Our previous mini-rant on how "Greek yoghurt" is really not Greek at all got the ol' cogs turning around discussions Team SpoCOOL has had on many occasions. Here in the USA people tend to strongly define anything by political borders. I'm sure we've all met people claiming to be "23% German, 12.5% Swedish, 1.734% Chinese, etc." There's an underlying problem with that, seeing that people lose quite a bit of their actual American identity, but that's a discussion for another time.
The jargon carries over to food, as we all know. Swedish pancakes. Belgian waffles. Canadian bacon. So on and so forth.
The thing, of course, is that these dishes really didn't have their origins in the countries their American namesakes suggest. For the most part it'd be impossible to trace the history of the dishes properly, largely because political borders have shifted significantly over time. And, of course, that the dishes have been around in some form or other for a long time.
Using Swedish pancakes as an example: These type of pancakes can be found in most of Europe, heck, even the world. Here in the US many differentiate between the Swedish pancake and the French crepe. They shouldn't, as they're virtually identical. The French crepe, the Greek krepa, the Norwegian pannekake, the Russian bliny… You'll find subtle differences, but for the most part they're the same thing.
It gets more complicated.
Indian food is something we all enjoy, but do we enjoy North Indian cuisine or South Indian fare? The two are very different, more so than a crepe from France and a pancake from Sweden. Yet they're inside the political borders of India.
Of course, it all comes down to giving things, anything, names. That's fine. We need names, and we're not saying there's anything inherently wrong using names like Belgian waffles, though it probably would be better if the names were either a bit less geographical. Or, when talking about a country's cuisine, possibly even more specific.
Regardless, we do think people would benefit from doing some basic research on various dishes. Not just to figure out the foods, but to learn more about political and geographical history. Broaden your horizon and all that jazz.
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:
- Chitarra pasta, seriously the best dish I have ever eaten.
- Forgetting about amuse bouche, and then being thrilled at their arrival.
- Goat Cheese crespella. There is nothing more to say here.
- Bringing the cured meats, such as pastrami or mortadella, to family functions and treating my father to some of his old favorites.
- Best patio seating in Spokane.
- A whole menu for my vegetarian husband, not just a few options (NOT tofu stir fry or portabella mushroom, finally!)
- Of course, knowing that I am supporting a local food network.
- While enjoying my meal, watching a farmer carry in cartons of fresh eggs.
- Rotating local artwork.
- Giant cups of wonderful coffee with endless refills.
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
- Philosophy about ingredients
- Taste
- Selection of meals I would not succeed at making on my own
- Staff
- Some foods I have not tried before
- Conscience detail in every dish
- Every gnocchi and soup offering
- Atmosphere
- Watching the many ways people parallel park
- Presentation
Mack Salmon (a 2009 vintage top 10)
- The food is out of this world. I mean, it’s as simple as that. The food is consistently great, and always creative.
- The portion sizes are just right. I’m tired of plates filled with food you won’t eat anyway. Sante serves true portions.
- 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.
- 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.)
- The coffee is awesome. Four Seasons, and brewed really quite well. I admit to enjoying an espresso con panna.
- Vegetarian/vegan options. Even I have ordered from the vegetarian menu. That’s just how I roll.
- 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.
- The ambiance. Hey, feels just like a Southern European cafe. Plus being inside a bookstore is just kind of cool.
- Best gnocchi in town. Not that the competition is stiff, but the gnocchi is what dreams are made of.
- 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.
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?
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.
OBJECT
EQUIPMENT
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. Be sure to communicate what products or recipes you think other people should know about. More contest will be announced during the challenge. All posts from players will be fed to one central location. 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 accidently, purposefully, or otherwise lost the contest.
RULES
- Any types of groceries should be bought at local grocery stores. This would include places like Main Market, Huckleberry’s, Rocket Market, Fresh Abundance, etc. Though keep in mind that larger chains like Yoke’s and Rosauers are also local.
- Any type of packaged product bought at aforementioned grocery stores (or directly from producer) should be produced locally by local companies. They could, however, be produced using ingredients from outside our region. For example: Small Planet Tofu, Northern Lights beer, Bumble Bars, Arbor Crest wine, DOMA coffee, etc.
- Any type of baked goods bought at aforementioned grocery stores or directly from vendor (be it a bakery or boutique) should be produced locally by local companies. For example: bread from Petite Chat, chocolates from OMO, etc.
- Any type of meats should have been raised locally. You can find this at Fresh Abundance, Egger’s, etc. (Look carefully, as places like Huckleberry’s carry mostly Oregon and California meats.)
- When eating at restaurants they should predominantly use local products. For example: Coffee Social, Sante, Mizuna, Latah Bistro, etc.
- When preparing food/baking at home you should predominantly use local products. Certain staples, like salt, aren’t produced locally, so they are exempt. (As long as they’re bought from a local grocery store.) Dietary supplements are also exempt.
- Non-local vegetables are, because of the season and the spirit of the game, allowed, as long as they are purchased from a local market.
- As promised during Locavore Round 1, a list of local products will be created. Send in your suggestions to build the Spokavore directory.
WINNING
That’s all folks!
We will be happy to answer questions about this game. Post a comment or email via contact.
Potential Players List:
- Andrew
- Bart
- Barry
- Becky
- Crystal
- Gaeyia
- Geneva
Hank- Mark S.
- Monique
- Paul
- Rachel
- Remi
Ryan
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.
We were also happy to run into Marc from the old Natural Start at the store. He’s now in charge of the Main Market green house, which seems fitting. He could also tell us that the Moscow Co-op had helped out with certain aspects of Main Market, so that would explain certain similarities.
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.
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.
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.
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
Owners and chefs are also encouraged to submit their own 200 character blurbs for their spots.
Now go enjoy Only Eat Here!