This blog post was sponsored by Kimpton Monaco Portland! All thoughts and reviews are my own.
When in Portland, or anywhere really, you always have to try new things, especially the food! We were so excited to dine in a hotel restaurant because it’s something we typically wouldn’t do. We love checking out the food trucks, coffee shops, and dessert joints, so this was a nice change.
Today, I’ll be going over my experience at the Red Star Tavern in Portland, OR. It’s a modern tavern located in the Kimpton Hotel Monaco that serves northwest-inspired American dishes using local ingredients. We tried different appetizers, entrees, and of course dessert!
We went for dinner, so the ambience was quiet, moody lighting, and light music and since it was cold outside, the temperature was warm and perfect.
When we first arrived, I’ll be honest — finding parking is rough! We circled the block a few times and finally gave in to valet parking (although it ended up being free because we told them we were eating at the restaurant!). The parking entrance is by the entrance of the hotel, and the restaurant itself is around the other corner of the block (there’s also an entrance inside the building through the hotel).
The first meal we ordered was grilled chicken with fries for Auggie, because he was very hungry and getting rowdy. In the meantime, they gave a few crayons and the kids’ menu had fun sea creatures for him to draw on and color. In the end, Auggie only ate two slices of the grilled chicken and all of the fries (because who doesn’t love potatoes?). They also gave us extra fries since he was really into them.
The Brussels Sprouts gratin was amazing. It was basically like a spinach and cheese dip, but with brussels sprouts! We were both impressed and would definitely recommend it paired with chips or pita bread.
To be adventurous, we tried the Warm Chevre which consists of quince and fig jam, toasted walnuts, apples, and citrus crackers. When you eat it all together, the flavors mix so well and it’s really a delightful taste. It’s very flavorful and you can taste the bitterness from strong cheese, sweetness from the apples, some tartness from the fig jam, and some texture from the walnuts and crackers. Overall, I think it’s something worth trying!
For the entrees, Jesse ordered the Daily Fish and I ordered the Roasted Pork Tenderloin. The roasted pork tenderloin is braised pork belly, autumn squash and orange puree, preserved plum, and ginger sauce. Safe to say we both loved our meals because we finished it all!
If you’re not into pork, you should try the Roasted Chicken (parsnip and potato puree, mustard seed glazed carrots, and roasted onions/herbs). For a more gamey approach, you could also try the Venison Stew, which is made with autumn spices, preserved currants, root vegetable gratin, and deer. They also have more seafood, the Red Star Burger, and a couple of salad options.
Overall, the service was great, the price point is reasonable, and the staff were all friendly. So if you’re ever staying at the Kimpton Monaco in Portland, I would definitely recommend giving The Red Star Tavern a try!
Awesome