Why: McMenamins Pub at Kalama Harbor Lodge is one of the newest additions to the many popular McMenamins destinations. Kalama’s location was built from the ground up and also houses overnight accommodations, a seven-barrel brewery and a gift shop. The location hosts events and musicians, and also has become a sought-after venue for private functions. The restaurant menu is Northwest-inspired with a touch of island flair. The location’s theme is inspired by the community’s namesake, John Kalama, originally of Kula, Hawaii, whose descendants are members of the Nisqually and Warm Springs tribes.
Atmosphere: The large building has an island-estate appearance reminiscent of the Pioneer Inn at Lahaina on Maui. The pub, brewery and gift shop are on the bottom floor with 40 guest rooms occupying two levels above. The Cloud Bar is situated atop the building with the best view of the Columbia River. Wrap-around patio dining is available, weather permitting. A fire pit outside provides a cozy riverside experience. The Harbor Lounge hosts free, live music on select weeknights.
What I tried: We started our meal with the goat cheese torte, which is a smooth and creamy sun-dried tomato topped with a dome of goat cheese with a layer of basil pesto in the middle and drizzled with a balsamic glaze. It is served with four moderately sized pieces of garlic crostini. It was very appetizing. The portion of cheese torte to crostini was a bit out of balance. Four more crostini would have been just the right amount. I ordered the potlatch cedar plank salmon topped with fireside-cranberry butter, which comes with wild rice pilaf, hazelnut-brown butter and green beans. I found the salmon was very good, but the cranberry butter did not add much flavor to it. The rice and beans were mixed together and very buttery. My dining companions tried the expedition elk burger topped with coffee-bacon jam, black garlic aioli, white cheddar, lettuce, tomato, red onion and pickles on a sesame seed brioche bun, and the Terminator steak — an ale-marinated bavette steak, which she requested prepared medium-rare. The steak came with dark and light horseradish sauces for dipping. My dining companion who had the burger enjoyed its many flavors and said it was a one-of-a-kind dish that he would definitely have again. He also mentioned the elk was more dense than beef. The steak, which my other dining companion had, was not evenly prepared as medium rare. Approximately half of the steak was still rare. When this was brought to the server’s attention, my companion was offered a replacement, and it was removed from the bill. We each tried a different mini dessert to finish our meal — the berry cobbler, the banana bread pudding and the brownie. All were a delicious sweet finish to our meal.
Menu highlights beyond what I tried: The Mama Lil’s flatbread, which combines salami, arugula and spicy peppers, sounded tasty, as did the Aztec salad made with romaine, corn and black bean salsa, avocado, tortilla strips, cheddar cheese, tomato, jalapeño, cilantro, onion and chipotle dressing. There is a whiskey-brined pork loin and ale-battered fish and chips among the dinner specialties. Pizzas include a margherita and a barbecue chicken. The King Kalama burger topped with pineapple sambal, Canadian bacon, white cheddar, Sriracha mayo, coconut frizzled onions and lettuce on a sourdough bun sounded intriguing.
