Nutt House Historic Hotel

	121 E. Bridge St. Granbury, TX 76048 Phone:   817-573-5612

Restaurant Review

By KIM HARWELL / The Dallas Morning News

A SENSE OF HISTORY: The Nutt House is better than ever. Located in a hand-hewn limestone building erected in 1893, the restaurant – which adjoins Granbury's seven-room Nutt House Hotel – was founded in the 1960s by Mary Lou Watkins, a descendant of the Nutt family, in the home in which she and her mother were born. In 1997, the restaurant was purchased by Dallas restaurateur Brian Hennington and his wife, Lori, who rechristened it the Texas Cafe in the Nutt House.

HOME ON THE RANGE: The setting is as rustic and welcoming as it must have been when Mary Lou welcomed diners into her house. A series of open dining rooms features well-worn hardwood floors and handsome seating areas that include comfortable booths upholstered in leather and rich fabrics. Butterscotch-colored walls are decorated with framed photos and the occasional stuffed animal head. The front room has been transformed into the Javelina Bar, where waiting diners can cool their heels with a shot of rye – or maybe just a nice glass of chardonnay.

A FLYING START: Shortly after we sat down, a basket arrived bearing sweet corn bread muffins, crumbly biscuits with a black-pepper bite, and thin sheets of crisp, slightly spicy unleavened bread. Catfish cakes ($7) were thick pucks of seafood with very little filler, lightly crisp outside but moist and tender within. I don't think I've ever seen such a lowly fish receive such a princely treatment, but our fine-finned friend rose to the occasion. When you can do this with catfish, who needs crab?

A bowl of gazpacho ($5) was a deep orange-red color, but the taste was predominantly vinegared cucumber. A tangle of shredded cukes anchored the bowl, surrounded by the velvety chilled soup. We loved the bracing flavor, but it might be too tart for some.

MAIN CHOW: On our waiter's recommendation, my companion ordered the above-mentioned tenderloin ($29). We usually shy away from steaks served with sauces, but the decadent hollandaise – infused with a generous kick of Tabasco heat – was a perfect foil for the slab of silken beef.

Braised pig trotter ($18) was more tender and flavorful than one might expect of a pig's foot; slow-cooking brought out the best in this oft-overlooked cut. The pork was served in a rich, stewlike gravy studded with chunks of carrot.

It wasn't until we were halfway through our plate of stacked red chile enchiladas ($12) that we realized we had ordered a vegetarian entree. The dish looks like a Mexican lasagna: Corn tortillas are layered with firm diced veggies (squash and zucchini) and curds of what we assumed to be requesón (a Mexican cheese similar to ricotta). A thin layer of red chile paste covered the top of the enchiladas. As good as they were, they were outshone by their accompaniment: vivid green rice replete with the lively flavor of cilantro.

SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL: Each night the restaurant varies its preparation of sea bass ($24). On our visit, a dense fist-size fillet was wrapped in bacon and served with a stack of warm, thinly sliced melon in a watermelon emulsion. Resting atop a bed of creamy polenta, the firm-fleshed fish was well-complemented by its smoky bacon rind and the delicate, distinctive melon-based sauce that surrounded it.

BE-ALL, END-ALL: You'll want to save room for dessert. A crumbly, gooey blackberry crisp ($5) is served warm with a scoop of tart, lime-kissed buttermilk ice cream. Our waiter tipped us off that Brian's Caramel Pudding ($4) is really more of a crème brûlée, and we loved the juxtaposition of the creamy caramel pudding – not as silky as the custard of a traditional brûlée – under the crisp burnt-sugar topping. Our favorite was a simple treat: warm slices of fresh, gently caramelized Parker County peaches paired with house-made vanilla ice cream ($5).

PUT A CORK IN IT: The wine list may not be a showstopper, but it features plenty of affordable options by the glass and bottle. We were particularly pleased to find Bonny Doon's Clos de Gilroy ($30), a recently reintroduced California grenache not often found on restaurant lists. House-made lemonade and limeade are also available for those who prefer a nonalcoholic quaff.

SERVE YOU RIGHT: Service wasn't flawless, but it was so well-intentioned and congenial that it was easy to overlook the few bobbles. On one visit, our waiter mistakenly delivered a glass of sparkling wine rather than the sauvignon blanc requested; later, we received a side of black-eyed peas instead of the sugar snap peas ordered. (The peas looked so good that we kept them, ate 'em and never said a word of complaint.) On another trip, our silverware was removed with our appetizer plates, and we had to call our waiter over to request more cutlery when our entrees arrived.

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