Bald Headed Bistro

It’s not very often you are able to take a vacation by merely going out to dinner. But the Bald Headed Bistro in Cleveland will no doubt whisk you away to the rustic landscape of Wyoming as soon as you walk through its log-studded doorway.

Designed to bring a little bit of Jackson Hole to the South, Bald Headed Bistro (named for owner and entrepreneur, Allan Jones’ own hairstyle, or lack thereof), is the most fantastic ranch you’ve ever seen – dropped down into a town center shopping plaza.

Salvaged from a forest fire on Jones’ Crescent H Ranch in Jackson Hole, the 283 interior and exterior logs make the restaurant a place you very well believe you might peer through the windowpanes to see a moose. Woodsy artistic lighting, designed by Wyoming artist John Mortensen, bathes the spacious-yet-intimate-feeling restaurant in warm amber light. A cozy bar is just the place to watch your favorite hunting show (or football game). Handcrafted furniture in natural materials, fossil stones embedded into the surroundings, wildlife mounted to the walls, dark woods and rich color tones all add to the log-cabin vibe that will have you making the trek to Cleveland over and over.

So, it’s a good thing the food lives up to the ambiance.

Begin your dinner with the Yellow Stone Oysters Rockerfeller (deep-fried oysters, filled with creamed spinach, topped with chipotle hollandaise sauce, $10), or the Beef Satay (sesame marinated beef tenderloin with tempura vegetables, wasabi and soy ginger sauce, $7).

Then choose from entrees like the Snake River Chicken (sautéed chicken breast over linguini served with Benton's Bacon, mushrooms, and chipotle cream sauce, $18), the BHB Wild Game Platter (elk tenderloin, Kentucky Bison Strip Loin, and fried quail breast with Chipotle Remoulade, $36), or the Southwestern Grouper and Shrimp (seasoned sautéed grouper and shrimp with spinach and artichoke ragout and mushrooms, topped with sun-dried tomato sauce and bleu cheese, $24). But don’t miss out on specialties like the Truffled Crab Meat Macaroni and Cheese (four cheese macaroni with spiced jumbo lump crabmeat baked with black truffle oil, $10).

A separate bar and dessert menu is also available. Check the website for special events and weekend specials.

- by Christine Foster, Chattanooga Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Christine Foster

Christine is a freelance writer currently living in North Atlanta. She has worked as a reporter for numerous newspaper, magazine and online media companies, including the Florida Keys Keynoter and The Sunday Paper in Atlanta. When she's not working Christine enjoys baking and antiquing.