Upscale dining at a new lake classic
When B. Ray Franklin’s hotel was built in 1932, probably few people would have guessed that almost a century later it would be one of the last remnants of the Lake of the Ozarks’ early years. As time and development have changed the landscape of this iconic vacation spot in mid-Missouri, it comes as a surprise and comfort to know that the building is not only still standing but also serving guests once more.
To Mark Spears, managing partner of the vacation rental and restaurant property now known as 1932 Reserve, taking on the project at mile marker 17.5 may only have seemed like a matter of time.
The Kansas City native was no stranger to the lake. From college summers as a bartender to helping lake entrepreneurs the Barrett brothers opening up of one of their waterfront locations, Shorty Pants Lounge, Mark became well studied in the local dining and hospitality industry. After returning to the lake area from an 11-year career in the fine-dining and luxury hotel world of San Diego, he took on the task of remodeling the property, which hadn’t seen guests since the 1960s. Soon plans for the boutique lofts included converting the 27-foot-tall basement into a restaurant and adding the patio and boat slips to accommodate guests. Renovation work began in the fall of 2018 and 1932 Reserve opened the following June.
“It was run-down and the grounds weren’t very kept up, but the building is unlike any other,” Mark recalls. “It had a lot of character to it. It looked like a really fun, cool project to take on.”
Almost 90 years later, it’s clear the building was made to last. The concrete walls and pillars bear the unmistakable outline of the boards used to form them, which were then repurposed into the building’s subflooring. The spirit of reutilization was carried on by converting that wood — some bearing the stamps of the A.M. Pope lumberyard in Bagnell or cursive notes for the “Franklin job” — into the restaurant’s bar and entryway. Hardwood floors became light fixtures and wall accents. The hotel’s original sign still hangs in the penthouse loft. Along the way they added some unique touches, not the least of which is a 20-foot-long, 3-inch-thick, live edge walnut farm table. The modern industrial style with vintage touches lends itself to an atmosphere Mark describes as upscale casual.
“I feel like if you come here, you feel like you’ve been transported,” Mark says. “You feel like you could be sitting downtown on the corner in any big city, but you’re sitting by the lake watching the boats go by.”
That same combination of the fresh with the familiar runs from the decor to the food. Whether you’re ordering pasta, a burger or a piece of salmon, you’re in for an exciting spin on your favorite dish. A side order of Brussels sprouts served with guanciale — cured pork cheek — or lardons — small strips of slab bacon drained of grease and fat — in the Lobster Mac & Cheese side or Shrimp & Grits entree give hungry visitors some clues as to the new style of lake dining in store for them at 1932 Reserve.
“We wanted to do a menu that wasn’t like anything else and offer some twists on classic dishes or fun ingredients that people maybe haven’t heard of and try to introduce them to some different fare,” Mark says. “That was the idea for the menu: Work with talented chefs, let them be creative and have fun, and let them come up with food that they are passionate about.”
Executive Chef Kimberly Subject puts an emphasis on pairing flavors and textures. She and her staff make all of 1932 Reserve’s dressings, sauces, broths and purees from scratch so that each unique flavor from the kitchen can be replicated consistently at the end of the fork.
“We really like to push the envelope,” Kim says. “It’s helped me look at food in a different way and challenges me to not always take the safe approach.”
A shining example of that outside-the-box method are the Mussels & Fries. The appetizer — a variation on one of Mark’s favorite dishes from San Diego — starts with simmering shallots, garlic and white wine, then adding Spanish chorizo, sopressata and tomato broth. Saltwater mussels are tossed in and absorb some of the flavorful concoction along with fries topped with lemon aioli.
“There’s a lot of flavor going on,” Mark says. “We even have people who ask for containers to try and figure out how to take home the broth to use for something else.”
Seafood lovers will find more than a few choices to make on the menu, one of which is the restaurant’s signature dish: Chilean Sea Bass. The hand-cut portion is seared and served alongside roasted fingerling potatoes, asparagus and cauliflower. The fish is plated with a roasted poblano pepper puree and topped with hollandaise sauce.
“It’s light and buttery because that’s the way the fish eats, the poblano adds a little bit of earthiness and spice to it, and then there’s richness from the hollandaise sauce,
Mark says. “There’s so much flavor to it.”
Kim’s favorite — Jumbo Scallops — are served on corn puree and topped with chorizo, roasted poblanos and corn salsa.
“In a balanced dish, you want to hit all the areas in the palate; the sweet, the heat, the tart, the salt, the acids,” Kim says. “That’s the ultimate goal. If you get all of those things in the same bite, you’re not going to have complaint one in your mouth.”
Dinners at the lake without steak are rare, and 1932 Reserve doesn’t skimp on the sides of beef. From an 8-ounce filet to an 18-ounce Cowboy Ribeye, any appetite for a juicy cut can be sated. But the standout is the Double Cut Bone-In Pork Chop. An 8- to 10-ounce brined chop is given a slight char on the grill, baked with a chorizo crust and served on a bed of white cheddar grits and roasted carrots. The pork chop is garnished with thinly shaved green apple and fennel salad. But Mark says the ingredient that pulls the entire dish together is fig gastrique — a reduced mixture of fig, vinegar and sugar.
“If you don’t have that, it’s still good but it’s not the same dish at all,” Mark says. “If that’s a bite of everything with the fig gastrique in it, then it’s a show-stopping bite.”
Libations are in abundance. Wine lovers can enjoy a tour of the world with a large selection of bottles and glasses from Europe, New Zealand and the West Coast. The bar also specializes in a half dozen signature cocktails, chief among them the Blackberry Bramble and the Smoked Pig Old Fashioned. Mark prides the restaurant on its bourbon and whiskey selection, intended to give everyone from newcomers and connoisseurs their favorite selection or the ability to be bold and try something rare, which harkens back to the “reserve” part of the restaurant’s name.
Offseason regulars have latched on to the restaurant’s wine dinners. Held on the last Tuesday of the month from October through April, Kim pairs a five-course tasting menu around five wines selected by Mark. The menus give Kim a chance to try unique ingredients such as elk, stuffed quail or wild boar. A few dishes, such as the Stuffed Mushrooms, proved so popular they ended up on the permanent menu. It’s an elevated dining experience, but one that matches the approachable atmosphere Mark and Kim strive to create for guests.
“My mantra is do familiar food in a different way,” Kim says. “I would love for people to see food the way I see it — as art.”
Seafood lovers will find more than a few choices to make on the menu, one of which is the restaurant’s signature dish: Chilean Sea Bass. The hand-cut portion is seared and served alongside roasted fingerling potatoes, asparagus and cauliflower. The fish is plated with a roasted poblano pepper puree and topped with hollandaise sauce.
“It’s light and buttery because that’s the way the fish eats, the poblano adds a little bit of earthiness and spice to it, and then there’s richness from the hollandaise sauce,
Mark says. “There’s so much flavor to it.”
Kim’s favorite — Jumbo Scallops — are served on corn puree and topped with chorizo, roasted poblanos and corn salsa.
“In a balanced dish, you want to hit all the areas in the palate; the sweet, the heat, the tart, the salt, the acids,” Kim says. “That’s the ultimate goal. If you get all of those things in the same bite, you’re not going to have complaint one in your mouth.”
Dinners at the lake without steak are rare, and 1932 Reserve doesn’t skimp on the sides of beef. From an 8-ounce filet to an 18-ounce Cowboy Ribeye, any appetite for a juicy cut can be sated. But the standout is the Double Cut Bone-In Pork Chop. An 8- to 10-ounce brined chop is given a slight char on the grill, baked with a chorizo crust and served on a bed of white cheddar grits and roasted carrots. The pork chop is garnished with thinly shaved green apple and fennel salad. But Mark says the ingredient that pulls the entire dish together is fig gastrique — a reduced mixture of fig, vinegar and sugar.
“If you don’t have that, it’s still good but it’s not the same dish at all,” Mark says. “If that’s a bite of everything with the fig gastrique in it, then it’s a show-stopping bite.”
Libations are in abundance. Wine lovers can enjoy a tour of the world with a large selection of bottles and glasses from Europe, New Zealand and the West Coast. The bar also specializes in a half dozen signature cocktails, chief among them the Blackberry Bramble and the Smoked Pig Old Fashioned. Mark prides the restaurant on its bourbon and whiskey selection, intended to give everyone from newcomers and connoisseurs their favorite selection or the ability to be bold and try something rare, which harkens back to the “reserve” part of the restaurant’s name.
Offseason regulars have latched on to the restaurant’s wine dinners. Held on the last Tuesday of the month from October through April, Kim pairs a five-course tasting menu around five wines selected by Mark. The menus give Kim a chance to try unique ingredients such as elk, stuffed quail or wild boar. A few dishes, such as the Stuffed Mushrooms, proved so popular they ended up on the permanent menu. It’s an elevated dining experience, but one that matches the approachable atmosphere Mark and Kim strive to create for guests.
“My mantra is do familiar food in a different way,” Kim says. “I would love for people to see food the way I see it — as art.”