(SpoCOOL) A Spokane Blog

The Liquor License Stalker is back up after a brief interlude. For those not familiar with the page, it basically takes pending liquor licenses from the Washington State Liquor Control Board and displays them in a readable-ish format. It's a good way to learn about restaurants-and-what-have-you openings.

Apparently Spokane has microbrewery fever.

First, our good friends, Budge Brothers, are applying for a "change of location" microbrewery license. This is somewhat of an annual event, and we've still had the chance to try any of their products (if they do exist for the public), so fingers crossed this is when they'll hit it big. 

Meanwhile, a new brewery is setting its eyes on the Valley: 12 String Brewing Co. A quick search revealed their website, where we learn about a tap room and live music. What kind of beer they'll be brewing is unknown, but there's really nothing bad about more local craft brewers hitting town.

Other than that, the South Hill is hopping with Sushi I, Mezzo Pazzo Wine Bar, as well as the newly opened Famous Ed's Pizza. Trader Joe's is slowly getting going too, and they have an application in.

Anyway, yes, hopefully the page will stay fairly stable this time, so you can keep track of all these openings.

Winter might be coming toward an end, but there are still plenty of winter ales out there, all of which you probably want to sample. Unless we sample them for you, and give them thumbs down.

10 Degrees Below is one you probably should try. It might not be amazing, but it's good, and more than qualifies as a winter warmer at 7.4% ABV.

It pours a nice dark brown color with a fairly thick head, just shy of a finger. Nose is malty with some hints of spices and citrus. Fairly standard for a winter warmer, and the flavor also has a bit of molasses going on. Mouthfeel is on the south side of medium, which is a bit disappointing.

This isn't a great beer. It's good. I'd drink it again. I'd even recommend it, maybe not in a six-pack, but as a single bottle purchase. Good stuff, just not amazing.

During Team SpoCOOL's fact finding missions to Philadelphia, we have tried our fair share of cheesesteaks. Enough so we feel qualified to say Bruchi's ranks up there with the best of them.

Their location on 29th recently closed down and was replaced by Gridiron Cheesesteaks & More. Gridiron, as it seems, has stuck closely to Bruchi's methods, though they cut the steak slightly differently, and the seasonings might be a bit more flavorful.

That is all great. Better than Bruchi's? Awesome, right?

Well...

I'm one of those who thinks Washington State is just a bit ridiculous when it comes to health code. A bit of dirt has never hurt anyone. I mean, seriously. Gridiron's problem is not that it forgot to scrub behind the ears, however; apparently it forgot to take a shower.

It was all pretty disgusting. Trying to walk in, the entryway was blocked by a large pile of boxes, which didn't just look bad, it also smelled pretty rancid.

Inside, the trashcan next to the counter had some sort of sauce-like substance running down it, which accumulated to a large puddle on the floor. It was obvious this had been like this for quite a while.

The staff was friendly, and they made a mean cheesesteak and veggie sandwiches, but the guy taking the orders had not washed his hands since he came back from his construction job. (Literally -- he was certainly dressed up for it.) OK, so he didn't touch the food, but he was still behind the counter, representing the establishment. Cleanliness should be high on the list.

It's all too bad. The sandwiches were great. But the dirty dirty locales were more than offputting. We want to go back, but as it stands, I'm not sure we can stomach it.

Speaking of Enoteca, let's talk about what we went there for: the World Wide Stout. This is Dogfish Head's rather insane Imperial Stout, weighing in at 18% ABV. If there ever was an ale that was not a session beer, this would be it.

The World Wide Stout is, more importantly, a spectacular beer, one that is worth hunting down on tap as well as the price tag at around $10 a bottle.

It pours pitch black, yet there's some kind of hue to it that best can be described by using Bel Canto's immortal words: "Shimmering, warm, and bright." That might not be adjectives you often hear about the color black, but I maintain they are appropriate in this instance.

The nose is exquisite. The alcohol is there, not in a boozy way, but like it's inviting you to a comfortable nap after a long mountain hike. There are hints of chocolate and coffee. Maybe some fruitiness. It's all just a deep pot of goodness, worth sitting around smelling just for the fun of it.

The nose is a very good indicator of what the thing tastes like. It doesn't take long to realize you're drinking a strong beer, but it's never unpleasant. The flavors, perfectly balanced, slowly overtake the tongue and mouth, and as you swallow, they pleasantly linger. The World Wide Stout really doesn't feel like it has an insanely high ABV. This is very drinkable.

Alongside '10 Abyss we now have two Imperial Stouts that are top notch. This is the time to fill up the beer basement as both are limited engagement ales. Then, a year from now, you can have a taste-off to decide which is the better beer. It'll be the most fun challenge you've ever had.