Christine Mersch | Enquirer contributor

CINCINNATI.COM (May 12, 2005) - I predict the Red Star Tavern in Mason will be this summer's new hot spot. This trendy restaurant offers big, comfy seats inside for relaxed dining, a fully stocked bar with big screen TVs, and a quiet outside patio, complete with a circular fire pit.

It's that last seating option my boyfriend and I chose on a recent Friday night. We arrived about 6 p.m., and while there was no wait for a table, there were quite a few other diners.

The entrées' prices threatened to break our budget, so we decided to split one and order side dishes to tide us over. All sides cost $2.95, including Grilled Asparagus, Lemon Garlic Broccoli and Parmesan Au Gratin. My date ordered a Caesar salad, which was fairly large and came with tasty cornbread croutons. I chose a Roasted Sweet Potato that came perfectly cooked with an ample amount of butter melting inside.

For our entrée, we shared the Rigatoni ($12.95), a Red Star specialty. The sizeable pasta dish came with braised beef tenderloin, mushrooms, roasted peppers, spinach and tomatoes in a red wine sauce. Our waitress split the meal into two bowls without us asking, which was a pleasant bonus. The dish was packed with vegetables and pasta, so it was the perfect summer meal.

Tucked into the new Deerfield Towne Center, this restaurant offers plenty of opportunity for people watching. The two of us ate slowly, taking note of the wide variety of customers, including a pair of elderly diners, a family of four and a couple who chatted nervously on what seemed to be their first date.

The food reflects this variety. There are plenty of old favorites and contemporary delights. More traditional meals include French Onion Soup ($5.95), a 10-ounce London Broil ($17.95) and Key Lime Pie ($5.95). New dishes to try are the Pot Roast Sliders ($7.95) - a pile of shredded beef, crispy onions and mashed potatoes, cooked with Parmesan and horseradish, served atop buns. The restaurant also serves its own house barbecue sauce, so make sure to sample a half slab of the Baby Back Ribs ($11.95; full rack $18.95).

"Red Star is a classy place to watch the game and grab a bite to eat," says Joe Burling, a 25-year-old resident of West Chester Township and avid Reds fan. The area "needs more places like this."

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