Why: Roots Restaurant & Bar strives to create innovative dishes that feature the best of the Pacific Northwest with fresh, seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. The family-friendly, warm and inviting atmosphere welcomes diners to an upscale dining experience, a fully-stocked bar and a private dining room, which may be reserved for special events and meetings.
What I tried: For starters, my dining companions and I had the artisan cheese plate with walnuts and pear, and the grilled flatbread made with Nueske’s bacon, Tillamook white cheddar, apple and arugula. I decided on the vanilla brined Cascade Farms pork chop with white cheddar potato gratin, Brussels sprouts, new crop apple butter and pickled shallot. My dining companions settled on the 12-ounce rib eye, which was served atop a bed of a wild rice with green beans and onions alongside; and the Draper Valley chicken breast with fingerling potatoes, crimini mushroom, sweet onion, ham and chive hollandaise. For dessert we tried the warm toffee cake with vanilla bean ice cream and the warm apple crisp.
Fresh bread and butter was served before food arrived at the table. Unfortunately, the pats of butter came straight from the refrigerator so they were cold and hard and impossible to spread on the bread.
Both starters were delicious and promised good things to follow. The cheese plate included three distinctly different cheeses; blue, trufflestack, and a goat and cow milk combination. Each cheese had a different texture and paired well with the accompaniments: cranberries, apple slices and walnuts. The farm-fresh-inspired flatbread was thicker than what is typically served and the toppings were balanced. It was also a reasonable sharing size for an appetizer.
Dining Out review: Roots Restaurant & Bar
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday. 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Lunch is served 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner is 5 to 9 p.m. daily. Brunch is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Where: 19215 S.E. 34th St., Camas.
Contact: 360-260-3001 or www.rootsrestaurantandbar.com
Health score: Roots received a score of 15 on Jan. 25. 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.
The pork chop on my entree was thick, tender and juicy, and the flavor from the vanilla brine reached to the very center of the cut. The Brussels sprouts were halved, cooked to a semi-firm doneness and browned on the cut edges. They were good but given the solid nature of the rest of the dishes elements, I thought charred sprouts would have been perfect. The potato gratin was plated in closely stacked strips of potato gratin atop a dollop of apple butter. Although I could not detect the cheddar in the midst of potato, the apple butter complimented both the potato gratin and the chop.
My dining companion who got the chicken enjoyed all the flavors of his dish, which served to give the chicken breast flavor beyond basic, natural chicken.
Of all our entrees, we all agreed that the rib eye stole the show for flavor and appeal. It was better than what many local restaurants turn out in the steak category. The bed of rice was both an extension of the mouth-watering flavor and added a hearty texture to the melt-in-your-mouth presence of the steak.
Both the desserts were a spectacular finish to an outstanding meal. The warm toffee cake imparted all the deliciousness of toffee and caramel in a warm, smooth, chewable form and the apple crisp was chock full of fresh, thin-sliced apples with an oat and sugar crisp topping that reminded me of the best of apple pies.
Atmosphere: The space is layered, from furniture to walls, with honey and chocolate tones of wood which creates an upscale, sophisticated environment that is influenced by European design. Lighting is subtle but sufficient. Seating is arranged along the perimeter of the dining room with tables and chairs as well as upholstered benches facing chairs. A center section is configured with benches and chairs too. Bar-style seating is available at the open kitchen. The bar occupies the opposite end of the space and is equally impressive.
Menu highlights beyond what I tried: The Dungeness crab and avocado with radish and vermouth vinaigrette from the starter menu sounded good, as did the marinated beet salad with endive, toasted walnut, cave-aged blue cheese and aged balsamic vinegar from the salad selections. The seared duck breast with potato gnocchi, grilled pear, arugula and porcini cream sounded like a delicious entree to try. Fillet mignon is also available. The puree of Yukon potato & leek soup with chive and truffle oil on the lunch menu is a simple delight, perfect for a cold rainy day. The three cheese ravioli with spinach, hazelnuts, chanterelles, and pumpkin cream sauce sounded intriguing. Brunch menu items include French toast with local berries and maple syrup and housemade corned beef hash with spinach, grain mustard and two poached eggs.
Other observations: The waitstaff is professional, friendly and attentive. The atmosphere is comfortable and inviting and although it was a full house on the evening of my dinner visit, the noise level was not excessive. I found the food portions to be a bit larger than many other restaurants of similar caliber that I have tried. Outside patio dining is available, weather permitting.
Cost: Dinner starters cost $9.50 to $19.50. Soup and salads are $8.50 to $10.50. Dinner plates range from $19.75 up to $44.50. Lunch sandwiches are $9.50 to $12.50. Main plates at lunch are $12 to $17.50. Brunch starters cost $6 to $19.50 and main plates at brunch are $9 to $16.50. Sides are $2 to $8. Happy hour selections cost $3 to $8. Desserts are $8. Prix Fixe meals consist of three courses for $50 per person, available by reservation only in the private dining room. Private dining hors d’ oeuvre platters serve 10-12 people and cost $18 to $45.
