Things are, apparently, happening. And if you followed us on Twitter you'd already know that Spokane has Italy fever!

First, Italia Trattoria has opened! Former Luna chef Anna Vogel is helming the Italian restaurant in the former Marron building. The word "authentic" has been thrown around, which certainly is a good thing, though we will wait and see for ourselves. Spokane doesn't have a history of much in terms of Italian authenticity.

Speaking of faux-Italian that goes better with our Olive Garden past, Ciao Mambo is opening in the Lincoln Plaza building downtown. You'll likely be pretty pleased if you've been looking for a new spot to hate. With a slogan like "Where even the pasta is sexy!" and "Italian Nachos" are proudly displayed as a signature dish... Well... Lord help us all... Look at the image above... Is that Italian and sexy? Is that what we've come to? Seriously.

But hey, they can always prove me wrong. There's a first for everything!

Well, tie me down and call me a fan.

It seems like someone should have thought of this before. Mixing coconut and porter? Something like that simply has to work. It's in the law of nature! (Look it up.)

It pours dark -- shocking, I know -- with about a finger worth of thick head. The lacing retains pretty well. This is a nice aromatic beer: Chocolates and possibly coffee meet your nose straight from the pour.

The surprise, to me at least, came in the flavor. It might be the coconut that gives off strong hints of smokiness, but really, I hadn't expected it. Not that it sits heavy or anything -- there's more of a creamy chocolate flavor to it -- but it's definitely there. There's a mild hoppy flavor at the end of the flavor too.

This might not be the most crazy complex porter out there, but as far as a refreshing porter, I can't think of many that would compete with the CoCoNut Porter. Seeing how it's really quite warm outside, I'd say that's a good thing.

Run out and try one at The Lantern or get a can from Rocket. Unless you're one of those anti-consumer Gen Y-ers of course.

Once upon a time, before the De Leons and Tumbras of the world, Rancho Chico was considered by many to be the Mexican place in town. I can sort of see why, seeing the competition at the time wasn't stellar.

And it's not that I don't like Rancho Chico. I kinda do. I don't love it, but the spot has a certain charm. Their steak special -- something akin to a steak ranchero -- wasn't too bad. The steak was a bit chewy, and there wasn't tons of flavor to the whole thing mind you, though the refried beans were good, if you're OK with lard. In other words, they aren't vegetarian friendly. 

I sampled Top That's burrito which was of the vegetarian type, and it wasn't too bad. Not spectacular or a flavor kick or anything, but definitely fresh tasting, which is just OK with me.

Rancho Chico isn't particularly exciting. But I suppose like many have their favorite old diner, this is a place where you can go for a type of comfort food. That's certainly acceptable. For quality Mexican, though, you'd be better off with De Leon or Tumbras or Guerrero or El Mercado del Pueblo or Michoacana or...

We're not huge fans of Chaps here at Team SpoCOOL, but we are happy to see Gina Garcia, formerly of BitterSweet Bakery, rocking it up in their new bakery, Cake.

And the baked goods are great, there are no doubts about that. The maple-pecan scone is perfectly baked with a nice sweet maple frosting, and you must literally be dead if you don't like the chocolate croissants. It's buttery, it's flakey, it's chocolatey, and all in all pretty amazing.

You know what you'll get if you've been to BitterSweet. Excellent baked goods.

There are issues though. With its newly expanded space -- which looks somewhat more French than the original Chaps' theme -- comes a lot of new customers, and that's all well and good, but it also seems to overwhelm the staff. During our visit it didn't seem like the right hand knew what the left was doing, and the line grew longer than it should. Seeing there's a counter where you place your order, there should be little reason for this to happen.

On a personal note, I've never been too into the crowd you see there either. It's all very "see and be seen." That I can pass on.

Your best bet is to grab the pastries to go. They're good. Very good. And nothing can take that away from them. 

We have talked a lot about JB's and so we will talk some more. Because it's awesome.

The storefront looks like that of a minimart, largely because it is. In fact the division of the interiors is quite interesting. On one side you will find your selection of the Natty Ices of the world, where unassuming patrons will discuss their latest baby-mama drama and how their dealer was busted. Truly. It happened last time I was there.

The other half, though, is beer-Nirvana. I swear, every time I go in there the craft brew selection grows. I don't know if it's by magic or not, but I'll take it either way. There are aisles of bombers (22 oz bottles), many which aren't seen any other place in Spokane. The owners head west at regular intervals and bring back some bottles that can be harder to track down on this side of the state. Reserves and special editions are plentiful.

Smaller bottles, of different sizes, and cans are also plentiful, and mix and match six packs are encouraged. 

The juxtaposition of run-down minimart hell and craft brew heaven makes JB's one of the more interesting stores in town. It also has the largest beer selection up north, and possibly in town.

Excellent store.

Avery is a brewery most beer enthusiasts should be familiar with. I can't remember ever having a bad ale from them, and flavor kicks always sit in the front seat. 

The DuganA IPA is no different. It pours a deep gold color with a nice creamy head, almost two fingers. Excellent lacing. 

A quick whiff reveals that this is going to be hoppy. Very hoppy. Floral and citrus scents are also abound. Give it a sip and the hops kick right in. This is bitter stuff, and not for those who aren't into the super hoppy stuff. A few more sips also reveal a good deal more depth. Oranges and possibly toffee lingers once you get used to the bitterness.

At 8.5% ABV this is a pretty strong ale, but I didn't find it boozy at all. That's a good thing.

Highly recommended IPA.

... but, and I have whined about this before, very few people seem to consider waitering much of a career in these parts. And by "these parts" I mean pretty much all of the US outside of larger cities like NYC or LA or whatever.

Hey, it is what it is I suppose and common sense and general friendliness can frankly push any server to a good level. Yet there are just a few basics I miss when I visit local restaurants -- some, like Latah Bistro and Sante, are often exceptions -- and I wouldn't be me if I didn't list them here. They might seem minor, but they truly can make a difference for a diner's experience. Trust me. I know these things. I have a blog.

• Pour wine or whatever from the guest's right side. It's just easier than leaning over the plate and a bit more elegant than the age-old "could you pass me your glass?".
• Likewise, serve plates from the right side. If you serve from a dish onto a plate already on the table, serve from the left. 
• When one guest has finished his or her meal, for the sake of everything that's good and holy, don't remove their plates. Wait until everybody at the table is done. This is one I don't get why people can't understand. Removing individual plates at different times interrupts the other guests and pretty much says "Hey! Hurry up!" 
• And finally, this one is for the guests, but can assist the server. If you place your utensils down when you're not finished eating, point them toward the center, fork on the left (approximately 7 or 8 o'clock position) and knife on the right (approximately 5 or 4 o'clock position). When you're done, place the fork and knife in the 5 or 4 o'clock position. Teeth point down and the blade points inward in both cases. This way you discreetly tell the waiter you're done.

That's four. Well, three and a half. There are many more, I'm sure, but I do think something as simple as this really makes for a happier dining experience for both customers and staff.

The Spokesman and The Inlander are falling over eachother writing about "pop-up restaurants" and lovely all the coverage is. This type of dining has been the rage in places like NYC for a bit now, and Spokane has actually jumped on the bandwagon at a fairly early time, at least with our previous timeliness taken into consideration. (That is, not very timely at all.)

It's great that these people who are taking chances are getting some mainstream exposure. If the chefs mentioned in these articles could make some money off the events, then hey, awesome. Yet when some people have been calling Ghetto Gourmand an "underground" dining experience, my mind started wandering.

The events mentioned in the articles -- Pop-Up (where I borrowed the photo from), 15, Ghetto Gourmand, and Wandering Table -- are, of course, not underground. Nor do I think they want to be, which is understandable. I, like  you, have had the chance to experience all of them -- though we only ventured out to Pop-Up -- and with the exposure they're now getting, they're close to being as commercial as a conventional restaurant. Again, there's nothing wrong with that, but it would be fun if Spokane had a true "underground" (and I do hate that word, but whatever) restaurant, i.e. a place that truly popped up at random times and location only available through speakeasy channels as opposed to mass e-mails and the region's largest newspaper.

These events are great, don't get me wrong, but to get a true dining-out-culture, I think we need something more mythical. True "underground" events don't receive media coverage, hence the name. It'd be fun to see that here.

As for the more upscale events mentioned above, I'm sure the food is extraordinary at each of them. (15 dishes by Sante? Come on...) I do, however, feel that these events serve more of a "see and be seen" purpose. Again, there's nothing wrong with that, but I, personally, am not a fan of those kind of things. I'd rather walk into Sante, pay up for a 5 or 7 or whatever course meal, and have them cook whatever they feel like. (And they do, it is even encouraged.) 

Wound an "underground" event bee all about "see and be seen"? Possibly. Probably, even. But I'm guessing on a lesser event than something that was mass publicized weeks before the event.

I suppose the really great thing that's coming from Pop-Up and 15 and its ilk is that we now have options ranging outside of our standard brick and mortar restaurant where we can get everything from burgers to fifteen course gourmet dinners. That is really awesome and it is extremely beneficial for the dining culture in Spokane. Now if we can get options that are really underground -- some have existed in the past, and probably still do, on smaller levels -- then I feel we have taken an important additional step.

Of course, maybe the underground events do flourish and I just don't know about them. Egg on my face if so!

OK, so Spokane might not be a haven for Italian restaurants, but there are a few bright spots. Mission Bistro, for example, delivers pasta cooked to perfection with an excellent marinera sauce. The former, especially, is important to me. Way too many places in town, be it upscale restaurants or quick-fix Olive Garden clones, steers clear of al dente noodles and instead go for mushy goopy messes. Why that is, I don't know. But the fact that Mission Bistro actually cooks their pasta perfectly is enough reason to recommend it for me.

Luckily there's more to the spot than that. Their stromboli -- a dish some claim was created in Spokane (I won't go in to it here, but I doubt what we now call "stromboli" actually was from here) -- is excellent. The crust is piping hot and has a wonderful texture. Dip it in the aforementioned marinera, and you got something good going.

What pushes Mission Bistro into the "excellent" territory, though, is the bread pudding dessert. Many places in town serve good ones, heck both Latah Bistro and Sante do them excellently, but this is probably the best in town. This is the stuff you'd expect a homemade Italian bread pudding to taste like. And that is good, in all its sweet gooeyness.

I don't know if Mission Bistro will transport you straight to the Mediterranean or not, but on the strength of the doneness of the pasta -- which you can also buy in bulk -- and the bread pudding, I'd have a hard time finding a reason not to recommend this spot. 

When the summer hits -- and I think it has, but I'm not about to let my guard down -- you can't go far wrong with an IPA, at least if you're a hop kind of guy/gal.

With a name like Hop Czar I definitely had certain expectations of Bridgeport's ale. And it is certainly is a good beer, just not quite as hoppy as the name suggests.

It pours a nice copper color with about a finger of semi-creamy head. The glass is laced fairly well. Give it a whiff and it smells extremely florally. The hops are definitely there.

Sip it, and the floral impression carries over with a mild citric hoppy flavor. It's definitely good and refreshing, but nowhere as hoppy as I had expected from a beer called the Hop Czar. Imperial IPAs tend to have a bit more kick than this.

Still. It is what it is, and it tastes good. It's a good ale for the summertime. Recommended for your rotation.

Yumsugar has a small post about about Bi-Rite's odd but great ice cream flavors. Strawberry balsamic in particular sounds good.

This is a good reminder that you should probably run over to Sante and try their rose water based ice cream, particularly paired with their baklava. It makes for some good Middle Eastern-ish type dessert. And you probably want to try their risotto too.

See, we can also make short posts!

Some people spend much of the summer in Hawaii, others in Milan. We're just so gosh darn local here at SpoCOOL that we have spent a lot of time in the Paris of the Inland Northwest, Pullman.

And honestly, when stuck spending time in Pullman, you probably should spend some time at Cafe Moro. I mean, why wouldn't you? Not only do they pull DOMA coffee, they pull it well. 

This is, from the top of my head, one of the few places in the Inland Northwest where you can get Cafe Cubanos. And they're pretty dang good too, as long as you're ready for an espresso/sugar rush. I personally haven't been to Cuba, but as the Top That has, I will take her word that this is a Cubano worth trying. And even if you don't give a damn about authenticity, I can vouch for its quality: It is excellent.

Moro stays open late most days, and has a limited menu of food. They also have a couple of taps, one dedicated to local Palouse Falls Brewing Company. There are also a handful of bottles to choose from.

I like Cafe Moro. It's a good place to kick back and hang out. The coffee is excellent. Consider me a fan.

If you like drinking, traveling, and comedy, you can't go far wrong with Zane Lamprey's Three Sheets, currently running on the Travel Channel. Soon, his new show, Drinking Made Easy, will be premiering on HDNet, and Lamprey is currently on a comedy tour in promotion of the show. On Thursday he will be performing in Spokane, which could potentially be all kinds of awesome. 

About $30 for a ticket, including fees, how can you go wrong?

Steer Inn on Market is changing. Sorta. They still have their burgers, and I suppose they've had Italian fare for a while, but now they have a new name on a large sign. And the Italian portion of the menu has been expanded.

The Ferraros claim to have the best spaghetti and meatballs in town. I can't vouch for the spaghetti, but the meatballs are very good. Not sure if they're best in town or not, but good all the same. 

I tried the meatball sandwich with cheese. The bread was better than many sandwich shops around town -- I'm looking disapprovingly in Sparky's direction -- and the marinera sauce had a nice tangy sweetness to it. In a sense I suppose the cheese was superflous, as the flavor of the gently spiced meatballs and sauce overpowered it, but what can you do... Save the 50 cents next time, go without, and you have a sandwich under $5. Not too bad.

There's a drivethrough still, and the interiors are fast-food style, just with roses on the table, which, frankly, is kind of like trying to plant petunias around Tchernobyl.

Regardless.

I'm not sure if Tony Ferraro's is what legends are made of, but it's certainly good enough for a quick lunch stop. You're probably not going to be taken back to your days in Brooklyn or Napoli or whatever, but approach the spot with an open mind and it's decidedly a good quick stop for a sandwich.

And who knows, maybe the spaghetti really is the best in town? We might have to find out at some other time. 

Continuing our "when in Pullman" tripping series, one spot you really can't go wrong with is Cougar Country Drive-In. My Pullman knowledge might be rudimentary at best, and this is probably be a spot I'd skip past had I not had an experienced guide with me. It looks a bit... worn down... on the outside. You know. In best Zip's fashion.

The burgers, thankfully, are nothing like Zip's. Here you get nice sesame seed buns and meat that tastes like it actually might be of a decent enough quality. Tomatoes and lettuce and cheese tops it, and all in all it's a simple and good burger. Add some fries-sauce and you actually have what would be a stereotypical Norwegian fast food burger. True fact.

If you're vegetarian there are also a couple of options for you, including a vegan BOCA burger.

Also, the turtle cyclone makes a pretty sweet dessert.

Cougar Country is a pretty laidback drive-in, and it's not something I'd travel miles and miles to eat at. Like, I wouldn't drive to Pullman exclusively for their burgers. When in Pullman, though, Cougar Country serves up some truly great burgers. I kinda wish we had this spot in Spokane.

I like Stone's ales. They keep the same quality as Deschutes, sometimes even exceeding the Oregon brewery, yet are a whole lot cheaper. Pick up a Stone reserve and it will run you half the price.

Oaked Arrogant Bastard is not a special reserve, but it's definitely special. In the way that it's good. It is, not surprisingly, similar to the regular Arrogant Bastard, but aged with oak chips. This gives it a bit deeper of a flavor.

It pours to a nice head that is slightly tanned, with a deep slightly amber color. The nose is pretty sweet, possibly with hints of brandy and citrus.

The flavor is kind of heavenly. This is an incredibly drinkable beer: The oak leaves hints of smokiness to the flavor, with a nice citric taste to it. It's hoppy, but not in a crazy manner, and incredibly refreshing. A nice bitterness lingers for a bit.

It's too high on alcohol to be a session beer -- 7.2% ABV -- but grab a couple for sipping on the porch, and you'll have a good summer.

Main Market is regrouping in the face of dwindling sales, says the Spokesman-Review:

John Grollmus, chairman of the co-op board, said he and his board colleagues realized sales were falling well below projections after the initial excitement.

Well, yes, this isn't too surprising to those of us who go there regularly. I mean, it's nice to have the place to ourselves and all, but an empty store is, if my high-school business teacher taught me correctly, a long walk off a short pier. Year of Plenty suggests the Rocket Market owners should run the co-op, something which certainly can be discussed any which way, but, really, there's no denying Main Market has been poorly managed up until now, from the board down. I realize that's an unpopular opinion among some, but there you go.

Almost six months after its soft opening, Main Market still feels like it's only halfway open. There are plenty of empty shelves, and a large chunk of the staff... Well, I'm sure they're lovely people, but your local IGA employee is more professional. This is not good.

I earlier mentioned we go to Main Market regularly, but that regularity is waning. Rocket Market and Huckleberry's both carry a better variety of products, even at better prices and a staff of higher standards.

I really do want to like the co-op. Heck, I do like it, but I can't help but feel the required changes that need to be made are coming in way too slowly. Knock on wood, and let's hope this lingering teething process will end soon.

Make that score a bit lower if you're going for the food. Go for the beer selection, though, and Waddell's is pretty glorious.

I'm not too into strip mall eateries, but hat off to Waddell's for actually giving the feeling of being in a real sport bar with focus on ales. Basically this is what kicking boy Post St Ale House should be. More than 20 handles, often rotated, all pouring quality ales.

I tried Ninkasi's Believer -- one of two Ninkasis available on tap at the time -- and good it was during a World Cup game. And this is a good place to watch the World Cup. Waddell's feels like a mix of a British pub and American bar, and both come together well. Sit at the bar, a booth, or regular table, and you should always have one of their many widescreens in view. All while drinking good beer.

The food isn't quite as awesome. My spicy chicken sandwich wasn't particularly spicy and the pasta salad was drenched in its dressing. Not cool. I wouldn't go here for the food alone, though I'm sure the appetizers would go well with the ales.

Waddell's, then, is a great place for a beer. Go there for that.

One thing we were contemplating during our recent Flying Goat visit was that many places in town wants to be some-other-place-style establishment. That restaurant called itself an "Ireland- or Scotland-type pub," which, of course, are two countries that instantly come to mind when you think pizza...

Checkerboard Tavern describes itself as a "taste of Britain," and numerous spots will brag they're styled after something you'd find in Seattle or Portland.

Now, I get that dining out is a good way to be transported somewhere else, but very few, if any, spots seem to want to be the quintessential Inland Northwest-style spot. Many restaurants, of course, use local ingredients and what not, but in terms of a mix of decor, ambiance and cooking -- the whole experience -- restaurants seem to have at least one foot outside the region.

That is in many ways understandable, and it's easy to throw out suggestions on a funny little website like this, but I can't help but think that for Spokane to really grow up, it needs to embrace the region it's in. This is a town that is a mix of rural and urban -- rurban -- and I'd love to see a restaurant that would tout that.

I'm talking not just local ingredients, but local style cooking, possibly based on game meat, local brews, wine and coffee, and typical Inland Northwest decor and ambiance.

The only spot I can think of that comes close is G W Hunters in Post Falls, though that place is little more than a glorified diner. Props, though, for not calling it "Montana-style" or something equally lame.

Again, it's obviously extremely easy to throw this out there. But whatever. This area is growing up, and I'd hate to see it relegated to Portland-lite status in people's minds.

Well, what do you know? A Redhook ale that doesn't suck? It has been a while, but here we go.

It pours a copper color with some head that's not particular thick. There is some lacing. A sniff reveals a pleasant sweet smell. 

The taste is quite good. If you don't like IPAs ou won't like this, and that's good as far as IPAs go. It's hoppy, not crazily so, but definitely a decent kick. There's also a mild citrus flavor which gives this a nice drinkability. At almost 9% ABV it's not a session beer, but it's a good outside sipping beer for the (alleged) summer. 

It's about friggin' time Redhook did something good again. I have taken their past few ales as personal insults. Here's hoping the Woodinville brewery will aim at making more beers like this, as opposed to their current dumbed down offerings.

(How's that for ending on a sour note?!)

There’s no doubt that disease and ill-health are rampant today because we don’t eat the right food and our lives are more sedentary today. We don’t make time to exercise, we eat anything that’s available in a jiffy whether it’s healthy or not, and we work ourselves to death. The problem with not eating right is that we think that healthy food cannot be delicious and vice versa. If it tastes good, we assume that it cannot be good for the body. But that’s another food myth that must be busted, so if you’re one among the many who think that healthy and delicious cannot find place in the same sentence, read on for a list of foods that are music to both your tongue and your health:

• Lean meat on wholegrain breads: The key to eating meat and feeling healthy is to choose low fat options like chicken, turkey and fish. The poultry is rich is protein while fish like salmon and tuna are beneficial for your heart because they contain Omega 3 fatty acids which prevent cholesterol from clogging up your arteries. Prepare chicken or fish meals with wholegrain bread or pasta or brown rice, all of which are healthy forms of carbohydrate that provide adequate fuel for your body without adding on extra pounds.
• Fresh fruits: There’s nothing like fresh fruits and vegetables to pack a punch in terms of nutrients, but since most of us detest vegetables unless it’s some form of potato, turn to fruits for your daily dose of nutrition, vitamins and minerals. Eat more of the fruits you love, less of those you can tolerate, but ensure that your home is always stocked with colorful, delicious and healthy fruit options. If you’re not too hungry, eat just fruits instead of a full meal. And if you’re in the mood for variety, blend a few different fruits for a delicious cocktail you can drink down with crushed ice.
• Eggs: If anyone were to ask me, this would be my choice for the food of the Gods. An egg can be eaten in many different ways, each one vying to be the most delicious among the rest. You can choose how you want to eat this humble food – boiled, fried, poached, scrambled, as an omelet, and in many other ways. Eggs are rich sources of protein and make great meals all by themselves. Start your day with a couple of scrambled eggs or make your lunch a cheese and mushroom omelet sprinkled with fresh herbs – they’re both nutritious and delicious. And if you’re worried about the cholesterol, eat just the whites.
• Nuts: Almonds, cashews, walnuts, pistachios – they’re all high in calories and delicious, two reasons enough to be avoided you would think. But no, they’re actually good for you. They’re the kind of good fats that your body needs. They make great snacks because they energize and keep hunger away. The only thing you need to remember is to avoid the salt and limit your quantity.
• Frozen yoghurt: If your sweet tooth cannot be denied and you cannot stop with just one small scoop of ice cream or a tiny slice of cake, then frozen yoghurts are your best friend – blend frozen berries with some yoghurt, freeze for a while, and voila – you have a tasty and healthy dessert.

This guest post is contributed by Shannon Wills, she writes on the topic of Physical Therapy Assistant. She welcomes your comments at her email id: shannonwills23@gmail.com.

Well, we're fans.

Spokane has always been a pizza kind of town, though more Rita and Pipeline fast-food style than anything else. Hey, Bennidito's is good and all, but it's no Di Fara.

The Flying Goat might not be Di Fara either, but it's closer than most places in town, and the pizza is of a quality only a handful of Spokane parlors hold. Think of it as Audubon's South Perry Pizza, and you're close; they even use a Wood Stove oven.

And the pizza is excellent stuff. The thin crust is crispy with just a perfect bite to it, and it comes with high quality toppings. The mushrooms did remind me of Di Fara, which is a good thing. There's a good array of pizzas to choose from, some odder than others. While we didn't try the one with an egg over medium, the bianco, it's on my list of Spokane Bucket List Meals. I highly doubt you can go wrong with any of the pies at any rate. Nor the appetizers. Our potatoes, pictured above, were nice and spicy.

The beer selection, too, holds a high standard, and the Horned Aviator, their Northern Light exclusive, should be sampled for all its hoppiness.

Finally, the interiors are nice, but I'm not quite seeing the "Irish/Scottish" influences. Which brings the question, what's so wrong with going for an Inland Northwest look?

At any rate... The Flying Goat makes an excellent pizza. Expect long lines when making your way there. The pizza is worth the wait.

Pretty much the worst label ever, but not a shabby summer ale at all.

I'm a fan of the Ponderay brewery's cream ale, and adding huckleberries to the mix seems like a pretty logical step to make it more summery.

The result is good. It pours with an extremely creamy head, and I can't recall an ale in recent memory  that has laced the glass quite as nicely as the Huckleberry Cream. The smell reveals, shockingly enough, cream and huckleberries. 

Flavor wise, though, the cream dominates. This isn't miles away from Laughing Dog's standard Cream Ale, just with a tart aftertaste. It could be argued that'd be enough, and it probably is, even though it's not extremely exciting.

With all that said, it's an extremely drinkable beer. It's also refreshing. So while the excitement level might be a bit muted, I definitely see this one as part of the summer rotation. Nice one.

This is take two for Atilano's, a place I decided to give a second chance after a change in ownership.

I don't know if the kitchen has changed or not, but I have an inkling that it has. Atilano's Gone is the flavorless bland food of yore, and in its place you will find what the owners label true "San Diego Mexican." To me it seems like they've succeeded.

The menu is still longer than a Stephen King novel, and that's OK with me. As far as I'm concerned this is "good food done fast" -- the drive-through is still there -- and it's kind of fun to have a vast strange selection. Particularly seeing the competition up the street from the Inlander reader's second "best late-night food," Taco Bell. By our last check, Atilano's still is open until midnight.

The important part here, though, is that the food now is both good and reasonable. For $4 I tried a chile relleno burrito, and it was very good. Stuffed with Mexican cheese and a nice spicy pepper, as well as rice and beans, it might not give De Leon or Tumbras a run for their money, but it was still good Mexican-style comfort food. It was also rather large, so hey, bang for the buck and all that.

A comeback story is always good, and Atilano's has definitely come back from being dull. Hopefully you didn't have an excuse to go to Taco Bell before, but if you did, there's no longer any reason to go there. In terms of late-night drive-through Mexican, Atilano's is quite good.

(Alternate title: "A short rant about restaurants, reviews, blogs, and comments.")

It's not like it's a national secret or anything, how many restaurants will bend over backward to get positive reviews on the webs. Some do it in a better manner than others; putting out a little encouragement isn't exactly dishonest, just pushy in an obnoxious manner.

Some places, like Brooklyn Pizza Company in Tucson, AZ, meanwhile, go the more douche-y route...

If you're at all curious why our restaurant database closed down, it was largely because friends, family, and, even worse, owners of local restaurants spammed the site with glowing reviews under fake names. Note the plural there. Multiple reviews under different names. More often than not from the same IP address. Seriously, people.

These fake reviews rarely give a crap restaurant more than a few extra gasps of breath. People will make up their own minds. Granted, the way they make up their minds are often wrong -- Clinkerdagger's is still doing well last time I checked, proving there is such a thing as a wrong opinion -- which is why we're still posting our own reviews here. You know. On a personal blog. You might not agree with what we have to say, which is fine.

We've also gone the way of mostly turning off comments. Scroll down to the last third of this excellent post on Daring Fireball to learn why. You can still easily communicate with us on Twitter or even send us a blog post. We'd probably post it. 

Or, you know, start your own blog. Soap boxes are awesome.

So let's just get it out of the way. Our opinion about De Leon. I might not be religious, but if there is a heaven, I imagine De Leon's deli would be pretty close to what it'd be like. 

Be it their crazy good guisados or just the tortillas, you truly can't go wrong here. You know this, of course, because you've visited either their north or downtown location more times than you can count. If you haven't, you're dead to me. In fact, if you haven't, you've never really lived. Go grab their brisket and beans -- Friday special downtown -- and you will get it. It's love for the mouth and stomach.

And of course, it's when you get the rare specials that you really live. The huevos rancheros, last seen during the Mexico World Cup game downtown, is a good example. A special spicy salsa and beans with chorizo. It's an epiphany and it should be embraced.

I maintain the market part of El Mercado del Pueblo is marginally better than De Leon, but as far as the deli goes, nothing in town beats De Leon. It rivals the best Mexican food I've had anywhere else for that matter.

De Leon = awesome and a half. But again, you already knew that.

Pullman might not be the most exciting spot on the planet for anybody not in college anymore. Should you find your way there, though, you could definitely find worse things to do than kicking it back with a Palouse Falls Brewing Company ale at Rico's.

I gave the Kamiak IPA a shot, and a surprisingly good beer it was. It poured a copper red color with a nice thick one finger head, and laced the glass just fine. The nose had some sweetness to it alongside the more predictable hops.

A taste quickly revealed a surprising maltiness. The hops were there, definitely, but the maltiness kind of made the overall mouthfeel a bit lighter that I had initially expected. This is not something I consider a bad thing; I could see Kamiak being an excellent summer IPA. I found it to be very drinkable at least.

I'm not sure where to find Palouse Falls brews in Spokane. Northern Lights used to have one handle, but I'm not sure if that's still the case.

Should you find yourself down in the Pullman area, there are definitely worse things to drink than the Kamiak.

Well, there were plenty of good entries, but in the end, we decided that...

Wait for it...

Ashley was the winner! We will be sending you an e-mail sometime this weekend. 

Her ten reasons for loving Sante were:

1. Chitarra pasta, seriously the best dish I have ever eaten. 
2. Forgetting about amuse bouche, and then being thrilled at their arrival. 
3. Goat Cheese crespella. There is nothing more to say here.
4. Bringing the cured meats, such as pastrami or mortadella, to family functions and treating my father to some of his old favorites.
5. Best patio seating in Spokane. 
6. A whole menu for my vegetarian husband, not just a few options (NOT tofu stir fry or portabella mushroom, finally!)
7. Of course, knowing that I am supporting a local food network. 
8. While enjoying my meal, watching a farmer carry in cartons of fresh eggs.
9. Rotating local artwork. 
10. Giant cups of wonderful coffee with endless refills.   

You can shout and you can beg, but there's no escape: The World Cup starts tomorrow, marking the one month every four years America halfway pays attention to something the rest of the world cares about sports-wise. I mean with pearls like this about Drogba's broken arm...

The level of football would only diminish with his loss. I haven't watched enough EPL this year to know whether he is a whiner or diver, but I know that he is a great goal scorer and hope he makes it.

... it is obvious that football fever is sweeping the nation. For the uninitiated, Drogba is a douche with a douche-y haircut playing for the Premier League's douchiest team.

My point here is that if you care about the game, then gloating in the face of injured players isn't just recommended, it's required.

And now I will step down from my pedestal.

There are plenty of places to watch the games, and most of them include good food and drinks.

Tomorrow's opener starts at 7am and features a talented but flawed Mexico taking on an unproven South Africa. It should be an entertaining match, and here are a few spots showing it:

• Heroes & Legends will be serving breakfast burritos and Bloody Marys. Frankly, what better way watching Mexico is there when you throw De Leon into the mix? Doors open at 6:30am.
• The Checkerboard is, of course, part of the "International District" World Cup extravaganza, and will kick it off with "International District blend coffee, Breakfast sandwiches, Bagel & cream cheese, breakfast burritos, Orange juice, V-8 juice, beer with Clamato, $7 pitchers." Doors also open at 6:30am.
• The Satellite will open their lounge for a World Cup "breakfast club" at 7am. (I'm assuming doors open a bit before that.)
• The Blue Spark has $3 Carlsberg, which, as a sponsor of Liverpool, I'm not OK with. Go for the $3 mimosas instead.

Most of these these spots will have events going for the majority of the games.

The US plays its first game on Saturday at 11:30am against an English side that might be the most talented team in the tournament, but also the one with the biggest egos. Hence why '66 likely won't happen again, and the US stands a good chance at beating them.

For whatever reason, Huckleberry's seems to have a bad rep within certain groups. Maybe it's because of the natural market's Rosauers association or maybe the aforementioned groups don't appreciate the finer things in life. Maybe it's because their local selection, while definitely decent, is not on par with Main Market. My bet it's a little of all, and I personally don't find that much of a reason to hate the store.

Huckleberry's, of course, is booming, and is pretty much the standard of natural foods here in Spokane. Really, it is for a good reason. Their selection is pretty dang excellent, and if you have any interest in high quality perishables, you will find it here. The array is quite something, and should a Whole Foods eventually come to town, I think Huckleberry's could hold its own.

The beer and wine selection is stellar, easily among the best in Spokane, and you'll find one of the better picks of Washington and Oregon micros here. Organic boxed items are also plentiful.

But really, if you're reading this site (god knows why!) you already know this. And you have already made your mind up. If you can live with buying meat that's from a little bit further out than what would be strictly classified as a locavore radius, then there are few things you can really criticize Huckleberry's for. I mean, really, the place is pretty classy.

Not that the colors of the exterior should make much of a difference, but more stylish as the tan might be, I preferred the pink. It was kind of a landmark. A garish landmark, sure, but a landmark all the same.

That aside, I do think Dolly's at least looks better after its makeover, particularly as far as the interiors go. The food, too, is actually pretty decent stuff. My omelet was nicely cooked -- eggs still fluffy and what not -- and was served with a Hollandaise sauce that probably didn't come straight from a bag. (Though probably pre-prepared by URM or something, but hey, this is a diner after all.)

The vegetables also weren't bad, and some jalapenos added a bit of kick to the whole dish. It'd probably make for a good hangover cure too, if that's what you're in the market for.

A quick sample of Top That's pancake was also good. Nice and fluffy, and definitely of a higher quality than many diners.

Add to that a good and quick service, and say Dolly's is a very good diner. I wouldn't wade through ten feet of snow to get there, but would possibly consider braving some summer showers. 

Dolly's is a-OK with me.

Of all the chain stores people want in town, I'm still not sold on Trader Joe's being the ultimate pick. I mean, I get it. It's cheap and good and all, but you can find substitutes for most anything they carry at places like Huckleberry's and Main Market.

Oil & Vinegar is a franchise you might be able to find replacements for as far as products go, but possibly not for the experience. I mean, it's the little things. You're greeted by a lit up wall with dozens of glass containers containing various types of olive oil. To me, that says "class," and I think Spokane could do with a bit more of that.

You can pick up a number of different containers and have them filled with your choice of oil. If you want to mix oils then that's possible too. Granted, this might be be fluff to those who prefer just picking up a pre-packaged bottle. Whatever. Time to live a little!

There's a bunch of other things to try out too, all Oil & Vinegar branded. Particularly their bruschetta spice mix is good for lazy days. Mix it with some water and olive oil and add some tomatoes, and there you go. Very tasty.

The olive oil is good too. We went with the unfiltered Spanish one, which at $6 for 200ml is nicely priced for its quality. Sure there are better oils out there, but as far as bang for the buck goes, Oil & Vinegar is great.

There are only six franchises in the US, with three of them are located in the Northwest, so it's hard to call Oil & Vinegar overly corporate. And even if they were, who cares? I mean, really? They deliver good products and add a bit of class to town. I think we're in need of both.

For whatever reason there seem to be quite a few good Mexican places around Sprague in the Valley. Why, I don't know, but that's how it is, and I'm pretty OK with that. When in the Valley, there is good to have some safe harbors to seek refuge.

We have considered Guerrero to be SpoCOOL for a while here, and I will gladly stand up in a court of law, attesting their tortas are the best in town. I'm not sure where they get their bread from, but it's very good, and the selection of the Mexican style sandwiches is one of the largest in town. This is a good thing if you want more choice than simply carne asada or carnitas. Prefer pineapple? Then go for it.

The vegetarian burritos are great too. It's not often I'd go with a vegetarian option over meat in a Mexican restaurant -- I feel sorry for those poor souls who have to do so -- but at Guerrero I'm in a conundrum. 

Of course, there are also plenty of steak dinners to choose from. I like the steak ranchero which is nice and spicy, and affordable too.

In fact, everything is affordable at Guerrero. Two for under $10 is completely possible. This might be one of the cheapest lunches in town that also is glorious. And it is.

Now here's a fun little stout from Winthrop. Old Schoolhouse Brewery -- named so for the schoolhouse they're located in -- calls it the "Hooligan" though it's not as wild or crazy as the name would suggest; just good.

It pours hazy black with a nice thick brown tinted head. A good amount of lacing too. There's a bit of bitterness to the nose with hints of coffee and a bit of fruitiness. The flavor has few surprises from that, and is dominated by a fairly full on chocolate flavor.

It's a very pleasant beer, and for being a chocolate stout it is surprisingly refreshing, even now in (albeit a pretty bad) June. I might not stand in a long line to pick one up, but it's definitely worth grabbing a bottle to kick up the norm a bit.

Sometimes you need some good "fast pizza." You know the type; the Pizza Ritas or Pipelines of the world. The problem with the aforementioned chains, locas as they may be, is that there's preciously little that elevates them from, say, Pizza Hut. That's not a good thing. And that's where Lalo's comes in.

Lalo's takes the "fast pizza" concept and makes it feel just a bit fresher. You have the choice of multiple sauces, many of which you'd more expect to find at spots like Bennidito's, and the toppings taste just a bit fresher than average. Not that you'd mistake it for a fully organic pie or anything, but then again, why would you?

The crust, too, is decidedly above average quality. It has a nice bite to it, as well as a good flavor.

You can eat in store, or carry out both fully cooked pizzas or go for the take and bake style.

I like Lalo's. It's not going to blow South Perry Pizza or Bennidito's off the map, but it has its place. It might be a bit more expensive than Rita, but for what you get, it's worth it. Definitely a spot that should be vetted.

Now this one was somewhat of a surprise. In the same stripmall that houses Williams Seafood is a Mexican mini-market, La Michoacana. Other than a fairly standard selection of south of the border goods, they also house a small deli, Taqueria Michoacana. And it is definitely better than standard.

I'm a sucker for a good torta, and Michoacana has a large array of them. The one I went for came with pineapple and avocado which gave it a nice zesty flavor, complemented by a spicy salsa. Not one that melted the mouth or anything, but it definitely had a nice kick to it. (The same salsa went well with the complementary tortilla chips too.)  I'm not sure where the bread came from -- for all I know they could bake it themselves -- but it held a good standard. As did the carnitas.

Top That's burrito was, shall we say, large. Like the size of a forearm. Yet, it was also very good. Served with a couple of salsas verde -- and parmesan, but that's neither here nor there -- it was again spicy and very fresh tasting. Plus, even at the price of a standard sized burrito, it's pretty much one you can enjoy for two meals.

Michoacana is worth the trip. Browse the aisles and enjoy some good Mexican food from their deli; what's not to like?

The Lantern might very well be Spokane's true baby bar. The actual Baby Bar is small, certainly, but the Lantern has it beat. This is a place where you literally can't have four people around a table unless two of them either sit on the bar or block the way to the bathroom. In other words, not a place to socialize with a group of people.

That aside -- and a rather less than ideal aside it is -- I like the Lantern. They might only have four taps, but they are good taps. No macros to be seen, which also is the case with the twenty or so bottles they have at hand. The beer was served at a good temperature; no ice cold beer in frosted glasses here.

There's also a wine selection for those who prefer that. Very friendly service.

I like the Lantern. It's a great addition to South Perry, and they obviously care about their beer. The size of the joint is a problem, and might very well chase some people over to (the also excellent) South Perry Pizza. That's too bad. The Lantern would be great if it was larger, but is still definitely recommended if you can find a spot to sit.

Being roughly 300 miles from the sea doesn't exactly make Spokane much of a haven for great seafood. Thankfully there is still Williams Seafood, which likely is the best place to buy anything from the ocean -- or any body of water for that matter -- around here.

It's actually pretty impressive how fresh their seafood is. We recently picked up a Copper River king salmon, which was excellent in all senses of the word. Not that it was cheap, but at a price that was, apparently, fairly similar to what you could find one for in Seattle, I guess it's hard to complain.

Their selection of anything from tuna to eel is also always great. If you want seafood that doesn't always scream "farmed," then Williams is a safe bet.

Add to that a good selection of beer and wine as well as rubs and marinades, and you can easily make this your one-stop shop for a barbecue this summer.

We tried out Forza Coffee Company because the line a Black Tie was too long. The lesson learned here is that patience is a virtue, and those who don't have it get bad coffee.

Forza could probably compete with Starbucks when it comes to brewing forgettable coffee. What possibly makes the Tacoma based mini-chain worse, however, is that they're really trying. I mean, honestly, I think Starbucks stopped a while back. They have about 72 million franchised locations out there, so why even pretend like they make good coffee? 15th Avenue Coffee & Tea aside, there aren't many more places to go.

Forza, meanwhile, hasn't given up. They really really really want to be your neighborhood Italian coffee shop. And bless them for that. It doesn't work too well, though, when their Americanos just taste like burnt beans. There's no depth, there's no nuttiness, there's really little of anything. Just espresso that seemed to have been brewed amazingly quickly. That's not a good thing.

So why bother?

Black Tie is just across the street. Various outlets serving Doma are within a one mile radius. I'm sure there must be a Thomas Hammer not too far away. Forza just isn't worth it.

So here's yet another chain making its way rapidly into Spokane. Why Spokane would want it -- or rather why Better Tasters in Spokane would want it -- might be a mystery. But it's here, and now we have to live with it.

Jimmy John's -- JJ among friends -- claims it makes gourmet sandwiches. It doesn't. It makes subs rather quickly, I'll give them that, but quality-wise we're talking Subway league here. Their bread isn't downright awful, I will give them that, but the toppings? Yikes...

I tried their Vito® which, the menu proudly proclaimed, was "the original Italian sub." I suppose the meats was what they thought made it Italian, but as thinly sliced as it was, I could barely taste it. We're talking paper thin here, and as flavorless as it was, I assume it came vacuum sealed from a central location. The veggies and cheese, likewise, just tasted like water.

i guess one should always read the small print. Look at the menu a bit better and it says "OK, so my subs really aren't gourmet..." No kidding they're not. 

Look, it's not that I hate chain stores. It'd be silly to hate something for being corporate. But when a chain makes cookie cutter products that aren't worth a whole lot, then why waste your time there? If you want a good sub, run over to Sub Division. That way you can feel good about yourself for supporting good food and a local business.

Now this was a pleasant little South Hill surprise; "little" here being used in the literal sense.

Hidden behind a Starbucks anchored stripmall is The Hop Shop, a name that would indicate a bar with emphasis on beer. (It might also indicate it was an actual shop, which it is not.) The spot features nine taps, which, while not a large number, is highly respectable when all their choices are quite excellent. Craft brewers like Dogfish Head and Avery are represented, as is local lager champ, Golden Hills. If you're in the mood for something different, there's also Yakima Craft Brewing Co., which has a rather good IPA available.

It is obvious the people behind the Hop Shop truly care about beer. This isn't a placed where "ice cold" is considered a good thing, and our ales seem to have been served at the right temperatures. They also carry a small but good selection of bottles, and we did not see any of the Coors Lights of the world. This is a good thing.

The interiors of the bar felt contemporary without being trendy. A comfortable setting, though it could easily get a bit too crowded. Other than the bar, there is limited seating. The patrons seem to come from all walks of life, and some were obviously more wine people. Good, then, that the Hop Shop carries a nice selection of local wines also. 

The guy behind the bar mentioned they were looking into putting in three more taps, and that the rotation was pretty speedy. The Golden Hills tap will stick around, which is a good way to support a local brewery. 

There aren't many downsides to neighborhood spots like the Hop Shop. It's a highly recommended ale house if you live in the area, and even worth the trip for anyone else. 

PS: Actually, one downside: Top That was carded but I was not. What a slap in the face!

You like Pop-Up. You like Doma. I mean, of course you do, otherwise you wouldn't be reading this. And therefore you probably want to head over to Post Falls this weekend to sample omelets, scones, and, of course, coffee from Doma. It's all local and/or organic, but really, most importantly, it will be delicious. Of course it will; it's Pop-Up and Doma. How can it fail? Head over to 6240 E Seltice Way in Post Falls on Saturday, 9am-noon, to experience it yourself.

Then, on the way back, stop by Pool World in the Valley for their "BBQ Cookoff!" Going from 11am-5pm -- which seems like a long time for a barbecue -- you will see the people behind Chicken 'n More, Sante, and Crazy G's face off in a deadly BBQ-off. This is definitely an interesting contest, as the three come from very different backgrounds and all do great food in very different ways.

On Sunday, however, you may do whatever you feel like.

Hey, it's still American Craft Beer Week! As our Twitter followers know, The Better Tasters of Spokane jumped into the event both feet first and drank our way through the current Deschutes Reserve Series.

The Dissident

This was the oldest of the lot -- from 2008 -- and you probably will have a hard time to track down a bottle. That's too bad, seeing it was delicious. An oud bruin, The Dissident mixed sweet and sour and delivered a punch right in the nose, and that was before even tasting it. Flavorful as it was, it was still drinkable; definitely one to sip on. I doubt I could have handled a bottle by myself, and splitting it amongst four people seemed appropriate. 

I haven't seen a bottle in almost a year, but good news: A 2010 edition should appear in September.

Jubel 2010

Once every ten years, Deschutes digs out its Jubel, the newest (or oldest depending on your perspective) entry in the Reserve Series. Released in February, the ale still hasn't matured to its "drink after" date, but that's not to say it wasn't drinkable. In fact, it still tasted great. Go pick up a couple of bottles; age one (or more) and drink one (or more). We recently tried it with a Copper River Salmon, and it was great.

Black Butte XXI

Another one that hadn't reached its "best after" date was the Black Butte XXI. No matter, it still was an amazing ale. Think Black Putte Porter on steroids and you get the idea. The flavors of Theo Chocolate and coffee hit heavily with its big flavors and, not surprisingly, this was another one intended for sipping. After being out of stock for a while, it also seems you can find this in the stores again, so stock up.

Mirror Mirror

This, I found, was the mildest Reserve, and probably the most refreshing, being based on the Mirror Pond Pale and all. Of course, mildest... With 11% ABV it's probably more correct to say the barley wine disguised any hints of booze rather well. I, for one, loved the malty tones of the Mirror Mirror. 

It's still possible to track this one down around town -- Bottles has a few left -- but it seems to be going the way of the Dissident. Pick it up and enjoy it; the "drink after" date has just passed.

The Abyss

Considered by many to be one of the best ales in existence, The Abyss truly lived up to its name. This was the '09 edition and should still have been stored for a while longer, but with 11% ABV and more flavors than most, the ale packed a crazy good punch. Sip and enjoy this one; if you follow our order of tasting, it will be a great ending to a great night of beer.

Of course, you could always do a vertical tasting, but after having five of these bottles, I'm not sure you would be left standing.

The Tomb of Sammun-Mak is the second episode of Sam & Max season three, The Devil's Playhouse. If that means absolutely nothing for you, here's the lowdown: Sam & Max is a comic book series with a, shall we say, rather bizarre style of humor. It was later turned into a tamer Saturday morning cartoon, and has over the past five years been turned into episodic series of video games, now in its third season. They're adventure games, meaning they're focused on story, dialogue and puzzle-solving instead of action. Think fully interactive movie. Got it? Good!

With episode one, The Penal Zone, the duo rid the world of a power mad space gorilla, and Tomb... starts where the previous game ended. Surprising to some, maybe, this game barely involves Sam and Max, but is rather an "origin" story where you play their grandfathers in search of the Devil's Toybox. Yes. It's all probably a bit odd, and when you throw in Molemen, a Twilight Zone style narrator, a  Eurotrash vampire, and a pre-Santa-gig Kringle, who's a psychotic sweatshop toy factory owner... "Bizarre" might be a better word to describe it.

It's a good type of bizarre, however. The game is hilarious, with excellent dialogue and great locations. It's hard to fully explain the humor, but if you like the quirky non-sequitur style of, say, Monty Python, then you should be good with Sam & Max.

Recommended beer pairing A strange game requires a strange beer. Dogfish's Raison D'extra definitely goes well with the humor.

The episode takes roughly five hours to play through, which is comprable with the first game in the season. Some of the puzzles can be tricky, but there are always amusing dialogue options and background interaction to play around with while thinking.

I found The Tomb of Sammun-Mak to be another hilarious entry in the ever-growing Sam & Max saga. The season is around $35, and is available in digital format for the PC, Mac, PS3, and iPad, with the second episode being released some time today.

And if a video explains it better than I can, the trailer might make sense.

Holy bouncing Buddha, it's American Craft Beer Week! And what better way to kick it off, than by enjoying a (fairly) local ESB, the Laughing Dog CSB?

The CSB monicker has a fairly amusing back story to it. Apparently the namesake Laughing Dog had a tendency to greet people by sniffing their crotches, and was thus called the Crotch Sniffing Bastard. Dogs will be dogs, I suppose.

Odd name aside, the Laughing Dog is not a bad ale at all. It's not super exciting, but has a bit more kick and depth to it than many ESBs. It pours a nice amber color with a bit of head to it and minimal lacing.

The nose gives a kick of toffee and caramel that carries over into the flavor. There aren't much of a hop punch, but the CSB's sweetness and lingering bitterness gives the ale a rounder flavor than what I had expected. This really feels like a beer that would great with a good falafel. It's very refreshing.

Laughing Dog has made better beer and certainly more exciting ones. The CSB, though, is nice and refreshing, and a good way to start of the week with.

We love ourselves some Murder, She Wrote here at Team SpoCOOL Towers. Not in an ironic way or anything, but in a true, honest to Obi-Wan fanboy/fangirl fashion. It's easy to dismiss the show, of course, but it truly is well shot -- watch the intro sequence around the 25 second mark and see how brilliantly Hitchcockian the push-down-the-stairs scene is filmed (this might have been a veiled commentary on old people falling down stairs a lot) -- and the roster of actors is impressive.

Angela Lansbury and Tom Bosley aside, you get names like Olivia Hussey, Leslie Nilsen, Milton Berle, any actor that ever appeared in M*A*S*H, and, my personal favorite, John Saxon. The fact that many of these appear in multiple episodes, even though they have previously appeared as murder victims, seems to be of no concern to the producers.

As the people over at 2birds1blog found out, Murder, She Wrote lends itself perfectly to drinking games. The real question is, what does one drink with such a classy show? Pimm's definitely comes first to mind. You probably know the drink from your grandma's liquor cabinet. Another favorite is the Campari, but that should only be enjoyed when an edgy actor appears on the show. Like Mickey Rooney. If you're really feeling frisky, make it a Gibson.

And the game, well, I don't think there's a better one than what 2birds1blog came up with. Here are a few excerpts; make sure to read the whole entry. It's worth it.

- Drink when Angela Lansbury / Jessica Fletcher says:
"Tonight on 'Murder, She Wrote...'"
"Oh, no. I'm afraid this was no accident. No, it was murder."
"Of course!" or "Oh, how silly I've been!" followed by running off to
check something.
"X could not have known that the victim would be at the shooting
range. But you could."

- Drink when there's a guest star that went on to be famous for another show (Lucille Bluth, the host from "Unsolved Mysteries," Jerry Orbach, the mom from ALF, Goerge Clooney, etc.)

- Drink when there's a guest star that used to be famous (Tab Hunter, Dorothy Lamour) but has aged and now does guest shots on prime-time family crime dramas to pay the bills.

- Drink if the motive is hilariously obscure. Double if it involves an inheritance or revencge for something that happened many years ago.

- Drink if Jessica is involved because of a nephew/niece/cousin/old friend/old friend's niece's nephew's cousin who is either in danger or accused of murder.

- Drink whenever Jessica has to deal with a wacky subculture, like theatre people, pornographers, or the DAR.

Make tonight a Murder, She Wrote night!

Yes, we have written about Sante before; yes, we will write about them again. This is as good time as any to remind you to head back to what we feel is the best restaurant in Spokane.

It might sound like a hyperbole, but while Sante was amazing when it opened it has just gotten better. Back of the house has been fine tuned to a team that prepares outstanding dishes, from amuse-bouche to dulce. The ever changing menu currently features some of the best gnocchi I've ever had. Perfectly prepared, served in a sherry butter sauce with mushrooms and herbs. It's what dreams are made of.

Go for anything on the charcuterie menu, too, and you can not go wrong. You can't; you won't! The duck prosciutto is decadent, and so is the terrine. Even if you're a vegetarian, they have a menu for you. Not bad for a restaurant with  'charcuterie' in its name. And if you're into buying local and organic (you probably should be) then Sante is definitely what one would consider a true Spokavore spot. 

Front of house has also steadily improved. The service here is stellar; friendly and knowledgeable, and not at all stuck up. For fun, play some food-Russian-Roulette and have the staff pick your courses. You won't be disappointed.

The list goes on... Five course meals, seven course, and now even ten course. Events like the upcoming 15 is definitely something new for this town. Great selection of wine and beer. 

What's not to love? If you don't love Sante you're probably dead to us. In fact, we are so into this place, we want to send you there. Over to Top That:

To make a long story short: My Catholic Guilt will result in one of you winning a $16 gift-card to Sante! So, what do you have to do to win? Send ten reasons you love Sante or ten reasons you have not been there yet, but want to go.  Team SpoCool will select the winner after 24 hours of this post.  If you have played Apples to Apples, you many be onto a great strategy. Send your entries to team@spocool.com.

To inspire you, here are our top tens:

Top That

1. Philosophy about ingredients
2. Taste
3. Selection of meals I would not succeed at making on my own
4. Staff
5. Some foods I have not tried before
6. Conscience detail in every dish
7. Every gnocchi and soup offering
8. Atmosphere
9. Watching the many ways people parallel park
10. Presentation

Mack Salmon (a 2009 vintage top 10)

1. The food is out of this world. I mean, it’s as simple as that. The food is consistently great, and always creative.
2. The portion sizes are just right. I’m tired of plates filled with food you won’t eat anyway. Sante serves true portions.
3. It’s affordable. And surprisingly affordable at that. Grab some brunch and we’re talking something close to diner prices. Dinner, too, is a lot cheaper than you’d expect from a place that—pretty literally—makes everything from scratch. Even the ketchup.
4. They have a to-go charcuterie menu. Grab some of their duck prosciutto and put it in your pasta or with your steak—I did both. (This isn’t the dumbed down prosciutto you might be used to, though, this is the real, super-salty, Better Taster stuff.)
5. The coffee is awesome. Four Seasons, and brewed really quite well. I admit to enjoying an espresso con panna.
6. Vegetarian/vegan options. Even I have ordered from the vegetarian menu. That’s just how I roll.
7. Best waiter in Spokane. Go during dinner service and you can experience what I consider to be the best waiter in Spokane. This guy really puts pride into his job, and watching him work is poetry in motion.
8. The ambiance. Hey, feels just like a Southern European cafe. Plus being inside a bookstore is just kind of cool.
9. Best gnocchi in town. Not that the competition is stiff, but the gnocchi is what dreams are made of.
10. No really, it’s just really, really, really good. I mean, I hate ketchup, but I’d eat their homemade stuff by itself. Gourmet ketchup? I’ve heard the word used, but here it’s actually true.

Note! This is the restroom review. For the restaurant review, you can read this post.

I have to admit, I am a bit disappointed in Churchill's facilities. They're not bad, certainly, and are good and clean and private. It's just that they lack that certain panache, that je ne sais quoi places like The Davenport offers.

That aside, there is a muted elegance to the restrooms. The soft lighting and the kind of old timey faucet are not bad. Tiles on the floor... Yes, it's all classy enough, but also a bit self-aware. You know you're in a restroom, and stylish as it may be, it's also just a bit utilitarian. I had expected more from Churchill's.

I don't want to be too down on these facilities. They definitely do the job, and then some, even though they're not a must-visit.

I gotta say, I'm starting to like this whole beer on can trend we're seeing these days. What used to be college kids' method of choice for their Natty Ice has now become an easily stored container for craft brews. Plus getting a correct pour seems to be simpler with cans than bottles.

Monk's Blood is not just a great name, it's also a great dark Belgian ale. Crack the can open and pour it and the beer looks like... Well... It doesn't look like blood, unless that from monks are abnormally dark brown. Regardless. The head is fine and it laces the glass -- a tulip is recommended -- no problem.

Give it a smell and you'll notice strong hints of both sugar and spice and, indeed, all things nice. A sip reveals a bit of sweetness as well as sourness. There are some undercurrents of a metallic flavor to the ale. The medium body doesn't reveal too much of the 8.3% ABV.

It's definitely a drinkable beer, Monk's Blood. Not too mindblowing, but still has plenty of depth and good taste to make it an excellent dark Belgian, and probably the best you'll find in a can.

OK, so "URM" isn't exactly what one would call "sexy" or "mindblowing" or even "exciting." You won't see your wannabe hipster friends clamoring for a membership there. That's fine, really, particularly since you don't need a membership to shop at URM. A perfect excuse to tear up that COSTCO card, in fact.

URM is about bulk, but not necessarily the crazy sizes the Sam's Clubs of the world carry. They feature some local products and the prices are good. Selection wise, too, there are many things to like about URM. I might have a one track mind, but the beer aisle here is excellent, and you can find the cheapest six packs of Deschutes in town. As low as $5? That's a good thing.

They also have a good pick of packaged and boxed items, and even a large selection of hot sauces. I kid you not. Cheap too. There's also an office supply section that holds a high quality.

URM, in a sense, is Rosauers on steroids. Heck, URM owns them, so yeah, keep in mind that this is a local business. Not a local business that gets much love, but a local business none the less.

There's a lack of organic products and you can forget about finding any fresh goods. That's not really the point of the place either, and I don't think anyone would argue URM would be a one stop shop. But it's good for what it is.

I will preface this by saying you could substitute "Willamette Dental" with pretty much any dentist offices out there. I'm sure most dental workers are swell people outside the office, but when you put those scrubs on them and give them devices intended for torture...

See, I honestly think Little Shop of Horrors got it right. You have to be at least a little sadistic to go into the dental profession. I don't know about you, but I can't remember waking up wanting to spend my days poking sharp objects into people's gums.

That in itself is bad enough, but the really sadistic part of it is the talking. You know. They put four of five apparatii in your mouth and start scolding you. "So, do you floss at least twice a day?" There are only two ways to answer this question: "No" or lie. Go with the latter and they will know, instantly. Go with the former and at least they will spare you the chiding for lying, and go straight to the lecture. 

Oh, the lecture. The tone of voice you usually save for elementary school children. It's all for naught, of course. I know I should floss. Of course I do! I know that it's just laziness that makes me floss once every three week, and that's in an extremely good month.

I suppose it's a good thing that somebody goes into the profession. Lord knows I wouldn't make my gums raw and tender myself. Plus there's that whole "health" thing, not losing teeth, and not looking like an idiot with brown teeth and all that jazz.

But other than them helping with those minor inconveniences, I have a hard time recommending Willamette Dental as a casual spot to spend your recreational time.

For discussion: What's the best dental office in Spokane? Respond in the comments or on Twitter!

Remember when we totally kicked Down to Earth and Team Whatevertheywerecalled's collective asses in the spicy food challenge? Well, people have been asking for pictures, and those who ask shall receive. 

Enjoy way too many pictures in the Spiceavore gallery. While viewing, press "N" for next and "P" for previous picture.

Then ask yourself: Why did we do that again?

Has the Inlander stopped covering food? Last update in the Food/Drink section was April 13th. Of course, they might just do it in the paper edition, but then why bother having a website?

The James Beard Awards took place last night, and, not surprisingly, Tom Colicchio took home the "Outstanding Chef Award." "Best Chef: Northwest" was Crush's Jason Wilson, which we'll just chalk up to the James Beard Foundation not having visited Sante. 

2nd Ave Diner is turning into "Kick Saloon."

Want to comment on our blog posts? Just click the tweet link on bottom of posts (that will include a bit.ly link in the tweet) and say what you want.

(We'll be back with something worthwhile tomorrow. Maybe.)

Stone delivers great ales in less than great looking bottles. I can easily forgive the latter for the former.

The Barley Wine Style Ale is a '10 special release, and it does not disappoint. It pours a deep copper color with about two fingers of head that laces the glass well. A quick sniff reveals that it is extremely hoppy, and that's not a bad thing. 

With more than 11% ABV there is kind of a boozy undertone to the flavor, though it's not too overpowering. More pronounced are the hop flavors mixed with some sweet maltiness. There are also hints of spices and grapefruit. There's definitely a good depth to the flavor, and while it's not quite up there with Nøgne Ø's barley wine, it's both complex and drinkable. A sipping ale, for sure.

Stone really is one of the great breweries and their Old Guardian is one of the better barley wines out there. I'm pretty sure jail time would be a good penalty for anybody who doesn't like this ale.

I can't say I'm much familiar with Whistler Brewing Company, but I still took a chance on checking out a six pack of their 'Classic Pale Ale.' You know, for you, the reader!

The verdict? Not a bad little ale from the Canadian brewers. I'm not necessarily crazily in love with pales, but this one certainly was refreshing enough, and one that I could see being part of the summer rotation.

The color has a nice vibrant copper hue to it, and about a finger of head. It laces the glass well. There's a just a hint of caramel to the nose that carries over into the flavor. In fact, that's about the depth of the flavor, a slight sweetness with a bit of maltiness to it.

In other words, this might not be an exciting beer, but it is very drinkable all the same. The crispness of it does definitely suggest this could be a good session beer when the weather gets warmer.

Bonus points, too, for the classiness of the bottle!

I'm still kind of miffed Lazy Bones closed down; it was one of the few places in town that did barbecue the way it should be done, while even adding a bit of creative twist to it.

While we're waiting for its replacement, the more traditional Texan-style Longhorn is definitely worth a visit. The spot has become kind of a Spokane institution since, according to their website, the 40s, and while it's not superbly creative in what it does, it at least does its thing rather well.

I tried the Duke platter, which I had kinda sorta hoped was a tribute to The Duke, but as it seems, it was probably named after one of the owners. C'est la vie. The food, at least, was not shabby at all, with tender pork and some nice steak fries and slaw. In fact, the only sort of letdown were the beans, which were just a tad on the dull side. Not awful or anything, just a bit... Eh...

A quick sampling of the baked potato was also a pleasant experience. Slow cooked, with a bunch of stash in it. Not superbly exciting, but very good in a comfort food style of way.

It might not be the most exciting restaurant(s) in Spokane, but Longhorn is pretty satisfying when you crave some barbecue. 

Redhook, you sly devil you! After Kirkland close to ripped off your labels, you decided that you'd rip off the quality of their beer! That must have seemed like a good "well, that'll show 'em" moment at the time, but really, in retrospec it was probably one they should have shied away from.

Ropeswing is a pilsner, and not a good one at that. It is Redhook's Budweiser, and feels like another attempt from the Woodinville brewery to reach out to the stereotypical Budweiser posse. The rest of us are, apparently, not welcome to the party.

The beer pours a bleak yellow with minimal head. Lacing is pretty much not non-existing. The initial taste is vaguely sweet but turns almost metallic in the back of the mouth. I'd compare it quality wise to Budweiser Select. 

Really, I got nothing. There's preciously little to say about Redhook Rope Swing, because it's so dull. If you're in the market for a good pilsner, add an extra "e" (pilsener) and head to the German or Czech part of the beer aisle. Chances are you'll find something a whole lot better than this.

It is, apparently, Average Week here at SFB.

The Kalico Kitchen is very average, and that's not always a bad thing to be for a diner, as is proven by the twenty minute wait to get a table there on a Sunday morning. Me, I just don't quite get it. We did the whole wait thing, and "fool me once..." comes to mind. I don't foresee a "... shame on me" coming on in the near future.

The spot is just so very very average. Switch the food out with Shari's and I doubt anyone would notice too much of a difference.

I tried the Eggs Benedict, and granted, some might argue that the dish is a step up from what should be ordered in a diner. My take? If it's on the menu, then there's no reason not to order it.

Don't order the Eggs Benedict if you go to Kalico Kitchen. It's not that it's awful, it's just something you could make at home, both better and faster. A couple of English Muffin from a bag, hollandaise sauce mix, a few slices of Hormel ham... Yeah, there's no way on earth Kalico made any of this from scratch, and replicating it wouldn't take a culinary genius. (Why you would want to replicate it is another question altogether, of course.)

Luckily the orange juice does come freshly squeezed, and I'd go so far as to claim it was the best part of the meal.

Other than that, the place is oddly quasi-Gonzaga decorated. I say 'quasi' as it seems a bit half-hearted. There are some autographed items to look at but not much more.

Kalico Kitchen is what it is. I don't love it, but if you're really hankering for some average diner food, then fine... It's as good as any other average diner. The question is, why would you settle for average?

Pueblo Amigo and I have been friendly for a while now. It's not an amazing BFF type of friendship or anything, but it's definitely cordial. 

Over the last year or so I've been neglecting the northside eatery. Hey, it happens. I'm all about making good, however, so we decided to make the trek there and give Pueblo Amigo some face to face time again.

It has to be said though... I can see why this place isn't in my top 8 on MySpace (isn't that what the kids use?). It's not that it's a bad restaurant -- some of the dishes are downright creative -- it's just... Good. Pure and simple. Good. There's nothing wrong with that, other than De Leon being two minutes down the road. Seeing how De Leon is great, then, well, Pueblo Amigo sort of falls between a rock and a hard place.

Back to the food. This is a bit more Tex-Mex or Cal-Mex or whatever than anything on the traditional side of things. Think large plates with plenty of sour cream and you get the gist of it. What does set Pueblo Amigo apart from similar places around town is that they come up with some fairly interesting takes on the established. I tried what they called a "grilled quesadilla roll" which came stuffed with bacon. Who doesn't like bacon? The communists, that's who.

Other than that, though, there wasn't much to get up on the table and sing about. The beans were dull at best, and I'm guessing they were lard-less. That's fine, if they properly salt them, but alas, they didn't. The rice, too, was forgettable and vaguely flavorless.

Overall the dish wasn't bad per se, just not amazing. I gave the enchiladas a try too, and they didn't seem much different. The salsa verde was OK, but not a crazy flavor rush or anything either. Just good enough.

Pueblo Amigo and I will remain friendly. I don't doubt that. Do I see myself walking hand in hand on the beach with it? No, but I'm sure the cordial friendship will last.

World Cup 2010 hits the International District this summer. You know. Soccer. You might have heard of it, about 6.5 billion people kinda, sorta care about it and commonly refer to it as football. Spokane has also taken note, and plans are afoot to get something going in the International District (a name that strikes me as a misnomer) for the tournament. Check the aforementioned link to join the Facebook group and follow up on it.

My thought? I hope actual fans of the game will show up, not people who are trying to be hipper than thou because they a) follow soccer as a counterculture fashion statement and b) hang in the International District. You know, kind of like how Seattle has embraced it:

I mean, of COURSE Seattle would be into soccer. It's almost too perfect. It's the hybrid car with the Obama bumper sticker of pro sports, a distillation of exactly what people from Des Moines to Des Moines think is so noxious about Seattleites with their fleece jackets and their recumbent bikes and their lattes and their solar-powered condos and their adopted minority babies and their gay-marriage advocacy and... Despite having no political affiliation or even reverberation, soccer fits comfortably into any generic anti-liberal screed you'd care to level.

Also, go Spain!

Golden Hills sees bronze. Specifically for Ben's Brown, which took a bronze in the World Beer Cup's "American Dark Lager" category. That still is my least favorite Golden Hills, but whatever...

Exactly why we were at a Starbucks is better left unsaid, but there we were, and, as seen in advertisements anywhere there's a Starbucks -- everywhere -- so was the "admit it, you want one" poster for their Dark Cherry Mocha.

I, for one, didn't really want one. Yet I was intrigued, basically because the tag line seems a bit vague. Are we supposed to admitting we want one even though we know it's not going to taste particularly good? Or is it a Spanish Inquisition type deal, where we hear something enough times that we think we want one? My money is on the latter.

In that respect I suppose I did fall for the marketing, seeing I went with the Dark Cherry Mocha over a tea, though I will maintain it was a sacrifice for bringing you, the reader, the truth behind Starbucks new Frankencoffee. In fact, I feel that I took a big enough step just admitting I went to Starbucks.

And let's be honest here. This coffee is not good. Not even remotely. As Top That (we come up with awesome names!) put it, it tastes like tartar sauce. That's sort of an insult to tartar sauce, I suppose, but it's not a bad comparison.

Alternate ways of looking at it is that kinda just feels like a mix of chemicals. In fact, that's likely all it is. I doubt there's anything truly natural in here.

You know the spiel: Go with DOMA or Thomas Hammer or whatever else that actually tastes good. Starbucks is just kind of sad. The only positive thing I have to say about Dark Cherry Mocha is that it gives you a light buzz.

Then again, so does Red Bull.

I'm pretty sure we have mentioned Little Garden Cafe before, but I can't for the life of me figure out where. Maybe it was on Twitter, who knows?

Regardless!

Little Garden Cafe is located in Audubon, which is quite a nice area if you can close your eyes while driving through the less than awesome looking parts of Northwest Blvd. I mean, seriously, close your eyes; it's not like you'll be hitting any pedestrians as there aren't any. When you start hearing screams, you know you'll be close to Audubon Park, and you can safely open your eyes.

As for the cafe, it's a little oasis in the neighborhood, and I'd pick it over nearby Downriver Grill any day of the week. (Though not any time, as it closes at 4pm.) It has a nice casual laidback vibe, with vibrant colored interiors and comfortable outdoor furniture inside. Sadly there are, at the time of writing, only two tables outside. 

I haven't actually tried their coffee yet, but their lemonade cheesecake smoothie is a not-so-guilty pleasure that's definitely worth sampling. Better still are their bagel sandwiches, topped with omelet, cheese, tomatoes, bacon and more. The sauce served on the sandwich holds a high standard.

Make sure to also try out their baked goods. Their blueberry muffins are pretty damn excellent. 

In fact, Little Garden Cafe is excellent and should be checked out, like, right now.

Credit to @simonds for finding this.

Look, I don’t know what went wrong here, but to begin with the end: Donut Parade isn’t really that awesome. Maybe they’ve changed owners—they’ve acquired a new website and opening hours recently at least—or maybe Spokane just has glorified memories of the spot. Whatever the reason may or may not be, we really weren’t particularly impressed with Donut Parade.

Sure, their prices are good. And there’s something about going into a place that probably has changed minimally since 1968. I can even forgive that Cuba Gooding, Jr. filmed a scene there. The donuts, however, aren’t up to par. They’re dense; too dense. Not “this is the perfect density!” dense, but “wow, this doesn’t have a great mouthfeel” dense.

The glazing on our maple bar and chocolate covered donut just felt too sweet really didn’t help either. And really, other than density and glazing, there isn’t a whole lot more to a donut.

Look, we don’t hate Donut Parade. But when we actually start discussing if Zip’s donuts are better… Well, that’s not a good thing.

A mere fire can’t hold a good steakhouse down.

And keep that in mind: Churchill’s is very much a steakhouse. This isn’t somewhere you go to be dazzled by clever and innovative cooking. For that you have Sante. If you want a steak with all its classic—some may say predictable—fixings, however, you can’t go far wrong with Churchill’s.

Honestly, I don’t really crave steakhouse meals that often, but once a year… Well, you know how it is. Our meal at Churchill’s, at any rate, was excellent for what it was. The tournadoes of Beef Oscar were perfectly cooked to medium-rare served with a nice béarnaise sauce. Why I rarely can find a good béarnaise around here is a debate for another time, but at least Churchill’s does one well enough.

The filet mignon, which probably is Team SFB’s favorite cut, held a high standard. I suppose that’s not too surprising, as, shy of overcooking it, it takes a bit to mess it up, but I digress… It was nicely seasoned, and looked about as good as a piece of meat can look on a plate.

Other than the food, the restaurant has undergone a post-fire makeover, and is a bit more contemporary and a bit less hotel-lobby like. I’d chalk that up as a good thing.

Really, the only negative part I can think of is that Churchill’s is not a cheap dinner. Two people can expect to pay around a hundred bucks for a couple of steaks and glasses of wine. Not exactly a casual meal in that aspect.

But by all means, Churchill’s definitely is what it is, and perfectly so.

In the spirit of Nerd Nite, let’s talk Austin. Austin is what one probably would call a cool city. And by cool I mean genuinely cool, not like Portland and Seattle that really want to be cool but aren’t. Austin is vibrant; people in the streets any time of day or night at any time; a happening downtown area with a huge park and river running through it. Think Spokane on a whole lot of steroids and with more of a “European” bend, and you get the picture.

Worth checking out if you’re interested in a good beer and some barbecue is Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que. The beer here is actually pretty good, and the smokey porter goes well with the fairly average food. Not bad, just average. The spot sort of reminds me of The Elk in vibe, just with mostly outdoor seating. It’s definitely a good place for people watching.

Uncle Billy’s sister spot is called Austin Java, which not surprisingly is a coffee shop. The coffee was good and all, but Austin apparently hasn’t quite figured the whole coffee culture out yet. When I asked for a 12oz Americano I was met with a blank stare and attitude informing me that they usually just put the coffee in their standard cups which they aren’t sure how big are. Well, fair enough, I suppose, but if they don’t know the size of the cups, how do they figure out their ratios? Short answer: they don’t. They just pour how they’ve been taught. Kinda like robots.

What else… Austin is the home of Whole Foods, so if that’s your thing, then their main store is gigantic. Think the size of a Fred Meyer, centrally located downtown.

6th street downtown is worth checking out. It’s full of bars and restaurants.

And if you want a Clinkerdagger like experience head over to The Oasis. It is truly a strange and not very wonderful experience, food wise.

I like Austin. They’re very centered on keeping things local there, which I suppose is what they’re slogan indicates, with “Keep Austin Weird.” Because it’s not weird. But it is great.

Nerd Nite is a free monthly event where nerds get together and drink beer and give PowerPoint presentations to other nerds on subjects that are ostensibly of great interest to nerds. Like post-Soviet Belarus. And Ebola rates among gorillas. And killer robots. It has chapters in Austin, Boston, DC, Muenchen, NYC, and San Francisco.

So what topics would be discussed in Spokane? How about:

Etc. We all know at least one nerd who is so passionate about their hobby they won’t stop talking about. Â Now it’s time to let them be heard, or let you be heard. What would you want to learn about?

Or alternate title: “Too tired to write anything too meaningful today.”

If in Sandpoint, check out Evans Brothers Coffee. Then let us know what you think. We received an e-mail from the guys running it, and their coffee sounds intriguing. Plus they do the whole organic and fair trade thing, so you can feel good about yourself going there.

The Spokesman ran an article about a “bring Trader Joe’s to Spokane” Facebook group. Trader Joe’s is nice and all, and as a business it’d be good to have in Spokane. But as far as our choices in where to get good food, aren’t Huckleberry’s and Main Market Co-op, et. al. better?

We’re hearing good things about the Hop Shop on 3803 S Grand. Has anyone checked the place out yet?

Chaps is pretty much tripling its size.

An Ethiopian restaurant, Queen of Sheba, is opening in the Flour Mill.

A somewhat little known fact, at least to me, is that Julia Child lived in Oslo, Norway for a while during the late fifties. This, before the oil-billions had hit, was not much of a gourmet city, and Child apparently had some issues settling in until she started experimenting with Norwegian seafood. Gravlaks would later become a staple recipe of hers, which might explain why so many Americans think the dish is French.

All of this is really neither here nor there, I suppose, but after watching Julie & Julia the other night (and an entertaining movie it is) the idea came to us to make the classic Norwegian dish, rømmegrøt. “Rømme” means sour cream, grøt “porridge.” Hey, it’s good, and simple to cook:

Ingredients

• 5 dl sour cream (should originally be Seterrømme, though I’ve never seen anything exactly like it in the US. Just use the full-fat stuff.)


• 2 dl sifted flour


• 5 dl milk


• Salt to taste

Put sour cream to a boil for about 5 minutes on medium heat. It will thin out significantly.

Add 1 dl flour and stir until smooth.

Simmer. You are supposed to simmer until a layer of butter start forming on top, but I haven’t been able to do that, likely because of the type of sour cream I used. Instead, let it simmer for 20-25 minutes. At this point it will become fairly pasty.

Stir in rest of the flour.

Slowly stir in the milk.

Simmer for five minutes, and stir in a bit of salt to taste.

Serve with cinnamon and sugar on top. If you actually get some butter out of the thing, the spoon that into a container when it appears, and add it to the dish when serving.

Now, the second reason we decided to undertake the rømmegrøt was the following video from a Norwegian TV show called Alt for Norge—All for Norway. In it, Americans with Norwegian heritage—you know the type, the ones that will call themselves Norwegians—who have never visited Norway compete to be the most Norwegian of all. In other words, it’s a freakshow.

In the video the “Norwegians” get a chance to try rømmegrøt, and… Well… I suppose the producers of the show made sure to pick out a few contestants that were raised on McDonald’s. Two points to anyone who can point out the Seattle competitor.

Twitter followers helped contribute these suggestions, thanks @BrownesAddition @Pieces_of_Red @evehogard @bblohowaik @MAsh187 @onemoreryan @natetwits. If you have another suggestion feel free to add it in comments. Pick up to four answers on the poll.

If "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" filmed in Spokane/CDA what restaurant would you want to see on Guy's show?

1. Satellite 39 votes
2. The Elk 30 votes
3. Chicken n' More 22 votes
4. De Leon 17 votes
5. Domini's 17 votes
6. Frank's Diner 16 votes
7. Dick's 15 votes
8. Hudson's 10 votes
9. Bennedito's 9 votes
10. Mary Lou's Milk Bottle 8 votes
11. Thrifty Scotsman 7 votes
12. Pop-Up 7 votes
13. Wolffy's 5 votes
14. I suggested one in the comments 5 votes
15. Knight's 4 votes
16. Ron's Drive-In 3 votes

Give those crafty Sandpointians this: they know how to put together a decent dressing. Like many, however, Team SFB prefer to make our own dressing, usually out of kefir yogurt. It therefore came as a surprise to see that Litehouse now has its own yogurt kefir series.

Of course, “surprise…” I guess it stands that the only logical reason for them doing this, is that they want to follow in the footsteps of the glorious Team SFB, and make our kind of dressing. It only makes sense, and we will carefully consider being spokespersons when the offer inevitably arrives.

But I digress.

The bleu cheese kefir dressing tastes pretty similar to their regular dressing; borderline identical, in fact. It might be a bit thinner, but still has chunks of bleu cheese in it. It might not be amazing, but it’s still pretty good, and worthy of dipping some homemade hot-wings in. (Although put some crumbled up bleu cheese in it to spike it up a bit.)

As for the kefir part, it also has its advantages, particularly for metabolism and digestion. And if you have an intolerance of dairy, this dressing might just be OK for you. Hey, kefir is great, and its advantages should be preached!

Well, now that’s over, let’s return to business.

And business on Saturday meant the first day of business for the Pop-Up Restaurant. Ye olde Spokane Food Blog was of course fashionably late, to the point that the barbecue was being turned off as we showed up. Yes. We’re not timely. Graciously, however, it was fired up again, and thus we could enjoy a burger and a Gardenburger, just like a large number of you also were able to.

And it has to be said: the burgers were both great. Perfectly cooked and seasoned. Even the Gardenburger tasted a whole lot better than what you’d expect something out of the box would taste. That’s a great thing.

Weather, as the image illustrates, did not co-operate quite as well, but whatever. A bit of suffering for good food shouldn’t hurt anybody.

We’re liking this Pop-Up Restaurant concept. Where it’ll go next is unknown, but I’m looking forward to finding it out.

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Over the past week, the SFB Editorial Board „¢ set out on a covert fact-finding mission in the Southwest. Gems were found, dirty secrets uncovered, and… Well, it’ll all be documented here as we see fit.

First: Tempe. Tempe is of course part of the Phoenix metro area. “Of course” being… Well, Roger from American Dad put it best when talking about Mesa, a town similarly hidden in Phoenix’s shadow: “Well, I lived in Mesa. but when you say ‘Mesa,’ people don’t know what ‘Mesa’ is, but… It’s… It’s, I mean, it’s Phoenix. I lived in Phoenix.”

Tempe is home of ASU, and then not surprisingly the home of many cheap-eats spots, a lot of which hold a pretty decent quality. You might not mistake the town for NYC, but then again, that’s hardly the point.

Four Peaks Brewing Company is located just off campus, and is one of a handful of Phoenix area breweries. And frankly, while it wasn’t awful, it probably isn’t causing Northwest breweries too many sleepless nights.

The peach ale? Just too sweet. The Hefeweizen? Tasted more like a dull Belgian white. And so on and so forth.

The one standout was the Hop Knot. What was suggested to be the hoppiest ale of the lot was really pretty average on the hop count, but, that aside, it did not feel watered down and had a pretty deep flavor to it. If you ever were to grab a pint at Four Peaks, then Hop Knot is the one to go for.

As for the food, we only sampled a pretzel with mustard sauce. The sauce was actually really quite nice, and had a good kick to it that we felt in our noses. Not too shabby.

Four Peaks wasn’t too bad, just a bit so-so. Worth checking out if you’re a traveling ale hound at any rate.

Go to the Facebook event page for more.

OK, so it’s not so much that Europa needs to be defended per se, but it does seem to get a bit lost in shuffle these days. And as everyone love lists (no, I’m sure you do!) here are five reasons to at least like Europe:

1. The pizzas are excellent. These are the type of pies you see all over Central and Northern Europe, and they’re excellent.


2. Vegetarian and gluten free options. Oh we all know one. You know. That one person who refuses to eat gluten because it’d, you know, put them in the hospital. Fret not, the gluten free options at Europa are plentiful. And if you’re a vegetarian you will be equally set.


3. Dessert trays. It might be perfectly 80s, but really… If you want to sell something, you can’t go far wrong by putting the products in front of the customer. Their baked goods are also pretty excellent.


4. The ambiance. OK, the mural might be an overkill, but the brick and interiors are awesome.


5. It’s a restaurant we all can agree on. Seriously. Screw Clinkerdagger. Food geeks and people who don’t ever travel outside of Red Robin’s sphere can all get together here. Excellent pastas and pizzas, great sandwiches, good selection of wine and beer… Show Europa some love, they deserve it.

It’s no secret that we like food from trucks at ye olde SFB. Of course, around here we mostly see tacos and the occasional hot dog, which is all fine and dandy, but really… Why not take it further? This was, of course, the basis of a small informal survey we ran, where the vast majority was ready for a more gourmet style food truck.

And, as it seems, something similar to that is happening with Spokane’s first (as far as I know at least) Pop-Up Restaurant. The brainchild of Latah Bistro chef David Blaine, the “restaurant” will pop up (get it?) at random spots around Spokane. It might not be from a truck, but you get the similarity. It’s mobile food.

The concept will start out with burgers—meat and vegetarian style—and will, by the looks of it, grow from there. The first location has still not been announced, but it will happen April 3rd, from 11am-3pm. (Just in time for Spiceavore!) Keep checking out Pop-Up’s Twitter account to learn where it will go down.

To editorialize—and really, why would you not want my opinion?!—I think this is an awesome initiative and I hope it will work out, financially and practically speaking. I like that this is starting off small, with the potential to grow.

We look forward to seeing how this all will work out.

It truly is time for jubel when Deschutes releases its once-in-a-decade bottled Jubel.

As part of the Reserve series, Jubel joins the likes of the Abyss, Mirror Mirror, Black Butte, and the Dissident as Deschutes flagship ales. And this is, not surprisingly, a good one. It’ll be even better after a year, but really, buy a bottle for storing and one (or more) to try now.

Jubel pours a deep ruby red color with a nice creamy head. Give it a good sniff, and the smells will reveal an instant depth. Fruit and oak, spices and malts. And that’s just after the first whiff.

The scents carry over to the flavor; nice and oaky, almost with hints of red wine. Even with a relatively high ABV—10%—there isn’t much of a boozey aftertaste. Mouthfeel is somewhere on the upper side of medium.

It’ll be interesting to see what the Jubel tastes like a year from now. For now, though, I gotta say—quite the fan of it even this early after bottling.

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It hits every year, the nausea when the Inlander publishes its Best of… results. And of course the readers have done it again, exactly what was expected of them, throwing votes around like a blind zebra on crack-cocaine. No, really. They’ve outdone themselves this time, and the Best of Food section is about as disturbing as a golden-era Stephen King novel.

Of course they’re all in there: Azteca and Casa de Oro trumps De Leon for best Mexican food. Hey, if voting for Old El Paso taco shells from Safeway’s had been an option, it could have been a contender. Papa Murphy’s fought its way into the top three as best pizza. And of course, for ambiance, dessert, and—what? the? hell?—fine dining there is only one option: Clinkerdagger! I mean, seriously, what the hell? Clinkerdagger?! Of course, the McDonald’s of fine dining was almost edged out by the Burger King of sea food, Anthony’s.

What’s wrong with people?

Maybe if they stopped filling themselves with Starbucks—you know, best espresso shop and drive through espresso—they’d see the light. Starbucks?! Granted, Thomas Hammer placed #3, but #2, Rocket Bakery, wouldn’t know a good espresso drink if it hit them over the head.

Best burger? Red Robin. What? This makes me physically ill.

As we tweeted earlier, neither Sante, Latah Bistro, nor Luna were anywhere to be seen in the “Best” of… This is a crime. I mean, it literally should be. Go dine at one of those places this week. In fact, don’t stop there. Get an espresso from Coffee Social. Grab some bread from Petite Chat. Try to set yourself apart from whoever managed to get Outback-are-you-kidding-me-Steakhouse on the list.

Because this is seriously depressing. I had hoped Spokane had moved away from restaurants providing anything from dull to disgusting food.

Apparently not.

Honestly, I’m not that into those little coffee shacks spread around town. Not because I have any deep-rooted social issues with them, but because, frankly, they usually carry less than stellar coffee.

I’m not exactly sure how we first stumbled onto Java Hut Espresso Co on Pacific and Division, though it might have been a combination of instant coffee craving and not feeling like going to Starbucks on the same block. Regardless. We drove up. And you know, Java Hut is not bad. In fact, it is, in the immortal words of Larry David, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good.

The reason could be in the beans. As opposed to most shacks, Java Hut, apparently, roasts its own beans. Hey, that’s definitely a step up from the less than stellar brews that tend to be the norm in places like this. My Americano was surprisingly good. Maybe a bit mild—hey, they can’t all be DOMA or Thomas Hammer—but very drinkable. In fact, Java Hut is probably one of the few shacks I’ve been through where I’d recommend going for an Americano. Most of its ilk tend to serve something that tastes more like dishwater. Plus they have Sweetwater bagels, which are awesome.

Java Hut isn’t going to replace spots like Coffee Social or Black Tie on my rotation. But they still deliver good coffee, and should be checked out by those who go to… Y’know… That other spot up the street…

Because there’s nothing wrong with alternatives.

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The downtown Thomas Hammer is a weird and wonderful place. Maybe firstly wonderful, seeing the barristas there tend to make some very good espresso based drinks, at least during my handful of visits.

Yet wonderful as it may be, the weird part is really what makes it a stand-out. Spokane certainly has its share of mismatched people, and for whatever reason they all seem to congregate at Thomas Hammer. Why is this? No, really, I actually want to know.

I have seen the typical Beverly Hills Hillbillies-hillbilly on television many times, but in real life, I’ve only had the pleasure twice. Both times at Thomas Hammer. The one man, in particular, fit the stereotype beautifully, particularly when he broke out in a ditty mid-sentence, in between the characteristic “hee hee hee”-laugh spurts. He looked a bit like this.

On the other side, there tends to also be a bunch of younger hipsters sitting around comparing who has the thickest rimmed glasses. I kinda prefer the hillbilly, but that’s neither here nor there.

Thomas Hammer. I don’t quite get it, but I like it.

One of the few “personalities” still worth watching on Food Network is, in my opinion, Tyler Florence. His recipes tend to be good and are something one realistically can put together in less than 30 minutes on a weekday. It is also entertaining to watch his weigh fluctuate with each series, but that’s neither here nor there.

A few weeks ago we saw him put together a tomatillo salsa that looked very refreshing and summer-y. And seeing that we’re tired of the cold, it made sense to put something like it together as a reminder of warmer weather. I say “something like it” as I pretty much just put it together by memory after watching the show. It goes a little something like this:

Tyler Florence Tomatillo Salsa Remixed

• 5 tomatillos


• 1 small onion


• 1 jalapeno (more if you want, but this isn’t really meant to be spicy)


• 10 cloves of garlic (originally a lot less, but who doesn’t like garlic?!)


• A couple of handfuls of cilantro


• Salt

Chop the onion into large chunks and remove seeds and stems from jalapeno. Drop them with the tomatillo into the boiling water.

When the tomatillos are getting soft, pull all the vegetables out and run them under cold water. Remove the pot from the burner.

Drop the vegetables alongside the cilantro and garlic into a blender. Ladle in a bit of water from the pot, and salt to taste.

Blend to desired consistency.

Like I mentioned, this is a mild salsa, yet very refreshing and versatile.

Luna really doesn’t quite get the respect it used to, does it? Ten years ago it was the place to dine in Spokane, but with places like Mizuna and Moxie gathering popularity, and new players like Latah Bistro and Sante hitting the market, Luna kinda just has gotten forgotten about. These days it almost has the word of being a bit of a blue hair-spot.

This is too bad, because Luna still delivers good food.

Having had a couple of brunches there semi-recently, there is no reason to consider this a “has been.” Sure, there are more creative and daring (and cheap) choices out there, but the quality is consistently high. Their eggs benedict? Excellent. Huevos rancheros? Perfect. Sure, these have probably been on the menu for the last ten years, but you know what… You need spots that can dish the classics up well. Not to deter anybody from taking any chances out there, of course, but I will say there are room for everybody in this town.

A quick sampling of their dinner menu recently—OK so it was boxed leftovers, but whatever, I’m not too proud for the doggy bag—was also a pleasant experience. In fact, the dug leg confit was great in all its succulent glory. Mixed with a juicy bit of lamb the overall quality was high enough that I will gladly eat other people’s leftovers from Luna.

I’m just saying. I think Luna still deserves some love, even though it’s aging a bit. But then again, who isn’t?

(Start playing this video while reading for full effect of the post.)

Oh yes, it is still going down: three teams—Team SFB, Team Blue Spark and Team DTE (we don’t really count them, even though they now also have a fourth player)—are battling it out through five rounds of heavy spicy food challenges. Here is the original post, and keep in mind everything is still in the planning phases.

Some more background

The heart of our competition was best summed up by Team Blue Spark Bradley: This is a contest where we’ll eat “notorious dishes served in Spokane resaurants that are actually on the menu.” Sure, there will probably be some customization in the spirit of the contest, but anything we’ll be eating will in some shape or form exist in local restaurants. Hence why we call this Spiceavore—we nabbed the name from “locavore.”

And of course you—yes you—know something spicier than what we’ve picked. Thing is we have to pick something, and reactions to spiciness are incredibly subjective, Scoville scale aside. Our aim is to grab high quality food from local eateries.

Not that we aren’t open to suggestions, which brings us to…

The elusive Round 5

This will be a relay round, though we haven’t quite decided how it will go down. Slick Rock has, however, kindly offered up some of their ghost pepper salsa (if they can stock it—I’m guessing ghost peppers aren’t readily available from our local grocery stores) and we look forward to trying that.

The ref

We have learned that Chris Dreyer is interested in judging the contest. That’s great, although I’m a bit suspect the suggestion came from James Paul who is well known for bribery in contests.

We’re not afraid to admit we are DOMA fans here at SFB. I mean, why would we be? Their coffee is great. Heck, I’m drinking an Americano from Coffee Social right now, and if that’s wrong, I don’t want to be right.

So we got pretty excited when we heard DOMA would be featured in a porter from Kettle House Brewing Company. Kettle House, while not a brewery you can easily find here in Spokane, has made a good name for itself, so the marriage between the two sounded like one made in heaven. Kind of like this…

And the beer truly is a good one, as long as you like coffee. If you don’t, then you probably don’t want to get near this one. We’re talking something that is as much coffee with beer flavor as beer with coffee flavor. To me, that is a good thing.

Not shockingly this is a sipping beer, seeing how strong the flavors are. The head poured about a finger, and laces the glass well. The mouthfeel is medium, which was a bit surprising, seeing how strong the coffee flavor is. (In my experience, high coffee flavor = body like Kevin Federline.)

This is a highly drinkable beer, again, if you like coffee. With a couple of cans you can have a pretty good evening going. Of course, you can’t find it around here, so hey, road trip to Missoula!

Give Zip’s this, they know Spokane. And a subset of Spokane—more often than not the self proclaimed hipster (but don’t call them that, because that would be labeling them!)—really really really wants Spokane to be Portland. (I have my opinions on exactly why this is, but I won’t digress into that…) Zip’s knows this. So why not emulate Portland’s famed creative-yet-not-really-that-tasty Voodoo Doughnut when creating their new “unique” dessert menu?

Now, despite my promise not to digress, I will do just that. Somewhat strangely, perhaps ironically, enough, Portlanders who travel up here have a love affair with Zip’s. Why this is, I don’t know, as I never found that much to love about the place, but there you go.

Enough digressing… I tried the chipotle chocolate doughnut and have to say… Could be worse. Could also be better, but then again, this is Zip’s.

At first bite it really just tastes like a regular chocolate glazed doughnut. At second bite the light smokey flavors of the chipotle starts coming through. At third bite, the novelty wears off and you realize you’re eating a pretty standard grocery store-tier doughnut with some chipotle flavoring added. Sure, it’s all good in a sick and wrong way, but really, it’s nothing special.

It’s definitely an interesting little experiment from Zip’s, which served the doughnuts downtown at 3rd and Lincoln. But as a substitute for a real dessert, it falls short.

Maybe the bacon maple bar is better, but I’ve yet to try one of those. It might be easier just to buy a maple bar from Rosauers and fry up some bacon yourself.

(Start playing this video while reading for full effect of the post.)

We have talked about it, and now it’s going down! Three teams—so far—are facing off on April 3rd to see who will be the ultimate Spiceavore in Spokane.

The Teams

Team Blue Spark: They might have good beer on tap, but can they hold their own in a spicy food challenge?

Team DTE: Nick, Bart, and James “Porcelain Mouth” Paul got severely defeated by yours truly during our last spicy food contest. Can they stage a comeback? (Answer: No.)

Team SFB: With two mystery members and two crowned champions, SFB is ready to take another victory.

The Venue

Checkerboard Tavern.

The Rounds

1. Spicy hot wings from the Screaming Yak.
2. Dish to be determined from De Leon.
3. Dish to be determined from Thai on 1st.
4. Tamales and some crazy spicy tequila from El Que.

The Rules

They’re being ironed out, but really—it’s about eating spicy foods. It’s not that complicated. We’re trying to keep it local (with one large exception to be announced soon) hence why we’re not getting KFC wings.

The Profile: Screaming Yak wings

It had to be either Screaming Yak or Northern Lights hot wings—they definitely rule Spokane’s wing scene in terms of flavor and spiciness. And while Northern Lights has a more lingering heat (and in my opinion a bit better flavor), the punch of Yak when it hits your lips just seems to fit a contest better. The hottest Yak wings don’t stay with you for as long as Lights do, but my god, when they hit the lips it feels like you’re being physically punched. There’s definitely some habanero going on with these wings.

And really if you’re a contestant, now you can go practice. Heck, if you like spicy foods and hot wings, Screaming Yak is a good place to stop by. It was extremely crowded during our visit, on account of it being happy hour, so finding sitting room might be an issue. It’s worthwhile, though, as the wings are about $5 during this time.

Plus the beer selection, while not stellar, is not awful either.

And furthermore…

If you’re interested in being a spectator, we will have some more information coming up. It’ll be worthwhile as you’ll see grown people cry.

A beer that has grown on me over the past few tries, has been Clem’s Gold. It’s a shame it’s not available in bottles, as I’d gladly include it in my Fridge Rotation. Heck, it might even replace Session as my go-to lager, despite my earlier thoughts.

For now, though, Golden Hills’ brews are available on tap in quite a few places around town—including Checkerboard Tavern which I wrote about yesterday—and two out of three of their lagers are definitely excellent session beers. You’ve already read my take on Clem’s Gold (unless you suck and didn’t, in which case you can read it now), and here are my opinions on the rest.

Ben’s Brown

This one was kind of a disappointment to me. I had expected something a little bit more substantial, particularly seeing its robustness pimped on the Golden Hills Web site.

Not that the flavor is entirely unpleasant; in fact it’s pretty good, I will give it that. But the body feels surprisingly thin and even a bit watered down.

It’s not awful. Heck, it might actually appeal to some over Lizzy’s Lager. Yet, for me, it kind of sticks out as the Cousin Oliver of the group.

Lizzy’s Lager

Lizzy might be Clem’s little sister, at least as far as I’m concerned. It’s a bit sweeter, and I can see what the brewers are going for, as it might even have some bolder flavors. I guess we could get into a philosophical discussion if a lager should go head to head with “wine and whiskey” (as the Web site suggests); in my view that’s more of an ale’s job.

But we’re getting into the nitty gritty here. I prefer the flavor of Clem’s Gold, but if Lizzy’s is on tap, then it’s worth considering if you’re looking for a refreshing lager.

Overall

I’m liking what I’m seeing from Golden Hills. They’re not going crazily overboard like, say, Dogfish Head, in creativity, but produce solid, refreshing beers. I for one respect them for that, and commend them for doing a great job on their first brews.

As you may or may not know—and consider me in the latter group until just recently—Keith and Janice Raschko, the duo behind One World, now owns the Checkerboard Tavern (1716 E Sprague Ave). The bar was established back in 1933, and has quite the history behind it, including holding the longest liquor license for an establishment in one location in Washington state. Wednesday peanut nights will, apparently, continue with the new owners. I have no idea what that actually is, but they also add Wii tournaments the same night, and that’s pretty great.

Currently the menu is showing nice potential with vegetarian options, and, soon, vegan options. And our pretzel was served with a pretty dang good mustard.

The beer selection too, is going in a direction that is looking good. Sure, it’s not huge, but with the excellent Clem’s Gold on tap and Laughing Dog IPA on bottle.

Checkerboard Tavern still feels old school, and hopefully that won’t change, even though the clientele inevitably will start skewing younger after the grand opening on March 17th. That’s probably not a bad thing, as the place is big enough for everyone. And the checkerboard tables are awesome for the competitive among us.

Also worth noting is that Down to Earth will host Green Drinks at the tavern on April 13th. Consider this your early notice.

We took our sweet time getting there, but we finally got around to check out El Que (1931 W Pacific Ave), the Elk’s “taco truck” style restaurant with a crazy amount of tequilas to choose from. And while this in no way replaces spots like Tacos Tumbras for traditional tacos, there definitely is room for El Que in the rotation.

To start with the tequila. I, for the most part, don’t like it much. Other than a delicious Santo tequila liquor, I just have bad memories and associations with tequila. But they do have 23 to choose from, and if you like the stuff, I’m sure it’d go just fine with their food.

As for the food, it’s definitely good. Maybe not great, but good. Their “Vietnamese guacamole” has a nice flavor to it—though it’s a tad too thin—and is served with what has to be De Leon tortilla chips. (Or an extremely close clone.) For $6 you also get a lot of chips, so we’re talking a good bang for the buck here.

Tacos, meanwhile, are $3 a pop, which seems a tad too expensive seeing Tumbras serve better ones at half price. Not that El Que’s tacos are bad, but I did miss a second tortilla with the tacos. The al pastor was good, though, and if you’re hanging out, drinking some Mexican beers or tequila, then El Que’s tacos are worthwhile.

And so this is it: two more players dropped out, two were crowned winners, and three were finishers. Not too shabby, really.

Who couldn’t take it? Mark kept his promise and crashed out on a pizza. Hey, he’s only human. Then we have Becky who might technically have made it, but she didn’t check in. Thus she is out. Hey, nobody said 7vs7 was a game, this is serious business.

The Winners:

Monique: She plays the game hard and we like that.

Andrew: Truly did end it with a stylish (and local) meal. Spokane Food Blog Editorial Board went along to oversee that Andrew didn’t run out to Carl’s Jr., and we can testify that Sante rocked together a dinner for the ages.

The Finishers:

Paul: Not sure why he thinks I was the one that came up with doing the early drawing of the winner, but he is wrong. As usual.

Geneva: Also points out the greatness of Sante. And that this is the last 7vs7, but more about that in a bit.

Moi: I can’t help but wonder why we didn’t eat more at Sante. I mean, seriously? What the hell? It’s awesome!

And furthermore:

We’ve been hosting these week(-ish) long challenges for almost two years, and have decided this, the fourth competition, is it. I mean, really, we’re all probably burnt out.

Of course, we’ll still have challenges, but they’ll be short and to the point. Coming next: Team SFB has been challenged by Team Blue Spark to a spicy food contest. Our team of four players is being assembled as we speak, and if you feel you have what it takes, let us know and we will take you into consideration.

Yes, we take this very seriously.

We’re rolling through the last day of the contest, and, well-what-do-you-know, Bart! Is! Out! Are we surprised? I mean, really? Are we? This is the man that has gone crashing out on a Miller before. I guess it really isn’t easy being green.

And word has it another person will go out today. That’s right, Mark claims he later today will fall prey to the 7vs7 Assassin: Bennidito's.

To make this a little more interesting, we are upping the ante here: We have already pulled two (potential) winners! The first name that came out of the hat was Monique followed by Andrew. If they stay in, Monique can pick one of the lovely coffees DOMA provided as contest prizes, and Andrew will get the one Monique didn’t pick. Should any of them drop out we have pulled the rest of the group’s names from the hat to determine who would replace the quitter. Just for fun we’re keeping that list secret for now.

As for the players progress…

Andrew did not fall for the temptation—a bottle of the Abyss—I put in front of him.

Paul furthers his mancrush on me by comparing me to Twin Peaks’s agent Cooper. Kyle MacLachlan is definitely a lesser version of me, I think we can all agree on that.

Becky has gone from burning things to dealing drugs. Yikes…

Geneva reminds us that Sante is both local and awesome. Why nobody has just camped there for five days is beyond me!

Monique, I think, would rather eat dirt (local, of course) than lose this contest.

And yes, I’m still in it! Because I’m a winner. And winners don’t lose.

Challenge? What challenge? Get a DOMA Americano from Coffee Social—I don’t want to experience a life outside of DOMA, thank you—and you can buzz through the day quite nicely. Yet in fact not everybody has such an easy time with that, as…

... she’s out!

Gaeyia: Sorry, but we require some communication each day. A tweet. A blog post. Something. You might call this being out on a technicality and you might be right. But let’s not take the anarchy route, people!

The law abiding ones.

Andrew: Being sucked into Inglourious Basterds is fine, as long as it’s misspelled correctly. A part of me feels today is Andrew’s time to fall, however.

Bart and Paul: Bart and Paul must have sampled some of the less savory ‘shrooms in the area, with Bart preaching the apocalypse and Paul vesseling Mitch Hedberg.

Becky might actually be a pyromaniac.

Geneva points out some of the many great things from Main Market as well as SFCC’s interesting free produce offerings. Oh, and also a new hot foods challenge: Team SFB vs. Team Blue Spark.

Mark is in it. And he writes short posts.

Monique: She is in it. And she seems a bit competitive. Who’d have thunk it?

Last night the Spokane Food Blog Editorial Board undertook a fact-finding mission in the jungles of Airway Heights. Our journey took us to the Village Tavern where we sampled two of the local brewery’s finest: Golden Hills’ Lizzy’s Lager and Ben’s Brown. More about those later in the week.

As for now…

Aaaaaand she’s out!

Rachel: Sorry, Rachel, but it was the rice that got you. That’s a no-no, unless it’s local. However! It only means that you—and anyone else that breaks the holy rules—are out from winning the lovely DOMA-donated prize. As the point of the contest really is to promote local eats, we fully encourage you to play the game to the finish, and thus get the coveted Honorable Mention.

As for the rest…

Andrew is still in it, and focuses his post on my past as a professional model.

Bart and Paul had a man-date at the Main Market Co-op, but, alas, Paul was stood up. Apparently Bart couldn’t hold his wine or something and fell asleep.

Becky attempted to burn down the house to bring attention to the locavore cause. Bless.

Gaeyia continues to write the shortest posts ever. But I assume she’s still in it.

Geneva takes local ingredients and makes them international with boulani. (It’s very good and tasty.)

Mark is kind of phoning it in now that he’s the Only Mark.

Monique, meanwhile, is not phoning it in and is making the rest of us look lazy.

... and me? I’m cruising through. Seriously.

I’m of the opinion that food and beer pairing is extremely subjective, despite there being many rules of thumb. And granted, these rules of thumb might be good starting points (BeerAdvocate, not surprisingly, has a great article), but experimenting is definitely the way to go.

With that said, and in spirit of our little contest, here are some simple local pairings I enjoy. And so should you!

Cured meats from Sante and Laughing Dog’s Dogfather Stout: The big flavors of Sante’s meats goes nicely with the creamy bold flavors and sweet chocolaty goodness of the Dogfather.

Steak from Rocky Ridge and Northern Lights Amber: A steak, like say a beef tenderloin, often goes well with a good porter, but I personally prefer something just a bit lighter. Northern Lights Amber has enough flavor to pair with beef without overwhelming it.

AC LaRocca Garlic Chicken Parmesan Pizza and Golden Hills’ Clem’s Gold: Granted, you might have to get a growler of Golden Hills, as I’ve yet to see it on bottle, but Clem’s Gold is a nice session lager to swallow down a thin crust pizza with.

Mizuna’s flourless chocolate cake and Coeur d’Alene Brewing Co.’s Vanilla Bourbon Stout: Get the cake to go, and indulge in what will definitely put you into an oh so nice and sweet coma. This is definitely what dessert should be.

I’m out there and I’m loving it. However, this isn’t the case for everybody as…

One person is definitely out!

Crystal conceded and bowed out of the contest. But was she the only one? By the looks of it…

Another person is highly likely out!

Apparently Mark G. didn’t even start and thus relegated his status to the “Other Mark.” Meaning…

Ten players are still in it!

And they are…

Andrew! He points out that he doesn’t “advocate an all-local diet at the expense of variety and staying within a budget.” Nor do we. An all locavore diet would, somewhat ironically, hurt many local businesses like International Food Store. And that’s not good. Very civic minded here, Andrew. Our own little miniature Buddha.

Bart and Paul! They’re connected at the hip—if one goes down the other will follow, as evident by the wing challenge. I mean, really? Bart, the man who previously went out on a Miller Light, can’t handle the Dogzilla IPA. And he will pull Paul down with him, in a binge of bad beer.

Becky! Well, not much in terms of blog updates, but Twitter would reveal she’s still in it.

Gaeyia! And we thought she had forgotten about the contest too.

Geneva! Reminds us all of the greatness known as Petite Chat. And vodka. Vodka is pretty great too. With Dry Fly and 44 Degrees one can always stumble through the week in a happy daze.

Mark S! Or, as we like to call him, The Real Mark. There can only be one Mark. Anything else is too confusing.

Monique! Nobody can accuse her of playing this game half-heartedly.

Rachel! She writes about why Coffee Social and DOMA is awesome. Which is true. Ink, however, as her post points out, isn’t.

Remi! That’s me. I’m writing this. And I’m being pretty cocky, so obviously I’m in.

As I sit here sipping a DOMA Americano in an extremely diabolic manner, plotting how I will sabotage the other players of this little competition. And apparently it’s going to be simple enough, as Gaeyia still hasn’t let us know where she’ll be posting her progress. In other words, if we haven’t heard anything by tomorrow she is out!

Speaking of tomorrow… We’ll be setting up a page where you can follow the progress of the competitors. Or you can just read their blogs individually:

• Andrew: Andrew Zahler Eats. The fallen champion—our Mike Tyson—has something to prove this time around. Will this be his Hangover?


• Bart and Paul: Down to Earth. Bart in particular has been the puppet master behind this leg of 7vs7, so he really has something to prove.


• Becky: The Me in Awesome.


• Crystal: spovegan.


• Gaeyia: ?!


• Geneva: Finally a Blog and SFB.


• Mark G: Librarian Lateralus. The 7vs7 #2 champion is making a comeback.


• Mark S: Sounds like Almonds. Hungry for revenge after 7vs7 #2. There can be only one Mark.


• Monique: Home Economics 2.0.


• Rachel: One Facet of the Human Experience


• Remi: Remi Andre and SFB.

Because really, when I’m done with the competitors, they will be eating dirt.

Hey, it’s spring! At least it is according to Redhook, which recently released “Mudslinger,” their new spring ale.

And really, this is a pretty dang solid ale from the Woodinville brewery. It takes some of the best features of Latter Day Redhook’s best ales and, sadly, also one of the worse features too.

Let’s start with the positives. Mudslinger pours nicely nut brown, and has a creamy head that laces the glass fairly well. Give it a sniff, and you can smell the nuttiness and sweet malts. The flavor is surprisingly deep. Sweet and caramel-y and very nutty. This is the type of complexity the Winterhook should have had—not mindblowing, but still very pleasant.

The one negative is what has plagued recent Redhook ales, and that’s the mouth feel which is a bit too watery. I wouldn’t go as far as to say Mudslinger feels thin, but it’s definitely on the lighter side of a medium body.

Overall, though, this is a solid entry from Redhook. I’m almost willing to forgive Winterhook. Almost.

Hey, we’ll admit it. We were right among the skeptics when the new owners of Natural Start announced they were taking the coffee shop in a different direction. But honestly, they’re really not that bad. Sure, we miss the former owners’ take on organic foods, mostly because it was delicious.

The current incarnation of Natural Start has opted to get baked goods from a selection of bakeries. There’s really nothing wrong with that in and of itself, and the prices are fine. (Even discounts on day olds.) I wouldn’t recommend Natural Start as a place to go for food anymore, but the most important part is that they’re still rocking the DOMA coffee.

They didn’t at first; the Americanos were luke warm. Hey, it was a transition period. Now they’re doing a fine job, and I have no problems recommending this as a coffee stop. In fact, it’s probably the one I still frequent the most.

Rumors of huge changes to the interior design of the place seems to have been unfounded too. That’s a good thing, as it looks great as it is.

If you follow us on Twitter—and why don’t you?—you might have caught a conversation between the Blue Spark, Bowling for Soup, and us.

Now, I don’t really know much about Bowling for Soup. I’m pretty sure the band formed in 1964, and that a large portion of the group tragically died in a 1977 plane accident. The current lineup reformed in 1987 with the former frontman’s brother at the helm, playing hits like “Free Bird” and “That Smell”. I’m pretty sure that’s them.

Anyway!

The fun started yesterday…

@thebluespark: Will be collecting a $12 tab from @bfsrocks at The Blvd tonight. Oh and your band sucks.

In retrospect, seeing I can’t name one Bowling for Soup song, that might have been bit harsh. Actually… Let me check them out on YouTube before I make my mind up.

OK, no, that wasn’t harsh at all.

So did the big rock band actually run out on the tab? According to themselves, apparently not:

@bfsrocks: WTF?! we didn’t even make it there! RT thebluespark: Will be collecting a $12 tab from @bfsrocks The Blvd tonight. Oh & your band sucks.

@bfsrocks: @SpoCOOL So funny! We didn’t even GO to @thebluespark!!

@bfsrocks: @thebluespark correction, our merch guy is an idiot! sorry for the inconvenience & sorry for sucking. he is headed to pay it now. (@spocool)

@bfsrocks: @SpoCOOL Apparently, our merch guy did stop in and thought he was going back. I feel bad. we will make it good. – @jaret2113

First, did the “merch guy” present himself as a member of the group? With a $12 tab, I’m guessing we’re talking something like three beers or something—were they all for him, or was he being a big rock star in a small bar? I’m picturing a dude leaning over to a group of ladies, going, “Yeah, I’m in a little rock band called Bowling for Soup, you might have heard of us.” Then, when they laugh hysterically at him, he tries the line again until he finds someone sufficiently drunk to be impressed.

(I might be making all of this up, but it’d be awesome if that’s how it happened. Hopefully the big guy in the band doesn’t want to beat me up or anything)

Now running out on the bill… If you leave a bar, you pay, no matter when you’re planning on coming back. I can’t help but wonder if his “I’m in a band!!!” line actually was successful and thus he was in a hurry to leave with some lady?

Anyway! Is this what we have come to in Spokane? Tabloid style blog posts about Bowling for Soup? Yes, and we’re just OK with that.

Plus, it all ended well:

@thebluespark: @SpoCOOL A new Keg of John John should be on this Wed.

Put One World on your Valentine’s Day list of events. One World is hosting a fancy white tablecloth event for Valentine’s Day, with a vegetarian, seafood or vegan menu.

Not mentioned on the flyer is One World partnering with Lone Canary winery for the special dinner. Thirty dollars per-person for a 7 course meal, what a deal. You know we approve of their food.

Liam Gallagher once crooned “I know a girl called Elsa, she’s into Alka-Seltzer,” which, honestly, I didn’t know what meant at the time. Had the song been written today, however, it would have been painfully clear that Elsa, in fact, was into Budweiser Select 55.

That’s right, Budweiser is treating us to yet another beer! This one tasting more than vaguely like Alka-Seltzer.

God bless Anheuser-Busch for trying. So far they’ve failed at producing a decent regular beer, lite beer, Clamato flavored beer, Michelada style beer, ice beer, craft beer, and caffeine infused beer, but they’re not letting a few minor setbacks discourage them! Now they have their sights set on MGD 64.

And give them credit—they’re not exactly trying to beat a beer anyone in their right mind would classify as “good.” This is really a battle where Budweiser stands a chance. I mean, hell, they’ve beaten Miller in the first round by lowering the calorie content by nine! Anheuser-Busch, you little devil, you might just stand a chance.

That is until you taste it. By god, this is the worst swill I’ve ever touched. I could at least see what they were getting at with Budweiser American Ale (which, from what I can recall, was the replacement for the original Select), but Select 55 truly and honestly tastes like Bud Lite mixed with Alka-Seltzer.

There’s a bit of credit that should be given here: I will, with my severely limited homebrewing experience, assume that it’s not easy making a beer taste like Alka-Seltzer. I mean, seriously. Maybe that’s what they set out out to do? Maybe I’m the idiot. Maybe there’s a market for Alka-Seltzer beer.

First about Spokavore.com, which we briefly mentioned yesterday. This is an early incarnation of the site which eventually, we hope, will list food products produced around the region. We have started out with a few choices, but we require input to further improve on the list. Therefore, if you have any suggestions of additions, let us know.

Speaking of a local producer currently listed, it looks like Small Planet Tofu soon will be removed from the site. Year of Plenty tells us they’re moving to Seattle.

A company that won’t be removed is DOMA, who kindly has offered up some prizes for the Spokavore contest! That’s right, you now have something to compete for, and backstabbing is hereby encouraged.

Update: Mr. John Speare has provided us with a 150 mile radius map:

The Inlander’s annual “Best of” poll is up. As history has proven, the results in the “Food and Drink” category will probably be less than stellar. However! We encourage everybody to write in Mario De Leon as “Best Community Volunteer.” That he voluntarily moved to our community to make what is the best Mexican food in the region is good enough reason.

The Spokesman tells us Spokane will be features on Ace of Cakes. We won’t be a real city until Guy Fieri and his “rock n’ roll lifestyle” makes his way here however.

We were going to say something about The Back Kitchen closing, but couldn’t come up with anything intelligent and/or witty. Just head down to the Latah Bistro and eat the man’s food. It’s better than reading about it.

I, for one, am ready to welcome Deschutes as our new overlords, should they decide to take over the world. Yes, I am saying they can do nearly no wrong. And yes, I just paraphrased Kent Brockman. Live with it.

Deschutes kind of just gets the sheer rurban oddities of the Northwest, something that carries over into their “Northwest Pale Ale.” It is a pale, certainly, but still full of surprises. Its color, for example, is deep amber, and the head laces the glass well for a pale.

The smell shouldn’t come as much of a shock for anyone used to the Mirror Pond—sweet, almost perfume like, with a lot of depth. This carries over to the flavor, with sweet caramel-y malts coating the mouth, and just a hint of hops in the back. This is an extremely crisp ale, particularly for a beer just recently released in the midst of what is supposed to be winter.

So I’m ready for the rebellion, at least. And I will drink plenty of Red Chair while the coup d'etat goes down.

Andy’s Bar is a small intimate bar with some lovely re-purposed furniture. This might be why I had expected to be wowed by their restroom too.

Reality is, though, that Andy’s Bar only has a very utilitarian facility. A large-ish room (compared to the rest of the place) with a toilet, a sink, and something that looks like it used to be the base for a shower. That’s it. No crazy recycled mirror frames, fixtures, or—and come on, who wouldn’t want this?!—custom made tin toilets.

So in that sense, I was a bit disappointed.

One the upside, though, the facility is clean. You don’t have to wade through urine or anything, which is always a pretty good thing. It’s all very nice and functional.

But when I think of what could have been… I’m disappointed.

Golden Hills Brewing Company has been kicking around for a bit now, and the Airway Heights brewery’s products are starting to become mainstays here in Spokane.

Clem’s Gold is a lager. Lagers don’t tend to blow my hat off in the excitement department, but with that said, I have to admit that this is a pleasant beer. It’s not quite up there with Full Sail’s Session, but not that far off either.

It pours without much of a head, but has a fairly deep color none the less. The scent is mildly sweet with hints of malt and hops.

This is not a kick in the teeth in terms of flavor, which is fine, and I’d actually say it’s a pleasant drink. The malts dominate the flavor with some hints of hops. The medium body of the lager coats the mouth pleasantly, and there is a nice mildly bitter finish to it. It might not be a Session, but Clem’s Gold strikes me as a good session beer even though I’m unsure about its ABV.

And hey, if this is the start of another good local brewery, then I say that’s a good thing.

Main Market Co-op had, as probably most of you know, its soft opening yesterday. And while there were some understandable small hiccups during our visit, we’re left with an early impression that is very positive.

It might have taken a while to open, but as you walk in, you know that there’s something special about Main Market. The colors are vibrant and inviting, while the aisles are wide. It doesn’t feel like a supermarket, merely a market, and that is a very good thing. If you’ve checked out the Moscow Co-op, you will know what we’re talking about.

Not all the shelves were stocked yet, this being a soft opening and all, but those that were, impressed. A large selection of in season vegetables meets you as you enter, and there are plenty of raw food choices. If you like Ezekiel whole grain products, you’ll find a great selection here. The beer and wine shelves are stocked with local and semi-local organic and non-organic choices, as well as a variety of high quality products produced a bit further away. And surprisingly, theres also a good selection of airplane carry-on approved toiletries. No, seriously.

Some shelves need to be stocked, and other minor niggles need to be ironed out, but honestly, the market is looking really quite impressive as it is. Run down and check it out ASAP, and get a membership if you don’t already have one.

The Spokane Craigslist for sale section includes more listings for food than I was expecting. Check out these items:

Farm Fresh Eggs $1

Dried Organic Apples $10

Hereford Beef $550

Californian Meat Rabbits $10

Black Grape Diet $49

Grain Fed Beef $2

Farm Fresh Fruit, Vegetables, Meat, Eggs, delivered, support local farmers $1

Extra Lean Yak Meat $5

Weight Loss Liquid or Capsule $6

Look, we’re all about second chances here at ye olde SFB. And after our first disaster of a visit to the Post Street Ale House, we decided to give it another go. I mean, why not? Last time was opening weekend and all.

Yet here I am again, hating on the place. Has it improved? Yes, but only from “comically awful” to “comically bad.”

The Post Street Ale House calls itself an ale house. It’s right there in the title. That, to me, means they’re getting themselves into a social contract with the customer, a contract where they guarantee they know ale.

The Post Street Ale House does not know ale. Far from it. There were some limited changes to the tap selection since our last visit, which was more than three months ago. The selection wasn’t particularly great then, and, surprisingly enough, it hasn’t gotten better with time. About twenty taps, give or take, is not particularly mindblowing for an ale house at any rate.

The Post Street Ale House really does not know ale. If they did, they wouldn’t serve their ales at almost freezing temperatures. I mean, for heaven’s sake, if the Swinging Doors, which has been around since about the 1320s, can serve brews at a decent temperature, then a brand new swanky ale house should be able to do the same thing.

If The Post Street Ale House did know ale, they would have a selection of hundreds of ales on bottle. Of course, maybe they do, but they choose to hide the menu? I doubt it. Walt Worthy should get on his square feet and run down to Bittercreek Ale House in Boise. He might feel inspired.

The Post Street Ale House might not know ale then, though their food was marginally better than during our first visit. Not that deep fried pickles are amazingly exciting, but they tasted OK for what they were. The sliders, meanwhile, reminded me of the one time I tried a pre-made microwavable hamburger (it came with a bun and everything). It wasn’t good.

Nor were the sliders.

Nor is the Post Street Ale House.

Of course, nobody will care what I say. The place is jumping, so I guess people like it. But hell if it’s an ale house.

El Mercado del Pueblo has opened on 1814 N Division, which is all kinds of awesome. Up until now, the Mexican food market of choice was all the way up on Francis, which is great if you live north, but not so great if you don’t.

And as, inevitably, comparisons will be made, we decided to just provide you with a Prize Fight challenge, pinning El Mercado against De Leon!

Round 1: Deli

There’s not much of a competition here: The reason most of us go to De Leon is to check out their ever rotating selection of guiso and whatever other crazy things they can come up with. El Mercado, for the moment at least, only provides tortas, tamales, and menudo. Not that what they have is bad, far from it. It’s just that De Leon is pretty much untouchable in this category.

Winner: De Leon

Round 2: Tortas

Comparing tortas, De Leon wins out on having better carne asada, though El Mercado has better bread. The tortas are comparable in quality and toppings, although, really, Guerrero beats them both.

Winner: Tie!

Round 3: Bakery

El Mercado’s baked goods section is huge, and full of Mexican goodness. Great cookies, but really, what you want is to get the aforementioned bread. They might not have the best torta in town, but my goodness, the bread definitely is top of its class. In fact, buy the bread, take it home and make a torta yourself. There’s plenty of strange and wonderful baked goods you can buy with it. You know. For dessert.

Not to say anything bad about De Leon’s baked goods. They do of course make their own tortillas (El Mercado doesn’t), but that’s not quite enough to reach up to El Mercado’s variety and freshness.

Winner: El Mercado!

Round 4: Groceries

De Leon is good. Many fun things to be found there, obviously. Yet, El Mercado wins out on having a larger variety of your daily perishables. Canned beans, a large spice section, dried peppers… El Mercado’s selection is excellent.

Winner: El Mercado!

The battle was close, but the winner is… El Mercado! Unless you’re going for a meal at their deli, in which case the winner is… De Leon!

No really, just show them both love. They deserve it. And now you have a choice, which is awesome.

I adapted this recipe from Recipe Zaar for an Afghan foods potluck. I have also made this dish in Afghanistan but the cooking devices were much different from my kitchen. I did not use the green peppers (because I didn’t have time to run back to the store) and did not deep fry the eggplant. Instead, I heated the eggplant slices (with peel off) in a pan. Then assembled the dish in a baking pan. I placed a layer of the eggplant then covered it with a layer of the tomato and onion sauce and repeated this process. The dish was placed in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. I purchased the yogurt at International Food Store and added garlic.

Once the eggplant is out of the oven, scoop it on a plate and add a tablespoon of the yogurt sauce. This also tastes great cold after a night in the refrigerator.

Bouranee Baunjan tastes great with Kabli Pulao.

Ingredients

• 1 large globe eggplant


• salt


• oil (for frying)


• 2 teaspoons olive oil


• 1 teaspoon butter or ghee


• 1 large onion, sliced thinly


• 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced thinly (optional)


• 1 pinch red pepper flakes, to taste


• 1 (14-15 ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with juice


• 1 cup strained yogurt (also known as yogurt cheese or “chakah”)


• 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic, to taste


• salt, to taste

Directions

1. Clean the peel of the eggplant, then cut the stem off.


2. Cut into 1/2 inch thick slices (leaving the peel on).


3. Spread slices on a flat surface or tray and sprinkle generously with salt; let sit for 30 minutes, then dry well with paper towels.


4. In a skillet or pan melt the olive oil and butter together over medium low heat; sauté the sliced onion (and green pepper, if using) until nicely browned and slightly caramelized, then stir in the red pepper flakes.


5. Pour oil into a separate deep frying pan (one that has a lid) to cover the bottom of pan; over medium high sauté the eggplant slices on both sides until lightly browned.


6. As the eggplant slices are done, gently squeeze them with tongs to remove as much oil out of them as possible; discard extra oil.


7. Remove extra oil from the deep frying pan, then place one layer of eggplant slices on the bottom of the pan.


8. Place a bit of cooked onion on top of each slice; repeat with another layer of eggplant and cooked onion, until you’re out of slices and onion.


9. Pour the chopped tomatoes with their juice over the slices and onion, careful to not dislodge the onion too much.


10. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, then remove cover and simmer another 5 to reduce the sauce a bit.


11. Combine the strained/drained yogurt, crushed garlic to taste, and salt to taste to make the chakah sauce.


12. When eggplant is done, remove from heat then carefully transfer the slices to serving dish (careful not to dislodge the toppings), then top each with a dollop of the chakah sauce.

Michael Pollan will be at WSU’s Beasley Coliseum today at 7pm discussing his latest book. Admission—and your chance to gloat for being someone who cares—is free.

The Blaine reports that a new coffee roaster is starting up in town: Tom Sawyer Country Coffee. That’s nice and all, and serves as a reminder: Whatever happened to Budge Brothers Brewery?

Laughing Dog is having a “Brewing Pint night at Mill Public house in Riverstone By CDA Tonight @ 5:30-8:30 prizes Trivia with Laughing Dog’s Mike Deprez.” Not shabby. We like Laughing Dog.

Last week a panel of Better Tasters gathered to muse over the Demons of Ale, Avery’s series of three ales that quite literally will kick you in the teeth. I mean, seriously. None of these are under 14% ABV, and drinking a bottle by yourself can be lethal. Listen to uncle Remi and don’t drink these without sharing!

Anyway, far be it for me to speak for anyone else, so here are my musings about the three ales.

Samael’s Oak-Aged Ale

Actually, there is a pretty good reason why not: I simply found Samael a bit too boozy (16.45% ABV = yikes!) for my liking. The thick molasses flavor is not unpleasant, but you can taste the booze pretty much as it hits your tongue. And that’s not a good thing, at least not for me.

The Beast

And at 14.9% ABV you can actually detect some nice sweetness from fruit and caramel. While all three ales could probably be used as digestifs (how often can you say that about a beer?), this is probably the one that would be best suited for it.

Mephistopheles’ Stout

It is nice and malty, and just lightly sweet. In a way, I suppose, it’s a devil in disguise (get it?!) so go slow on it. But it’s definitely a fine ale.

Conclusion

Oh no, they didn’t. They might claim that they did, but they really didn’t.

Not that I can blame them for trying, of course, seeing that Domino’s, when ranked on the pizza-o-meter, would end up somewhere around here…

... and that’s on a good day. But now they’ve changed! Or so they say. Cheese made of real cheese! Garlic seasoned crust! A “boss” sauce with a “red pepper kick!”

It’s all B.S. of course. I mean, really, if you think this pizza tastes any better than the old one, then you might as well participate in Taco Bell’s Drive Thru Diet. The crust is for the most part the same cardboard crap you’ve come to know and love to hate and I can barely remember the cheese. The only noticeable difference from the old pies is that it feels a little bit spicier. In other words, Domino’s now saves you the trouble of having to open one of those small packets of red pepper they used to give you with the pie. Thanks!

Look, I’m not against the typical “fast food pizza.” Pizza Rita and Pipeline have their place, both in the market and in my heart. But Domino’s is just crap. Seriously. Don’t go there. Avoid.

While beer in a can often gives headache inducing associations with the likes of Keystone Light, Oscar Blues Brewery has made a business out of the crap-beer vessel of yore. In fact, a quick look at their Web sites reveals some genuine advantages of the can.

I’ll be honest, the last thing I drank from a can (for reasons that will be left unsaid) was Natural Ice, and honestly… Couldn’t be worse… Ten FIDY Imperial Stout, meanwhile, is quite the thing of beauty. The dark as night pour, with a head that can only be described as brown, gives an early indication that this is going to be a flavor kick. A quick sniff reveals a lot of flavors, including coffee and chocolate, as well as molasses.

The thick body coats the mouth properly, and there is such a flavor rush it is hard to pick up what’s dominant. Chocolate, certainly, but there are also berries and even a strong hint of brandy.

With an ABV higher than 10%, you expect some booziness, but for the most part it is hidden pretty well in Ten FIDY. This is definitely a sipping beer, however, and one might be enough for any evening.

But what a great evening that is.

HAHA’s Grill House is another one of those spots that have been around for a bit (sine mid-last year to be precise) but we didn’t find out about until yesterday. In fact, technically we haven’t been to the spot yet, but we have sampled some of their vegetable sushi rolls, which are delivered twice a day to Kim’s Korean Market.

And it has to be said, these are some dang good roles for a dang good price. For under $6 you get enough to easily feed two people. Possibly more. Sure, it can be argued that vegetable rolls shouldn’t have eggs in them, but whatever. That’s a minor detail. Take these suckers home, mix up some soy sauce and wasabi, and baby, you got a sushi meal going.

HAHA’s is located on 2710 E Garland. Has anyone checked out their actual location?

Located kind of in an easy to miss spot in West Central (1425 W Broadway Ave), INDABA might be in the unfortunate situation of being fairly centrally located yet off the beaten path. Might. Maybe I’m way off, and maybe I was the last person in Spokane to find the place.

Regardless.

INDABA is definitely a coffee shop worth checking out, even if it does mean having to stand up your regular spot at least once. For one, their coffee is pretty dang good. Serving BumperCrop Coffee, there is little to no reason why you’d want to go to Starbucks over INDABA. I mean, seriously. Live a little.

Plus, INDABA joins the ever growing rank of local community oriented dining spots. The coffee, as already mentioned, is local, and they feature artisan wares and art from local artists, while hosting live music. 5% of any gift card proceeds go toward Project HOPE, so you can drink coffee and feel good about yourself.

INDABA is definitely a recommended coffee shop. Check it out.

Churchill’s set to reopen! Again! Mid-February is the target from what we have learned. Here’s hoping it’ll actually happen this time around.

South Perry Pizza will be open for lunch “this week.” Just not today, as their water has been turned off during some city work. If it’ll be open for lunch next week is anyone’s guess, but opening time starting tomorrow will be 11am. For the rest of the week.

Apparently, this is what we ate the last ten years. At least according to The Inlander. To call Spokane a “conservative food town” is probably correct, and The Inlander’s readers lead the pack pretty well on that. (Yes, I’m still bitter about The Melting Pot being picked the best new restaurant. I mean for heaven’s sake…)

Hey, it’s 2010! And what better time to start drinking beer properly. No, really. There are as many crazy “rules” to both serving and drinking beer as there is to wine. And to start you off, here is a basic one:

Temperature

^{As for the temperatures, here are some general guidelines, courtesy of Realbeer.com:}

• Serve fruit beers at 40-50 ° F.


• Serve wheat beers and pale lagers at 45-50 ° F.


• Serve pale ales and amber or dark lagers at 50-55 ° F.


• Serve strong ales, such as barley wines and Belgian ales, at 50-55 ° F.


• Serve dark ales, including porters and stouts, at 55-60 ° F.

For the most part it is, of course, impossible to get the serving temperature perfect, but if you can get it close… Well, your tasting experience will be that much better.

^*C.I. Shenanigan’s strangely enough serve their brews in frosted glasses. Why?! Show some pride in your own product.

Because, why not? People love lists. And here are our choices for best of ‘09:

Best restaurant: Sante. I mean, really, they seemingly can do no wrong.

Best meal: The Latah Bistro vegetarian feast. We’re not vegetarians here (anymore, for some) but Latah Bistro hit a home run with their vegetarian six course dinner.

Best new restaurant: Agave Latin Bistro. Ian Wingate + De Leon = Awesomeness. Plus they’re affordable.

Best Mexican: De Leon. You knew that. Next.

Best pizza: South Perry Pizza. Well, hello. A new place snuck in and took the crown. And we’re OK with that.

Best grocery store: Rocket Market. Great layout and great selection, without being overwhelming.

Best beer store: JB’s Food. A tight competition here, but the selection of bombers and the price of them put JB’s on top.

Best subs: Sub Division. Simple subs are great. Sub Division gets that.

Best wine store: Bottles. Clean layout, great service, and free tastings. You can’t go wrong with that.

Best coffee roaster: DOMA. There are other good ones, but DOMA is just pure class.

Best coffee shop: Coffee Social. Good DOMA espresso drinks, good food, a good place to hang… In other words, it’s good, and we think that is good.

Best chocolate: OMO. OMO’s truffles are pure art. It’s as simple as that.

Best variety: One World. Their selection changes daily and holds a high standard. Plus, you know, it’s organic and you pay what you can for what you eat.

Best bar for beer: The Blue Spark. Others might have a larger selection, but the Blue Spark definitely has the most fun variety.

Best local libation blogs that are not this one: Drink Nectar and Spokane Dive Bars. Sure, we are obviously awesome, but Drink Nectar’s musings about wine are equally great. On the flip side, Spokane Dive Bars covers the dive bars in Spokane with great enthusiasm. And we like that.

Most Googled SFB posts: Post Street Ale House and Kirkland Signature Beer. Seriously, people still want COSTCO beer? And the abomination known as Post Street Ale House seems to be still doing well, despite Paul’s Voice’s opinions.

I mean, heavens, the list is growing, but here are this week’s new entries:

• Black Tie Coffee co: Good drive through coffee and excellent scones.


• Blue Spark: For the beer. Not for the food. But definitely for the beer.


• Scoop: Ice cream is never out of season. Never!

If it seems like we’re showing the Blue Spark a lot of love lately, there is a pretty simple reason for that: When a local spot brings in something special, like the Abyss, on tap, then why wouldn’t we get a bit giddy?

Their latest special (and we don’t know if it’s still there—your loss if you missed it, we talked about it on Twitter!) is Life and Limb, a collaboration between Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head. An interesting partnership for sure: Sierra Nevada usually holds a good quality without being too exciting, while Dogfish Head can go either way, but always while doing something different.

Weighing in at a hefty 10.2% ABV, Life and Limb comes served in a snifter, which, among other things, means you can feel pretty classy while drinking it. Because this is a classy ale. The aroma is lightly sweet with hints of maple and citrus, which isn’t too surprising when its deep dark red color is taken into consideration.

The taste is spot on what you’d expect: nice and crispy on the tip on the tongue, and then laces your mouth in sweet syrup-y goodness. Nice hints of malts and fruits. This is one you can sit and sip—and you do want to sip it—for a long time while just to enjoy its depths.

As with many high alcoholic beers, opinions of Life and Limb will probably be all over the map. Don’t go in drinking this like it’s a Budweiser. Approach it like a fine cognac or whiskey. Then you will see the deliciousness of it.

Oh come now, we do claim to be a food blog, and thus we have to write about In-N-Out Burger at some point. It’s the law.

I like In-N-Out. Who doesn’t? Yet every time I eat there—i.e. every time I go to California—I walk out with the same slightly befuddled look on my face. Was it really that great? Sure, the ingredients were fresh, and you don’t feel like you’ve just had a meal from McDonald’s. But still. It wasn’t that great, was it? In the end, wasn’t it just a burger? A good one, sure, but not that amazing.

Of course, the myth might be what makes In-N-Out what it is today. The way they’re not franchised, nor are they a public company. The little bible quotes hidden away on cups and wrappers. The minimal menu. The (not so very) secret menu. Add that to the fresh ingredients, and all of a sudden the burger seems a bit more special than what it really is.

But if you look at it as a standalone food item… Well… You can get pretty much the same burger at D. Lish’s. And a better one at Crazy G’s. At least according to me.

But hey, In-N-Out… Definitely awesome for many reasons. Just not that awesome.

In the constant search for the perfect winter ale comes a strong local entry from Northern Lights, a brewery that should be celebrated more around this part, as they often deliver excellent products.

And their Winter Ale is good. Definitely up there with Jubelale, and a worthy opponent for my current ‘09/10 winter favorite from Nøgne Ø.

The ale pours a dark amber color with a good couple of fingers of thick head. Give it a whiff and it smells like what I’d imagine Santa’s cologne would smell like: lightly pine-y with hints of citrus. Yes. I am saying this winter ale smells like Christmas, and I am OK with that,

Heck, it even tastes like Christmas. Nicely hopped, and gives a gentle kick in the teeth. You’re not going to loose the teeth, but rather enjoy the strength of the kick. You know what I mean. It’s hoppy, yet not too hoppy. The citrus carries over to the flavor, with some nice hints of caramel, and a slightly dry finish. For whatever reason I imagine this one going well with a clementine.

So hey, if you really are the locavore you claim to be, then check out Northern Lights’ Winter Ale. It’s a really nice one.

Judy’s Raw Foods Cake

adapted from Ani Phyo’s Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Cake Recipe

Cake:

3 cups walnuts

2/3 cup cacao powder

1 cup dates (pitted)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup raspberries

In a food processor mix walnuts and cocoa powder. Then add dates and salt and blend again. Mush all the ingredients together and break into two sections. Line a pan (any shape about 8×8) with plastic wrap. Place one 1/2 of cake mixture in the bottom of the pan. Add a layer of mushed raspberries. Then take the second layer of cake mixture and form it on top of the raspberries. Set aside to add frosting.

Frosting:

1/3 cup dates (pitted)

1/4 agave syrup

1/3 cup cacoa powder

1 avocado

Mix the dates and agave in a food processor, then add the cocoa power and finally the avocado. Frost your cake with the mixture and add whole raspberries in a decorative pattern to the top of the cake.

Alternatives:

Walnuts can be replaces with pecans or cashews. Raspberries can be replaced with any berry.

Need more instructions, just watch Ani make this cake on The View From the Bay.

And I think we covered a few good ones this time, and definitely one slightly odd one:

• Bottles: We listened to your input and we agree: Bottles is awesome.


• Grocery Outlet: Don’t even try to pretend you don’t love going there searching for strange brands from South Dakota.


• South Perry Pizza: Hot on the heels from yesterday’s review, it definitely has earned its place among the great and the odd of Spokane.

Speaking of Twitter, we now have more than 400 followers. What the hell? How did that happen? But hey, thanks! Follow us as @SpoCOOL.

We’re not quite sure where South Perry Pizza came from, but it’s here, and we’re fans. And so can you be—literally—on Facebook.

Located in a garage in its namesake neighborhood, South Perry Pizza kind of feels more like a Portland joint than most other pizza places in town. If this is a good or a bad thing is up to the individual, but the place is a bit different, and that’s refreshing. And it’s popular too. On an early Wednesday evening South Perry Pizza was packed, and people were taking advantage of both the table seating and the rather large bar.

The pizzas are good. Very good. The thin crust, cooked in a Wood Stone oven, is crisp yet has a nice bite to it at the same time. Our 12” Artichoke pie ($11) was sparsely topped with mozzarella and feta, and sprinkled with kalamatas, roasted red peppers, and sprinkled with olive oil. No marinara sauce to be seen. In other words, a pie that felt decidedly more Italian than American, and a contender for the best one we’ve tried in Spokane.

The service, fast, even though front of house looked understaffed. In fact, the only two real issues we had with the place were that it was loud, and the tap selection was a bit on the small side, with six to choose from.

Regardless, that’s a minor complaint. We’re having some loving feelings for South Perry Pizza, and so should you. It’s awesome.

Web: http://www.southperrypizzaspokane.com/

We don’t care what people say, we like Tacoma! In fact, we like it so much that we stopped by Southern Kitchen on our way back east. And Southern Kitchen is good. Very good. Excellent in fact.

So excellent is it, that Guy Fieri—probably the best chef ever!—featured it on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, aka the Citizen Kane of food television. We kid you not. About it being a featured restaurant at least.

Douchebag love aside, Southern Kitchen is pretty dang good. We are, not surprisingly, talking southern cuisine here, which includes their quasi-famous sweet potato pie, and awesome it is.

Yet, still, I have to say the combination of catfish, grits, and their hot sauce might have had it beat. Chicken & More right here in Spokane does an excellent catfish, but honestly, Southern Kitchen does it better. Pair it with their mango lemonade—served in a jug the size of my head—and you got a meal going. And of course, everything is prepared from scratch.

Find Southern Kitchen on 1716 6th Ave in Tacoma.

As for our favorite Guy. Well, SNL might have said it best…

As evident by our very first post on this web site, we like to enjoy other towns than Seattle when we travel to the west side. And why not? If you go to Issaquah, for example, there is Issaquah Brew House, a spot acquired by Rogue about ten years ago, which thus has pretty much all the great brewery has to offer on tap.

That’s a good thing, of course.

Be it the always excellent Chocolate Stout (great on bottle, double great from tap) or one of their many special brews, you will find them here. And of course, there’s always the opportunity to pick up a growler or bottles. Or atire.

And for the sake of variety, the Brew House still serves its own beers. The Menage a Frog, for example is well worth checking out.

The point being, if you go traveling, even to the west side of the state, there’s a lot to experience outside of Seattle’s city limits. Issaquah Brew House, conveniently located in downtown Issaquah on 35 W Sunset, offers up great ales and decent food. Definitely worth a look if you love the Rogue. And who doesn’t?

(Take one number off the rating if you go for the food only.)

If you missed out on the Deschutes tasting at Bottles last night, then, well, you certainly missed out.

(Never mind that we gave you the wrong time… It was 5-7pm, not 6-8pm. We maintain we were given the wrong time. Or that we were given the time after a few too many sips at their wine tasting. Either way.)

Anyway! The beers sampled should be familiar to most, but for a quick walkthrough…

• Jubelale! A good, but not great entry into the Jubelale line of seasonals. They also handed out some really cool (and well produced) Jubelale posters.


• Mirror Mirror! The barleywine based on Mirror Pond. Always a fun one.


• Black Butte XXI! My personal favorite is the Black Butte Porter on Crack. (Its official name.)


• The Abyss! The legendary Deschutes reserve.

Call us cynical, and you are probably right, but soup and spirits don’t sound like the most awesome combination ever. Soulful Soups was great. Hopefully Soulful Soups and Spirits will be too, strange combination aside.

Speaking of not too good: Going to Starbucks is not awesome. Nor is going to most drive through coffee shacks. Anybody have any good recommendations for coffee shops in or vaguely around the downtown area that open before 7am?

Speaking of coffee, Ben Delaney tells us Rocket Bakery now serves DOMA. Awesome!

Speaking of Twitter: Like we tweeted last week, The Elk has opened El Que on 141 S Cannon. We hear rumors of Mexican streetcart style food and a good tequila selection.

Speaking of opening, South Perry Pizza has been open for a week now. Sounds like the neighborhood is booming pretty well these days.

When we added some of our favorite spots to buy beer around town to Only Eat Here, the consensus from the commenters was that we had criminally left Bottles on 3319 N Argonne out. And fair enough, after a visit we agree, and will definitely list Bottles soon.

For now, though, we should point out that Bottles is having a Deschutes tasting tomorrow. For free. And that’s awesome, as diligent readers of this blog—there must be at least five—will know that we kinda have a love affair with Deschutes.

So. Tomorrow, Thursday the 9th. 6pm to (we believe) 8pm. Deschutes tasting. At Bottles. 3319 N Argonne. Check it out.

The rules were simple—five of Spokane’s finest (Paul and Bart from DTE, Nick from Home Economics 2.0, Andrew from Editor, Revised, and your truly) competing in two rounds of hot wings (some were surprised to find “wings” being “drum sticks”) eating. One point per wing; six per round; first round medium spice, second round even hotter. And to make it more colorful, we allowed stealing after a contestant had gotten through six wings, and thus could gather more points that way. Six shots of various beverages per contestant were also put out, and if anyone took one, every other competitor would gain an additional point. The winner would be crowned the Wing King (, Baby)!

That was the short version of a rule book the size of an encyclopedia.

And really, there wasn’t much of a contest. The rivalry known as DTE vs SFB (or Paul vs Myself, or whatever) went where you’d expect it to. In fact, let’s just look at the final standing:

1. Remi (31 points, 18 wings)


2. Paul (24 points)


3. Bart (23 points)


4. Nick (18 points)


5. Andrew (12 points)

Regardless, the king was crowned, and here you can see him, being a gentleman handing a wing to Paul. So he could at least try to keep up with the master.

Run, don’t walk to Huckleberry’s to pick up a bottle of Nøgne Ø’s latest winter offering. In fact, running is too slow. Jump in your car, it’s OK, they won’t mind. Even a Natural Light man like James Paul will want to try at least a bottle of what is marketed as “Winter Ale” in the US. (Originally it was called “God Jul,” or “Merry Christmas.”)

Winter Ale is a porter, and an excellent one at that. It is a dark, thick, malty beer, with heavy flavors of chocolate and anise, and an undercurrent of mild hops. The creamy texture and light carbonation hit the tongue like Bing Crosby’s method of discipline, and the 8.5% ABV is nicely masked by the depth of the flavors. I mean, really, in short: It is very very good.

A bit of a funny apropos here: A few days ago I asked Jim’s Home Brew if they planned on stocking Nøgne Ø. After giving me an odd look, I told them it was a Norwegian brewery, the man behind the counter said, “Oh, we have a Swedish beer, it’s the same thing.” Wow. Jim’s is awesome in many ways, but really, their service leaves a bit to be desired.

But I digress. Nøgne Ø Winter Ale is the best thing to come out of Norway since me, and should be sampled by any beer aficionado as soon as possible.

Books are one of the best gifts, they are great for people of all ages and interests. If you have any travel or food lovers to buy for, you should check out the National Geographic coffee table style book titled, Food Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 Extraordinary Places to Eat Around the Globe. It is on sale for $22.00 on Amazon and I am sure you can find it at Auntie’s Bookstore – next to Sante. The book includes beautiful photos of the best food regions in the world. Culinary traditions are explained and recipes are provided.

My friend @granolamom has tried a variety of gluten free (GF) products.  So, I asked her for some tips on GF baking products.  This is what she had to say.

GF tips. I love Bob’s Red Mill. The mixes are great but his GF baking flour mix can be substituted in many recipes for regular flour. It’s awesome. Lately, I’ve been a fan of Mama’s Mixes especially her coconut blend for sweeter baking like cookies and such. I think the brands Glutino and Kinnikinnick generally make tasty products. I know Namaste is local and I would like to support them but honestly I don’t really care for their GF mixes. Cherrybrook Kitchen has some great sweet treats mixes like sugar cookies and vanilla cake. All that said I have yet to find a decent GF brownie mix. They just don’t measure up. Mostly I’ve had luck with taking a regular recipe and making my own substitute GF flour. Different flours are good for different things. Google is a great tool for this kind of thing. The magazine Living Without also has great ideas.

If you are interested in tips on natural cleaning products, natural hair and skin care products, gluten free lifestyle, breastfeeding, cloth diapers, and anything related to puppies or kids under 3, you might want to look her up on Twitter: @granolamom

Do you have an gluten free baking tips?

You’ve shouted, cried, and screamed, and now, finally, we have a new update to Only Eat Here. Today’s theme: The best stores to buy good beer. The star of the selection is JB’s Food on Alberta and Rowan. This was recommended to us by the bartender at Blue Spark during our Abyss tasting, so a shout out to him seems appropriate here.

The full list:

• Huckleberry’s


• JB’s Food


• Jim’s Home Brew


• Yoke’s on Argonne

Are we missing any? Let us know!

If there was an "upscale" food truck that would serve $7-$8 dishes by your work, how often would you dine there?

1. Satellite 39 votes
2. The Elk 30 votes
3. Chicken n' More 22 votes
4. De Leon 17 votes
5. Domini's 17 votes
6. Frank's Diner 16 votes
7. Dick's 15 votes
8. Hudson's 10 votes
9. Bennedito's 9 votes
10. Mary Lou's Milk Bottle 8 votes
11. Thrifty Scotsman 7 votes
12. Pop-Up 7 votes
13. Wolffy's 5 votes
14. I suggested one in the comments 5 votes
15. Knight's 4 votes
16. Ron's Drive-In 3 votes
17. Every few weeks 22 votes
18. Every time it was parked 8 votes
19. Once in a while 8 votes
20. Once a month 6 votes
21. Never 4 votes

My friend posted this great soup recipe. Kohlrabi is definitely an under utilized vegetable so I thought it would be fun to try out this easy recipe.

Bohemian Kohlrabi Soup
Start to Finish: Approximately 30 minutes
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:
1/2 a giant Kohlrabi or 4 medium size Kohlrabi, cubed into 1/2” pieces
4 Tbsp Butter
1 large Yellow Onion, finely chopped
3 medium size Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1/2” pieces
1 quart Vegetable Broth
Salt and Pepper to taste
Flat Leaf Parsley

1. Finely chop the onion and begin to saute it in the butter which you have melted in a large pot over very low heat.
2. Meanwhile, cut off the outside skin of the kohlrabi and dice it into 1/2” cubes. Add the kohlrabi to the onions in the pot with a few dashes of salt and saute them together for just a couple minutes. While they are sauteing, peel and dice the potatoes.
3. Add the entire quart of vegetable broth and the potatoes to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down very low to reduce the boil to a simmer.
4. Add a dash or two of salt and your desired amount of pepper (taste as you go) and cover the pot to let the soup simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes and kohlrabi are soft but not mushy.
5. Add more salt or pepper to your taste and about two handfuls of chopped flat leaf parsley. Stir the soup and let it cook for no more than another two minutes; ladle into bowls and serve.

One of these days I’ll get around to taking a photography class in hopes to improve my Kodak moments. Until then here are some snapshots of food from Dubai, UAE.

If you have been sitting trembling in your seat, waiting for this week’s Only Eat Here update, then wait no more!

• Coffee Social


• Crazy G’s Burgers, Phillys, and Dogs


• De Leon Foods

For whatever reason I sometimes forget about the Blue Spark. It might be because the place is chock full on the weekend to the point where it’s too crowded for my liking. Or possibly some other reason.

Regardless, on a Wednesday evening the place is well worth checking out for their tap selection. “No crap on tap” is definitely a fitting tagline. That Blue Spark now, for a limited time, has Deschutes’ the Abyss on tap is something that should have any beer geek salivating.

For those not familiar with the Abyss, it is part of Deschutes’ “Reserve Series,” and is by many considered one of the best beers in the world. (It is currently ranked #4 on BeerAdvocate.)

Finding it on bottle is a challenge in itself, but this is, to the best of my knowledge, the first time we’ve had it on tap in Spokane. (Update: I have been informed it has been on tap 3 or 4 times before.)

And it is good. So so good. It’s a punch in the face with it’s 11% ABV, and just looking into its deep dark… well… abyss is enough to get you a little bit tipsy. Give it a sniff, and it’s like smelling into some other wonderful dimension made of chocolate, coffee, and bourbon. Who wouldn’t want to live there?

Give it a sip, and the beer tastes exactly like you would expect it to. The balance is nothing short of perfect—it’s powerful, definitely, but none of the flavors overpower the others. “A symphony of taste” comes to mind, with all the aforementioned flavors playing hopscotch on the tongue.

Even better is the price. Blue Spark charges their regular pint price for it: $5, and $3.50 during happy hour. Now that’s some cheap fun.

Run out and show Blue Spark some love for stocking one of the best beers out there.

We’ll be the first to admit it: The strike of discomfort we felt when we discovered that Natural Start was closing was something reserved for Dario Argento movies. Kind of like this…

Sunday will, indeed, be the last day for Natural Start as we know it, with new owners taking over soon. The new spot will, from what we have heard, be very different.

Natural Start was, of course, a great player in the locavorism movement in Spokane, with a large portion of their ingredients coming from within a 30 mile radius, paired with DOMA coffee. There was definitely a reason we included the spot over at Only Eat Here.

The re-imagined Natural Start—and we don’t know if it will keep the name—will apparently not be focused on much of anything local, and the odds of them serving DOMA coffee are slim. DOMA is now confirmed! Woo! Not that we’re ready to judge the place yet (it might end up being a good spot for all we know), but when it is set to be redone as a “cool college hangout spot…” Well, let’s just say we’ll wait and see. The original’s awesome empanadas and creamcheese muffins will be missed at any rate.

As for co-owner Marc Gauthier, you might (note the emphasis there) see him working to some degree with another coffee spot in town, Coffee Social.

We highly recommend checking out Natural Start’s awesome baked goods while you still have the chance. And when they’re gone, go to Coffee Social—they deserve your support.

Q. Do know how to sell out a unique event in Spokane hosted on a Monday night?
A. Call the Spokane Vegans.

Last night, vegan cookbook author Sarah Kramer joined the Spokane Vegans at One World along with Chef Tony from Mizuna for a $20/ticket sold out event. Over 40 people were served a delicious meal prepared and served by the Spokane Vegans and friends (yes, that does include Spokane Food Blog). Chef Tony volunteered to make an amazing pumpkin soup and the main course of polenta with white beans, braised kale and roasted pears.

Here is my estimated demographic breakdown of the event: – 20% Male – 80% Female – 75% people over the age of 40 – 5% people under the of 16

Wish you would have been there? Well, this Sunday you can join the monthly Vegan potluck that will be hosted at the Really, Really Free Market from 2-3PM at the Peaceful Valley Community Center 214 N Cedar Spokane, WA 99201.

Seeing the success of the Spokane Vegan dinner, I think to concept of Jack’s: An Occasional Restaurant located in Brooklyn, NY would be well attended in Spokane. The restaurant is open one evening a month at a community art venue with commercial kitchen. It is great that One World was able to open their doors to Spokane Vegans to run their event.

Of course some Spokane restaurants already host special events like Jack’s in their own facility. Latah Bistro provided an amazing vegetarian event, Sante hosts movies nights, speakers, and collaborates with local vendors for events, One World hosts their own guest chef nights, Eat Spokane potlucks, and Olive It Cafe hosts book reading events. I appreciate all of these groups taking on the risk to create these successful events in Spokane.

Riverside State Park Equestrian Area is perfect for horses (obviously) but it is also great for strollers. It has wide trails and very few hills. While you are out and about you can pack one of Spokane Valley’s own vegan, organic, and gluten free Bumble Bars to munch on.

The Equestrian area is located on the west side of the Spokane River, a mile north of Spokane Falls Community College, just off Government Way.

Do you know a Sam(antha)?

If your name is Sam (or a version of that name) and you have always wanted to connect with another Sam, well, you are in luck. My globe trotting, computer nerd, outdoors extremist, friend Sam is looking for you. That’s right, Sam is looking for a lady also named Sam. So if you think it would be fun to meet Portland, OR based Sam, send an email or check out his profile here.

De Leon is a fantastic Mexican deli, but frankly, the selfish part of me wants more awesome Mexican goodness in town. And that might just be happening on the corner of Ruby and Nora, where Mercado del(?) Pueblo is opening. (I might have the “del” part wrong, my memory is rather rusty.)

With promises of freshly baked goods and tamales, I think there is reason to get a bit excited here.

If you’re a Twitter user, you might want to check out our new list called “spoeats.” In it we track any Inland Northwest restaurant Twitter account we can find. Give us a shout if you see anything missing; we are, of course, SpoCOOL!

Speaking of Twitter, Dancing @Andrewzahler gave us a heads up about SpokaneDiveBars.com. Yes, it is what you would expect it to be—kind of an Only Eat Here for dive bars, with reviews and everything. Gentlemen, we salute you.

Speaking of links and guides, if you’re looking for a replacement to fill the void in your heart where Taste Everything Once used to be, you can always check out a local restaurant guide, Experience Spokane.

Speaking of empty holes in our hearts, David Blaine is reporting that Lazy Bones is closing. Too bad. We liked the place.

Yes, a new week means new updates to Only Eat Here, this time with what Unknown Neva likes to refer to as “The Big Four:”

• Agave Latin Bistro


• Latah Bistro


• Mizuna


• Sante

If you’re an iPhone user, you can add it to your home screen by pressing the “add bookmark” symbol (”+”) and “Add to Home Screen.” You know. For easy access.

But stop reading this, go to Only Eat Here!

I stand by my original comment—Widmer has always seemed like the poor man’s Redhook to me. But when Dancing Andrew suggested that Widmer’s “Brrr” might be worth a look, who am I to question him?

And fair is fair: Brrr is actually better than Redhooks’ Winterhook. In fact, it’s a worthy competitor to Deschutes Jubeale. Like the Jubelale it’s not perfect, but it’s solid, and has the slightly hoppier taste I was missing from Deschutes’ offering. On top of that there is also a mild malty sweetness, proving that you can, in fact, have a nice balance of flavors without sacrificing hops, something Deschutes seems to have forgotten about with the Jubelale.

The color has a nice amber red to it, giving the beer not just a taste of winter, but also a look of Christmas.

Credit where credit is due—Dancing Andrew made a good pick with this one. It’s a nice ale, and it’ll be interesting to see how some of the local offerings will stack up against it. But that’s for another post.

A few employees at Hooters in Brooklyn are suing the food establishment for the mandatory purchase of their $20 uniform and the costs for dry cleaning it. I know state laws vary on whether or not employers have the right to make the employees pay for uniforms, but do you think it is right for employees to pay for work uniforms?

I had a few jobs that required uniforms. One place provided all employees with one shirt with logo that needed to be worn during every shift. They offered more shirts for sale for $5 each that we purchased direct from the vendor and not from the employer. Another job I had required a specific shirt, that the establishment provided and cleaned so we would grab a new one for each shift. However, we were required to purchase pants, these could be from any vendor as long as they were black. Employees were not reimbursed for this cost. Some of my cousins worked for a clothing company. They were not required to wear a specific uniform, however they had to wear a full outfit purchased at their place of work.

Have you ever purchased a uniform for work?

1. Satellite 39 votes
2. The Elk 30 votes
3. Chicken n' More 22 votes
4. De Leon 17 votes
5. Domini's 17 votes
6. Frank's Diner 16 votes
7. Dick's 15 votes
8. Hudson's 10 votes
9. Bennedito's 9 votes
10. Mary Lou's Milk Bottle 8 votes
11. Thrifty Scotsman 7 votes
12. Pop-Up 7 votes
13. Wolffy's 5 votes
14. I suggested one in the comments 5 votes
15. Knight's 4 votes
16. Ron's Drive-In 3 votes
17. Every few weeks 22 votes
18. Every time it was parked 8 votes
19. Once in a while 8 votes
20. Once a month 6 votes
21. Never 4 votes
22. No 12 votes
23. Yes 11 votes

The concept of the site is simple "” every week a few dining spots, be it restaurants or grocery stores, that in one way or other are outstanding will be added to the guide. These places are sometimes off the beaten path, sometimes not, but should all be checked out by locals and visitors alike. Agree or disagree? Comment here on Spokane Food Blog and feel free to suggest your own spots while you're at it.

The new spots are:

• Northern Lights Brewing Company for beer


• One World Spokane


• Rocket Market


• Tacos Tumbras

Enjoy Only Eat Here!

We enjoy Philadelphia here at the SFB, and at a recent fact finding mission over there we were expertly guided to Vietnam Cafe by one of the locals.

There are many things to like about Vietnam. Their grilled meatballs, for example, are super flavorful. So are the “Vietnamese coffee” and “Vietnamese lemonade.” But, really, if you’re going to enjoy the restaurant properly, you can might as well just go for the “BBQ Platter,” which at $25 includes pretty much every dish ever cooked in the country of Vietnam. I kid you not! The thing is huge, and yes, includes the meatballs.

And in what can only be considered somewhat of a cruel joke, the menu states it can serve “up to 2 persons.” Seriously? The platter in question is about the size of the table.

Regardless, it is delicious. And so are the desserts—some sort of beans and dairy concoction—with recipes so secret they won’t let you remove them from the premise in takeaway boxes. Hardcore, although good as they were, really have nothing on the meatballs which they should probably be more protective of.

A rather amusing aside was one of the waiters; a jovial man who had lived for about a month in Spokane in the early 2000s. He didn’t, shall we say, love it, and insisted—and I seriously mean insisted—there would be feet of snow waiting for us when we returned. This was in mid-October. Thankfully he was wrong.

Vietnam Cafe is definitely worth a visit if you find yourself in the Philadelphia area. Make sure you get the meatballs, though, as they are amazing.

Web: http://www.eatatvietnam.com/vietnam_cafe.cfm

Address: 814 S 47th Street

Let’s face it, my Redhook allegiance might not entirely be a result of the quality of their brew as of habit, particularly when looking at the winter seasonals. Deschutes, meanwhile, kind of has me excited every year. The brewery might not always hit home runs, but then again, none of their beers have ever been close to tasting like urine either. And that’s, at least to me, a good thing. (You can roll how you like.)

Their Jubelale is definitely their seasonal highlight, and last year’s edition might just have been their best in some time. And while the ‘09/10 edition is similar to the previous year, I can’t help but feel it’s just a bit more dull this time around. Just a wee bit.

Not that it doesn’t look and smell great—it does. The color is a deep, dark red with a lightly sweet smell of chocolate and raisins. Hitting the tongue, the first impression carries over: The Jubelale is fairly thick, though not insanely so, and there is a light sweet flavor to it paired with a mild hoppiness.

If this all sounds like a well balanced ale, then yes, that is exactly what it is. In fact, it might be just a little bit too well balanced? Last year’s edition had a heavier hop kick to it which, to me, made it a whole lot more interesting to drink. It’s not that the ‘09/10 edition is dull, it’s just a bit duller.

I don’t want to sound too negative, as I really do enjoy the Jubelale. Maybe I’ve just been too spoiled by Mirror Mirror? Either way, Jubelale is good, just not quite like it was last year.

Ode to Meatless Mondays, Spokane Vegans cook up a few November events.

Even if you are not a vegan, you can still join these great events hosted by Spokane Vegans at One World Cafe. You will find great inspiration at these dinners to refresh your menu ideas. After all, even if you do consume animal products, it is unnecessary to consume animals for every meal—challenge your taste-buds and go vegan once a week.

November 6, 2009 5:30-8PM at One World Spokane, Guest Chef Stephanie Smith will prepare an entirely vegan meal.

Here is the official word from the Spokane Vegans’ web site.

An Evening in the Garden of Vegan with Sarah Kramer

A Benefit for One World Spokane and Spokane Vegans

Join us Monday November 16th for a seasonal four course vegan meal lovingly prepared for you by the Spokane Vegans in partnership with One World Spokane. Best-selling cookbook author and vegan extraordinaire, Sarah Kramer will be our guest of honor and will be sharing some thoughts on veganism and celebrating the 10 year anniversary How it All Vegan.

This dinner is a benefit for One World Spokane, a unique organic community kitchen, and your friendly neighborhood vegans, us "“ the Spokane Vegans.

Doors open at 5:30pm, dinner will be served at 6pm

Tickets:

pre-order $20 adults and $15 children 10 & under

$30 at the door

Space is limited, so order your tickets now by following the links below.

Sarah Kramer's books and 2010 wall calendar will be available for purchase at the event.

(Watch this space for more information, such as the evening's planned menu.)

Over the next few weeks we will be launching a few sites more ore less related to ye olde SFB. In fact, let’s go wild and just launch the first one right now: Only Eat Here.

The concept of the site is simple—every week a few dining spots, be it restaurants or grocery stores, that in one way or other are outstanding will be added to the guide. These places are sometimes off the beaten path, sometimes not, but should all be checked out by locals and visitors alike. Agree or disagree? Comment here on Spokane Food Blog and feel free to suggest your own spots while you’re at it.

The inaugural spots are:

• International Food Store


• Kim’s Korean Restaurant


• Natural Start Bakery


• Sub Division

Now go enjoy Only Eat Here!

And here we are again, the season with too much snow, too much cold weather, and just the right amount of winter seasonals. And as we do every season here at the SFB, we kick it off with Redhook’s offering.

And as we do too often with Red Hook’s seasonals, we feel mildly let down.

Winterhook is not awful, and this year it probably tastes just a wee bit better than last years offering. There are hints of chocolate and a bit of sweetness to the flavor when it hits your tongue, and that flavor isn’t entirely unpleasant.

Problem is, any and all flavors to be found are washed away by a rather dull watered down aftertaste. Now say what you want about previous Winterhooks—and honestly there are many things that can be said—but they have rarely had any issues with being watered down. In that sense, the ‘09/10 Winterhook kind of reminds me of Slim Chance. A light ale. That is not something a dark winter ale should stride for.

A disappointment from Redhook then. Luckily the always pleasing Jubelale stands just next to it in the grocery store, so we will see how that fares at a later date.

Another fun Spokane connection to Top Chef.

Nurse Kendra was one of twenty people in the USA to meet with Fabio from Top Chef Season 5 this past week. Kendra works as an RN for a Spokane Cystic Fibrosis (CF) clinic. She was flown to Minneapolis to participate in a conference on the disease. While in Minneapolis, Kendra was invited to watch Fabio demonstrate and provide tips for feeding children with Cystic Fibrosis.

You can help Kendra and others raise money to support fighting CF by watching out for the Spokane Great Strides walk that will take place at Gonzaga University, Jundt lawn at Jundt Art Museum on May 29, 2010 at 10:00 AM.

If you can get past the less than desirable location on 2nd and Cedar, it is, if nothing else, good to have an awesome sit-down Mexican restaurant downtown. Sure, De Leon is probably better, but it closes early. But other than that? You’d have to be allergic to flavor if you consider Atilano’s good, and that’s pretty much where the buck stops downtown.

Tacos Tumbras is, of course, the Tacos Tumbras you have come to know and love in its truck and Valley forms. They serve up classic tacos ($1.50) and tortas alongside some off the beaten path Mexican dishes, like the huarache, which really all should be devoured with what might be the best horchata in town.

The problem, of course, is that Tumbras is located at the worst possible spot for foot traffic downtown. I mean, 2nd? The majority of the foot traffic to Browne’s seems to be on Riverside. And this location used to belong to Cruiser’s, a bar which had, shall we say, a certain reputation.

In other words, while downtown Spokane might not be the largest place on earth, you might have to move slightly out of your ordinary pattern to find and enjoy Tumbras. And it is well worth it, as this is one of the best Mexican establishments in town.

Yes, I know I said we’d be back next week, and we will, but as we have returned from a quick East Coast trip, this might be a good time to address a question that has been trickling in on e-mails and comments: what is happening with Taste Everything Once?

Long story short: Yes, I know it’s down, and no, it’s not coming back.

The longer story, why it’s not coming back, is really just related to it becoming too much of a hassle to keep it up to date in a worthwhile manner. Over the past year there has been an increased number of attempted astroturfing from various restaurant owners and their friends and family, and vetting user reviews has turned into a chore. And as I’m not doing that as a job, I really don’t feel like doing it at all anymore. A good alternative restaurant guide is Urban Spoon. (Particularly on the iPhone, where you can shake it and stuff.)

But hey, ye olde SFB will be here for you, like a warm cup of chocolate on a frosty winter evening! And over the next few months we will launch a couple of new projects that will fill the dark hole in your heart where TEO used to be. They will be cool. At least we think so.

Random SFB musings will resume on Monday.

We’re taking a quick break this week, but will be back next Monday. You will love it!

In the meantime, this might be the world’s least healthy macaroni salad.

Does Spokane need another diner? Apparently some seem to think so, as 3rd Ave Diner is rocking in the old Bombay Palace space.

Of course, rocking… Let’s be honest here, there is nothing that distinguishes 3rd Ave Diner from something as generic as, say, Perkins. My burger was, for the lack of a better word, forgettable. It wasn’t downright awful, but could I have had an identical sandwich at Shari’s? No doubt. And there is no doubt I wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference either.

The fries, meanwhile, were kind of bad. Just completely flavorless, and probably straight off the truck from Food Services of America. I didn’t try the grilled cheese, but was told by highly reputable sources, that it was as forgettable as the burger.

The question, then, is why bother with 3rd Ave Diner? If you want awesome diner food, then go to the Satellite. It’s just a few blocks down, and it’s infinitely better. Or spend the same amount on a brunch at Sante.

Hey, just saying.

A porter you should find at Post Street Ale House—but alas, you don’t—is Black Butte XXI, the teeth-kicking “special reserve” edition of the Black Butte Porter. Clocking in at a hefty 11% ABV, this is probably not the type of beer you’d want to use to introduce your Bud Light Grapefruit (or whatever it’s called) drinking friends to the better stuff. It is, however, delicious if you, like me, are a porter type of person.

The XXI hits your tongue with a fairly intense smokiness, with more than a hint of chocolate. The latter is explained by the addition of a generous amount of Theo Chocolate to the mix. Furthermore, it is dry-hopped with 100 lbs of coffee, which adds its own signature to the flavor. Coffee, chocolate, and smokiness… Yes, this isn’t necessarily too subtle—although there is more to it than what initially meats the tongue—but also extremely tasty.

With its high alcohol content and flavor-fest, the XXI isn’t a beer to wash down a slice of pizza or anything either. This is the type of beer you take your time with, and sip slowly. Think of it as the hoppy brother of a good cognac. Or a whiskey, seeing that portions of the XII has been aged in whiskey barrels.

The Black Butte XXI can still be found around town. Run and pick one up while you still have the chance.

This post is written by what we imagine James Paul’s voice would sound like.

I scratch my chin while giving a quick, aloof glance around the room. I’ve been sitting here for fifteen minutes, waiting for the beer maid to take my order for a cold, frosty mug of Guinness. Possibly also a Reuben sandwich, what the heck, it’s Saturday night in Spokane and anything goes.

The interiors: Like TGIF, but more generic. I give a blasé sigh as I fathom the Post St Ale House taking the place of the aforementioned haunt after it recently closed its Valley doors. Capitalist hounds!

The bar wench finally comes around, with the professionalism of somebody who dropped out of a community college hospitality program six months ahead of graduation. Typical. Doesn’t she know who I am? I am James Paul! A Hometown Hero!

I feel the mood around the table getting gloomier. Only twenty beers on tap, and no list of bottles to be seen. If this is an ale house, shouldn’t they go above and beyond with their selection? I let out another exasperated sigh as I think back to what my mentor, Remi, said about the Bittercreek Alehouse in Boise, a virtual Shangri-La of brews; a destination for any alehound. Not like this, this pit of an Elk-wannabe.

About 25 minutes after arriving we receive our order of beer. I smack my lips while sipping the Guinness. Tasty, of course, but I can get this anywhere. I wish I could grow a beard. But I digress.

Fifteen more minutes, and the food arrive. Soggy, cold fries. A black bean soup which tastes like dishwater. Oversalted sausages. Hot wings that have turned cold in its congealed sauce. Don’t even get me started on my Reuben. Is this the best casual option Spokane can open in 20-and-frickin’-09? Amazing. Truly astonishing.

My eyes glance over to Remi. He, too, looks unimpressed. Not surprising, certainly, seeing how he has taught me everything I know.

The beer maid returns with our checks, without asking if we want another cold brew. Even though the place is far from full, they want us out to wander the streets among hoodlums and Juggalos.

So be it.

I don’t want to spend another minute inside the Post Street Ale House. The Viking has a better beer selection. The Elk has a better bar food selection. I am James Paul. I have better things to do than waste my time on something worse than mediocre. I’d rather drink a Faygo.

The Inlander just published their fall ‘09 edition of Dining Out, the theme this time being “casual eats.” And why not? The current economical climate aside, casual can often be a good thing, particularity when the weather climate is taken into consideration. And with the Post Street Ale House—and imaginatively named it is!—with its twenty beers on tap opens tomorrow at 3pm, it is a good reminder that Spokane largely is an unpretentious casual kind of town. (It wouldn’t hurt if it was a bit less casual, but let’s save that one for another day.)

So in spirit of the Inlander’s guide, here are a few casual eats we recommend, some which might be forgotten about:

A sandwich from Sante: Sure, Sante isn’t what first comes to mind for casual dining, and yes, we will find any excuse to dine there (and no, we won’t apologize for it) but we have previously proven that two people can dine at Sante for $11. Hey, how can you go wrong?

Picabu Neighborhood Bistro: We sometimes forget about Picabu, and that’s too bad. When it comes to what could be described as both “casual” and “high quality”—their “Desert Lime Chicken” is an awesome example—this South Hill bistro has been doing its thing for a long time. More info.

Natural Start Bakery: Some places have good food; some places have good coffee; Natural Start has both. I rarely find many coffee shops that offer the whole package, but an Americano and an empanada at Natural Start is a great experience. More info.

Kusina Filipina: Try something other than the standard taco—Philippine cooking isn’t too common around Spokane, but Kusina Filipina is a pretty good place to stop by, particularly for a halo halo. More info.

Cathay Inn: No no, I kid!

Sub Division: Hey, nothing says “eating on a budget” like a sub. And Sub Division has, according to me, the best subs in Spokane. More info.

So there’s a few options for casual dining, all over the map, both literally and figuratively. Which ones do you recommend?

Or Trader Joe’s for that matter?

The Twitter went alive with buzz after @simonds posted a link to a >Spokane Business Journal stating a sale of the downtown Empire Ford building was close to being done. This, of course, served as a good reminder that the same building was about (” href=”http://www.allbusiness.com/retail/retailers-food-beverage-stores-specialty-health/11487352-1.html”>three feet away from being a Whole Foods a few years back, and thus the rampant speculations begun. Whole Foods? Trader Joe’s? BJ’s Wholesale Club?!

Odds are, of course, that it will be something entirely more dull, like another car dealership. And with Whole Foods being known for its Wal-Mart like mega-lo-maniac business practices, we might, depending who you ask, be better off without one. But we’re a blog. And blogs like speculations. So we leave the floor open for you:

What would you like to see in the Empire Ford building? (Or anywhere else in Spokane for that matter.)

1. Satellite 39 votes
2. The Elk 30 votes
3. Chicken n' More 22 votes
4. De Leon 17 votes
5. Domini's 17 votes
6. Frank's Diner 16 votes
7. Dick's 15 votes
8. Hudson's 10 votes
9. Bennedito's 9 votes
10. Mary Lou's Milk Bottle 8 votes
11. Thrifty Scotsman 7 votes
12. Pop-Up 7 votes
13. Wolffy's 5 votes
14. I suggested one in the comments 5 votes
15. Knight's 4 votes
16. Ron's Drive-In 3 votes
17. Every few weeks 22 votes
18. Every time it was parked 8 votes
19. Once in a while 8 votes
20. Once a month 6 votes
21. Never 4 votes
22. No 12 votes
23. Yes 11 votes
24. Trader Joe's 36 votes
25. Whole Foods 8 votes
26. Nothing food related, I've already paid for my Main Market membership 6 votes
27. Whatever, as long as it's a grocery store 5 votes
28. Something Costco like 1 votes
29. Fred Meyer 1 votes

Jeremey Hansen who you know and love as the chef of Sante has set up a blog. We kid you not. Alongside Latah Bistro’s David Blaine we now have two Spokane chef blogs to read. Both blogs are linked from the “our friends” panel in the sidebar.

Speaking of Blaine, he is live-blogging his trip to Missoula. Very nice, although I think that’s what Twitter is for.

If you don’t believe us when we say Starbucks VIA won’t change your life in any positive way… Well, be that way, and go try for yourself. You can taste test the instant (as if by magic!) coffee for free through tomorrow.

McDonald’s at the Louvre? This is pretty awesome, as I’ve always found a Big Mac to be the perfect companion to Mona Lisa.

Starbucks has made a big hoopla about their new VIA, which really is just their instant coffee despite what their marketing department want you to think:

This is not instant coffee as you know it. This is rich, flavorful Starbucks ® coffee in an instant.

I mean, really, there’s no end to their hyperboles here:

How Starbucks VIA Can Change Your Life: It’s pretty revolutionary, when you think about it. With Starbucks VIA, great coffee can be yours anytime, anywhere. A life-altering concept, with tasty consequences, to be sure. But with endless possibilities for enjoyment, where does one begin?

Either the marketing department was on a bit too high of a caffeine buzz, or they have never had instant coffee before.

I sampled their “Colombia blend” which was… Well, I’ve never tried regular Starbucks drip coffee, but if it tastes anything like this, it must be pretty awful. VIA actually makes Folgers feel like a boutique craft brew. This is not a good thing. I haven’t tried to boil pond scum before, but I’m guessing if I did, it’d taste sort of like VIA. The aftertaste it leaves just does not go away. It is not pleasant!

I really don’t have anything against Starbucks. It’s a place you go not for deep and meaningful coffee experiences, but for a quick caffeine fix and drinks with all kind of strange flavors added to them. There’s nothing wrong with that in itself, but it also should be a good indication that Starbucks’ instant coffee should be avoided.

For the “real” stuff, check out any place that stocks DOMA, like Natural Start.

It is, in the word’s literal sense, cool outside. I mean, seriously, it won’t even reach 60 today. On the positive side, the autumn seasonal beers have arrived, and that is definitely, figuratively, cool. And as always, we open the season with Redhook’s offering: The Late Harvest Autumn Ale.

I got to be honest here, I was not bowled over. The 5.9% ale is fairly malty, yet seems thin, almost like a summer ale. Now, I did enjoy Redhook’s summer offering, but an autumn brew should obviously not be too reminiscent of that.

The flavor is not bad when it hits the tongue, but leaves a strange almost burnt aftertaste. It doesn’t linger too badly, but long enough to start fantasizing about drinking something else.

While Santorini’s might not transport me straight back to my days—two weeks to be exact—in Parga, it gets me pretty close at least.

The menu doesn’t brim over with the most exciting Greek dishes, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that the gyros here are pretty good. Do a standard lamb wrap, and you’ll be treating yourself well, with their fluffy pitas and nicely spiced lamb. The tzatziki might not be as good as some but is still perfectly adequate. (Granted, a 10 clove garlic tzatziki might be shooting for a narrow market.)

Location wise it’s hard to beat Santorini’s, and it should probably be on the lunch rotation for anybody who works downtown.

I would recommend Santorini’s, even though I’d like to see a greater variety of dishes on their menu. There’s more to Greek cuisine than gyros, Greek Salad, and spanakopita after all.

For what it is, though, and until Spokane gets a döner place, Santorini’s is a nice place to enjoy some Eastern Mediterranean cuisine.

More reviews at TEO.

My favorite way to make tzatziki requires the best yogurt.

1. Go to International Market and buy any container of kefir yogurt they stock.


2. Pour the entire container in a bowl (about 2 cups).


3. Grab a cucumber (about 6” long) and grate it on a standard cheese-grater letting the pieces fall on a towel.


4. Squeeze the juice out of the grated cucumber and add it to the bowl of yogurt.


5. Take 10 cloves of garlic (most people would prefer only 5 cloves) and zest it on a micro-plane.


6. Stir the garlic in to the cucumber and yogurt.


7. Cut a lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the yogurt mixture.

To cut the taste of the garlic add more lemon. This might be necessary if you use 10 cloves and your leave it in the refrigerator overnight.

I like to eat my tzatziki in a falafel sandwich (naan, falafel, tomato, tzatziki, hummus, and sometimes fries) or with veggie slices.

Churchill’s set to reopen! Good news for all steak eaters: SFB’s favorite Spokane steakhouse will reopen by December. From what we’ve heard they are shooting for a Thanksgiving-ish timeframe.

Page Ahead Children’s Literacy Program, a local children’s literacy nonprofit that provides more than 10,000 new books per year to children in the Spokane area who are at risk for illiteracy, will host two food-related events this month. The first event, “Double Shot,” is a partnership with Laguna Cafe at 4302 S Regal St. The second event, “Dish Up Literacy,” will happen on September 24th. It is a partnership with five restaurants in Spokane. Proceeds go to the cause, so if you’re interested in being un-Michael Nutter-like and support books, check out the press release.

The Spokane River Cleanup is this SundaySaturday. How is this food related you may ask? David’s Pizza will be there, that’s how. Oh, and we’re all about clean rivers and stuff too. Don’t bother looking for a Down to Earth team this year, though, as they just don’t care enough to put one together.

Yesterday we asked the question on Twitter: “What is the best alehouse in Spokane? (In terms of selection on both tap and bottle.)” The answer we saw was, not surprisingly, The Viking. @SpokALE (no relations) put it best: “In terms of pure selection I would have to say the Viking (36 taps, many bottles).” And of course, there’s The Swamp.

But other than those two, which are we missing? SFB is planning on doing its national duty by visiting and rating the best alehouses in the region, and for that we need your input.

What are the best alehouses in Spokane in terms of selection? We appreciate any and all input!

Here at SFB we are all about discovering unchartered territories. Last year, for example, we stumbled on a village the natives called “Tacoma.” This time around, we ventured southward, to find a town called Boise. It is a strange and wondrous place where country meets urban, and smoking is allowed inside.

Here are a few destinations we found on our voyage that come recommended both by locals and us alike:

Donnie Mac’s Trailer Park Cuisine: Located at 1515 W Grove St, Donnie Mac’s look is (if going by their description at least) both shabby and chic, but the food is neither (probably also by their own description). “The Worst Burger” lives up to its name, seeing that it’s not a true hamburger, but a black bean burger. And it’s good, served on ciabatta with a fresh pico de gallo style sauce. Definitely worth checking out, particularly with the outdoor seating (OK, that might be a moot point shortly) and good selection of music.

Bittercreek Alehouse: This is without a doubt, personally, my favorite Boise spot, and one of the better alehouses I’ve seen. The selection on tap is great, consisting mostly of local and northwest brews, including SFB local-ish favorite, Laughing Dog IPA.

And while tapped beer tends to be the way to go, Bittercreek’s selection of bottles is impressive. Very, very impressive. If you want to try a $100 Belgian, this is the place to go. For the rest of us, there are more affordable alternatives, like Nøgne Ø’s # 100. Bittercreek Alehouse is pretty great, and I can see why Imbibe named it one of the 100 best alehouses in the country. Their web site.

Red Feather: Bittercreek’s sibling pub is more of a gastropub, and a pretty good one at that. We have it from sources that Boise restaurants aren’t too big on “locavore” and “organic,” and while we don’t know if this is true or not, Red Feather does both really well. Grab a $6 carafe of mimosa and try their huevos rancheros. It makes for a good time.

Pie Hole: We didn’t get to try the famed Flying Pie, but Pie Hole was definitely good for a late night slice. Their thin-crust potato bacon is a good way to end a night.

First, a warning: The address listed for Blue Island on their web site is wrong. Very wrong. So wrong, in fact, you’ll be sent north when restaurant is located in the Valley.

And the location might be Blue Island’s biggest issue. Had this Cuban place been located in a small downtown location a la Chicken-n-More, as opposed to a gigantic 70s-looking diner on Sprague, then I have a feeling Blue Island would have been a runaway success. As it is, though, the location makes it more of a destination restaurant, and really… This is a destination everybody should head out to.

See, the food is great. I have never been to Cuba, but from what I have been told, this is the authentic thing. And more importantly it tastes really good. I had the “Blue Island Special” sandwich, with chicken, ham, pineapple, and various sauces. The flavor combination was both delicious and refreshing, and, more importantly, something a little different from what we usually see in Spokane. The same goes for the Cuban coffee—a small sweet shot of caffein.

There are some vegetarian options too, and the hamburger-like sandwich I sampled was excellent.

Blue Island’s location isn’t optimal, and it will require a word of mouth reputation to attract the clientele it deserves. When we visited, it was empty, and that’s really too bad. You want to see a place like Blue Island boom in Spokane.

More info at TEO,

Tomorrow is the premiere of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but, as far as SFB is concerned, everything is not sunny in Philadelphia, what with the library closings and all! And therefore we have decided to organize yet another meeting of the Spokane Beer Party, where we will celebrate the finest television show set in Philly, while protesting the upcoming Philly library closures.

As we are all about a big community outcry, we now encourage you to set up your own “It’s NOT Always Sunny in Philadelphia: It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Viewing Party, and Library Closure Protest!” (INASiP:IASiPVP,aLCP for short.) This is a simple protest that can be done by following these six steps:

1. Invite a group of friends for a It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia viewing, tomorrow, Thursday, 10pm at FX. (Remember to leave some time for the actual protest.)


2. Print some of our Sunny protest fliers. (Or, for more fun, make your own!)


3. Drink some beer! (Or anything else.)


4. Take some pictures of yourself protesting the library closures!


5. Watch some Sunny.


6. Send us pictures of the protest, and we’ll send them on to our Philly library contacts.

Word has reached us (through phone calls, Twitter, Facebook, and numerous other places) that the librarians got a nice morale boost from our previous gathering, and that the message climbed up the chain of command.

Do you really want to sit idly by and see one of the largest and most historically significant cities in the US close its library system? Of course you don’t—the negative effect of something like this will likely be felt far and wide. All the way (2,542 miles) to Spokane.

Join the Spokane Beer Party and fight the good fight: Save the Free Library of Philadelphia!

You, like me, probably need a pick-me-upper on a day that has seen Patrick Swayze join the great dance in the sky, and Microsoft launch yet another Zune. Get ready to have your mind blown, then, for Full Sail has launched Session Black!

The old regular Session has been a staple stand-by for me for a number of years. Sure, it isn’t the craziest most intense beer out there, but it has always been there for me, like a reliable old dog. With Black, Full Sail has upped the ante quite a bit. It’s like the regular Session’s edgier, deeper cousin. It’s the kind of beer that cursed the heavens when Swayze died, and stepped on the Zune HD while rocking out to its Palm Pre. (And you thought I’d go with another player, didn’t you?)

But I am getting ahead of myself. The most important thing about the Black is that it carries on what made the original so great: It’s a beer everyone can agree on. It doesn’t matter if you’re a snob or Janet Sixpack, everyone loves a good Session. Black has quite a bit more depth to it, with a citric chocolate-y flavor. It’s as welcoming as its cousin, but might just end up being a gateway-brew to crazier frontiers. Who knows?

The important part is that Session Black is pretty awesome in its own right. As far as I’m concerned, it has an open invitation to the fridge, particularly seeing you can get a 12-pack for under $10 at WinCo. I kid you not.

Run and buy!

A few interesting links were sent to the SFB inbox, check out this information:

10 healthy foods that are illegal in the USA— read this

50 best search engines for food choices— read this

Twitter user @hyperlocavore sent information about a website for folks in Spokane, WA looking for yard share space or gardeners. The site is free, so sign up! This is a great idea for land owner who don’t want to maintain it, and apartment dwellers who want to garden:

For more on yard sharing
Distributed suburban #CSA?
A hyperlocavore?

7vs7: Locavore Round 1 winners expect your prize in the mail this week. Those of you who have not sent your address email me (go to contact upper right corner) so I can send you your prize.

[caption id=”attachment_1420” align=”aligncenter” width=”225” caption=”What is the name of this plant growing in Spokane, WA?”][/caption]

After last season’s, shall we say, diverse field of contestants, it came as a happy surprise to see a strong showing almost across the board from Top Chef season six’s competitors. And that former Luna-chef, Kevin Gillespie, is doing well makes this season even more interesting for many of us.

It’s nice to see Gillespie doing well in the show. After having dined at Luna during his tenure, it also comes as somewhat of a surprise, as I don’t have particularly fond memories of my meal there. Sufficient to say, his contributions to Top Chef looks to exceed my expectations. (Looks. Obviously I can’t taste it.)

With that said, here are my two favorite “cheftestants” thus far:

Kevin Gillespie! Hey, I will support a “local” boy, no matter how much he tries hide the fact he was a chef here. His contributions look inspired, too.

Jennifer Carroll! Other than the fact that she seems to be a very good cook, she has something most chefs on this show seems to be lacking: leadership skills. During the airforce episode, she definitely held the rest of the contestants together really well through guidance and thinking on her feet.

Top Chef is on Bravo, Wednesdays at 10pm.

And here is Kevin, from his Spokane days!

What?! All libraries in Philadelphia are set to close on October 2nd. This isn’t hyperbole or empty threats, but cold fact. While we can’t do much here in Spokane (although there are some more info here), we can show support to our well-read Philly brethren.

How?! By joining the Spokane Beer Party! Join us tonight to drink some brews in support of the Philly libraries.

Where? When?! Tonight! At around 7:30pm at Far West! We’ll drink a few beers, and take some pictures that we’ll send over as a morale booster for the Philly librarians, showing our brotherly love.

A bit more information about the closings:

It seems slightly odd and a bit embarrassing that the sixth most populous city in the US, and definitely one of the most historically significant ones, to be closing its entire library system. The very first public library in this country opened in Philadelphia, and the historical significance here shouldn’t be lost on anyone even if they haven’t entered a library in their life.

A bit more:

We have been asked to begin to make preparations. Virtually all employees "“ 575 full-time, 70 part-time, and 91 seasonals will be laid off.

As reported before, this would lead to the closure of the Library system, the Recreation Department, Fairmount Park, and the Commerce Department; and include layoffs at police and fire, limited trash pick-up, and numerous other cuts in services.

De Leon + Ian Wingate = Love in your mouth.

Oh, get your mind out of the gutter, you know what I mean.

We tried Agave out a few weeks after their grand opening, and while the decor was still the garish mid-90s fish theme from Blue Fish, the food was really pretty outstanding.

We shared the duck, which was perfectly medium-rare and was paired nicely with a habanero sauce. Habanero sauce is a fickle food, equally often done too hot and too mild, but here the flavors were balanced just right. The dish in many ways (and probably not too surprisingly) reminded me of Wingate’s duck at Moxie, just instead of being "Asian/American"? fusion, it had more "Mexican/American"? flavors. OK, that’s not a shock, as that’s what Agave is all about, but let it be known that they do it well.

The carne aside salad was also very good, as was the key lime pie.

Price wise, Agave actually seemed on average to be just a few dollars cheaper than some of its peers—none of the dishes were more than $28, and the vast majority less than $20. Not that I mind paying a few more bucks for a good meal, but hey, every little bit helps.

Agave served up a very impressive meal, and should be checked out by everybody. Highly recommended.

Point of discussion: Great food or not—does Ian Wingate’s $7,175 worth of parking tickets deter you from visiting his restaurants?

Update: Hank is officially declared a winner! And so is Paul, just so he’ll stop crying. Prizes are coming soon for all the winners!

But this time there are some question marks! Interrobangs even! The judges are still out on two contestants:

• Hank! While we don’t accept his withdrawal, we have decided to send a picture of the peaches in question to Master Gardeners and let them decide. Yes, we take these things very seriously!


• Paul! The Barney Gumble of the group is in San Francisco, and claims to still be in it. But can we believe him? A notorious cheater, can we really believe that Paul didn’t even have a sip of water while he was cruising for Burger King in North Beach? Somebody like Paul is guilty until proven innocent!

• Becky! No update on the site, but we have it confirmed she made it through the day, FBC and all!


• Moneeeq! She’s still a sucker, but she’s a winner of a sucker!


• Rachel! I maintain goop is goop. But hey, if you can live on it, then I suppose you’re a winner too!

The saga will continue with the last two contestants!

That’s right, if it’s a Thursday, it has to be a 7vs7 Massacre!

It started with Stephanie who, judging by this picture, decided to turn the contest upside down and only eat food outside of the 100 mile radius.

Then went Mark, who gave into sweet sweet Lady Coffee.

Lastly Unknown Neva and Andrew were drooling over going out on some Azar’s from Pig Out in the Park, but neither wanted to be the first to go. Thusly yours truly manned up and took the first bite, with the two others following close behind.

Hey, it’s a silly contest anyway. Who would give up something as basic as salt for five days anyway?

Oh, that’s right… These suckers would:

• Becky! Who, had she waited at Fresh for about two minutes longer would have been drawn into The Massacre.


• Moneeeq! Who brought her husband as a secret weapon to the movie. Having him drink a humongous cup of coffee infront of us all? Sneaky.


• Hank! Made butter. Groovy. But can he eat salt?


• Paul! As usual, Paul goes all the way to prove he’s not an epicurean, which is the only way he can finish this game.


• Rachel! Hey, I’m sure the goop is good! Did you have salt for it?

We are 1/2 way done with Locavore Round 1, I think we are all dreaming of salt and cooking professionals. What restaurant/bakery would you choose that supports local products? Pick as many as you like and add your suggestions in the comments.

What Locavore Round 2-friendly establishments are you most looking forward to patroning?

1. Satellite 39 votes
2. The Elk 30 votes
3. Chicken n' More 22 votes
4. De Leon 17 votes
5. Domini's 17 votes
6. Frank's Diner 16 votes
7. Dick's 15 votes
8. Hudson's 10 votes
9. Bennedito's 9 votes
10. Mary Lou's Milk Bottle 8 votes
11. Thrifty Scotsman 7 votes
12. Pop-Up 7 votes
13. Wolffy's 5 votes
14. I suggested one in the comments 5 votes
15. Knight's 4 votes
16. Ron's Drive-In 3 votes
17. Every few weeks 22 votes
18. Every time it was parked 8 votes
19. Once in a while 8 votes
20. Once a month 6 votes
21. Never 4 votes
22. No 12 votes
23. Yes 11 votes
24. Trader Joe's 36 votes
25. Whole Foods 8 votes
26. Nothing food related, I've already paid for my Main Market membership 6 votes
27. Whatever, as long as it's a grocery store 5 votes
28. Something Costco like 1 votes
29. Fred Meyer 1 votes
30. Sante 19 votes
31. Latah Bistro 15 votes
32. OMO Chocolat 10 votes
33. Coffee Social 9 votes
34. Natural Start Bakery 9 votes
35. Mizuna 8 votes
36. Wild Sage Bistro 8 votes
37. Petit Chat Bakery 6 votes
38. Luna 5 votes

... but they’re not!

• Becky: OK, so she is still in it. I got that one wrong.


• Unknown Neva: Brought out the secret weapon: vodka!


• Mark: Looks like he’s still in it, though we need more of a confirmation than just a single tweet.


• Moneeeq: Is starting to sound pretty competitive.


• Andrew: Also brought in the big guns: vodka!


• Hank: Had a very yellow day, and why not?


• Paul: The Tobias Fünke of the group might still be hanging in there, but let’s face it… He will need a beer after the Flying Irish Club.


• Remi: I’m in here, and I’m not liking it.


• Stephanie: You know, I agree: If you want to go out, go out hardcore style. But she’s still hanging on.


• Rachel: Still going strong, and is probably the new favorite to win this thing after Crystal’s shocking departure.

Hello, Locavore Contestants (Becky, Mark,Unknown Neva, Moneeeq, Andrew, Hank, Brightspirit, Paul, Remi, Bart, Crystal, Stephanie, John Speare, Rachel, Brandi) and Friends & Family,

Do you have extra food or need new items? Meet at the Magic Lantern Theater to swap our food with all of the Locavore contestants and watch the movie Fresh. The movie was sponsored by Main Market Co-op, so it is free for the public and donations are happily accepted.

The movie it not listed on the Magic Lantern site but it is playing:

Time: September 3, 2009 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm

Location: Magic Lantern Theater 25 West Main St.

Come around 6:00PM and meet in the lobby to trade food. If you can’t make it early, we can swap after the film too.

And she’s out? Maybe? A cryptic comment from BrightSpirit seems to suggest she might be out, but really, if the only reason is that she—or anyone—don’t quite know how to keep us up to date, then that can easily be remedied: Post a blog post with your progress, or if you’re posting your progress as a comment anywhere (on a blog or Twitter or whatever) let us know where to look. Alternatively, post it in a comment here on SFB or e-mail it to us. As stated in the original contest rules, that’s all it takes. The main thing is that we are kept up to date on the progress. Let us know before 8pm and you’re still in it!

On notice: Brandi! Sorry, Brandi, but the aforementioned goes for you too. This is obviously a very very serious game! If we don’t see anything before 8pm, then you’re out.

As for the rest…

• Becky: Is now only eating apples. Hands down favorite to be the next person to crash out?


• Unknown Neva: Is all about food experiments and still in it.


• Mark: The rumors of his death had been greatly exaggerated. He is also expecting a great drop-off at Thursday, which, granted, is the day most people seem to crack.


• Moneeeq: Is playing dirty by showing food porn pictures of the crepes.


• Andrew: The 7vs7 #1 champion is fighting tooth and nail to reclaim his crown.


• Hank: Still hanging in there.


• Paul: The Jon Lovitz of the group might still be hanging in there, but on Friday he leaves for San Francisco. So yes, he’ll be out.


• Bart: Is tumbling down, but still in it. Will houseguests take him down?


• Remi: I’m in here, and I’m kinda liking it!


• Crystal: I sympathize with the bread craving, but the food is looking pretty awesome.


• Stephanie: Still in there, and with a nice looking pepper puree to boot.


• Rachel: Keeping it real (yo) and the pasta worked out this time!

... and he’s out! Sometimes life gets in the way of competitions, which brought John crashing out of the competition. Credit where credit is due—the notification came very promptly. It also made Bart feel good about himself, as for once he’s not the first person out. However…

... panic starts striking! And this is straight from Bart’s mouth: “in all honesty though, I’ll likely be out by Wednesday [..] be expecting my resignation announcement any hour”

On their way out: BrightSpirit and Mark, unless they can update us on their progress before 8pm tonight. We’re hardcore here!

And checking in with the rest:

• Becky: Is surviving solely on garlic and honey.


• Unknown Neva: In it, and preaching energy cost efficiency to long term 7vs7 fiend, Ryan.


• Moneeeq: Crepes? Nice idea.


• Andrew: He’s sweating the lack of the glorious nectar known as coffee, but is still hanging on. (Barely.)


• Hank: Kills chickens in front of his family to get his kicks during the contest.


• Paul: The George Costanza of the group is probably cheating, but claims to be doing OK for now.


• Remi: I’m in here, and I’m loving it!


• Crystal: The contest’s only vegan is doing this hardcore style, and making the rest of us look bad!


• Stephanie: Seems to be coasting through just fine.


• Rachel: I was ready to put her on the “On their way out” list until I found that she has updated her Twitter account with her progress.


• Brandi: Also updated her Twitter, so I’m giving her the benefit of the doubt that she’s still in there.

I emailed Dry Fly asking about their product. They generously responded with some excellent news.

info@dryflydistilling.com to me

All of our wheat comes from Winsota Farm 8 miles east of Rosalia. Easily within a 100 mile radius. Nothing else in Vodka!

Don Poffenroth and Kent Fleischmann

We received an email from Wallace Grain & Pea to let us (and you) know a bit more about their local (100 miles radius) farm.

Wallace Grain & Pea is a family farm that produces lentils, whole wheat, pearled barley, split peas, and garbanzo beans.

They have information about how their farm is sustainable, by ways of transport and processing facilities, and can even pinpoint what field your items were grown in.

Right now you can buy Wallace’s products through their Amazon.com store, and in the near future you will be able to order through their web site.

“So where do you draw the line for yeast?” -Rachel

“We've had some mead brewing in our basement for almost a year. The original yeast we added were not local, but by this point, I'd assume any living yeasties were ‘born’ in my basement.” – Rachel

“I also have yeast ‘born’ in my basement from home-brew.” -UnknownNeva

“I think anything raised in our area is fair game. We import the seeds we grow our gardens with. I think if it was produced here and lives here like yeast in beer or sour dough starter"” which die and reproduce quickly should be counted in.” -Brightspirit

“Yeast question is resolved? "“ please let me know if you have more to add on that.” -UnknownNeva

“Yeast is used to ferment the grapes, and although it is racked off the final product, it does come from outside the area.” -Local Winery

I know I said the yeast debate was done, but I do have more to add on that.

(We can not see who voted, it is all a secret ballot.)

Can Locavore Round 1 Contestants consume the yeast from the situations posted above?

1. Satellite 39 votes
2. The Elk 30 votes
3. Chicken n' More 22 votes
4. De Leon 17 votes
5. Domini's 17 votes
6. Frank's Diner 16 votes
7. Dick's 15 votes
8. Hudson's 10 votes
9. Bennedito's 9 votes
10. Mary Lou's Milk Bottle 8 votes
11. Thrifty Scotsman 7 votes
12. Pop-Up 7 votes
13. Wolffy's 5 votes
14. I suggested one in the comments 5 votes
15. Knight's 4 votes
16. Ron's Drive-In 3 votes
17. Every few weeks 22 votes
18. Every time it was parked 8 votes
19. Once in a while 8 votes
20. Once a month 6 votes
21. Never 4 votes
22. No 12 votes
23. Yes 11 votes
24. Trader Joe's 36 votes
25. Whole Foods 8 votes
26. Nothing food related, I've already paid for my Main Market membership 6 votes
27. Whatever, as long as it's a grocery store 5 votes
28. Something Costco like 1 votes
29. Fred Meyer 1 votes
30. Sante 19 votes
31. Latah Bistro 15 votes
32. OMO Chocolat 10 votes
33. Coffee Social 9 votes
34. Natural Start Bakery 9 votes
35. Mizuna 8 votes
36. Wild Sage Bistro 8 votes
37. Petit Chat Bakery 6 votes
38. Luna 5 votes
39. Yes 15 votes
40. No 4 votes

The final Locavore Round 1 contestants:

1. Becky from I Put the Me in Awesome
2. Mark from Route 140 and Rhymes with Almonds
3. Unknown Neva from SFB and Finally a Blog
4. Moneeeeq from Home Economics 2.0
5. Andrew from Editor, Revised and Burger, Revised
6. Hank from Shallow Cogitations
7. BrightSpirit from Fresh Abundance who will post to Fresh Blog
8. Paul from DTE
9. Remi from SFB and RemiAndre
10. Bart from DTE
11. Crystal from SpoVegan
12. Stephanie from Peanut butter and Stephanie
13. John Speare from Cycling Spokane
14. Rachel from One Facet of the Human Experience
15. Brandi from Twitter *which blog will you post to?

We will have plenty of people cheering us on from home and supporting us by trying to eat as local as they find possible. Feel free to send suggestions along the way. Yesterday’s poll about buying local concluded people need to know where the local vendors are and about the variety of local food. I am sure this contest will help provide that information.

Contestants, you know the rules. Contest starts Monday August 31, 2009 at 12:01 AM and ends Friday September 4, 2009 at 11:59 PM. Who will be the first to go out and what will push them over the edge? Coffee and that caffeine kick just might knock out a few.. Not to mention the next Full Moon Fiasco. Are all of these players really willing to only drink water until midnight? Don’t forget you must update on your progress or we will just consider you a drop out.

You can post updates on Twitter by using #7vs7

*Don’t forget 7vs7 Locavore: Round 2 will be coming soon (sometime between September and December 2009). More to come later but all locally produced products will be involved. Check back here or at DTE for more information.

You may select up to 3 answers.

Keeping with the 7vs7: Locavore, The 100 Mile Challenge Round 1 theme, provide an answer to the question we have all been pondering while preparing for the contest.

So far, 16 players have signed up for this challenge. We have a well rounded group, some parents, some vegan, some vegetarian, some on tight budgets, some dairy free, some omnivores, some claiming no knowledge on local foods. I am just waiting for a pure carnivore to accept the challenge. Overall we are already challenging ourselves to think about pure local food sources. Salt, oil, vinegar, sugar, cheese, did it come from the 100 mile radius of Spokane, see comments? Fresh Abundance and One World Spokane have generously offered their support in this challenge to help us find the best ingredients. Some people have already started to ask neighbors and friends for food from their gardens.

Contestant John Speare posted this map on his blog, the 100 mile radius of Spokane, WA:

Locavore Challenge Round 1 Contestants:

You may want to add these names to your Google reader so following the progresses is a bit easier to track. A sidebar on this site will be added to track these blogs and possibly a twitter feed with a #topthat or #7vs7, more to come.

For more information on the contest read this post. Sign up by August 26, 2009 (post a comment here) to claim your spot in the challenge.

“Let the great experiment begin!”

For 2 to 12 Players/Ages 10-Adult

OBJECT
Take 5 days to eat food grown or raised within a 100 mile radius.

Dates of challenge August 31 – September 4, 2009

Sign up (post a comment) by August 26, 2009 to confirm a spot among the players.

EQUIPMENT
Your choice of local food. In this case, “local” is defined as anywhere within a 100 mile radius of Spokane, WA. ”Food” will be defined as anything grown or raised in the radius. You will also need a way to communicate your progress. Sign up for a blog and post it there, or email us, and we will post it here for you. Track what you ate, tell us where you got it, spread the word about delicious local foods and how to prepare them. Photos are always helpful. This is all on the honor system and nothing is worse than your own conscience getting the best of you. Announce when you have accidentally, purposefully, or otherwise lost the contest.

A bit more about food:

• Fruits: peaches, cherries, plums, apricots, huckleberries, anything as long as it was grown and picked from a 100 mile radius

• Vegetables: Lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, cilantro, peas, squash, anything as long as it was grown and picked from a 100 mile radius

• Grains and beans: lentils, wheat, barley, oatmeal, anything as long as it was harvested within a 100 mile radius. Watch out for any additives that did not come from the 100 mile radius

• Dairy: Milk, cheese. Watch out for additives. This can be tricky and just might knock you out of the contest

• Oils: we don’t have an olive grove, so that limits your oil intake.

• Meat and eggs: There are plenty of resources for both of these food categories.

• Sugar: Well, we don’t have sugar in our area, but use some local honey and you are set.

That’s all folks!

We will be happy to answer questions about this game. Post a comment or send an email via contact.

Is an organic lentil from Canada better than a non-organic lentil from the Palouse?

The boys over at Down to Earth, Bart and Paul, do not like food, and what better place to have a throw-down over our differences than the arena where differences are settled: Cheney Lanes.

DTE was represented by Bart and Paul—a man who by own admittance spends most weekends alone at the lanes with his ball and a bag of burgers from “The BK”—and SFB by Unknown Neva and myself. The first round results:

1. Unknown Neva (SFB)


2. Paul (DTE)


3. Bart (DTE)


4. Remi (SFB)

1. Paul (DTE)


2. Remi (SFB)


3. Unknown Neva (SFB)


4. Bart (DTE)

So was it all for naught? Not at all! Stay tuned at the old SFB for a contest announcement this week, where both us and DTE will participate. And so can you!

Coffee Social certainly does live up to its name : It’s a good place to grab some coffee—they use DOMA—and sit down and be social. Plus everything is organic, so, you know, social consciousness and all that good stuff.

The food, too, is good. Not spectacular, but certainly something that serves as a companion to the coffee and the social. My lamb sandwich was certainly fresh tasting, and the horseradish gave it a nice flavor kick. There weren’t a whole lot of ingredients in the sandwich, and that’s good, as it had a nice clean taste. I also tried my ladyfriend’s veggie pasty, which wasn’t bad at all. Sometimes pasties come off as a bit bland, but this one definitely had a nice flavor to it.

The price is a bit higher than some coffee shops—just north of $20 for two people—but with organic ingredients and awesome coffee, that is just OK with me.

Coffee Social is definitely a place where you can just hang out and drink some coffee and just chill. And if you’re hungry, you can safely do that too.

This weekend is the Huckleberry Festival in Wallace, ID. Other than festivities which, undoubtedly, involve berries and food and Dante’s Peak watching, there’s also a 5 km race, just so you can feel good about yourself.

You like salads? NY Times has 101 on of them!

Liberty Lake Farmers Market is doing its annual pie celebration this Saturday.

Users of the TEO iPhone app should notice some speed increases.

Spring rolls: They taste great, are versatile for all diets, and inexpensive to make. Plus, they can be prepared from 90% fresh local products.

Step 1. Buy spring roll wrappers from the Korean Market on Division for about $3 a pack of ~50 sheets. You can also by them from most chain grocery stores. They are made from tapioca flour, salt, and water. All ready you are winning over gluten free and vegan dieters.

Step 2. Pick fresh vegetables or find them at a near by farmers market or produce store. I included shredded carrots, broccoli stems, green onions, and celery.

Step 3. Grill up some Small Planet Extra Firm Tofu. I like mine cut into thin strips about one inch long. I also heat them in a pan until the outside is crispy and brown. You can also use any variety of meat if you don’t have tofu.

Step 4. Soak the spring roll wrapper in boiling water. Use a plate and pour water in it, then soak the wrapper until it is soft. Remove the wrapper from the hot water and place it on a rolling plate.

Step 5. Fill the soft spring roll wrapper with the fresh veggies and grilled tofu. Roll up the wrapper like a burrito.

Step 6. Get creative with dipping sauces. Take soy sauce and mix it with peanut butter and Piri Piri sauce. Or find your own variations.

Alternate Dessert Roll:

Fill the wrappers with fresh cut fruit and honey roll it up and you are ready to go.

Another month, another go for the Magic Lantern. Let’s hope it will stick this time around.

We had been hoping this movie would open in Spokane, and while showing it at a restaurant like Sante is all well and good, it’s definitely in everybody’s interest to have it shown in a theater.

And Food, Inc.? Not bad at all. Gross, definitely, and some of the more graphic scenes might be enough to turn some people into vegetarians. (Which, of course, at that point you get some reality lessons about soy beans.) For most of us, it will at least make us think twice about where to buy meat and what type of meat to buy.

The only criticism I can think of for the movie, really, is that it was very much centered around meat (and one segment about the soy bean) while stuff like dairy was barely mentioned. But, I suppose you can’t cover everything in one single movie.

As a whole, it is great to see the Magic Lantern kicking it again, and showing general interest documentaries like Food, Inc. The movie will show through Thursday (possibly longer, but that’s as far as the web site went) and should be checked out.

Mike or @mtigas rumples up in the Kitchen with the Prairie Fire shot. The man from the Midwest who is often referred to as The Sustainable Spokane Man, shares his focused energy, mature attitude and wise realizations over his hometown-favorite tequila and Tabasco. That’s right, he keeps it simple with two ingredients. His favorite way to mix it? Just ask and he will say, “it’s just a straight shot of tequila that’s got enough Tabasco in it to give it a kick (and for me, cover the tequila taste)”. Next time you bump into Mike, pour him a Prairie Fire shot and you will find out why Spokane made it on his list of favorite places he has lived.

1” src=”http://www.spokanefoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/el_diablo11.jpg” alt=”el_diablo1¹” width=”450” height=”257” />

Illustration by http://jefflanceillustration.blogspot.com/

The new Hotel Lusso pub will be called… Post Street Ale House. Yes. That’s the best they could pick from their recent contest. SFB suggestions: “The” Pub and Top That by Unknown Neva and The Pheasant Public House by yours truly. I think we all can agree “The” Pub is a pretty damn awesome pub name.

Everybody should check out International Food on 3021 E Mission. The Middle Eastern grocery store has everything from whole lamb (halal and everything) to really awesome yoghurt. Let that lamb marinate in the yoghurt over night, and you got something great going.

If you like food and you like movies, then you should probably check out Julie & Julia this weekend. Two stories set in different time and places: one follows Julia Child, and one Julie Powell who attempts to cook all of Child’s 500 or so recipes. Hey, it stars Meryl Streep, how bad can it be?

And finally, speaking of Julie & Julia... Check out this blog entry by Anthony Bourdain about his meeting with Sandra Lee after the premiere of the movie. It is… Bizarre. To say the least.

My friend Becky, recommends “BabyCakes: The Cookbook”, a great cookbook to make anything vegan, gluten free, and mostly sugar free. You can check it out at the Spokane Public Library, just ask and she can help you find it.

Despite its claims, Tecate Grill won’t provide you with an instant gateway to authentic Mexican cuisine. It will, however, give you a serving of “fresh Mex” that actually tastes good, something which is somewhat of a rarity in this town.

My chimichanga certainly lived up to its “fresh” promise, with a nicely spiced salsa—not too hot, but not tomato sauce either—over chicken in a crisp flour tortilla. It might not shout De Leon, but it definitely screams summer, and that’s what I need when it’s around a hundred degrees outside. Served with a nice tortilla soup, I was pleasantly surprised by the whole meal. It doesn’t try to be too fancy and that’s fine.

The interiors aren’t bad either. It gives that summer-y feel, and while it’s a bit cheesy, it doesn’t reach the forced feeling most “theme” restaurants give.

I like Tecate. It is what it is, and it is good at it.

Mark, a Spokane, WA resident, aka @route140 has been traveling the country meeting up with people and companies who use Twitter. Check out his video entry of Steve @tykerman1 a farmer from “the middle of nowhere”, Nebraska.

The Washington State Liquor Tax will be raised in August. Dry Fly was interviewed by a local Kitsap County paper about the increase and discussed how the change will affect their business. A group of Sultan, WA residents plan to rumple up and purchase a rundown van from Craigslist, spray paint it, and road trip to California where they will buy Costco sized bottles of liquor at Costco discounts. They plan to stock up and will even take orders for those interested.

How will you react?

Crystal, aka SpoVegan, rumples up in the kitchen with her Potato Salad with Tempeh Bacon. I tried these at yesterday’s Vegan Potluck and feel in love. Fortunately she sent the recipe and now I can pass it to all of you SFB readers too.

From Crystal:

Here’s my “recipe” for the potato salad I made for July’s vegan potluck. I just threw this together, so all measurements are approximate. Add/subtract or increase/decrease ingredients to suit your taste and/or pantry.

You’ll need:

8 – 10 small to medium potatoes (white, yellow or red)
1 package tempeh “bacon” strips
2 T fresh rosemary (or one sprig), chopped
1 C Veganaise
2 T Tofutti Sour Supreme
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Scrub potatoes and cut into chunks, leaving the skin on. Add potatoes to a large pot of water and boil for about 20 minutes, or until soft. While potatoes are cooking, heat a large skillet and add tempeh strips, chopped into bite size pieces. Cook tempeh until it browns, about 6 minutes.

Drain potatoes. Add rosemary and salt* and pepper to the still warm pot used for the potatoes. Add drained potatoes back to the pot, on top of the rosemary. (My thinking behind this is that the heat from the potatoes will draw out some of the oil/flavor from the rosemary.) Add Veganaise and stir. Add tempeh and Sour Supreme, stir. Adjust salt/pepper to taste. You can eat this warm, or refrigerate before serving.

*Because the tempeh is really salty, add a little bit of salt at a time. You can always add more, but it’s hard to fix something if it’s too salty.

Be on the look out for some Spokane blog alliances building. TEO will be working with SpoVegan, and will soon have a vegan tag so you can find all the great vegan eats in neighborhoods around Spokane, where you will be able to provide your input too. Visit SpoVegan for more on the monthly potlucks and great Spokane+Vegan information. You don’t have to be vegan to come to the potluck, but you do have to bring something vegan.

• 7/26 Movie Night: Food, Inc.


• 6:00pm at Santé.

Location: 404 West Main, Spokane, WA 99201
Tel: 509.315.4613, Fax: 509.315.4612

... and so do we, having just visited the country.

We have given the Bistro some love in the past, and, after taking in some Moroccan style halibut and chickpea soup last night, we’re not above doing it again. Just the fact that they went all out with a full Moroccan selection (well, minus dessert) is a good thing, and even better were the flavors that stayed true to what they authentically should be. I mean, really, too often thinking outside of American and European cuisine around these parts tend to be a slab of tuna with soy sauce that is called “Asian.” (“Asia” is, apparently, a tiny little continent somewhere on the right of the map where they only eat tuna.)

But I digress. Nice couscous and a perfect blend of sweet and spicy flavors, the fish was perfectly prepared. The soup, too, fit the theme as advertised. I might just be a dude going to restaurants and not a legit food journalist, but gee golly, I thought the Bistro served up a menu that was just a little bit different with high quality flavors.

Which is good, because the one minor issue I do have with Latah Bistro remains: Outside of the specials, the menu rarely changes seasonally. I mean, I’m fairly certain I saw the pumpkin bread pudding on the menu. In July. Odd. Or possibly avant garde.

Anyway, run down there and see if the menu is still there, because it was awesome.

For those of you who are too lazy to walk downtown from Browne’s Addition, and who are tired of The Elk and The Swamp, there is now Andy’s Bar. The former home of a rather red-leaning sandwich shop, Andy’s is now utilizing the Cedar and 1st space rather impressively—that they managed to fit both a large bar and a good amount of tables and chairs is impressive. There is also outdoor seating.

During our 1am visit there were still a good amount of people hanging out, and a variety of types of people. In other words, the homogeneous Baby Bar dress code was nowhere to be seen here. On the flipside, neither was a good selection of beer on tap. Both the IPA and Porter was done for the night, and the highest quality ale left was the Drop Top Amber. Nothing wrong with that beer in itself, but one could wish there was a bit wider selection and availability.

Regardless, I liked Andy’s. The place has a nice laidback low-key vibe, without feeling pretentious. (Hello, Baby Bar and Zola.) Definitely worthwhile checking out. Next time I will even try the food.

We love ourselves some Three Sheets here at the ol’ SFB, and were all happy about last night’s season four premiere at the show’s new network, FLN.

For those not familiar with Three Sheets, it’s basically a travel show with emphasis on local drinking cultures. Hosted by comedian Zane Lamprey, the show is (subject matter taken into consideration) surprisingly PG and always funny.

Season four, now on FLN after MojoHD closed down, kicked off in New Zealand, and (thankfully) very little has changed from the previous seasons. The show is, all humor aside, informative— who knew there was so much to Kiwi whisky?—and there are plenty of interesting people and local drinking game to check out. And obviously Pleepleus is back.

Sixteen more episodes are coming up, Mondays at 10pm, so make sure you set your DVR. I believe it’s on Comcast channel 204.

@onemoreryan (One More Ryan) sure can rumple up when it comes to cooking. Just check out these tweets he shared over the past week on Twitter.

Brined bird, then chili-lime butter under skin and all over. White wine. Halfway through cook time added corn/zucchini/squash.

Thick-cut pork chop with homemade barbecue sauce, sauteed green beans, corn, cherry tomato, quinoa.

Do you think you can rumple up too? Send your meals and photos, or tweet them to SpoCool and you (or your resturant) might be next week’s food inspiration.

Well, what do you know, the Inland Empire does have a chapter of HASH. I was excited to find a HASH group represented in our neck of the woods. I came across it while researching the meeting spot for a HASH club in Sudan for some friends who are traveling in the region. The motto of the Inland Empire HASH group: “A drinking club, with a running problem.”

If you aren’t familiar with HASH groups, you should know they are represented all over the world. Typically a group of ex-pats meet in a specific location and ventures (runs, hikes, etc.) for a set amount of time or kilometers, then stop at a local watering hole or a person’s home to drink and socialize. These groups typically attract individuals looking to have fun through exercise while networking with others who are living and working abroad.

Here is a bit more information about HASHING:

The HASH HOUSE HARRIERS is a social club of runners that have been described as “a drinking club with a running problem.” Ex-pat British businessmen, accountants, lawyers, civil servants, etc., started the HASH in 1938 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is a club based on the old English game of hares and hounds where one or two members would be given several minutes head start and would drop shredded paper as the “scent”. The HASH has grown from those humble beginnings to include thousands of chapters and tens of thousands of hashers worldwide.