(SpoCOOL) A Spokane Blog

Well, what do you know, changes abound, yet the number one stays the same.

1	-	Sante
2	(3)	Gordy's
3	(2)	Latah Bistro
4	(5)	Wild Sage
5	·	Italia Trattoria
6	(4)	Mizuna

Was there any doubt? I mean, really? There are a couple of establishments in Spokane -- and we mean almost literally a couple -- that gets it so right they are a consistent joy to frequent. Sante is not only part of that club, it is likely the chairperson.

We love Sante and you, the voter, apparently do too. Sante deserves the number one spot here, there is no doubt about that.

The fight for number two went down to the wire, but in the end it was Gordy's -- somewhat surprisingly perhaps? -- that took it home, just in front of Latah Bistro. It was close, and both places are among the few in this town that everyone should have to check out. Even if they don't want to they should. Force your friends or family if that's what it takes.

The only newcomer on the list is Italia Trattoria, and a welcome addition it is. Few restaurants in town does Italian well, and the arrival of Italia Trattoria a year and a half-ish ago has, obviously, made many people happy.

So there it is, the top six which also includes Wild Sage and Mizuna. We think you should check them all out, of course, and make your own mind up, but it's hard to argue that Sante truly is the best restaurant in Spokane.

Coming up: Worst of Spokane and Best of Inland Northwest.

We'll go out on a limb and suggest that Spokane is a town of casual diners. Nothing wrong with that, and it might explain why the "Best Cheap/Casual Eats" category saw the highest traffic in this year's Best of... And this time around, there were some upsets:

1	·	Tacos Tumbras
2	(2)	Picabu
3	·	Chkn-n-Mo
4	·	Manito Tap House
5	·	Saranac Public House
6	·	Vien Dong

Well, now! Five new entries, two of which opened their doors just this year, and the honorable old man of Mexican cuisine itself, Tacos Tumbras, jumped up and grabbed the number one spot.

Many questions surrounds the latter: First and foremost, why wasn't it even in the top six last year? It's Tacos Tumbras! It's awesome! We're glad you all thought the same, and as De Leon has taken a bit of a stumble lately, it's good to see the old king stepping up alongside two other Spokane mainstays, Picabu and Chkn-n-Mo.

Manito and Saranac, meanwhile, have their aims set on the "gastropub" market, and they must be doing something right. Manito, of course, can show off fifty taps of beer, and things have apparently fallen into place after some much-reported initial service-issues. Both it and Saranac are good example of good casual dining in Spokane, and should be checked out by all.

As for pizzas:

1	-	Veraci
2	-	South Perry Pizza
3	(4)	Flying Goat
4	(3)	Bennidito's Pizza
5	·	Ferrante's
6	·	Cafe Italiano

The top four hasn't changed much, and Veraci grabbed the top spot from the start and took this home without ever looking back. All respect to South Perry and Flying Goat too, which dominantly showed they're the ultimate brick and mortar pizza spots.

A pleasant surprise was Cafe Italiano, a SpoCOOL favorite, which grabbed sixth place. The northside pizza shop might be a bit different than the other entries here, but it's a great spot, and deserves any attention it can get.

We are a culture of consumerists, despite what some like to think. Hey, that's life, and why not spend your hard earned cash at awesome spots as opposed to not-so-awesome places? Like, a farmers' market for example:

1	-	South Perry
2	(3)	Liberty Lake
3	(2)	Spokane
4	-	Millwood
5	·	Montford
6	·	Morgan Acres

South Perry once again took the top spot, with Liberty Lake edging Spokane out. What do the top two farmers' markets have in common? Veraci serves their pizza at both places. (Foreshadowing?!)

Spokane is missing one large farmers' market which is pretty common elsewhere, but as it stands, it's hard to argue with these smaller neighborhood alternatives.

Farmers aside, as far as the brick and mortar markets go...

1	-	Rocket Market
2	·	JB's
3	·	Sante
4	(3)	Bottles
5	(4)	Huckleberry's
6	(2)	Main Market Co-op

This literally came down to the last vote, and JB's, the northside beer (and wine) store, was close to scoring a major upset. In the end, though, Rocket managed to cling on to its number one spot. People have apparently also discovered that Sante is pretty awesome also as a market (foreshadowing?!).

Frankly all six markets should be in anybody's rotation. They carry great stuff, and are all just a little bit different from eachother, even when they might seem very similar.

Coffee, it's what's for dinner... Or something like that. Anyway! Here are the result of your coffee roasting company votes:

1	- (1)	DOMA Coffee
2	(4)	Roast House Coffee
3	(2)	Bumper Crop
4	·	Anvil Coffee Roasting
5	(3)	Thomas Hammer
6	·	Tom Sawyer's Country Coffee

I mean, really, there was and is no contest here. DOMA is head and shoulders dominant over the competition because they deliver truly fantastic products. We know it and apparently so do you, judging by the votes.

This category was dominated by DOMA from the start, and they never relinquished the number one spot. (And you'll see them again when we do our all encompassing "Best of Inland Northwest" category. But you knew that.)

All respect to the other roasters of course. Some of them truly care about coffee, and others really know how to market their products. It's interesting and positive to see Anvil and Tom Sawyer's hitting the list -- their names have really started to take off over the last few years.

It's all an evolution, but maybe Spokane can turn into a coffee-town sooner rather than later. We have the roasters, now the customer just needs to move past drive-through shacks.

Speaking of!

1	(3)	Atticus Coffee and Gifts
2	-	Rockwood Bakery
3	(1)	Taste Cafe
4	·	Petit Chat
5	·	INDABA Coffee
6	(5)	Madeleine's Cafe

Atticus jumped up two spots to conquer the throne. And fair enough, though as they recently stopped carrying DOMA, we can't help but wonder if the result will be the same next year. This is an unfounded rumor -- shame on us for listening to those! -- and DOMA is still found at Atticus! The space certainly is great, though, and we've often had excellent coffee there.

Petit Chat hit number four with a bullet, probably not so much because of their coffee, but for having what we consider some of the best bread (their Tuscan loaf is excellent) and baked goods in the region. We haven't tried INDABA in a while, but with the positive buzz it has been getting lately, we're thinking it might be time again.

Special SpoCOOL honoree: Hey, because why not name a Best Barista? And so we will: Mister Keaton Violet, currently pulling at your sixth favorite coffee shop, Madeleine's Cafe. The spot might have a few issues to overcome, but go in and get a DOMA coffee drink pulled by Mr. Violet, and you'll be a happy person.