(SpoCOOL) A Spokane Blog

Hey, it's time for another edition of Notes from all over because why not?

Casper Fry Public House and Eatery is set to open in South Perry, in the same building as the newly opened Title Nine. Apparently all new spots in town are either about "burgers and brews" or "public houses". Nothing wrong with that, of course. This spot will be operated by the people behind Madeleines Cafe.

Latah Bistro has revealed their new fall menu. Their pork tenderloin, in particular, sounds pretty excellent.

If you're interested in attending our SpoBREWING event -- this Saturday, oh! em! gee! -- feel free to RSVP to the event on Facebook. Heck, consider showing up for IBU's Wednesday beer hang-out too, also at Manito Tap House.

And finally, huge thanks to those who bought our stuff in support of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation! Some stuff is still available -- surely you're deck enough to want a Blow-Up poster! David Hemmings, people! -- so run over and see if there's anything there you'd like. 

Lagunitas is one of those dark horse breweries we sometime forget about until we see a bottle or tap of their stuff, and hastily remember that their ales are actually almost always really quite excellent.

Take their 2011 bottling of A Little Sumpin' Wild, for example. With a name like that, you know you're looking at something potent, and with a sturdy 8.85% ABV that's what you get. As with many talented brewers, Lagunitas has made this one surprisingly un-boozy tasting and something that is very sippable, particularly during fall. (Even though it was released in July, but whatever.)

It's pours a dark golden color, with a frothy head. Not much carbonation to be seen, and lacing and retention are both excellent. A beautiful looking beer in other words.

Sniff, and a nice meld of fruits and spices will hit you right up front, flanked by hops. There's a lot to Sumpin' Wild, and you can pick it all up through the nose. This is one you can sit and smell for a while, and truly enjoy.

Then again, in the end it's all about the flavor, and it tastes as good as it smells. The hops hit a bit harder than I had expected from the nose, but they're still part of a delicate texture, and they go well with the spices. Above all, this is a mildy sweet beer, and how all said flavors work so well in harmony is beyond me, but this is one to sip like a good cognac.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, and there is a distinct lack of carbonation might not be for everyone, but I like it.

Put this one up for a contender for the most complex yet surprisingly drinkable beer of the year.

Maybe we have changed, or maybe it's them, but Pete's Pizza just doesn't do it for us anymore. There was a time when it did, but it has, as it seems, long long passed, and that's kind of sad. Kind of.

So, where did it all go wrong?

From the bottom up, and we mean that quite literally. The crust is just not very good, way way too dense. Even if you can get past that, it's also flavorless. Compare it to what you get at Cafe Italiano -- a crust we'd gladly eat without toppings -- and Pete's struck out from the... first hitter... or something. (I don't care for baseball.)

The toppings are fine for what they are, and what they are is fast-food style. Think Pizza Pipeline or Pizza Rita. Price wise Pete's also in the same range as them, and for a good reason. It's on par with them in almost every way possible.

Look, I know it's easy to say "well, it's still pizza" and that's true enough. The real issue is that it's still grocery store quality pizza, and we would hope you'd be a bit above that.

Life's too short for crap. Track down Veraci or run up to Cafe Italiano instead. They'll treat you right.

It's a pretty common thing, these days, to work from coffee shops. They kind of serve as your "home office away from home office". Yesterday we asked on Twitter, "What are you favorite 'work from' coffee shops in #Spokane judged on WiFI and space alone?" In other words, coffee and food quality was secondary.

Here are some of our favorite spots and favorite suggestions. Did we forget anything? Feel free to tell us which spots in the comments.

Chairs: They have a great big room, separate from where orders are placed. WiFi is free and fast, and the coffee is good to boot. This might be our favorite space, overall.

Rocket Bakery on 1st and Cedar: Says @CassieDevaney: "I like to work at the Rocket Bakery on First & Cedar - free wi-fi and large tables."

Indaba Coffee: The ever elusive @erickdoxey: "@indabacoffee isn't bad either." We agree, we like the spot and it has a nice ambiance for work.

Keaton Violet's kitchen: This might be worthwhile, just to see Keaton make coffee drinks out of his sweat and tears.

J-Walk: It's slowly turning into one of our favorite little coffee shops, and they have separate seating space, which always is good. Plus they play KZZU in the morning.

Strong Solutions: "We only have free drip coffee (Cravens), but we have awesome WiFi, cool Macs and a unique space to hang out in..." (We're all pro different solutions.)

The Service Station: If you can get past the awful coffee and creepiness factor (Fox News? Really?) the space is huge and it's a good place to be left alone. WiFi can be a bit spotty, speed-wise.

Revive Coffee: They have a small fountain. Hey, nothing says "zen workspace" like that -- it's a nice calm space to work in.

Atticus: Good ambiance with great background music and the added opportunity to overhear hiptivist conversations. Good coffee too.

Lindaman's: Nice large tables removed from the serving area.

Taste Cafe: Sturdy tables, and a surprisingly quiet space for its small size.