{ "version": "https:\/\/jsonfeed.org\/version\/1.1", "title": "SpoCOOL", "home_page_url": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/", "feed_url": "\/json\/", "icon": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/simplecravings\/img\/touch.sc.png", "favicon": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/simplecravings\/img\/favicon.sc.png", "items": [ { "title": "Better than a Kick in the Side", "date_published": "2024-10-17T14:52:37-07:00", "id": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/better-than-a-kick-in-the-side", "url": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/better-than-a-kick-in-the-side", "image": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/resources\/\/3138.jpg", "content_html": "

Those amongst you of a certain age<\/q> will remember The Spokane SiDEKiCK, a music-focused biweekly that folded after twenty-five issues. It was a short and glorious run and serves as a fine example of the quirky publications Spokane saw during the mid-aughts.<\/p>\n\n

I recently found that I, at some point, had saved PDF<\/span>s of all of SiDEKiCK\u2019s issues on my hard drive. And, as I consider the paper to be a memorable footnote in Spokane\u2019s cultural history, I decided to preserve the issues<\/a> here at the old SpoCOOL.1<\/a><\/sup> Check \u2019em out<\/a> and discover (or relive) a small but awesome sliver of Spokane history.<\/p>\n\n

And should the guys behind SiDEKiCK against all odds read this: The Zune<\/a> ruled. Jerks<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

\u2014 Remi<\/em><\/p>\n\n

1<\/sup> In all fairness, the PDF<\/span>s are still stored on The SiDEKiCK\u2019s broken website<\/a>; they just aren\u2019t linked from anywhere.<\/p>", "authors": [ { "name": "Remi A Olsen", "url": "https:\/\/spocool.com", "avatar": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/Playhouse\/Touch.png" } ] }, { "title": "The Wandering Table (Closed -- re-opening as Baba)", "date_published": "2014-06-09T08:45:00-07:00", "id": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/the-wandering-table", "url": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/the-wandering-table", "image": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/simplecravings\/img\/og.sc.jpg", "content_html": "

I will admit to feeling many sorts of trepidation when I first heard the mention of «American-style tapas». There are those of us who have a very set definition of what tapas should be, and just having small sharable plates isn't enough to fit that bill. At least not for me.<\/p>\r\n

Subsequently, the word «small plates» has increasingly been used in marketing and media for the Wandering Table, and… Look, I realize most of the world is tomato\/tomahto<\/em> on these kind of things, but I just can't apologize for how I feel about that. I can't! I won't!<\/em><\/p>\r\n

All of that aside… The Wandering Table is really quite an excellent addition to the KY. Is it a competitor for the best restaurant in Spokane award, like many already have suggested? It's too early to say, of course, but our first impression was very <\/em>positive. It'll be interesting to see how the spot will fare on our Best of…<\/em> later this year.<\/p>\r\n

And let it be said: the Wandering Table has the best deals you will find in Spokane, at least as far as casual-high-end food goes. <\/p>\r\n

You can order a la carte, but really, the chef's choice<\/em> is how you'll experience proper Wandering Table-style dining. Simply pick your price, and the plates will come raining down on you, family-style.<\/p>\r\n

We went with $35 a head, and, frankly, that might have been an overkill. From beginning to end, the dishes just would not stop coming in rapid succession. Somewhere along the two hour meal, I lost count of how many dishes we were served, and, somewhat miraculously, only one of them received a thumbs down from the table. (The tuna left a bit to be desired.) Each and every one of the other dishes ranged from good to stellar.<\/p>\r\n

Again, that is pretty incredible, the amount of dishes tried taken into consideration.<\/p>\r\n

Some favorites included the «General Tso Sweetbreads» -- the sauce was fantastic -- and the garden salad. Trust me, neither are what you might imagine, both featuring creative twists.<\/p>\r\n

Something as simple as deviled eggs was notches above what one could even begin to imagine, and even the popcorn -- popcorn! -- is worth a special mention.<\/p>\r\n

Ending the meal with olive oil gelato, and a sea salt chocolate chip cookie just seemed right. (Though, subjectively, we prefer the softer take on the cookie.) <\/p>\r\n

I guess that is all a roundabout way of saying that we were in a downright euphoric food-coma by the end of the meal. That is something we rarely say.<\/p>\r\n

The interiors are simple and inviting; a perfect echo of the casual, yet classy vibe the food presents. The service? Super professional, but never stuffy.<\/p>\r\n

If the Wandering Table can keep this up, there is no reason why they wouldn't or shouldn't become a Spokane institution. <\/p>\r\n

$35 per head might be an overkill, unless you want to get really stuffed. (Which, hey, why not?) $25, should probably cover it, just fine.<\/p>\r\n

We're fans, and we think you will be too. The Wandering Table really is quite fantastic, and you should probably put it on top of your places-to-check-out list, right now.<\/p>", "authors": [ { "name": "Remi A Olsen", "url": "https:\/\/spocool.com", "avatar": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/Playhouse\/Touch.png" } ] }, { "title": "Notes from all over, a smattering of updates edition", "date_published": "2014-06-03T08:18:00-07:00", "id": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/notes-from-all-overa-smattering-of-updates-edition", "url": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/notes-from-all-overa-smattering-of-updates-edition", "image": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/simplecravings\/img\/og.sc.jpg", "content_html": "

So, what's going on these days? As it turns out, not too much. With that in mind, here are one or two or even five updates you may or may not find interesting.<\/p>\r\n

Station House Pizza, which we mentioned on Twitter nearly eons<\/em> ago, has a liquor license<\/a> in. We would assume this means it's getting closer to opening. It is, as you may or may not know, a Hillyard spot, with 3020 E Queen<\/a> as address.<\/p>\r\n

Caruso's<\/a> is the first «confirmed» restaurant set to open in the former Burgain's building. (Although we prefer to use that word for official confirmations. Which there have been none of. That we know of.)<\/p>\r\n

#summerofsandwich has officially kicked off, as proven by the Wing King<\/a>! Tag yours with #spokane, and fame might be bestowed upon you.<\/p>\r\n

Pueblo Amiga -- a spot we often forget about -- is moving to Division<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

And while we haven't seen it yet, we believe you should go watch Chef<\/a>,<\/em> just because it sounds awesome. Who doesn't love themselves some Jon Favreau indie goodness?<\/p>", "authors": [ { "name": "Remi A Olsen", "url": "https:\/\/spocool.com", "avatar": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/Playhouse\/Touch.png" } ] }, { "title": "The Two Seven", "date_published": "2014-05-30T08:29:00-07:00", "id": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/the-two-seven-2160", "url": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/the-two-seven-2160", "image": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/simplecravings\/img\/og.sc.jpg", "content_html": "

So here we are, the last stop on the path of the Great Burger Chase<\/em>. It has been a ride, and we figured we'd go out on a high note, which… Well, we didn't. Or rather, we did (obviously), but the burger did not… And that surprised us.<\/p>\r\n

We love all the Moon Times and Elks of the world. We had many -- nigh countless, really -- good experiences with them. I don't think anyone flat out hates the restaurants, or if they do, they seem to have some pretty subjective reasons.<\/p>\r\n

This is a long roundabout way to get to the crux of the matter: the Two Seven's Moon Time burger. It is… not so good. I have vague memories of it being quite decent back in the day, but then, I have not tried it for a good long time. Maybe it's a case of having selective memories? Our grand jury, at least, shared a common opinion that this was not up to standard.<\/p>\r\n

\"burger<\/p>\r\n

The main problem lies in the patty. One thing is that we were not asked how we wanted it cooked. It might have been our fault not specifying it, but my philosophy is to go with the house's recommendation in circumstances like that. Not surprisingly, it came out well-done. In their defense, I should point out that it wasn't a charred brick. It was well-done, the way well-done should be. That's just not something I and the Great Burger Chase<\/em> jury are too into.<\/p>\r\n

Worse still is its distinct lack of flavor. There were no traces of oomphs or seasonings. Pretty dull, in other words. Actually, strike pretty<\/span>. It's dull.<\/p>\r\n

The tomato, though, was good during our visit, at least. Very fresh. I don't mean that in a snarky way either, as I'm a big tomato fan.<\/p>\r\n

Flavor wise the bun was OK, but it felt like it was getting close to stale. Not good.<\/p>\r\n

So, where does it rank? It depends who you ask. Some jury members wanted it all the way at the bottom, but I kind of disagree. See, the Moon Burger's saving grace comes down to one thing: the caramelized onions. They are delicious, and it puts the burger above Post St's offering. That's my opinion, and I'm sticking to it.<\/p>\r\n

And let it be known: The Two Seven is, burger aside, pretty awesome. I actually feel badly not liking the Moon Burger better. But, I feel what I feel, and I can not get past that.<\/p>\r\n

The final tally:<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n
  1. Manito Tap House<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  2. Wisconsinburger<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  3. Saranac<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  4. Waddell’s<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  5. Churchill’s<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  6. Northern Quest EPIC<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  7. The Two-Seven<\/li>\r\n
  8. Post St Ale House<\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

    Photo courtesy of the<\/em> Great Burger Chase’s official photography studio, <\/em>Erick Doxey Photography<\/a>. This photo is part of his coveted <\/em>iPhone Series collection<\/em>.<\/p>", "authors": [ { "name": "Remi A Olsen", "url": "https:\/\/spocool.com", "avatar": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/Playhouse\/Touch.png" } ] }, { "title": "DORITOS\u00ae JACKED\u2122 Ranch Dipped Hot Wings Flavored Tortilla Chips", "date_published": "2014-05-29T08:40:00-07:00", "id": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/doritosjackedranch-dipped-hot-wings-flavored-tortilla-chips", "url": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/doritosjackedranch-dipped-hot-wings-flavored-tortilla-chips", "image": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/simplecravings\/img\/og.sc.jpg", "content_html": "

    It's a great unknown what our fascination with Doritos and Taco Bell is. If I was to venture to guess, I'd notch it down to whole fascination with the bizarre, equivalent to how we enjoy The Twilight Zone<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n

    Perverse speculations aside…<\/p>\r\n

    The DORITOS® JACKED™ Ranch Dipped Hot Wings Flavored Tortilla Chips<\/em> might be the worst product name I can remember seeing, and I mean that quite literally. It is, if nothing else, the longest name I've seen. The idea, however, is at least somewhat commendable.<\/p>\r\n

    No longer do you need to cook up chickens, squeeze out ranch from a bottle, and dip the former in the latter. These Doritos<\/em> have you covered. Some might say they're downright practical.<\/p>\r\n

    Well intentions aside, the flavor has little going for it. Shocking, right?! The chips taste like Doritos<\/em>, with dusty coatings of powdered Frank's and ranch. The kinda stuff you would find in the potential-nuclear-war-rations<\/em> aisle.<\/p>\r\n

    I'm not necessarily saying you need to wear a tinfoil hat to enjoy these chips, but then, I kinda am.<\/p>\r\n

    And in that sense, DORITOS® JACKED™ Ranch Dipped Hot Wings Flavored Tortilla Chips<\/em> probably should<\/em> exist. They're not for me, and probably not for you, unless you're expecting North Korea to live up to its promises.<\/p>\r\n

    If they do, you and Frito Lay will have the deserved last laugh.<\/p>", "authors": [ { "name": "Remi A Olsen", "url": "https:\/\/spocool.com", "avatar": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/Playhouse\/Touch.png" } ] }, { "title": "The #summerofsandwich, and why you should partake", "date_published": "2014-05-27T08:50:00-07:00", "id": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/thesummerofsandwichand-why-you-should-partake", "url": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/thesummerofsandwichand-why-you-should-partake", "image": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/simplecravings\/img\/og.sc.jpg", "content_html": "

    Well, it might sadden you to learn that the Great Burger Chase<\/a><\/em> is winding down, but then, we never said we'd try every<\/em> burger in town.<\/p>\r\n

    Fear not, however, as we have a replacement will start June 1st; a replacement that will involve you<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n

    During a strategy session with the man who inspired us to do Spiceavore<\/a><\/em>, the Wing King, <\/em>a concept came up which can be summed up with one hashtag: #summerofsandwich. And it is exactly what you would expect it to be.<\/p>\r\n

    This summer, you will eat sandwiches, take photos of them, and post the on Twitter or Instagram with the name of the restaurant, and the hashtags #summerofsandwich and #spokane. (The city hashtag is important, as this probably will be a national, nay, global event.)<\/p>\r\n

    As the summer goes on, we will gather the suggested sandwiches and post round-ups of them. Because, really, who doesn't want sandwich recommendations? (The terrorists, probably.)<\/p>\r\n

    It's a simple concept, and it's an informative event. And this is your chance to put Spokane on the sandwich map. Who knows, maybe the Wing King (which is starting to sound scarily similar to the Yellow King<\/a>) himself will visit Spokane, just to try one of your sandwich recommendations?<\/p>\r\n

    So, starting June 1st: sandwich tweets\/Instagrams, marked with #summerofsandwich, #spokane, and restaurant name. Be part of an event that will likely change the fate of a nation.<\/p>\r\n

    Updated to show the correct hashtag: <\/em>#summerofsandwich.<\/p>", "authors": [ { "name": "Remi A Olsen", "url": "https:\/\/spocool.com", "avatar": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/Playhouse\/Touch.png" } ] }, { "title": "Your invitation to compete in #SpoBREW Impromptu", "date_published": "2014-05-23T09:25:00-07:00", "id": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/your-invitation-to-compete-inspobrew-impromptu", "url": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/your-invitation-to-compete-inspobrew-impromptu", "image": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/simplecravings\/img\/og.sc.jpg", "content_html": "

    As the name suggests, the last (for now) #SpoBREW<\/em> will be the most impromptu homebrew contest we have ever hosted. #SpoBREW Impromptu<\/em> will go down on Saturday, May 31st, 4pm, which pretty much means you must have your homebrew ready already.<\/p>\r\n

    This time, however, the game is different. Very different. We will not judge on one single type of beer; we will judge the brewers on whatever they bring. In other words, a brewer can bring multiple types of beer, whatever she or he wants to bring.<\/p>\r\n

    The rules:<\/p>\r\n

      \r\n
    1. Each brewer or team (we'll use the term «brewer» for simplicity's sake) enter beers they already have brewed. (Or brew it in a week if you want.)<\/li>\r\n
    2. It does not matter if each and every bottle you bring is a different type of beer. The brewer<\/em> is the one who will be judged. Bring as many types of beer as you want.<\/li>\r\n
    3. The contest will be judged by the audience. The brewer will be judged on a scale from 1 to 6, and the weighted average wins.<\/li>\r\n
    4. Bring as many bottles (or kegs) as you want: running out of beer quickly just means fewer people will drink your beer.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

      And that's it. There are no other rules. You can be as creative as you'd like in this dog eat dog contest.<\/p>\r\n

      Why the short notice? Why not make it a meticulous-ish event like previous years? Well… why not? We might have one brewer, we might have ten, we might have some completely different number… We don't care!<\/p>\r\n

      Send an email to team@spocool.com<\/a> if you are interested in competing; location will be emailed to you. Yes: the location, too, is impromptu.<\/p>\r\n

      For those who just want to show up and drink beer, details will be released soon. And, again, it will be done a bit differently than before. Stay tuned for more.<\/p>\r\n

      Oh, and just because. Here's the best thing you will hear\/watch all week:<\/p>\r\n

      \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/object>\r\n<\/p>", "authors": [ { "name": "Remi A Olsen", "url": "https:\/\/spocool.com", "avatar": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/Playhouse\/Touch.png" } ] }, { "title": "NUDO Ramen House", "date_published": "2014-05-22T09:07:00-07:00", "id": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/nudo-ramen-house", "url": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/nudo-ramen-house", "image": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/filedep\/headers\/2014220591501nudo.jpg", "content_html": "

      You know, we really like the work of HDG quite a bit. As far as their interior design goes, you get that odd mix of a minimal base, with a maximal finish. NUDO is a good example: here you get a light breezy feel, coupled with Roy Lichtenstein-style punches throughout.<\/p>\r\n

      In other words, NUDO's interiors (and exteriors, really) are awesome.<\/p>\r\n

      Luckily, and more importantly, the food fares rather well, too.<\/p>\r\n

      Their steamed gyozas, for example, filled with pork and chicken went over well during our visit. The meat had a spicy flavor to it, and the desired bite was there. Add the vinaigrette, which pairs nicely, and you have a good fresh appetizer.<\/p>\r\n

      The yakitori skewers are reasonably priced between $2-$4, and are surprisingly large. Our favorite was probably the asparagus, which came with a sauce that did not overpower the vegetable. The mushrooms -- nicely textured ones at that -- followed suit.<\/p>\r\n

      I wouldn't say the chicken wings lived up to their «spicy» claim, but the seasoning itself was quite good. The meat seemed just a little fatty to me, but that might possibly be a result of having the wings paired with the aforementioned vegetables.<\/p>\r\n

      Now, the ramen burger. It has been pimped pretty heavily, and I was sorta curious of how it would work, if at all. My opinions are mixed on that.<\/p>\r\n

      The flavor definitely was there, with a ramen flavorful enough for us to recommend NUDO as a ramen house in general. It had a nice bite to it, and was prepared properly for holding.<\/p>\r\n

      But! You still can not eat it as a proper burger. I guess some will claim you can, but I could not figure it out. The problem lies in the heat of the ramen -- holding it is nigh impossible, and it does not work as a bun replacement. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Use your fork, and you'll be OK.<\/p>\r\n

      Back to the flavor: Who would have thought the ramen and cheese would go so well together? Ramen and cheese is a great combination. I was surprised.<\/p>\r\n

      The beef patty was a bit overcooked for my liking, but had a nice flavor to it none the less. The tonkatsu sauce accompanied it well.<\/p>\r\n

      Finally, the mochi ice cream, both the green tea and mango, are excellent. The consistency was just right, as were the flavors.<\/p>\r\n

      All in all, our lunch was a very positive experience. Tasty food, each item clocking in under $13, in a great setting… Not bad at all. We definitely recommend NUDO. Go give it a shot. Your experience will, hopefully, mirror ours.<\/p>", "authors": [ { "name": "Remi A Olsen", "url": "https:\/\/spocool.com", "avatar": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/Playhouse\/Touch.png" } ] }, { "title": "Notes from all over, some Kickstarting and new opening edition", "date_published": "2014-05-21T08:07:00-07:00", "id": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/notes-from-all-oversome-kickstarting-and-new-opening-edition", "url": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/notes-from-all-oversome-kickstarting-and-new-opening-edition", "image": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/simplecravings\/img\/og.sc.jpg", "content_html": "

      We mentioned this on Twitter a few days back, but for your benefit: Flora, a small batch, local yoghurt company, is running a Kickstarter<\/a> to spread their goods to the world. Or Spokane. Same thing, right?<\/p>\r\n

      They will share kitchen with the soon-to-open BATCH space, and have collected $5,606 of their $13,000 goal. Go support them<\/a> if you so wish!<\/p>\r\n

      Spiceologist has launched yet another Kickstarter<\/a>, for spice blends and rubs. It's definitely well worth a look, and it has already collected $3,823 of $20,000.<\/p>\r\n

      (Neither here nor there -- or, possibly, completely here and there: Much as we love the ingenuity of all this crowdfunding, we can't help but wonder how long it'll take before the market is saturated.)<\/p>\r\n

      Liquor License Stalker<\/a> tells us Ivory Table will open on June 3rd at 1822 E Sprague. That's the former Flying Pig Location. It looks like it could be a good, and atypical, addition to that neighborhood, at least if Instagram\/S-R<\/a> has it right.<\/p>\r\n

      (Does anyone still call it the «International District» or whatever? Because it never was particularly international.)<\/p>", "authors": [ { "name": "Remi A Olsen", "url": "https:\/\/spocool.com", "avatar": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/Playhouse\/Touch.png" } ] }, { "title": "Your list of the best restaurants in Spokane #9", "date_published": "2014-05-19T08:51:00-07:00", "id": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/your-list-of-the-best-restaurants-in-spokane9", "url": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/your-list-of-the-best-restaurants-in-spokane9", "image": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/simplecravings\/img\/og.sc.jpg", "content_html": "

      After a good year without too much movement, your top twenty sees some action for the second month running…<\/p>\r\n

      1. Manito Tap House (-)
      2. Casper Fry (-)
      2. Santé Restaurant & Charcuterie (3)
      4. South Perry Pizza (-)
      5. The Flying Goat (6)
      6. Saranac Public House (5)
      7. Central Food (-)
      8. Main Market Co-op (11)
      9. De Leon Foods (10)
      10. Jones Radiator (8)
      11. Veraci Pizza (9)
      12. Bon Bon Lounge (14)
      13. Coeur Coffee (-)
      14. Atticus Coffee & Gifts (12)
      15. Bennidito's Pizza (20)
      16. Wild Sage Bistro (15)
      17. Mizuna (19)
      18. Huckleberry's (17)
      19. Italia Trattoria (18)
      20. Atilano's (16)<\/p>\r\n

      … albeit less dramatically this time around.<\/p>\r\n

      The top three is, once again, incredibly close, with Casper Fry and Santé now sharing the runner-up position. Meanwhile, the pizza war between Flying Goat and South Perry is intensifying; we expect Veraci to join them after their brick and mortar location opens.<\/p>\r\n

      As always, you can affect the list by voting<\/a>! Stay tuned for the June list, which will be a very special<\/em> anniversary one.<\/p>", "authors": [ { "name": "Remi A Olsen", "url": "https:\/\/spocool.com", "avatar": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/Playhouse\/Touch.png" } ] } ], "authors": [ { "name": "Remi A Olsen", "url": "https:\/\/spocool.com", "avatar": "https:\/\/spocool.com\/Playhouse\/Touch.png" } ] }