Paintings Create Atmosphere At The Blue Heron

photo by Al Griffin

 Al Griffin

Editor's Note

The Blue Heron closed in 2019, and owner Joe Boer passed away in 2020. But the legacy of Boer and his restaurants at the Lake lives on. Enjoy this read from 2017!

Fine dining is as much about embellishment as it is about fine ingredients and flavor.

The Blue Heron is itself an embellishment, one that enhances and enriches special occasions at Lake of the Ozarks. Polished dining tables and leaded-art windows featuring the restaurant’s signature blue-heron theme guarantee an evening of refinement and pampering. It is all the creation of its owner and chef, Joseph Boer.

Leaded Art Windows At The Blue Heron

photo by Al Griffin

High atop a beautiful bluff overlooking the lake with a view to the Community Toll Bridge, The Blue Heron seems at home among air currents, blue skies, and birds aloft. Views from outdoor seating invite reflection and relaxation. There, guests may order from an extensive array of fine wines, imported beer, cognac, and the restaurant’s signature blue beverages, including blue champagne or a blue margarita, their color mirroring the restaurant’s name honoring one of the Lake’s most iconic birds.

View From The Blue Heron

photo by Al Griffin

Comforting, calming blue is the heart of the restaurant’s interior décor as well. From dining rooms, guests enjoy a view of peaceful Caribbean-blue pool and, of course, the lake beyond. Inside, just beyond the entry, blue and white walls under a white ceiling with blue rafters wrap diners in fresh, clean space. The wallpaper design compliments a collection of traditional Delft pottery on high shelves. That collection draws the eye and suggests classic European tastes are on the menu. Paintings by American artist Hollis Richardson add vibrant, rich colors and contemporary form to the classical space.

Food selections are comparably contemporary and classical. A Lobster Tail, for example, is a classic offered in the finest restaurants. Joseph Boer has stamped that food with his own signature. Batter fried lobster was introduced more than 40 years ago at Lake of the Ozarks. It is still on the menu, still sought, still popular.

Another classic, upscale dish available, this one from the Appetizer menu, is Escargot, a half dozen dressed with herbs. A simpler and popular contemporary appetizer choice is a platter of onion rings.

The Blue Heron's Escargot

photo by Al Griffin

An accurate phrase describing The Blue Heron’s food is “elegant embellishments” for fine dining. Salmon, shrimp, scallops, and sole enhance the seafood entrées. Fine cuts of beef, lamb, veal, pork and fried chicken breasts enrich an already extensive menu. Desserts are homemade and as decadently delicious as crème brulée, truffles, and cheesecakes.

The Dish: White Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto

One item from the Embellishment menu is White Asparagus wrapped in Prosciutto. In Mr. Boer’s homeland, Holland, white asparagus is carefully cultivated to promote the white coloration for the tender shoots. There, the asparagus arrives at the table under chopped eggs, but Mr. Boer has created his own classic with a nod to his native land.

White Asparagus Wrapped In Prosciutto At The Blue Heron

photo by Al Griffin

 

A semi-hard boiled egg embellishes the platter; chopped chives grown on Blue Heron ground add both flavor and color to the yolks. Furthermore, at The Blue Heron, the imported white asparagus is wrapped in Italian prosciutto aged for 9 months. Sliced thin, the salty, cured meat enhances the mild, fresh flavor of the asparagus. The effect is elegant and refreshing.

The Drink: Blue Champagne

The Blue Heron is a destination restaurant. Dining rooms for parties of 12 to 40 can be reserved for special events and memories in the making. For such occasions, champagne is the perfect embellishment, and one is available in blue. However, cocktails, liquors, spirits, wine, and beer are also on hand. A Joseph Boer aged cognac is another embellishment after dinner.

Fresh flowers, soft lighting, and soothing blue create an experience to be cherished by those who’ve chosen Lake of the Ozarks as a destination and for those in search of traditional fine and elegant dining at one of the Lake’s most refined icons, The Blue Heron.

The Blue Heron Restaurant is located at the corner of Horseshoe Bend Parkway and Business 54 in Lake Ozark Missouri: 180 Blue Heron Hill, Lake Ozark Mo. 65049

Blue Champagne And A Fabulous Spread At The Blue Heron

photo by Al Griffin

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