OC Restaurant Quest – Orion Boat House
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Sept. 14, 2023)
NOTE: Orion Boat House is on a “winter break” until the spring.
Lake Orion, MI – The quest to try every restaurant in Oakland Continues with a lakeside lunch at Orion Boat House. I went with friends and was able to try several of their delicious items.
For myself, I started with an Apricot Waves mocktail made with apricot, lime, demerara (which is minimally processed sugar), and ginger beer. This sweet and fancy drink was a fun way to indulge while keeping my head clear for afternoon interviews. My friends had Founders Dirty Bastard, which is a Michigan-made Scotch ale.
Looking over the menu, I picked the Croque Monsieur because this sounded like the fanciest thing on the menu. This black forest ham sandwich was made with three types of cheeses – Gruyere, Parmesan, and Mornay on sourdough bread. Mornay is a French bechamel sauce with a sweet flavor that also brought out the sweetness of the ham.
One of my friends ordered the Double Smashburger which came topped with house pickle, onion, American cheese, and basil aioli on a brioche bun and served with Burbank potato fries with basil aioli for dipping.
The other ordered a salad and pizza. The OBH Salad came made with arugula, tomato, crispy goat cheese, candied pecans, and house vinaigrette. The pizza was the Margherita – a classic pie with fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil, salsa verde, and capers. I did indulge in a slice of this, and loved the texture, the quality of the ingredients, and the perfect level of cheese for succulent bites.
I also ended up getting a slice of Grandma’s Coconut Cream Cake to go. The OBH take on a classic dessert has thick hearty cake frosted with buttercream and toasted coconut.
The OBH menu is fairly simple, focusing on a small selection of carefully crafted options. The “Brunch Over Lunch” section has one omelet, simply called “omelet” and made with oven roasted tomato, mozzarella and basil. Chicken and Waffle is also on the menu, as are Banana Fosters French Toast.
The lunch menu also features perch and chicken sandwiches, as well as French onion gratin, and steak frites. Dinner brings on more variety, with items like 1/2 roast chicken, rock & rye shortribs, shrimp linguine, and fire roasted wings among the selections.
The setting is a truly beautiful one, with outdoor seating overlooking the docks on Lake Orion. The fish were jumping and a blue heron even paid a visit. Inside is lovely as well, with nautical-themed decor and even a special booth made to look like guests are sitting in a boat. The OBH website invites visitors to “Embark on an opulent voyage at Orion Boat House, where sun-kissed serenity awaits.”
Orion Boat House is located at 256 Broadway in Lake Orion. Learn more at https://orionboathouse.com/
Oakland County Times is on a QUEST to enjoy every local restaurant in Oakland County. This long-term project is a labor of love, supported by our friends at White Castle. White Castle is a family-owned company that is proud to be one of only 20 large employers to make the Fortune Best Places to work list in 2022. With steam-grilled sliders, crispy golden french fries, fantastic slides like onion chips or fried clams, and the best chocolate shakes, White Castle is a by far our top choice for a fast food meal. Check out their website at www.WhiteCastle.com.
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