Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Weekend brunch is served 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Happy hour is 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Minors are welcome until 9 p.m.
Where: 4909 N.E. Hazel Dell Ave. in Vancouver.
Contact: 360-718-2768 or www.frontierpublichouse.com
Health score: Frontier Public House has received a pre-opening inspection, for which a score is not available. 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.
Why: The Frontier Public House opened earlier this month. Conveniently located just off the Main Street exit from southbound Interstate 5, the establishment serves beer, wine, craftily created cocktails and menu items that are made from scratch.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Weekend brunch is served 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Happy hour is 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Minors are welcome until 9 p.m.
Where: 4909 N.E. Hazel Dell Ave. in Vancouver.
Contact: 360-718-2768 or <a href="http://www.frontierpublichouse.com">www.frontierpublichouse.com</a>
Health score: Frontier Public House has received a pre-opening inspection, for which a score is not available. 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.
Owners Marian Adams and Shane Work have 30 years of combined experience in the food and beverage industry. Adams, Work and General Manager Dannie Manuel have infused a pioneer spirit with the comforts of the South to create a delightful new option on the Clark County dining map.
What I tried: I tried the sausage poppers, the chicken and dumplings and the totopos con chile. My dining companion had the grilled steak.
The poppers consisted of lean, juicy sausage pieces dipped in a cornmeal batter and deep fried. A coarse mustard for dipping is served alongside. I found them to be an appetizing start to my meal with a surprisingly mild flavor.
Totopos con chile could be described as sophisticated nachos. Tortilla chips are coated in a spicy chile arbol salsa and then drizzled with crema and sprinkled with fresh cilantro and cotija cheese. The result was a bit messy to eat because the chips were completely doused with the salsa, but I thought the unique quality of this appetizer was well worth the extra napkin I needed. The short list of ingredients brought together by simple means imparted a Southwestern flair.
I found the chicken and dumplings to have a homestyle character instead of the usual flavor and appearance that typically reminds me of a lazy chef’s version of pot pie. Tasty pulled chicken, celery and carrots were combined with a delicious broth that is more akin to homemade gravy in texture and flavor than the usual salty, bouillon-flavored broth of most versions of this dish that I have tried. The dumplings, which rested on top, were just the right size to complement the rest of the dish.
My dining companion enjoyed the grilled skirt steak, which was topped with a spicy chimichurri and smoky blue cheese sauce. A side container of chipotle sauce was included for dipping, and a small amount of lettuce garnished the plate. The steak was juicy and tender. Found on the small-plates menu, it is only 4 ounces, so it is not quite a meal by itself.
For dessert we had Mexican wedding cookies, which are made with two thick shortbread cookies and a layer of sweet dulce de leche and coconut between them. A generous amount of powdered sugar coats the cookies. They were slightly dry with a little too much powdered sugar for my liking. I remedied this by scraping the sugar off, which made them a suitable, tasty end to my meal.
Menu highlights beyond what I tried: The Smoked Salmon BLT made with lox-style smoked salmon, thick-sliced bacon, lettuce, tomato and red onion with caper-lemon mayonnaise on grilled marble rye is a popular item from the larger-plates menu. The smothered fries sounded intriguing. They are prepared with cheddar-jack cheese and pepper gravy. A sweet-corn quesadilla from the small-plates menu is made with creamed corn, arbol chile, lime and cotija stuffed in a corn tortilla.
Some of the weekend brunch options include frontier steak and eggs, Virginia Girl benedict and a chicken fried pork chop topped with two fried eggs and pepper gravy with hash potatoes.
Atmosphere: Beyond the foyer, the rectangular space was sectioned off into two main areas by a low wooden fence.
At the forefront was a seating area bordered with a leather sofa, chair and a handsome sideboard centered around a designer rug. Both table- and bar-height seating was available on the bar side of the restaurant, where the main focal point is an attractive counter lit by mason jar light fixtures that extend the length of the counter. The bar is at the back in front of a brick wall with two TVs.
Seating in the family dining area consists of tables and chairs and a continuous upholstered bench along the wall. All the dining tables are dressed in light-colored tablecloths, which created a fine-dining feel. A huge pair of antlers mounted on one wall added interest. Although there were just a few windows in the place, it did not seem the least bit dark or dreary. I found it warm and inviting.
Other observations: The waitstaff was friendly and attentive. The menu is only one page, but it is promising. I am looking forward to a brunch visit sometime soon.
Cost: Tacos are $2 on Tuesdays. Featured cocktails are $8 each. Draft beers are $4 each. Bottled beers are $3 each. Wine by the glass ranges from $5 to $8. Small plates range from $4 to $9. Large plates are $9 to $15. Brunch selections are $6 to $12. Desserts are less than $5.
