A special, memorable dining experience.
That is the goal, every time at Sovereign.
“We have a lot of people who eat here three, four times a week. But to a lot of people, we are a special-occassion place that they might only come out to once a year,” said Andrew Guthrie, general manager of Sovereign, fine dining featuring steaks, chops, and seafood at ilani in Ridgefield.
“As a manager, I’m always looking to make people’s experiences as good as possible,” Guthrie said. “You don’t know if they saved up all year for this opportunity.”
Sovereign officially opened in June at the casino, taking over the space that was formerly Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse.
Beyond the fine dining experience, with traditional food and wine from the Northwest, the opening of Sovereign is a major transition for the Cowlitz Indian Tribe.
You see, when ilani opened in 2017, all of the restaurants were run by outside agencies, including Michael Jordan’s Steak House.
“In my five years that I’ve been with the casino, I’ve seen the food and beverage department grow,” Guthrie said. “They’ve been growing in anticipation of taking over all of the restaurants. When the tribe opened the casino, they didn’t know how to run restaurants. All the restaurants were originally outsourced. Now, the casino is established and we have a much stronger food and beverage department.”
The name fits perfectly, he added.
“Our name describes how we feel. They are a sovereign nation and they want this restaurant to be a sovereign entity,” Guthrie said. “I think the name speaks to where the tribe is going. They are a sovereign people and they can do things themselves.”
Guthrie, a longtime industry expert, has worked at several restaurants at ilani. Now, he leads the team at Sovereign.
The feedback from the change has been positive, Guthrie said. In fact, in early September, Sovereign had its best weekend. Still, there were folks who appreciated Michael Jordan’s Steak House. Brand recognition is an uphill battle for any new entity. With Jordan’s or a Ruth’s Chris, people know exactly what those are, just from the names.
Guthrie, though, said standing alone can also be a draw to the dining public.
“I’m really confident that once we get them through the door, we can introduce them to Sovereign,” Guthrie said.
“Now we are trying to get the word out. ‘Hey’s there’s a new name in town. It’s called Sovereign, and it’s run by the Cowlitz people.’”
When we tried Sovereign earlier this month, we had the Sovereign Filet Flight, featuring a trio of Wagyu, elk, and buffalo tenderloins. We also had Sovereign Cedar Plank Salmon. The sides were just as delicious.
The restaurant’s ambience creates an even better dining experience. A musician performs on a piano in the bar, and the dining area is divided into sections. There is also a more secluded dining area for guests who want a more private setting.
According to a press release from ilani, “Sovereign is more than a name and represents self-determination and a deep connection to the land, water, and traditional food systems of the Pacific Northwest. Rooted in this spirit, Sovereign delivers not only an elevated dining experience but also a deeper sense of place, cultural connection, and pride.”
Beyond the steak offerings, Sovereign offers such fine dining options such as Lobster Thermidor, sea scallops, salmon, lamb chops and more.
The restaurant also has maintained some traditional concepts from Michael Jordan’s, for a date-night experience. There are three-course meals designed for couples on Tomahawk Tuesday and Surf-and-Turf Sunday.
Sovereign is open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. For additional information and reservations, visit: ilaniresort.com
