DRIFTWOOD RESTAURANT – Barren River State Park Resort, Lucas, Kentucky
Chris Houchens
Monday, February 23, 2009

Even though they now try to call it the “Driftwood Restaurant”, the dining area in the Nunn Lodge at Barren River State Resort Park will always be just “the Lodge” for myself and many others. The Lodge has always been a good place to eat. Growing up in southern Barren County, I have spent many Sundays after church enjoying the buffet. But, until a few weeks ago, I had never experienced their annual “Buffalo Night”.

The Kentucky State Park System (http://www.parks.ky.gov) offers Buffalo Night at several of the state’s resort parks each year offering an evening of entertainment and sampling of buffalo dishes. Buffalo Night is apparently a tradition for lots of people in our area. Everyone I talked to said they look forward to returning each time. The dining areas were full the entire time we were there which was a good thing as the food on the buffet was constantly being refreshed.

The state park makes it much more than just an event to consume bison meat. It’s a full-on experience. Upon entering the lodge that evening, there was an area set up just off the lobby where several historical re-enactors dressed in period costume had interactive exhibits. They featured historical artifacts used by the pioneers including hunting knives, flint rifles, blankets, household items, and other everyday items from early days in Kentucky.

The entertainment continued as you entered the dining area where there was live music. This year’s band was Kentucky Blue (www.kyblue.net) who did many bluegrass and country standards. They were a very good group (if you like bluegrass) and were a good dining accompaniment without being too intrusive.

The flavor of buffalo is much like beef, but a little drier with a sharper taste. I have had buffalo steaks a few times and enjoyed them. But the state park expanded my buffalo horizons and offered up several buffalo dishes on the buffet including a carved steamship round, BBQ buffalo brisket, buffalo stew and chili, and buffalo meatloaf. And I sampled it all. (in the interest of this story, of course)

The only preparation that I didn’t care for was the carving station. I love the normal beef steamship round at the Lodge, so perhaps I was in comparison mode. The piece of buffalo I was dealt off the carving station was grisly. On the converse, the best dish was the BBQ brisket. The meat was tender and flavorful. The buffalo stew was good and I found the chili to be reminiscent of Wendy’s chili (a good thing). The meatloaf was good, but could have been made of beef and no one would have known. There were also Lodge standards of catfish and fried chicken on the buffet for timid souls who were accompanying diners with more adventurous palates.

I was excited when I saw there was grilled asparagus on the buffet, but everyone at the table was disappointed when we ate it. Asparagus is a delicate flavor and grilling is a good way to prepare it, but the charred taste had permeated all the stalks on the steam table. All the other sides, corn-on-the-cob, potatoes, green beans, other vegetables, and the items on the salad bar were very good. As were the typical Lodge desserts of Baked Alaska, banana pudding, and others.

Overall, Buffalo Night is a fun experience that that I suggest you try the next time it’s offered.

Chris Houchens is the Online Director for the Bowling Green, KY Daily News and the Amplifier. He lives on 25 soggy acres on the Warren/Barren county line. He is also known in some circles as a marketing guru. Find out more at www.ChrisHouchens.com.