Up above street level in downtown Spokane, a whole other world exists. The Skywalk system caters to the needs of downtown office workers who don’t want to bundle up to face the elements. Even as retail declines, quick-service eateries thrive, open for breakfast and lunch on weekdays. Add in the (we hope) soon-to-open Sandwich Gardens, and we could eat for a week without leaving the second floor.
OUR DAILY BREAD DELI
120 N. Wall St., Suite 200 • 747-2525
Everything here is done to go — half or whole sandwiches, or a hoagie bun, filled with deli meats and combos like turkey-cranberry or turkey-bacon. (Prices range from $4 to $7, with double meat extra.) There’s always a hot sandwich special for $4.75. Breakfast sandwiches, soups and sides fill out the menu.
REFLECTIONS
618 W. Riverside Ave., Suite 200 (Bank of Whitman building) • 456-2323 • Fax: 456-3766
Reflections goes a step up with baguette and panini sandwiches, German specialties like bratwurst and schnitzel, entrée-sized salads like the taco and mango chicken, a full espresso bar, and comfortably appointed seating. They even serve wine and beer. Try the Italian hero panini ($6.45). Yum.
CRICKET’S
601 W. Riverside Ave., Suite 210 (Bank of America building) • 456-7346 • Fax 835-3725
The teal and rose color scheme and sleekly modern tables and chairs befit Cricket’s location inside the glass-and-steel financial center, but what’s surprising are the egg rolls, potstickers and chicken teriyaki bento on the menu. You’ll also find sandwiches (BLT, turkey, egg salad, tuna), soups and meal-sized salads.
DAILY GRIND DOWNTOWN
421 W. Riverside Ave. (Paulsen Center) • 448-1281 • Fax 448-2004
Owner Lauren Izenberg and her staff make all their baked goodies — like scones and delicious apple-oat bars — from scratch daily, and they’ll whip up a full array of espresso drinks on demand. But there’s more substantial fare as well: deli and panini sandwiches, wraps, a daily special, salads and soups like chicken chili and crab bisque. Try the Paulsen panino — roast beef, cheddar and horseradish aioli.
LACY’S CAFÉ
422 W. Riverside Ave. (U.S. Bank building) • 744-3160
Tucked in a wee corner, Lacy’s serves breakfast sandwiches, deli sandwiches, salads, soups and a rotating daily special for $6. (Stop by on Wednesdays and try the chili dog.) They’re famous for their egg salad (available daily) and shredded pork barbecue special. And there’s a full espresso menu, too.
METRO CAFÉ
510 W. Riverside Ave. (Sherwood Building) • 747-8250
The Metro offers freshly roasted meats daily, carved to order and served up with a salad and potato for an astounding $6.44. Or build your own sandwich from the meat, plus cheese and add-ons, for $4.83. There are classic combo sandwiches and a hot entrée special daily (Tuesday is roast turkey with all the trimmings), plus salads and two or three soups every day.
— ANN M. COLFORD
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Souper Sunday
Ladies, it’s Super Bowl Sunday this weekend. While the guys are deep into serious game preparations (“Honey? Where’s the onion soup mix?”), you can enjoy the bracing air by cross-country skiing or snowshoeing around Mount Spokane, all for a good cause. The fourth annual women’s “SOUPER” BOWL, a fundraiser for the Women’s and Children’s Free Restaurant, is set for Sunday morning at the Selkirk Lodge. The event is open to skiers and snowshoers of all experience levels, and organizers are expecting upwards of 200 participants.
A timed women-only race, open to both classic and skate skiers, takes off at 10 am (check in starts at 8:30). Recreational ski and snowshoe tours are also available for those who prefer a more leisurely pace. And yes, there will be hot soup, bread and cookies for those who complete a 5K loop to the Nova Lodge.
The Women’s and Children’s Free Restaurant, in the basement of St. Paul’s Methodist Church (1620 N. Monroe St.), serves free meals to all women and children who come through the doors. Dinner is served twice a week (Tuesdays and Wednesdays), lunch is served on Fridays, and women may also come in to pick up food to go on Friday afternoons. The restaurant is supported entirely by donations and relies on the work of many volunteers.
If you need to rent skis, a limited number will be available on the mountain for a $10 fee, or make discounted rental arrangements ahead of time with event sponsors Mountain Gear, Fitness Fanatics and REI. Snowshoes will be available at no charge on site.
To help keep things green, organizers have chartered a bus to ferry participants up the mountain. The bus will depart the Mountain Gear parking lot (2002 N. Division) at 8 am, stop at Mt. Spokane High School at 8:30, and then head up the mountain. The bus will leave the site at 1 pm. Bus fare is $15. (There’s limited space on the bus, though, so reserve soon.)
So have fun playing in the snow while helping other women in our community who are in need of safe, nutritious meals. And you’ll be home in time for the kick-off of that other big sporting event. What could be better?
The fourth annual Women’s “Souper” Bowl is Sunday, Feb. 1, from 10 am-1 pm. Suggested donation: $25. Visit www.mountaingear.com, www.fitfanatics.com, www.snsef.org or www.wcfrspokane.org.
A timed women-only race, open to both classic and skate skiers, takes off at 10 am (check in starts at 8:30). Recreational ski and snowshoe tours are also available for those who prefer a more leisurely pace. And yes, there will be hot soup, bread and cookies for those who complete a 5K loop to the Nova Lodge.
The Women’s and Children’s Free Restaurant, in the basement of St. Paul’s Methodist Church (1620 N. Monroe St.), serves free meals to all women and children who come through the doors. Dinner is served twice a week (Tuesdays and Wednesdays), lunch is served on Fridays, and women may also come in to pick up food to go on Friday afternoons. The restaurant is supported entirely by donations and relies on the work of many volunteers.
If you need to rent skis, a limited number will be available on the mountain for a $10 fee, or make discounted rental arrangements ahead of time with event sponsors Mountain Gear, Fitness Fanatics and REI. Snowshoes will be available at no charge on site.
To help keep things green, organizers have chartered a bus to ferry participants up the mountain. The bus will depart the Mountain Gear parking lot (2002 N. Division) at 8 am, stop at Mt. Spokane High School at 8:30, and then head up the mountain. The bus will leave the site at 1 pm. Bus fare is $15. (There’s limited space on the bus, though, so reserve soon.)
So have fun playing in the snow while helping other women in our community who are in need of safe, nutritious meals. And you’ll be home in time for the kick-off of that other big sporting event. What could be better?
The fourth annual Women’s “Souper” Bowl is Sunday, Feb. 1, from 10 am-1 pm. Suggested donation: $25. Visit www.mountaingear.com, www.fitfanatics.com, www.snsef.org or www.wcfrspokane.org.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Food events, from slow to wild
January is a notoriously slow time in the food business. Everybody’s worn out from the holidays, New Year’s resolutions to eat out less have kicked in, the weather’s miserable and those first-of-the-year credit card bills are showing up in mailboxes. Add in the tiniest worry about a worldwide economic meltdown and, well, things have been quiet. We’ve seen no food-related events all month — until this week. Come Saturday, you could spend the entire day running from one food event to the next and sampling a wildly diverse array of foods and company.
The day begins with Slow Food Spokane River’s annual meeting and POTLUCK BRUNCH, starting at 10 am at the WSU Spokane County Extension Office. The local Slow Food group is connected with the national and international organization dedicated to sustainable food practices and the enjoyment of good food in good company. Attendees are asked to bring along a dish to share (the organization will provide beverages). Guest speakers include Lora Lea Misterly of Quillisascut Farm School, Master Gardener Penny Simonson and organic farmer Brian Estes of Spokane Tilth. Members of Slow Food will also talk about the group’s planned events for the coming year, including the third annual urban chicken coop tour and the upcoming “second chance” kitchen and dining sale.
The Slow Food Spokane River Potluck Brunch, at the WSU Spokane County Extension Office, 222 N. Havana St., is Saturday, Jan. 24, from 10 am-12:30 pm. E-mail sf.spokaneriver@gmail.com.
On Saturday afternoon, hundreds of local food enthusiasts will gather at the Spokane Community College Lair for the eighth annual FESTIVAL OF FOODIES, an extravaganza of samples from local restaurants, wineries and microbreweries. Be forewarned: There will be a line to get in and lines at each booth and slow-moving crowds shuffling past, cheek by jowl. But — did we mention? — there will be food, wine and beer, along with displays by food-related retailers.
Amid the demonstrations this year is the BOLD CHEF CHALLENGE, billed as a Top Chef-style cooking competition and featuring four finalists from SCC’s Inland Northwest Culinary Academy. When the contestants take the stage at 3:15 pm, each will receive a “mystery basket” of ingredients, with a protein (chicken or beef) and a fruit or vegetable. Various staple ingredients will also be available to all. After getting their ingredients, each contestant will have 20 to 30 minutes to prepare an entrée that will be judged for flavor, presentation and creativity. Cash prizes, gift certificates from Yokes and booty from local food purveyor Bold Eats await the winners. Judges include Chef Curtis Smith; John Bole, president of Yokes Fresh Market; nutritionist Patty Seebeck; and a guest judge selected Wednesday from the KISC-FM Website.
The Festival of Foodies, at SCC’s Lair Building, 1810 N. Greene St., is Saturday, Jan. 24, from 2-6 pm. Tickets (includes two adult beverage coupons) are $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Advance tickets available at WineStyles, Just American Desserts, Vino!, Hallets Chocolates and Enoteca. Call 242-2668 or 242-2505.
The evening brings a choice of foodie pleasures. The 10th anniversary WILD GAME FEAST, benefiting North Idaho College’s Alumni Association, promises local game prepared with a European flair. Chef Eddie Nelson, NIC’s dining services supervisor, has created a menu filled with game found across North Idaho, along with other local food products. A few of the treats include rabbit and duck sausage in a horseradish-dill cream sauce; elk bratwurst in a sweet Black Butte Porter sauce; buffalo chorizo; pates featuring duck, rabbit and pheasant; and canapés of smoked pheasant-breast salad, duck-breast mousse and smoked salmon mousse. Guests will also enjoy a Northwest cheese and fruit display. The main course is venison osso bucco over herbed risotto with roasted root vegetables, and dessert is chocolate decadence with a Northwest berry compote and fresh sweet cream.
The event also features a silent auction, a taxidermy display and live music by NIC alumnus Mike Volk.
The Wild Game Feast, at North Idaho College, Edminster Student Union Building, Coeur d’Alene, is Saturday, Jan. 24, at 6 pm. Tickets are $55 ($49.50 for NIC Alumni Association members). Click here or call (208) 769-5978.
For those seeking something more debonair, the CHEF’S CULINARY CLASSIC at the Davenport is a black-tie spectacular benefiting the Children’s Miracle Network. Area chefs (members of the Chefs de Cuisine of the Inland Northwest) will prepare a seven-course meal, and each course will be accompanied by a complimentary wine chosen by the Odom Corporation. The 16th annual event promises “high-end” silent and live auctions, plus a gift for each couple from Cutco Cutlery. (Let’s hope they’re all on good terms when they leave.) CMN raises funds to support children’s programs at local nonprofit hospitals and programs.
The Chef’s Culinary Classic, at the Davenport Hotel, 10 N. Post St., is Saturday, Jan. 24, at 6 pm. Tickets are $150 each. Visit www.cmnspokane.org or call 473-6370.
— ANN M. COLFORD
The day begins with Slow Food Spokane River’s annual meeting and POTLUCK BRUNCH, starting at 10 am at the WSU Spokane County Extension Office. The local Slow Food group is connected with the national and international organization dedicated to sustainable food practices and the enjoyment of good food in good company. Attendees are asked to bring along a dish to share (the organization will provide beverages). Guest speakers include Lora Lea Misterly of Quillisascut Farm School, Master Gardener Penny Simonson and organic farmer Brian Estes of Spokane Tilth. Members of Slow Food will also talk about the group’s planned events for the coming year, including the third annual urban chicken coop tour and the upcoming “second chance” kitchen and dining sale.
The Slow Food Spokane River Potluck Brunch, at the WSU Spokane County Extension Office, 222 N. Havana St., is Saturday, Jan. 24, from 10 am-12:30 pm. E-mail sf.spokaneriver@gmail.com.
On Saturday afternoon, hundreds of local food enthusiasts will gather at the Spokane Community College Lair for the eighth annual FESTIVAL OF FOODIES, an extravaganza of samples from local restaurants, wineries and microbreweries. Be forewarned: There will be a line to get in and lines at each booth and slow-moving crowds shuffling past, cheek by jowl. But — did we mention? — there will be food, wine and beer, along with displays by food-related retailers.
Amid the demonstrations this year is the BOLD CHEF CHALLENGE, billed as a Top Chef-style cooking competition and featuring four finalists from SCC’s Inland Northwest Culinary Academy. When the contestants take the stage at 3:15 pm, each will receive a “mystery basket” of ingredients, with a protein (chicken or beef) and a fruit or vegetable. Various staple ingredients will also be available to all. After getting their ingredients, each contestant will have 20 to 30 minutes to prepare an entrée that will be judged for flavor, presentation and creativity. Cash prizes, gift certificates from Yokes and booty from local food purveyor Bold Eats await the winners. Judges include Chef Curtis Smith; John Bole, president of Yokes Fresh Market; nutritionist Patty Seebeck; and a guest judge selected Wednesday from the KISC-FM Website.
The Festival of Foodies, at SCC’s Lair Building, 1810 N. Greene St., is Saturday, Jan. 24, from 2-6 pm. Tickets (includes two adult beverage coupons) are $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Advance tickets available at WineStyles, Just American Desserts, Vino!, Hallets Chocolates and Enoteca. Call 242-2668 or 242-2505.
The evening brings a choice of foodie pleasures. The 10th anniversary WILD GAME FEAST, benefiting North Idaho College’s Alumni Association, promises local game prepared with a European flair. Chef Eddie Nelson, NIC’s dining services supervisor, has created a menu filled with game found across North Idaho, along with other local food products. A few of the treats include rabbit and duck sausage in a horseradish-dill cream sauce; elk bratwurst in a sweet Black Butte Porter sauce; buffalo chorizo; pates featuring duck, rabbit and pheasant; and canapés of smoked pheasant-breast salad, duck-breast mousse and smoked salmon mousse. Guests will also enjoy a Northwest cheese and fruit display. The main course is venison osso bucco over herbed risotto with roasted root vegetables, and dessert is chocolate decadence with a Northwest berry compote and fresh sweet cream.
The event also features a silent auction, a taxidermy display and live music by NIC alumnus Mike Volk.
The Wild Game Feast, at North Idaho College, Edminster Student Union Building, Coeur d’Alene, is Saturday, Jan. 24, at 6 pm. Tickets are $55 ($49.50 for NIC Alumni Association members). Click here or call (208) 769-5978.
For those seeking something more debonair, the CHEF’S CULINARY CLASSIC at the Davenport is a black-tie spectacular benefiting the Children’s Miracle Network. Area chefs (members of the Chefs de Cuisine of the Inland Northwest) will prepare a seven-course meal, and each course will be accompanied by a complimentary wine chosen by the Odom Corporation. The 16th annual event promises “high-end” silent and live auctions, plus a gift for each couple from Cutco Cutlery. (Let’s hope they’re all on good terms when they leave.) CMN raises funds to support children’s programs at local nonprofit hospitals and programs.
The Chef’s Culinary Classic, at the Davenport Hotel, 10 N. Post St., is Saturday, Jan. 24, at 6 pm. Tickets are $150 each. Visit www.cmnspokane.org or call 473-6370.
— ANN M. COLFORD
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Inside job
One of the joys of summer for me is my weekly trip to the farmers market to pick up vegetables, meat and baked goods directly from local farmers and vendors. I see familiar faces among both vendors and shoppers, and I get to enjoy the conversations, the music and the sunshine. I always feel a touch of melancholy when the growing season ends and the market is but a memory till spring.
We may not be able to do much about the lack of sunshine in the winter, but several veterans of area farmers markets have organized INDOOR MARKETS throughout the winter months to try to fill the rest of the niche. Louise Tuffin of Arabesque Farms and Bakery works at organizing winter markets in downtown Spokane at the Community Building and — new this year — in Millwood at the Crossing.
“We started four years ago [at the Community Building], just my husband and I, but now we’re having 10 to 12 vendors each week,” Tuffin says. “[The market] is changing, and coming into its own finally.”
Many of the vendors at the indoor markets have also sold at outdoor farmers markets around the area, including Susie David’s Cattle Company, Tonnemaker Farms (with organic apples) and a local woman who spins her own yarn. Customers will find free-range eggs, beef, pork and chicken, plus Tuffin’s artisan breads and pastries, and a few surprises.
“[So Angell from] Rocky Ridge Ranch is there, and she still has produce,” Tuffin says. “She has hoop covers [in her garden], so she’s bringing spinach, salad greens and squashes.” The ranch also sells duck eggs: “They’re really trippy,” says Tuffin. “The yolk is the size of a golf ball.”
The Lake City has its own indoor market this year, held on Saturdays inside the Coeur d’Alene Plaza Shops. It’s the brainchild of Anissa Duwaik, proprietor of Anissa’s Organic Hummus. Other vendors offer fall produce, plus honey and tofu. Tuffin is there as well, selling Arabesque’s line of breads.
“People are starting to want local food,” says Tuffin. “It’s totally a community thing, and a great thing to be involved with.”
— ANN M. COLFORD
Indoor markets are held weekly on Wednesdays from noon-5 pm at the Crossing, 8919 E. Euclid Ave., Millwood; and on Thursdays from 11 am-3 pm at the Community Building, 35 W. Main Ave. Call 325-2518. In Coeur d’Alene, the indoor market at the Plaza Shops, 210 Sherman Ave., is held Saturdays from 11 am-3 pm. Click here or call (208) 659-4213.
We may not be able to do much about the lack of sunshine in the winter, but several veterans of area farmers markets have organized INDOOR MARKETS throughout the winter months to try to fill the rest of the niche. Louise Tuffin of Arabesque Farms and Bakery works at organizing winter markets in downtown Spokane at the Community Building and — new this year — in Millwood at the Crossing.
“We started four years ago [at the Community Building], just my husband and I, but now we’re having 10 to 12 vendors each week,” Tuffin says. “[The market] is changing, and coming into its own finally.”
Many of the vendors at the indoor markets have also sold at outdoor farmers markets around the area, including Susie David’s Cattle Company, Tonnemaker Farms (with organic apples) and a local woman who spins her own yarn. Customers will find free-range eggs, beef, pork and chicken, plus Tuffin’s artisan breads and pastries, and a few surprises.
“[So Angell from] Rocky Ridge Ranch is there, and she still has produce,” Tuffin says. “She has hoop covers [in her garden], so she’s bringing spinach, salad greens and squashes.” The ranch also sells duck eggs: “They’re really trippy,” says Tuffin. “The yolk is the size of a golf ball.”
The Lake City has its own indoor market this year, held on Saturdays inside the Coeur d’Alene Plaza Shops. It’s the brainchild of Anissa Duwaik, proprietor of Anissa’s Organic Hummus. Other vendors offer fall produce, plus honey and tofu. Tuffin is there as well, selling Arabesque’s line of breads.
“People are starting to want local food,” says Tuffin. “It’s totally a community thing, and a great thing to be involved with.”
— ANN M. COLFORD
Indoor markets are held weekly on Wednesdays from noon-5 pm at the Crossing, 8919 E. Euclid Ave., Millwood; and on Thursdays from 11 am-3 pm at the Community Building, 35 W. Main Ave. Call 325-2518. In Coeur d’Alene, the indoor market at the Plaza Shops, 210 Sherman Ave., is held Saturdays from 11 am-3 pm. Click here or call (208) 659-4213.
Big is healthy
There’s a lot of good energy at PILGRIM’S MARKET, even more so these days with the recent expansion of this midtown Coeur d’Alene business. Owners Sarah and Joe Hamilton have grown the business since 1999 when it was called A Trip to Bountiful, located in what is now Syringa Japanese Café and Sushi (one of many local restaurants that relies on Pilgrim’s for ingredients).
Pilgrim’s eventually moved across Fourth Street to its current location, quadrupling in size. However, when Liquidation World flushed out, the Hamiltons saw an opportunity.
One of only a few midtown CdA grocers, Pilgrim’s is the only site dedicated to healthful foods. Recent additions include a supplements section, more space for meat and dairy, and a new gourmet section with imported cheeses to complement wine steward Sam Lange’s selection of local and organic wines, esoteric beer, sake and chilled alcoholic beverages.
The tasting area is being expanded for Pilgrim’s Friday night sampling, and the deli has been outfitted with a cozy seating area for better-than-fast food. That’s where Dane Rice, one of 40 Pilgrim’s employees, cooks up treats like Selkirk Ranch grass-fed organic cheeseburgers ($6) or organic soups ($4), with ingredients from the market. A dessert section features such things as gluten-free pumpkin spice cookies ($3), as well as other sweet treats that cater to sensitive eaters.
And, with its newly acquired space — about 25,000 square feet — Pilgrim’s is sailing into the uncharted but promising waters of creating a total “wellness” center. It will be called the Pilgrim’s Wellness Institute, and plans are well underway to use the additional retail space for education and total body health. Cooking, fitness, and yoga classes will begin in January, as will lectures by industry leaders like Ann Louise Gittleman, hailed as the “first lady of nutrition” and author of The Fat Flush Plan. (She’ll be on hand Jan. 17 at 1 pm.)
Explained an enthusiastic Joe Hamilton, busily preparing for Pilgrim’s grand reopening on Jan. 17: “I think that the sampling and the education is a bit of a trend, but no one around here does anything remotely close to what we are doing.”
— CARRIE SCOZZARO
Pilgrim’s Market, 1316 N. Fourth St., Coeur d’Alene, is open daily, 9 am-8 pm. Click here or call (208) 676-9730.
Pilgrim’s eventually moved across Fourth Street to its current location, quadrupling in size. However, when Liquidation World flushed out, the Hamiltons saw an opportunity.
One of only a few midtown CdA grocers, Pilgrim’s is the only site dedicated to healthful foods. Recent additions include a supplements section, more space for meat and dairy, and a new gourmet section with imported cheeses to complement wine steward Sam Lange’s selection of local and organic wines, esoteric beer, sake and chilled alcoholic beverages.
The tasting area is being expanded for Pilgrim’s Friday night sampling, and the deli has been outfitted with a cozy seating area for better-than-fast food. That’s where Dane Rice, one of 40 Pilgrim’s employees, cooks up treats like Selkirk Ranch grass-fed organic cheeseburgers ($6) or organic soups ($4), with ingredients from the market. A dessert section features such things as gluten-free pumpkin spice cookies ($3), as well as other sweet treats that cater to sensitive eaters.
And, with its newly acquired space — about 25,000 square feet — Pilgrim’s is sailing into the uncharted but promising waters of creating a total “wellness” center. It will be called the Pilgrim’s Wellness Institute, and plans are well underway to use the additional retail space for education and total body health. Cooking, fitness, and yoga classes will begin in January, as will lectures by industry leaders like Ann Louise Gittleman, hailed as the “first lady of nutrition” and author of The Fat Flush Plan. (She’ll be on hand Jan. 17 at 1 pm.)
Explained an enthusiastic Joe Hamilton, busily preparing for Pilgrim’s grand reopening on Jan. 17: “I think that the sampling and the education is a bit of a trend, but no one around here does anything remotely close to what we are doing.”
— CARRIE SCOZZARO
Pilgrim’s Market, 1316 N. Fourth St., Coeur d’Alene, is open daily, 9 am-8 pm. Click here or call (208) 676-9730.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Buffalo hunting
“Oh, give me a home / where the buffalo roam” … right onto my plate. Yum.
With the turn of the year and the end of the holidays, thoughts of more healthful eating rise to the forefront — if they can get past the expanding waistline. For omnivores who like red meat but want to cut down on fat, buffalo — or American bison, more accurately — makes a leaner, healthier alternative.
A North Dakota study, touted on the National Bison Association’s Website, showed that bison meat had far less fat (2.5g) and fewer calories (143) per serving than beef, pork, chicken or even salmon, while delivering comparable levels of protein (28g) and more iron (3.5mg).
Besides that, those shaggy beasts of the North American plains make for darned good eatin’.
The SAWTOOTH GRILL (at River Park Square) began serving bison burgers more than a year ago, and they’ve proven so popular that the restaurant expanded its bison offerings to include steaks and stews as well. You can get your bison burger four ways (classic, Italian, garlic or patty melt, $11-$13), sample a warming bison stew or stroganoff ($16), or go for the Cowboy Bison New York steak ($24). And locavores take note: The steaks and stew meat come from Windy Point Ranch in Greenacres. (The ground bison grazed in North Dakota.)
In the stroganoff, wide pappardelle noodles curl around garlicky, tender, braised chunks of meat, mushroom slices and pieces of roasted onion in a savory creamy sauce. The generous bowl is topped with a frizzle of green onion and an extra dollop of sour cream.
On the West Plains, THE RUSTY MOOSE will let you substitute a buffalo burger for any of their Angus burger preparations ($10-$15). Downtown, SCRATCH offers bison prepared a couple of different ways: a basic bison burger, topped with grilled onion, lettuce, tomato and touch of bleu cheese ($12), or the far-from-basic bison carpaccio appetizer (thinly shaved slices of raw meat topped with olive oil, herbs and sundried tomatoes, served with stone-ground mustard, $8).
At VIN ROUGE on the South Hill, Chef Tim Hartman moves bison on and off the dinner menu depending on seasonal whim and availability. It showed up most recently as a grilled bison New York strip steak, served with mashed Yukon Golds, caramelized onions and his signature Montana whiskey sauce. The situation is similar at HILLS’ RESTAURANT downtown, where Chef Dave Hill will occasionally run a bison special.
If you want to buy some bison and cook it yourself, you’ll find it at HUCKLEBERRY’S meat department and behind the counter at EGGERS MEATS. (Huckleberry’s also serves a bison burger at its 9th Avenue Bistro.) Because the meat is so lean, you’ll need to take care not to overcook bison; “low and slow” are the key words, according to the National Bison Association, which offers recipes and cooking tips online.
And, no, these buffalo don’t have wings.
— ANN M. COLFORD
With the turn of the year and the end of the holidays, thoughts of more healthful eating rise to the forefront — if they can get past the expanding waistline. For omnivores who like red meat but want to cut down on fat, buffalo — or American bison, more accurately — makes a leaner, healthier alternative.
A North Dakota study, touted on the National Bison Association’s Website, showed that bison meat had far less fat (2.5g) and fewer calories (143) per serving than beef, pork, chicken or even salmon, while delivering comparable levels of protein (28g) and more iron (3.5mg).
Besides that, those shaggy beasts of the North American plains make for darned good eatin’.
The SAWTOOTH GRILL (at River Park Square) began serving bison burgers more than a year ago, and they’ve proven so popular that the restaurant expanded its bison offerings to include steaks and stews as well. You can get your bison burger four ways (classic, Italian, garlic or patty melt, $11-$13), sample a warming bison stew or stroganoff ($16), or go for the Cowboy Bison New York steak ($24). And locavores take note: The steaks and stew meat come from Windy Point Ranch in Greenacres. (The ground bison grazed in North Dakota.)
In the stroganoff, wide pappardelle noodles curl around garlicky, tender, braised chunks of meat, mushroom slices and pieces of roasted onion in a savory creamy sauce. The generous bowl is topped with a frizzle of green onion and an extra dollop of sour cream.
On the West Plains, THE RUSTY MOOSE will let you substitute a buffalo burger for any of their Angus burger preparations ($10-$15). Downtown, SCRATCH offers bison prepared a couple of different ways: a basic bison burger, topped with grilled onion, lettuce, tomato and touch of bleu cheese ($12), or the far-from-basic bison carpaccio appetizer (thinly shaved slices of raw meat topped with olive oil, herbs and sundried tomatoes, served with stone-ground mustard, $8).
At VIN ROUGE on the South Hill, Chef Tim Hartman moves bison on and off the dinner menu depending on seasonal whim and availability. It showed up most recently as a grilled bison New York strip steak, served with mashed Yukon Golds, caramelized onions and his signature Montana whiskey sauce. The situation is similar at HILLS’ RESTAURANT downtown, where Chef Dave Hill will occasionally run a bison special.
If you want to buy some bison and cook it yourself, you’ll find it at HUCKLEBERRY’S meat department and behind the counter at EGGERS MEATS. (Huckleberry’s also serves a bison burger at its 9th Avenue Bistro.) Because the meat is so lean, you’ll need to take care not to overcook bison; “low and slow” are the key words, according to the National Bison Association, which offers recipes and cooking tips online.
And, no, these buffalo don’t have wings.
— ANN M. COLFORD
Updating traditions
Even though the Spokane Club isn’t open to the general public, we thought it noteworthy to mention — especially so soon after the holidays, when members might be gathering there with visitors — that the club recently revamped its Lobby restaurant, changing the name to BURGUNDY’S along the way. Many of the changes aren’t necessarily visible, like a zoned HVAC system and updated sound, but they will help keep diners more comfortable. The club also added portable room dividers and beveled glass booth separators to increase diners’ privacy.
A lot of the changes happened on the menu, says Executive Chef Ray Delfino. He and Chef de Cuisine Kelly Thornton updated the offerings — retaining favorites while adding newer flavors to the mix. At lunchtime, you’ll still find the Kobe burger and the crab Louie salad, but there’s also a Thai chicken wrap and new salads including a caprese and a surprising pear and goat cheese salad: red leaf lettuce with soft goat cheese, toasted walnuts and lightly grilled pear slices (with a hint of smoky flavor) dressed in olive oil and lime.
“When I first came here from Seattle, I was told Spokane was a real meat-and-potatoes kind of town,” Delfino says. “And it was true. But now that’s changing.”
The dinner menu features new entrées like Tuscan chicken with rosemary, a bison New York steak, and the delicate cocoa butter sea scallops — a simple preparation of seared jumbo scallops in a light lemon sauce, with a sprinkle of white chocolate adding a subtle sweetness to complement the scallops’ naturally sweet flavor. But tradition still holds sway: The Kobe top sirloin steak, classic Kobe meatloaf and weekend prime rib are mainstays.
Like other chefs in the area, Delfino is paying attention to where his food comes from and trying to use local and sustainable sources as much as possible — while running a culinary department that may have to cater dinner for 350 on any given day. He’s on the phone, ordering wild sockeye salmon direct from the fisherman for the balsamic-glazed sockeye entrée, a dish designed to be heart-healthy and consistent with the club’s identity as an athletic club.
“In food, there’s nothing new,” says Delfino. “It’s all been around before. But it’s all about how you put it on the plate and make people happy.”
Burgundy’s at the Spokane Club, 1001 W. Riverside, is open to members and their guests. Call 838-8511.
A lot of the changes happened on the menu, says Executive Chef Ray Delfino. He and Chef de Cuisine Kelly Thornton updated the offerings — retaining favorites while adding newer flavors to the mix. At lunchtime, you’ll still find the Kobe burger and the crab Louie salad, but there’s also a Thai chicken wrap and new salads including a caprese and a surprising pear and goat cheese salad: red leaf lettuce with soft goat cheese, toasted walnuts and lightly grilled pear slices (with a hint of smoky flavor) dressed in olive oil and lime.
“When I first came here from Seattle, I was told Spokane was a real meat-and-potatoes kind of town,” Delfino says. “And it was true. But now that’s changing.”
The dinner menu features new entrées like Tuscan chicken with rosemary, a bison New York steak, and the delicate cocoa butter sea scallops — a simple preparation of seared jumbo scallops in a light lemon sauce, with a sprinkle of white chocolate adding a subtle sweetness to complement the scallops’ naturally sweet flavor. But tradition still holds sway: The Kobe top sirloin steak, classic Kobe meatloaf and weekend prime rib are mainstays.
Like other chefs in the area, Delfino is paying attention to where his food comes from and trying to use local and sustainable sources as much as possible — while running a culinary department that may have to cater dinner for 350 on any given day. He’s on the phone, ordering wild sockeye salmon direct from the fisherman for the balsamic-glazed sockeye entrée, a dish designed to be heart-healthy and consistent with the club’s identity as an athletic club.
“In food, there’s nothing new,” says Delfino. “It’s all been around before. But it’s all about how you put it on the plate and make people happy.”
Burgundy’s at the Spokane Club, 1001 W. Riverside, is open to members and their guests. Call 838-8511.
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