‘Chopping wood and carrying water’: Cascadia restaurateurs expand to North Monroe with Kindred Public House
An eagerly anticipated addition to the North Monroe Business District opened its doors on Sept. 20.
Kindred Public House is the latest venture from Jordan Smith and Rob Hatch. The friends and business partners also own Cascadia Public House on North Ash Street.
The new eatery is a homecoming of sorts for the pair.
“We grew up less than a mile away from Kindred,” Smith said. “We went to school at Willard and Glover.”
Their first jobs were in the restaurant biz, and they fell in love with the industry.
“I worked the drive-thru at Taco Time, and I was always talking to the customers,” Hatch said. “I was so cheesy!”
From busing tables to washing dishes, to bartending and serving, they’ve worked in every sector of the business.
They reconnected when Hatch was bartending at JJ’s Tap and Smokehouse on Indian Trail, where Smith was a server.
“We had big dreams of opening our own spot,” said Smith. “When the location for Cascadia came up in February 2017, we bid on it.”
Smith, Hatch and three other partners opened the restaurant three months later.
“It changed all of our lives,” he said.
The pair has since bought out their partners, and Cascadia continues to thrive.
When they discussed a location for their new venture, North Monroe beckoned.
“We wanted to go back to the neighborhood we grew up in,” said Smith. “The street has so much character and personality.”
This time, they worked with real estate broker Jim Orcutt and built Kindred from the ground up.
Their vision was for a warm, comfortable spot, suitable for date nights, casual lunches and happy hour with friends.
A vibrant Daniel Lopez mural featuring iconic musicians takes center stage in the cozy bar.
“It’s got such positive energy – it’s the vibe we wanted to create,” Smith said. “Connecting with our guests is what we are all about.”
That energy flowed into the creation of the menu.
“Jordan came up with 200 dishes to start with, and we had to trim it down,” said Hatch, laughing.
They settled on a menu similar to Cascadia’s, with lots of shareables and a selection of salads and handhelds, with plenty of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options.
Standout starters include the bulgogi beef lettuce cups, with crispy rice noodles, cucumber and chili aioli, as well as the pork belly bites, glazed with a sticky tamarind sauce and garnished with cilantro and sesame seeds.
“I’m a big fan of the pork belly bites,” Smith said.
Guests rave about the Buffalo chicken Cobb salad. The crispy tenders rest on a bed of chopped romaine and mixed greens, accompanied by heirloom tomatoes, bacon, diced avocado and blue cheese crumbles.
The steak salad, a favorite in Cascadia, receives a Southwest twist at Kindred with chipotle-marinated skirt steak served over mixed greens, fire-roasted corn, black beans, and other toppings, all drizzled with a smoky crema.
After hearing Smith talk about the braised short rib melt, I immediately knew what to order on a recent visit.
The sandwich takes a standard French dip to a whole new level. Thick toasted sourdough cradles tender short ribs. The ribs are braised six to eight hours, then topped with Swiss cheese, caramelized onion and horseradish aioli. A dunk in the au jus provides the perfect mouthful.
Speaking of mouthfuls, my husband met his match with the Prototype burger featuring Northwest-raised Pendleton Farms beef, pork belly, fried egg, jalapenos and more.
He wasn’t sure he’d be able to finish it, but he did, along with all of his fries and most of mine.
“I didn’t have breakfast,” he explained.
Hatch had fun creating the bar menu, and the cocktail that’s generated the most buzz is the Monroe Street Martini.
The tequila-based sipper features yuzu, lime, and agave and is served with a Szechuan flower.
“You sip a bit of the drink, then eat the flower,” explained Smith. “Your mouth will get a tingly feeling, and the flavor of the drink changes.”
I followed his instructions and enjoyed a deliciously fun experience.
Derek stuck with a tasty margarita – only $5 on Tuesdays.
Smith said Kindred has received a warm Monroe Street welcome.
“Lots of business owners have come in and showed us love – we’re overwhelmed by Spokane’s support.”
Juggling family life and two thriving restaurants makes for some long, hectic days for the two owners. That’s when Smith said they remind themselves of the Zen proverb, “Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water; after enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.”
On a bustling Tuesday evening at Kindred, he smiled.
“We just keep chopping wood and carrying water.”
Contact Cindy Hval at dchval@juno.com