Breathe the salt air

The aroma of sweet, oaky wood smoke on a warm sunny afternoon welcomes visitors to Spokane’s new RED LOBSTER across from NorthTown Mall. The smoke is just the greeting of the restaurant’s wood-fire grill.

Along with traditional favorites, wood-fire grilled items include lobster, shrimp and scallops, peach-bourbon BBQ shrimp and scallops, as well as maple-glazed chicken and nearly a dozen other entrée choices in the $15 to $30 range.

Diane Lasswell, the restaurant’s director of operations, expects to serve 900 “guests” on any given day. She credits the chain’s success to “consistency.” All dishes, including the Admiral’s Feast — a heaping platter of breaded and deep-fried shrimp, bay scallops, clam strips and sole ($17) — are created by Red Lobster chefs in Orlando so that they will taste the same in every one of the nearly 700 restaurants, a fact some regulars find comforting.

“We’re very excited to be here,” says general manager Robin Bernhart. “We hired 170-plus people in two and a half days … We tapped into the heart and soul of this community. The response has been just amazing.” She estimates that at least 10 birthdays were celebrated on opening day.

The excitement is shared by a nearby guest who stopped in to eat and take dinner to her husband, who is recovering from a heart attack. “I know he’s tired of hospital food, and I want to bring him something good,” she says. “It’ll cheer him up.” Her favorite is the Chef’s Signature Lobster and Shrimp Pasta — Maine lobster, shrimp, fresh asparagus and tomatoes in a white wine and lobster butter sauce served over linguini ($17.50/half or $22.50 full) — because “it’s just good.”

In addition to soft drinks, wine and beer, signature drinks include the unusual Lobsterita — an extra-large margarita made with Sauza Gold tequila — and the Malibu Hurricane, made with coconut rum and tropical fruit juices and topped with a splash of Southern Comfort.
Of course since it’s East Coast lobster, a pint of Samuel Adams ($4.50) from the tap is the perfect beverage choice. — M.C. PAUL

Red Lobster, 4703 N. Division, is open daily 11 am-10 pm. Visit www.redlobster.com or call 489-2777.