are a few seafaring gems sprinkled in among the appetizers like hidden treasure. The pan-seared scallops, burnished to a cognac-like hue with a supple interior texture, are finished with a brown butter and lime sauce, curls of lime zest and a small piece of fresh, segmented lime perched on top (slice a little bit at a time to ensure a blast of citrus with each bite of scallop). (The scallops come three to an order as an appetizer, but are also available as an entrée, which come five to an order with sides.)
Another highlight is the fried calamari, in which squid pieces (sliced mantle and tentacles) are encased in a delicate batter, fried till crispy, tossed with herbs and chopped peppadew peppers and served with a Thai-inspired sweet chili dipping sauce. We suspect an order of these would taste even better shared among friends on the outdoor patio at sunset, sipping a round of margaritas or O.T.H.’s seasonal riff on an Aperol spritz.
Say you’re here for steak. All the usual suspects are here — filet mignon, New York strip, ribeye — which you can customize with add-ons such as truffle butter or brandy peppercorn sauce or embellish with a blue cheese crust or lobster tail. Down the line, Keesee and Neel hope to add higher-end options such as tomahawk steaks and Wagyu, a Japanese beef cattle breed prized for its buttery, rich flavor and supremely tender texture.
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Classic steakhouse fare include cuts like ribeyes and sides such as a loaded baked potato.
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House made desserts include a luscious chocolate torte you’ll want all to yourself.
The meat entrees are complemented by a double-cut pork chop with seasonal compote, and a bone-in chicken breast seasoned with herbs. In line with the restaurant group’s tried-and-true formula, there’s also a menu section devoted to grains and pasta, where you’ll find familiar dishes with an elevated twist, like blackened shrimp and grits, featuring Anson Mills heirloom white grits topped with tender, peppery shrimp cloaked in lobster cream sauce.
John Park
An Old Fashioned gets perfumed with a kiss of smoke.
Most people agree that sides are as important to a steakhouse meal as the cuts themselves. At O.T.H., there are eleven to choose from, like sautéed mixed mushrooms or roasted Brussels sprouts, plus less expected additions such as herb and Parmesan risotto and loaded garlic mashed potatoes.
The steaks all come with grilled asparagus and a baked potato, but I highly recommend swapping in the crisp, hand-cut French fries, tossed with a house spice blend and Parmesan cheese. The fries would also make an excellent snack, posted up at the bar in a leather-backed stool with a martini or an Old Fashioned at the bar. The bar and lounge area evokes old-school steakhouse vibes (a nod to Steak and Ale, the space’s mid-nineties tenant); if that’s more your speed, there are a handful of tables from which you can order the full dinner menu, too.
Keesee and Neel have visions of adding chophouse service flourishes with a dessert cart, a throwback to the gleaming trolleys that circulated dining rooms proffering all manner of tempting treats. Until then, Blue Cow peppermint ice cream and brownie sundaes get the throwback treatment with hot fudge poured tableside.
You’d also do well closing out your meal with a slice of either the excellent house made key lime pie, boasting a just-right pucker and buttery crust, or the dense but luscious chocolate torte, and savor that view just a little longer.
The story above is a preview from our March/April 2024 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!