McMenamins remains fine example of Northwest dining

Why: McMenamins is an Oregon and Washington exclusive. Established by Mike and Brian McMenamin more than 20 years ago, the restaurants offer not only dining and some of the best microbrews in the world, but also hotel, theater and concert venues. It is one of those places to take out-of-town guests that will give them a feel for the spirit of this region. Colorful reinvention, hometown brews, tasty food, ethereal imagination and historic appreciation — its all wrapped into the McMenamins experience. The McMenamins pub I visited is in East Vancouver.

What I tried: I settled on a cup of the Thai chicken peanut soup and the Electric Mayhem pizza. My dining companion had the Reuben Kincaid sandwich with a green salad. We also tried the Baja tacos, and for dessert we had the Black & Tan brownie.

The soup was a delicious and balanced blend of mild curry and peanut butter flavors punctuated by chicken, garlic and onion, with an occasional chunky peanut piece. The chicken pieces were petite but plentiful and very tender.

Pork carnitas was the braised meat of choice for the Baja tacos. The tacos were made by combining lettuce, a dollop of sour cream, salsa made with corn and black beans, and fresh cilantro inside two soft corn tortillas. Each of the three tacos was an appetizing Southwestern delight.

Although I ordered the pizza as the main attraction of my meal, it wowed me the least. The crust was light and airy and held up well to the toppings, but it had a lot of overdone pan flour on the bottom of it, which detracted from its flavor. Pesto sauce, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted garlic, two types of Greek olives and fresh basil topped the pizza in copious amounts. I would have enjoyed this pizza more with fewer toppings, because the combination of strong flavors from each topping was overwhelming. The problems were the jumbo-sized green olives and the sun-dried tomatoes.

My dining companion found the Reuben sandwich very satisfying and noted that the rye bread, though grilled, was not greasy, as is usually the case with grilled sandwich bread. She also appreciated the leanness of the pastrami and fresh quality of the side salad that accompanied the sandwich.

The chocolate-blond brownie was the perfect finish to our meal. It was surrounded by a moat of caramel sauce and topped with a scoop of Tillamook vanilla bean ice cream drizzled with chocolate sauce. By the time it reached the table, the blond bottom half of the brownie had soaked up some of the sauce and become a soft caramel crust of sorts. If there was ever a perfect harmony of flavors and textures in a dessert, this is it.

Menu highlights beyond what I tried: My next visit will have to include the spinach and artichoke dip; this is an item I like to compare at various restaurants. Burgers are made with flame-broiled Country Natural Beef and may be stacked with several toppings. Gluten-free buns are available, as well as a Hammerhead Garden Burger, which is a veggie patty made with McMenamin’s Hammerhead Ale and malted grain. Sandwiches and wraps include the cowboy steak wrap made with mesquite steak, smoked mozzarella cheese, frizzled onions, romaine lettuce, tomato and chipotle mayonnaise, and a gyro wrap on a Greek-style pita. Fish and chips are made with Alaskan cod. Pizza choices are limited to four specialty pizzas. Desserts include a milkshake, a berry bar and strawberry shortcake.

Atmosphere: The East Vancouver restaurant is distinguished by more than 70 amber-colored lighting ornaments. Other than the ones at the bar, you would be hard pressed to find two alike. There also are numerous hanging baskets full of healthy plants, which thrive in the natural light next to the restaurant’s windows. Seating includes both chair and booth options. The restaurant is wrapped in dark wood paneling that matches the seating accommodations and works well with the wrought-iron-baluster bar. Various pieces of art decorate the walls and big screen TVs provide entertainment. There also is outside seating, weather permitting.

Other observations: Service was spot-on and very knowledgable about menu items. The only downside to my dining experience was the noisy children in the booth behind me. The parents were clearly more intent on knocking back cocktails than they were in controlling their children. I only wish it were more accepted for restaurant staff to address diners such as these because I believe it truly diminishes the experience for the majority of people when this type of disturbance takes place.

Cost: Starters range from $3.75 to $12.50. Salads cost $8 to $13.75. Pizzas comes in two sizes; the smaller is $10.75 to $12, the larger is $27.25 to $29.50. Specialty dishes start at $9.25 and top out at $28 (cost can include a pairing with an alcoholic beverage). Sandwiches, burgers and wraps are served with your choice of fresh-cut fries, tater tots, a small green salad or a cup of soup and range from $9.50 to $13.25. Happy Hour menu items are $2, $3 and $4 (minimum drink purchase of $2 per person required).

Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday and Monday. 11 a.m. to midnight Tuesday through Thursday. 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Happy Hour is 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to close.

Where: 1900 N.E. 162nd Ave., Suite B107, Vancouver

Contact: 360-254-3950 or www.mcmenamins.com/303-mcmenamins-east-vancouver-home

Health score: McMenamins received a score of 15 on Jan. 8. Zero is a perfect score, and Clark County Public Health closes restaurants with a score of 100 or higher. For information, call 360-397-8428.