Red Star Tavern
Contemporary tavern atmosphere, sweet martinis score with locals at new Deerfield Township restaurant
JULIE FITZGERALD | CIN WEEKLY CORRESPONDENT
Grab a booth, order a dirty martini and check out all the scoring goin' on at swanky new Red Star Tavern.
There are NFL teams scoring against their rivals on TVs suspended above the wooden, rectangular bar, and 20- and 30-somethings scoring business dinners or one another's phone numbers over cocktails.
And while it sounds like a pick-up spot, this red hot tavern is simply a cool, contemporary place for enjoying sports, steaks, intimate conversation and the house specialty: martinis.
SWANKY SPORTS TAVERN
Red Star, a Chicago-based franchise owned by RDG (owners of Newport on the Levee's Bar Louie), scores points for its atmosphere. Fusing cosmopolitan decor with sports bar touches (eight TVs with all sports, all the time), the 6,000 square-foot restaurant has an upbeat feel.
From the booths and tables to the white plates and entree portions, thing is oversized - well, almost everything. The patio, which features 12 tables and three red lounge couches (as well as a tiled bar and a fire pit), is so nice I left wishing it was a larger part of the restaurant.
MARTINIS
The drink special? Any one of Red Star's 27 martinis. We ordered the Swank with Ketel One Vodka and Bombay Sapphire Gin ($8). We also tried the fruity Pineappletini with Ketel One Citron and DeKuyper pineapple liqueur ($8). Our server brought two glasses and two silver shakers to our table.
Excited to have a freshly shaken martini, I was a little surprised when our server poured the wrong martini into each glass, only to switch the garnish instead of starting over. It was an awkward, but forgivable, moment. I would have preferred to shake and pour myself.
SIMPLE STARTERS
We skipped traditional appetizers - spinach dip, an onion tower, quesadillas - opting for a Tavern salad ($3.95) and a side of parmesan au gratins ($2.95). Both were savory. I thought the house balsamic dressing served on the bed of field greens was excellent.
MAIN DISHES
The menu includes steaks, chops, seafood, pastas and sandwiches. I tried the rotisserie chicken breast sandwich with pesto, tomatoes, spinach and mozzarella ($7.95). I also substituted the chips for fries for an additional 95 cents. Served with a side of fresh coleslaw, it was a filling, more traditional "tavern" selection.
VEGETARIAN
The grilled portobello sandwich ($7.95) was tempting, but my martini buddy and I ordered the wild mushroom penne pasta with oven dried tomatoes ($11.95). And, for a tavern menu based primarily on meat dishes, this vegetarian pasta was well-executed with a good veggies-to-pasta ratio.
DESSERT
We were torn between flourless chocolate cake ($5.95) and caramel apple bread pudding ($5.95). After hearing from our server that a flourless cake is denser than a normal one, we ordered the latter. The apple bread pudding, topped with whipped cream, was warm and cinnamony - a perfect fall dessert that made for a sweet pairing with the martinis.
