Spokane Food Blog

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.

From the Back Kitchen posted about the process of making bread a few days ago.  It has always been on my list to make “real” bread on my own, but, after reading more about the 24+ hour process to make a baguette, I have no desire to make artisan bread without the help of professionals.

After tasting the loaves of bread at Petit Chat Village Bakery, I just can’t bring myself to buy grocery store bread anymore either.  For around $5.00 for a Tuscan loaf, it is well worth the cost to eat a fresh product.

A North-Side friend started brining boxes of baked goods from Petit Chat Village Bakery to her work to “show the South Hill-Snobs” that the North Side has a destination bakery.  Here is a sample of what she orders from the bakery, and proof that she is right.

Petit Chat is located on 9910 N Waikiki Road. Check out TEO for reviews and map.

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!

Frankly, I’m not quite sure what I had expected Tangier, Morocco to be like. I’d heard Casablanca supposedly was based on events that took place in Tangier, and I knew a lot of tourist daytrips went through the city. I assumed the place would be fairly westernized, what with the close proximity to Europe and tourist stream and what not.

As it turned out, I was definitely off on the latter. There are western, particularly French, influences in the town, certainly, but spend a night or two in Tangier, and go for a walk in the more middle-class neighborhoods, and there is little doubt you’re in a Muslim country. Ladies, dressed in traditional, yet very fashionable, outfits, and cafes filled with men (only), drinking tea and watching soccer. Not that it’s all that different from here, but the split between the sexes and the differences in fashion serve as reminders that you don’t have to travel far from Europe to see a fairly different world.

Anyway, food and beverages. All pretty dang good. The lamb kebab, for example, were juicy with just a bit of spiciness to them. And of course no Moroccan meal can go without kuskus, served this time with chicken.

My favorite was still something as simple as the tea. Just simple straight forward tea, with mint leaves soaked in it and (lots of) sugar. Definitely worth sipping down by sea.

And if that’s not to your liking, there’s always another KFC rip-off. But more on that later.

Who’d have thunk it, the week after a vacation is actually pretty busy? Imagine that. And as busy as we might be, things are hopping around our little burg too. So let’s try to catch up with just a couple of happenings:

One of the people behind Picabu Bistro has opened Lazy Bones Barbecue: I kinda of have a love affair with Picabu, so this is looking all kinds of interesting. With a gluten-free and vegetarian menu there seems to be something for everybody there, plus $3.50 pork tacos sound pretty tempting. Has anybody checked them out yet?

Spokane Symphony is hosting “Maestro’s Brew Party” in the Fox Theater parking lot as part of First Friday at 5pm. Coeur d’Alene Brewing Company is providing samples for the fundraiser.

Perennial SFB favorite, Sante, will be offering outside seating starting June 15th. (If all permissions go through that is.) This is a good time to start checking out Mizuna’s alley seating too.

Review of the week: Petite Chat Bakery. Make the trek up north (although their products are delivered to certain stores around town) if you don’t live there, as this bakery is awesome. Try the Tuscan bread or a chocolate scone and become a convert too.

No. Really! Our friends from 97bottles posted a link which suggests that drinking a pint of beer is better for post-workout rehydration than water is. This is all kinds of awesome, and you should read the article right now.

Oh, and the research was done in Granada, Spain. SFB apparently stands for Spain Food Blog now.

Bad name, but I got to say… Pretty dang good burgers.

Located in the former location of the less than stellar Sourdough Place (though their bread was pretty awesome), Crazy G’s seems to be doing pretty well for itself during the lunch rush. And really, it is deserved, as both their burgers and service hold a high standard.

Just the fact that the burgers come served with high quality buns is a good sign, and extra bonus points are given for providing cheeses that aren’t just Kraft Singles. And with the burgers topped with a bunch of mushrooms, as well as a long list of other items to choose from, you really feel like you’ve eaten a decent meal as opposed to just “having a burger.” And hey, the fact that there isn’t a sign of the soggy-bun-syndrome… Not bad at all.

The service is excellent too. When we inquired about a vegetarian burger, we weren’t simply told they didn’t have one (which they don’t), but the guy behind the counter came up with a good alternative — the most stacked grilled cheese I’ve seen in eons. Good showing.

There’s a bit of a wait to get served, and the prices are possible a bit higher than other burger places, but you know what… It’s worth the wait and the price.

The name might sound like a rapper from the early 90s then, but the food sure is good.

For address and reviews of Crazy G’s visit Taste Everything Once.

As far as a burger place goes…

If it has seemed a bit quiet here the last week, it can all be blamed on the Spokane Food Blog Editorial Board™ embarking on a Food Fact Finding Mission on the east coast of Spain. And for your enjoyment, here is the dossier of what we found.

Murcia

Murcia received some (I assume) unwanted attention for having the first death in Europe related to some sort of flu bug that was going around. Odds are that is the only time you’ve heard of the region as it is often described as a place both Spaniards and tourists avoid. This is really too bad as Murcia, the city, really is a pretty awesome place, with an old town that consists of dozens of sizable plazas, all equipped with cafes and tapas bars. And churches. Not sure why, but there were at least one per plaza, but I digress…

This is definitely a place to sit down and try out some hot chocolate or a coffee based drinks. While Italy might have made more of a name for itself for the latter, I can truly say that any espresso based drink I tried was awesome. Pretty refreshing, after the common “oh, stop inconveniencing me with your fancy schmancy cappuccino order” attitude we see here. Anyway…

While I can’t for the life of me remember the name of the tapas place we tried, it had some of the better beef tenderloin I’ve had in a while. Being a bit more inland, Murcia’s tapas are mostly meat based, and often served on slices of baguette.

Valencia

The third largest city in Spain is in many ways probably the one city anybody should visit if they’re in the south-eastern part of the country. And, again, the food is awesome here.

La Taberna de la Reina, located centrally in Plaza de la Reina, is a pretty big lunch place for workers in the area. Again, the tapas here are served on bread, though the majority of it is seafood. Very very fresh seafood, some smoked, some fried, and all delicious. Make sure to sample a variety of the cheeses too, as, and you probably already know this, Spanish cheese are really quite great.

Also, and this goes for most cities in Spain, make sure to check out the food section in the department store El Corte Ingles. If a major chain can hold as high standard they do in Spain, a country with nearly 20% unemployment, I can’t help but think Fred Meyer is looking a bit puny.

Cartagena

Another city with a nice old town. This is where I probably had my favorite meal of the trip, though I didn’t note down the name of the place, nor did I take a picture of it. But, let’s try to describe it: Walk from the water up the main pedestrian street in old town (you really can’t miss it) and a few blocks up, on the left, you’ll see a restaurant with an outside seating area that stretches almost a block. Go in, and order the shrimp in garlic, and then cry over how good it tastes. Fresh shrimp and perfectly balanced garlic sauce. Man. I miss it already.

Torre de la Horadada

This little town, where we spent the majority of the time, is difficult to find as it’s not marked on any road signs. Follow Pilar de la Horadada, south of Torrevieja, however, and you should be able to locate it. It’s a beautiful little sea town, with a boardwalk that leads you to a small plaza with about a dozen restaurants. Here there are three you need to try:

First, there’s Lilly’s, a continental European style restaurant owned by a German. Their pate platter is delicious, with cheeses and olives, and is a flavor-kick that suits any warm Mediterranean evening. And the savory crepes? Unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, and I mean that in a good way.

Also in the plaza is one called Manuel’s or something similar. Try the plate with tomato jam, goat cheese, and bread, and you will be a happy person. The same goes for the pizzas which are great.

Finally, there’s Heladeria Galan. If you follow us on Twitter, you might already have seen the gelato they serve there. And it was good. It was oh so good.

Furthermore…

And lastly… Worth trying is churros and chocolate. The churro is a bit different than its Mexican cousin, in that it’s thinner and more dense. It goes perfectly for dipping in a hot chocolate sauce, in other words.