Chef Blaine Fischer has cooked in kitchens all around Waco and across the country. Now, as he walks through the door to work, he passes by a blue and gold sign proudly displaying his own name: Blaine’s Restaurant & Wine Shoppe. What began as an escape from the monotony has blossomed into your neighborhood restaurant.
“I realized I was good at [cooking] at a young age. I cooked a lot of my own meals growing up — my mom worked late. She was a nurse, and I’d get tired of eating one thing, so I learned how to cook other things,” said Fischer from across the table as we sat tucked into a cozy corner of the restaurant.
The food for the evening was already lined up and ready for photos. One-by-one, as each plate was twisted this way and that to capture the perfect angle, Fischer detailed the finely crafted recipes that he had created. At the heart of Blaine’s culinary style is the French bistro that Fischer has southernized with the flair of a Texas steakhouse. Fischer was raised French Cajun and his favorite chef is Marco Pierre White, whose “style was very classical French bistro … no fluff, just good products, simple plating … and the little things done right.”
Blaine’s is designed in a small, intimate atmosphere that welcomes guests to share a Charcuterie et L’Atelier Fromager and a carefully selected bottle of wine. As a Sommelier WSET 2, Fischer knows his way around a good bottle. The white and red that he poured for the photos perfectly paired with our dishes. I savored the red that was smooth and subtle, complementing the array of flavors that were in store for the evening.
The charcuterie is carefully crafted with a selection of cheese from local fromager Kirsten Schubel, a French cheesemaker bringing the craft to Waco from her shop located just around the corner from Blaine’s at 1230 N Valley Mills Drive, Suite 500. I had already sampled the earthy Tomme de Waco and the creamy Elise at the Waco Downtown Farmers Market, but this plated selection of cheese was elevated by the accompanying pancetta, dried apricot, honey and olives stuffed with feta (which no one else was keen on enjoying, so I had the privilege of savoring each one).
To begin the evening’s tastings, Fischer presented his most popular dish: the Kara’age, a gluten-free Japanese style chicken. He considers it the most authentic representation of the dish that can be found in Waco. The chicken is marinated in a blend of sake, mirin, shoyu and coriander to create a perfect taste of umami and delicate sweetness. Coated in potato starch, the chicken is tender and the chili oil layered on top is from Yaki — where Fischer worked as pitmaster when they opened their brick-and-mortar location — bringing just enough spice to round out the dish. The accompanying ponzu sauce blends shoyu and yuzu sauce to make a tangy, slightly vinegar flavor that highlights the savory yet sweet chicken.
For our entrees, we enjoyed a few finds rare for Waco.
The Ahi Tuna Tomahawk is another gluten-free option loaded with an array of flavor. Using compound butter on the tuna, it’s then seasoned with a mix of coriander, fennel, oregano, cumin and pepper. The Thai vinaigrette gave a surprising kick to the citrus herb salad served alongside it. I always enjoy a good ahi tuna, and Blaine’s did not disappoint. The dish was hearty yet light, with the tuna as big as a full steak dinner and cooked with just the perfect crisp on the edge while leaving a divinely fresh, raw center that let the seasonings do the heavy work.
Next, we sampled Fischer’s favorite, the Duck Frites.
“I’m a big fan of duck in general. I think when duck’s cooked right, it beats a good steak any day, in my opinion. It’s very French. It really speaks to what we do here and the kind of food that we like to cook here.”
The eight-ounce Muscovy duck breast is served in a bordelaise sauce — one that I’ve enjoyed over a steak frites dish during a previous dining experience — that brought a wonderfully rich flavor over the duck. Like Fischer detailed, a good duck can rival a steak with its middle ground between the heaviness of a red meat steak and the levity of the white meat of chicken, and he’s certainly crafted a delectable dish that was tender yet savory with its fattier profile. The side of hay fries contrasted the rich flavor with a lightness tasting very similar to a nice, crispy hashbrown. Be warned: The hay fries are messy but so yummy.
The final entrée was the Airline Chicken Saltimbocca that’s a perfect dish for those who can’t decide — breast or wing? This cut comes with both, served with a cool, herb sauce that Fischer described as like a pesto but not a pesto. Made with capers, white bean puree, lime and anchovy — which is what differentiates it from a pesto — it’s layered over thin breading. The dish was bright and citrusy, and it made for a perfectly light entrée.
Of course, we had to sample a dessert, and it was worth every single bite. The Bread Pudding is made with a double butter brioche with caramel, caramel powder and caramel bourbon, topped with the pièce de résistance: homemade molasses marshmallow.
“It’s all homemade, completely,” Fischer said. “Except for the cheese, because I don’t want to make cheese. We bake our own bread, we make our own bacon … there’s no preservatives, there’s no fillers in any of it. It’s all honest, intensively made food that is really good for you.”
The dessert was a perfectly indulgent ending to our evening without being overly rich.
With each entrée, it’s clear that Fischer truly takes the time to present a dish that he’s proud to share with his guests. We even had the pleasure of his company at the table, a first for the all the places I’ve visited for this magazine. It’s evident that the restaurant’s mantra, “It’s family. It’s friends. It’s a place with soul.” is truly encompassed here.
“I was born and raised in this town, and being in this area of Waco is really special to me,” Fischer said about the restaurant’s location in the Richland Hills area. “Offering something that’s, like I said, fresh, a little bit more upscaled and nicer food in this area of Waco specifically, I think it’s what it needed. A lot of our regulars are three or four minutes away. I live [in the area], and a lot of my neighbors come here, and so it’s really important to me to know everyone’s face and make friends and just really be a staple in the community.”
Blaine’s invites guests to join their monthly wine dinners, each following a theme. Check blaineswaco.com for the June wine dinner details as well as the new menu selections that are slated to appear mid-June or early July, though Fischer assured us that each of the dishes featured in this article will be staying a while.
“If you’re a foodie, if you like more interesting foods, definitely sign up and give it a try. It’s something really special that we do.”
