Spokane Food Blog

Let’s face it: the area around Spokane Community College does not offer much in terms of quick and good lunch food. Quick, yes, but in terms of quality, it’s pretty much a wasteland. And while Sparky’s never have delivered Spokane’s best subs, the addition of it at Misson and Havana certainly is an improvement for the neighborhood.

Sparky’s slogan is “Friends don’t let friends eat at Subway,” which, while I do not have any particular beef with Subway, are words to live by. You won’t find any of Subway’s wilted vegetables at Sparky’s. Everything here is fresh, and that makes all the difference when it comes to the overall experience. And the service is fast. Really fast. I sat down for less than a minute, and the sub was done. They even apologized for making me wait.

What keeps Sparky’s out of Sub Division’s league is the average meat and bread. The vegetables are stellar, and I could forgive the average meat, but really… The bread is where it’s at when it comes to the perfect sub, and Sparky’s feels a bit “ho hum” in that area.

Still. This is a great addition to the SCC area, and a place that is well worth visiting. Go there and support them if you live or work near-by.

Good subs.

I suppose Sultan isn’t on top of everybody’s place to visit, but should you be heading to Seattle on Highway 2 (or indeed go hiking through Stevens Pass) then Sultan Bakery should be a destination for anyone anyone who likes baked goods. And really, who doesn’t?

One thing is the cinnamon roll which is huge. I mean huge. The picture does not do it justice; this thing was about the size of my face. The real winner, in my view anyway, was the bear claw. Filled with strawberry and covered with a light frosting, it was the perfect sweet way to start off a drive back to Spokane with marathon-educed stiffness.

Word has it the food is excellent there too, but with lines out the door and an hour wait, we didn’t get the chance to check it out.

But hey, there are always other marathons.

In case you haven’t already lined up outside Vino for their annual “biggest sale of the year,” then, well, stop reading this and run down there.

Save between 10-20% if you’re a regular customer, or 25% on any bottle if you’re a member of the Connoisseur Club, and you have the beginning of a good night. The sale ends at 6pm, so really, I’m not kidding… Stop reading! Run to 222 S Washington and shop!

And when you’re done, run over to OMO and try some of Marta’s new truffles.

You probably read S-R’s article about Natural Start Bakery, and walked away oh so impressed at the proprietors’ dedication  to provide Spokane with a high quality organic bakery. And why not, it is admirable? Good intentions aside, though, the important part is to provide high quality goods, and Natural Start has that down just fine.

Star of the show, for me anyway, is the DOMA coffee. The guys and girls at Natural Start make a great Americano, particularly in an area of town that pretty much consists of Starbucks and less than stellar coffee stands. And their prices are fair too — $2.25 for an Americano made with DOMA is OK with me.

The only issue I really have with Natural Start is that they charge 25 cents extra when paying with debit card. I mean, c’mon, it’s not like we’re not a plastic economy. If they want to make up the difference, just tack the 25 cents on to the prices, and have us all pay the same, cash or otherwise.

Minor criticism aside though, Natural Start is just OK with me.

More info on Taste Everything Once.

Great coffee!

We like pesto here at ye olde SFB, which is kind of a hard thing to love here in Spokane. For good pesto there are really only two options: one is to make it yourself, which, granted, isn’t too time consuming. But why bother when Trezzi Farm provides a tastier, and probably cheaper, alternative.

For $4 you get a 8oz container which likely will last you a while. The pesto is very flavorful, and a little goes a long way. Put some on a Petit Chat loaf with a bit of fresh mozzarella and tomatoes, and you’re set.

In fact, pick up some meatballs too, because really? How bad can they really be? (Answer: They can’t.)

The only thing missing is fresh pasta, which they don’t make because, apparently, Spokane doesn’t see why they should pay more for it. I mean, seriously? I’d kill for fresh pasta, but have yet been able to track any down for wholesale. If anyone know where they sell (good) fresh pasta in town, let us know. We’d like to know.

Anyway, I digress. Trezzi Farm is awesome, if only for the pesto, and soon they’ll have their own wine too. Go give them some love.

Sushi Yama is now open on 3rd. That is, it’s open most of the time. As you may have seen on Twitter, it is closed on Wednesdays, when they head over to get fish in Seattle. (Sushi.com was still good though.)

Review of the week is of Left Bank Wine Bar which is getting thumbs up from the after-work crowd. Word has it that they’re struggling a bit later at night, so check them out.

After 2007’s Summer of Campari and 2008’s Summer of Bad Beer, we still haven’t officially come up with an beverage for 2009, though Pimm’s is a frontrunner. Any suggestions? (Oh, and it’s also Summer of Dream Pop, but that’s neither here nor there.)

In the Audubon district or been looking for an excuse to go there? This e-mail might be of interest to you:

“Hi Spokane Food Blog!

Thought you might be interested in an event coming up this Saturday, June 20th. Basically six businesses over on Northwest Boulevard are hosting “A Day Down The Boulevard”–a day of promos, classes, live music,etc! Why might a food blog be interested?? Well, Downriver Grill is hosting a cooking demo (sausage puttanesca paired with their “relentless red” blend handouts). Just looking to support local businesses and would love your support as well. The e-flyer for the event is attached. If you have Facebook, login and go to Facebook.”

Nice!

Also, the always charming David Blaine is reporting that Blue Fish is turning into Agave Latin Bistro. While getting a latin bistro is kind of exciting in itself, it’s a match made in heaven that the people behind it is Ian Wingate (of Moxie fame) and Sergio De Leon (of De Leon fame).

I have to admit — not that it’s much to admit to — I am a fan of Picabu and was all kinds of excited to hear that one of  its proprietor’s was opening Lazy Bones Barbecue. Hey, barbecue Picabu style? How can you go wrong? You can’t, that’s how. Not that there isn’t room for improvements, but Lazy Bones is, for the most part, rather good.

I tried the pork tacos with a side order of sweet potato fries and cole slaw, which all was excellent. The pork was tender and seasoned quite nicely, and the accompanying salsa had a medium sort of kick to it. As a side dish, the cilantro-line slaw was refreshing on a warm summer’s night, and the sweet potato fries (which there were many of) helped make the small order a good meal.

The tofu burger I sampled also hit the spot. In fact, for a barbecue place, Lazy Bones has a good selection for vegetarians, while also offering a gluten-free menu.

There are a few negatives that can be pointed out. First, there is no corn on the cob option on the menu. I find this a bit strange, as corn on the cob is kind of something I consider very barbecue. To top it off they do have corn bread, so there has to be corn in there somewhere.

Also, while the aforementioned vegetarian and gluten free menu exist on Lazy Bones’ web site, they aren’t anywhere to be seen in the restaurant. Kind of strange.

Lastly, there is no beer on tap. There’s a good selection of bottles, but really… Beer on tap just seems to fit in a barbecue place.

Overall, though, this is good stuff. Lazy Bones maintains the laid-backness of Picabu, offering casual, good eats. With a bit of work, it might be great.

More info on Taste Everything Once.

Awesome potential.

It’s the little similarities that sometimes are the biggest differences between cultures. Take KFC: I doubt there are any in Morocco, but they do have Southern Fried Chicken. (”Lip licking flavor!”)

Yet while you’d expect SFC to be another chicken fast-food chain like KFC, it actually isn’t. In fact, SFC seems a bit confused about what exactly it is. Sure, you go up to a counter and place your order, but then you sit down at a table which has been set with plates and utensils, not unlike any “regular” restaurant. And the food is prepared from scratch. In fact, chicken didn’t even seem to be their main menu item. Instead…

That’s right. Shawarma! And I have to say, it was pretty damn good at that. The same thing went for the falafel, which even had avocado in it, and tasted really refreshing.

SFC is really just like KFC in name only. I mean, is KFC a hip place for teens on dates to hang out?

I think not.

Wouldn’t it be a great world if Raison D’Etre had almost 19% ABV and came with a deeper, more complex flavor? Apparently Dogfish Head thought so, as Raison D’Extra is just that.

We’re talking a true flavor kick here. Hints of sweet raisin, without being sickeningly sweet, and nice smooth flavors of malt. What truly is impressive is the high alcohol content, which, while you certainly taste it, never overpowers the beer. In other words, this is not as crazy tasting as the Fort.

The D’Extra might not be a cheap date at $10 for a regular sized bottle, but it’s definitely a fun one. I’ve seen this around town, and picked one up at Huckleberry’s, and it’s definitely one beerheads should check out.

Flavor kick!