“Modern industrial” is the term used to describe the style
of the Bryant — the Christodoulakis family’s fifth (and
newest) restaurant, after Christos New City Grill, Red Seven and Café Literato. There are exposed pipes, subway tiles
and textured walls, but also curved banquettes, barn-wood walls and plaidshirted servers. Then there’s a giant three-dimensional mosaic of wooden cubes over the main dining room. Even the dishware is a mix-and-match.
As with the menu — burgers, fries and
milkshakes but also pasta, steak and
seafood — the Bryant’s look is a little bit
of this, a little bit of that. It’s no identity
crisis, just an embodiment of stated goals
to regularly switch up the food selections,
and there are certainly distinctive flavor
combinations beyond the basics. While
not a smorgasbord like the Morris Bryant
(which stood in this Sagamore Parkway
spot for many years), that swappingout
pays its own homage along with, of
course, the restaurant’s name.
[widgetkit id=”114″ name=”2019-02 The Bryant”]
To cut a wide-enough swath, my friends
Mollie and Ken accompanied me. We
started off with chilled jumbo shrimp and
“French” fries (quotation marks theirs).
The former was a straightforward shrimp
cocktail, with smooth sauce not quite
“spiked” (again, theirs) with horseradish.
The “French” fries represent the Bryant’s
spin on poutine, with a red wine sauce as
the “gravy” and topped with mozzarella,
provolone, bacon and a sunny-side
egg. Dining with an expert in Canadian
cuisine rarely applies, but it did here. Ken
assessed, and I agreed, that while these
were very good loaded fries, “poutine” is a
misnomer. Props for that sunny-side egg,
though, with a perfect yolk.
Our entrees were hits. Mollie’s lamb
burger was a delicious, bun-bound gyro
of sorts with a blended lamb / brisket /
short rib patty, tzatziki sauce and peppers.
Ken’s New York strip steak came out
perfectly seasoned and tender, even if its
chorizo vinaigrette occasionally got in the
way of natural flavors.
My pan-seared barramundi (sea bass)
would have been good on its own, but the
supporting players rendered it a sweetand-
savory sampler platter. The lemon
cream and mascarpone/sweet potato
puree in one corner, the caramelized
Brussels sprouts and smoked bacon in
the other … a creatively combined delight.
It comes with a side salad available with
many of the delicious dressings that the
Christodoulakises have perfected at their
other establishments.)
Although the Bryant has only been open
for a few weeks, its milkshakes are
already an oft-photographed ballyhoo. A
sugared rim is child’s play. The Bryant’s
milkshakes find a way to encompass the
outside of the glass with candy, nuts and
other accoutrements. I couldn’t leave
without sampling the Fat Elvis — which
approximates the King’s peanut-butterand-
banana delight in a milkshake. More
power to those who can dust off the
entire thing. But again, the milkshakes
are emblematic of all that works about
the Bryant — a place that’s big, bold
and bursting with more than you might
expect.
IF YOU GO
- The Bryant
- 1820 Sagamore Parkway W.
West Lafayette, IN - (765) 250-8963
- thebryantwl.com
Hours
- 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Mondays – Saturdays
SELECT PRICES
- Appetizers: $6 to $13
- Salads: $8 to $15
- Sandwiches: $10 to $14
- Entrees: $12 to $28
- Desserts and Shakes: $7 to $9
RECOMMENDATIONS
- “French” Fries
- Pan-Seared Barramundi
- Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Lamb Burger
- Fat Elvis Milkshake
- Warm Donuts
