Dinner impressions in East Walnut Hills: Branch

When I was a kid, the only food-related aspect of a bank that would spring to mind was the inevitable, much appreciated Dum Dums pop snaking along the return trip back to our car's window via a pneumatic tube, arriving with a gassy, satisfying "Tharrrummp." High cuisine it was not, but it almost made the interminable wait in the car drive-thru worth it, and I always smiled happily at the bank teller for her generosity.

Spring forward a few decades and you'll find not much else to appreciate about a physical bank beyond the general inconvenience it promises. Gone now are most of the grandiose banking establishments and their garish architectural extravagances, replaced by ATMs, web browsers and, oh yeah, that phone thingy we all keep in our pocket.

A few run-down bank husks still remain as mute reminders of simpler times, including the 93-year-old former Central Bank Trust branch building at the corner of Madison and Woodburn Ave. in East Walnut Hills. Incredibly, this art deco-rich building had remained stubbornly empty for many generations, quietly deteriorating for more than 50 years.

But a recent development group saw a future in the old bank and its period fixtures, a towering, recessed ceiling and a fully-intact bank vault. And that future was, of course, as a restaurant with a speakeasy-style bar in the basement.

Branch opened in late 2018, operated by the same group who own The Littlefield in Northside. No expense was spared in the building's remodel: its cavernous grandeur is quite breathtaking; one wonders how or why it took so long for anyone to realize the potential in such a place. From its checkered, tile flooring and 30s-era sconces to its cathedral-like windows bathing the walls in natural light, Branch feels like a portal in time.

Executive Chef Shoshannah Anderson's menu is an inventive selection of shareable, small-plate dishes and entrees (an excuse to refer to sections with investing terms like "shares" and "stocks"). Small plates range in price from $5-20 a piece while entrees are around $20 each. Four shareables would likely be enough for two people, but in our visits we preferred ordering one shareable and two entrees. The menu promises a soulful, modern American fusion of especially "Mediterranean and Asian influences," easily spotted in items like the Italian-style Cioppino fish stew, Korean-braised pork, curry chicken, pork belly dumplings, mushroom ravioli and black garlic ribs.

Over the course of two recent visits, we tried several of Branch's small-plate dishes, including the blistered shishito peppers with a side of miso aioli; the pork belly and vegetable dumplings swimming in a savory Dashi-style broth; and piping hot, fresh-cut French fries with a curry aioli and a smoked tomato house ketchup.

Pork belly and vegetable dumplings

Shishito peppers with miso aioli

Our entrees included a special pork loin prepared with a mushroom truffle sauce, house made sage spatzle and a sweet potato puree; fried ricotta "gnudi" dumplings in a sour mushroom broth; a peanut lemongrass smoked tofu with sesame noodles and bok choy; and an outrageous, 10-inch tall burger piled high with Oaxacan cheese, crunchy chicharrones (pork rinds), smoked pickled onion, guacamole and jalapeño jam.

While all the dishes won high marks in presentation and the flavors were all mostly good to great, there were a few missteps. The ricotta Gnudi balls were unlike the velvety Italian dumplings we've had elsewhere: these were a bit dry, grainy and one-note. While the pork belly dumplings were pan fried, their crispy potential was undermined after having been submerged in Dashi broth.

Gnudi

Pork loin w/truffle sauce and sage spatzle

The texture of the smoked tofu was a surprisingly pleasant and resounding success with its lightly crunchy exterior and silky interior, but the sesame oil was a little heavy-handed, making its flavor overpowering halfway through the meal.

The hot, crispy French fries were wonderfully seasoned and I very much enjoyed the acidic, smoked tomato house ketchup, even while my girlfriend lamented it not being a more traditional, "low-brow" Heinz variety. That's because "house" ketchup, no matter how good in its own right, is never the ketchup we grew up with and anticipate (Right Eddie?).

Our deep, generously filled bowl of blistered shishito peppers seasoned with chunks of kosher salt was reminiscent of a popular Spanish tapas item that showcases padrón peppers. The accompanying miso ailoi dipping sauce was a nice add-on but unnecessary.

Peanut lemongrass smoked tofu

Allen Brothers Beef Burger

Gigantic as it was, my Allen Brothers Beef Burger was perhaps my favorite entree of both our visits. It required a serrated knife and some disassembly to eat successfully and was an exceedingly messy affair, but the meat exhibited such a wonderful outer char and was so perfectly seasoned that it was easy to forgive. All the seemingly mismatched ingredients somehow managed to meld together, from the pickled onions and the crispy, salty pork rinds to the chunky guacamole and lip-smacking jalapeño jam.

Branch offers a great number of compelling dishes with both style and flair. There was quite a lot to like about this welcome eatery in East Walnut Hills. And yes, you can take that to the...well, you know.