Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Dining Update: oZ Chophouse

We dined at oZ Chophouse recently and frankly I was a little worried because I'd read a few less than stellar comments on some of the local foodie sites (a downside of regularly perusing these sites). I'm happy to report that we had a fine meal and pleasant evening.

The waiter mentioned that they have a new menu, but frankly it looks very similar to what I recall from before and what's still posted on their website. That's not a problem as far as I'm concerned. The menu is still heavy on steaks and grilled selections, balanced with a page of house specialties that offer more variety.

Though I went in thinking of a steak, I was won over by the slow-roasted sea bass with baby clams and spinach in a saffron broth. The resulting dish looked beautiful and the fish was perfectly cooked, with little tempura spring onions over the top to boot. I wish the overall flavor had been a little more assertive, but the dish was mild, succulent and had the virtue of seeming healthy. Not that there was any shortage of calories at the table, mind you. Other diners really enjoyed their filet mignon and a roasted pork dish served with oZ's excellent mashed potatoes with cheese and bacon.

Among the appetizers, a martini glass full of ahi tuna tartare was also excellent -- superbly fresh with a hint of citrus and a slight wasabi kick. It reminded me of comparable dishes in Hawaii. Slightly less successful were the Vidalia onion rings, a prodigous display of thick-cut rings that looked great but had little taste, paired with a creole sauce that was also too timid. That didn't stop us from plowing through them, though.

Service was friendly and efficient throughout the evening, and the ambiance of the restaurant is very pleasant. We found ourselves once again too stuffed for dessert, but we were very pleased to have had a fine evening at oZ's.


oZ Chophouse on Urbanspoon

See our original thumbnail post on oZ Chophouse.

oZ Chophouse makes our list of Howard County's Best Restaurants.

oZ Chophouse makes our list for Best Steak in Howard County.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

rumor has it they will close in the summer

Anonymous said...

Oz chophouse's last day of operations will be Saturday August 8. Jordan's of Ellicott City will be taking over.