New place shows promise amid a few kinks
Published 12:01 am Friday, July 15, 2011
Monroe has come a long way from a gravel pit and one stoplight.
Thankfully, rush hour and a fast-food frenzy isn’t the only thing to come with “progress.”
The city’s tastebuds have grown in near-proportion to its population.
Sockeye’s was a nice surprise, overlooking a man-made
lake to snag even a water view — of course with cows in the backdrop to remind you where you are.
Places like Basil & Chives are among several others that add to the mix.
Sailfish Bar & Grill was always an unassuming staple tucked away in historic downtown, worth a trip for their stout alone.
Into that space we now have Adam’s Northwest Bistro & Brewery to take over the beer legacy and add inventive new plates from Adam Hoffman, chef and owner. Hoffman, who lives in Echo Lake, brings with him an impressive pedigree, having most recently parlayed his skills at Seattle’s legendary Rover’s before starting out on his own.
Talk about high expectations, which of course is not quite fair.
Our experience on a weekday night was less than stellar but with a couple of “wow” moments and enduring satisfaction with the hand-crafted beers.
Adam’s is a mere four months into existence, and some newbie shortcomings are still hanging around.
Service was slow, something we heard was also the experience of friends of ours who visited a couple of weeks earlier.
When delivering our appetizer, our server asked as an afterthought if we wanted rolls — umm, yes? Perhaps this is something they intend to give you as you are seated, along with your glass of water, but we didn’t see anyone else get rolls either. But with the waits for food, the rolls would be a good courtesy at the outset.
We sampled the beer menu off the bat. My husband had the Russian Imperial stout while I had the Abbey ale to bring some summer to an otherwise rainy day ($5 for 20-ounce glasses). We agreed our earlier memories of the beers of Sailfish days were a bit better but found the Adam’s-era beers smooth and with a nice finish, putting it among my favorite local microbrews. That right there is worth a trip to Adam’s, say during the summer happy hour with a quick bite at the bar.
We started our dinner off with the appetizer special ($13), three scallops on a bed of creamed celery root, thin planks of candied rhubarb resting on top along with snipped fresh herbs, a superb orange-coriander butter drizzled all around and a sprinkling of Hungarian paprika for “flair,” a nod to Hoffman’s grandmother, he told me later.
Our server said it came with two or three scallops (the table next to us was told two; we ended up with three). It was decadent, with subtle flavors that blended beautifully and a satisfying punch from the rhubarb.
All other appetizers were cheaper and on our next visit we hope to try the cheese plate.
Dinner prices are comparable to Sockeye’s, but with a leaner menu that provides more focus on individual plates.
The special of the night was salmon ($19) but we opted instead to try the grilled ribeye plate ($24) and one of the burgers ($12) after hearing fourth-hand about the latter.
There are two burger choices, and I tried the “Your” burger with everything — caramelized onions, mushrooms, bacon and Swiss. The burgers are towering. I ended up using a knife and fork for the juicy mess, finding a lonely, soggy slice of lettuce at the bottom.
Two-thirds of the plate was taken up by garlic fries, which sounded great but turned out to be an overdried disaster that tasted like they were left under a warmer for hours.
For a restaurant that prides itself on making things from scratch, I also was disappointed with the ketchup-from-a-bottle. I would love to see what the chef could concoct, especially after pulling off the homemade bacon from the burger to savor on its own. He told me later that for the first three weeks he made his own ketchup but couldn’t keep up. Too bad.
Unless you’re a burger person, or a sophisticated kid with a big mouth, I would recommend sticking to what Adam’s does better with its entrees.
The rib eye was satisfying, with a charred grilled flavor balanced by the blue cheese-and-herb butter melting over the top. It came with creamed spinach and a choice of potatoes; we chose the croquettes and highly recommend them. The potatoes were the kind of surprise that make your eyes open a bit wider after taking that first bite: “Oh, that’s good.”
This dish was a lovely balance, and eating around the plate enhanced the experience — a bite of steak, a bite of spinach, a bite of potato — each one complementing the other in flavor and texture. The portions were just right.
Our dessert of choice, a bourbon-infused fudge, was too popular to come by. So instead we had an off-menu special from the chef — fresh strawberries soaked in champagne over a lemony crushed cookie and topped with creme fraîche — as well as the chocolate chip brownie with a scoop of ice-cream from some carton ($6). Both desserts were good enough as well as large enough to share without being overwhelming.
We sampled one of the home-made sodas, a cream soda ($2) that was smooth, sweet and pleasing. Don’t miss the root beer floats either, which are tucked under the drink menu. It would be a nice treat for kids, who can have smaller versions of the dinner entrees for half the price.
This is a place where ingredients are known, and if it can’t be made in-house than local sources are the next best thing. Meats arrive fresh and are butchered on site. Abundant eggs from local fowl-keepers dress up various plates. The kitchen is too small for baking as well as braising, so Sky River Bakery down the block fills in ably with buns and rolls. Finds from M&M Antiques help provide a comfortable, eclectic atmosphere.
The chef encourages people to make suggestions and the menu often changes accordingly — steaks cut a bit thicker, a duck egg tucked into a burger on request.
Adam’s is a place destined to become a local hangout, headed by a man who is as friendly as he is passionate about what he does. Monroe has grown, but it’s still about building a small-town community spirit — something Hoffman gets. And that’s more than enough to make up for a batch of bad fries.
Adam’s Northwest Bistro & Brewery
104 N. Lewis St., Monroe; 360-794-4056 (no website yet; check them out on Facebook)
Specialty: Northwest-style local dishes, hand-crafted beers
Hours: 4 to 10 p.m. daily
Alcohol: Full bar
