Red Tavern

New American Cuisine in Chico, Influenced by World Flavors

Review by Janet Brown and Michael Abruzzo

“The Portuguese Seafood Stew should not be missed.”

Red Tavern-Chico

You’ll find the Red Tavern just north of downtown Chico, behind a vintage storefront. The cuisine is New American because it’s influenced by traditional flavors from all over the world. The restaurant’s menu is updated every three months to celebrate what’s fresh and locally in season.

Rich Garcia, one of the owners, was charming and friendly as he showed us to our table. Garcia and his wife Chris, who bought the restaurant in 2013, make a point of being present to greet all diners. Our server was just as welcoming. This treatment made us feel like cherished guests.

Like the owners, the dining room is warm, welcoming yet also polished, with crisp white table linens offsetting the muted colors of the room. Artworks by local artists add pops of color for an overall feeling of understated elegance. Enjoy dining in fresh air? From April to October, enjoy a large outdoor dining area surrounded by mature trees, features strings of twinkly lights as well as a bocce ball court, for a little exercise in between courses.

We arrived at Red Tavern early enough to enjoy Happy Hour, which includes discounts on wine, cocktails and a nice selection of appetizers. On Tuesday, Happy Hour extends throughout the evening. On Wednesdays you’ll find live music from a variety of local performers — everything from jazz to blues, folk, even the occasional flamenco performance.

Over the course of the evening, our servers were attentive, knowledgeable and promptly met our needs without being intrusive in any way. Another nice touch: with our beverage service came fresh, hot, crunchy-crusted bread served with an herb butter. We really appreciated this, given how many restaurants now charge for bread service, or no longer offer it.

Tavern Caesar Salad featured Little Gem lettuces instead of romaine. The leaves were cracklingly fresh, tossed with a house-made dressing which enhanced but didn’t overwhelm their delicate flavor. A topping of shavings of Pedrozo Farms Black Butte Cheese came from a local dairy and really punched home this classic salad’s appeal.

We each chose an entree. Seared Skuna Bay Salmon was a generous portion of fish. Pan-seared to a flavorful golden brown, it yielded a deep pink, moist interior. Served on a bed of silken celery root purée, the fish was also garnished with shaved fennel, chanterelle mushrooms, edamame and a light, fresh citrus beurre blank. It was superb.

Portuguese Seafood Stew is a favorite of ours. We’ve ordered it many times before because it’s such a generously portioned and fun dish to eat. A large bowl came heaped with shrimp, Manila clams, Prince Edward Island mussels, linguica sausage, Yukon Gold potatoes and winter vegetables. All these ingredients were combined in a fragrant tomato-saffron-ginger broth. The shrimp were plump and succulent, the clams rich and tender, rounds of linguica provided a spicy pop to the dish. The large piece of grilled focaccia served with this stew was perfect for soaking up that savory broth. This an outstanding entree and should not be missed if you enjoy shellfish stews.

We finished our meal by sharing a dish of refreshing raspberry sorbet which was just the right palate-cleansing after a wonderful meal.

Having been to Red Tavern previously, we look forward to going because we have always had a delightful dining experience. This evening was no exception. We highly recommend this restaurant for an evening of fine dining; we look forward to returning soon.

Location: 1250 Esplanade, Chico, CA 95926   map
Phone: 530.894.3463 
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