(SpoCOOL) A Spokane Blog

Steelhead is a bar (and, indeed, grille) with many personalities. Some good, some not so good, but at least they are wrapped in a pretty face.

Because there's no denying that Steelhead is a good looking bar. Not too bright; not too dark; tastefully decorated; that cool wine loft thing over the bar. Yep, Steelhead looks the part, though sadly, it doesn't taste quite as nice as it looks.

The taco plate, for example, was bordering on offensive. We're talking grocery store style tortillas with (quite literally) flavorless meat and guacamole. How a guacamole can be prepared without flavor is actually sort of impressive... I didn't think that was technically possible, although I suppose it can be done with frozen avocados and tomatoes. 

I suppose the problem here comes down to the rule of thumb with tacos: If you have to use sour cream for flavoring, then that's bad news. I'm not expecting true authentic Mexican tacos here -- heck, I like "American tacos" just fine -- but come on... A bit of seasoning and fresh tortillas have never hurt anyone.

Yet, strangely enough, their bleu cheese fries appetizer might be some of the best fries in Spokane. These are shoestring fries with crumbled bleu cheese and bacon, and they're the perfect side dish with a beer or other type of libation. Not overpowering, just flavorful. It's really hard to comprehend that they come from the same kitchen as the tacos.

And then the beer. Here we can give Steelhead thumbs up for having a very decent tap selection, yet they serve it at a way too cold temperature. I thought we had moved past this. Repeat after me: Beer is not supposed to be ice cold. Most ales should never go under 50 degrees. 

Are you starting to see the split personality disorder here?

The true point being that Steelhead is OK. It's fine, you just have to know what to order. Get the fries, and prepare to wait a bit for your beer to warm up. It's a good enough place if you can stomach that, and, frankly, the interiors makes it worthwhile.

Shy away from the entrees however.

Well blow me down and consider this one of my surprise favorite winter ales of 2010.

It pours a nice dark brown color with an off-white head. There's good lacing and retention. The nose reveals malts and citrus; a very Christmas-y scent, punching you in the face the way Santa Claus does it.  

Flavorwise it is very well balanced. The initial taste is almost pale ale like, but the hoppier notes soon kick in, as do hints of orange and caramel. The finish is just vaguely spicy. This definitely tastes nice, and the 7.2% ABV is hidden well, which of course can be both a blessing and a curse.

Overall Powder Hound is an almost perfect winter warmer. It's easy to forget about the Missoula brewery amidst more fashionable selections from Washington and Oregon, but really, ignorance is no excuse. Powder Hound is one of the few homeruns this season.

Add this to the "are you sure we didn't write about this spot already‽" file.

We like The Elk well enough, but could live without the attitude some of the staff tends to have. Sure, they work in a pub (very hip) in Browne's Addition (so very very hip) where people line up to get a table (hipness running all over my face), but really, we could live without the attitude.

This may or may not be why we prefer The Elk's more laid-back cousin, The Two Seven Public House. While The Elk wears thick rimmed 80s glasses and a 15-inch v-neck shirt, the Two Seven prefers the button-ups and quite possibly also an ascot. It's like The Elk, but slower paced and more quiet.

The menu, also, is just different enough to make it worth the trek to the mean streets of the South Hill. The salpicon, for example, is pretty unique to this region. The beef comes shredded, covering a layer of jack cheese, and is served with a good spicy sauce. As opposed to the trainwreck that was the taquitos at Savory, here the meat is perfectly prepared, and the whole dish has a breeze of freshness blowing from it. The rice might not be the most exciting thing on the planet, but sprinkle some of the accompanying lime on it, and all gets better. As for the flour tortillas... Well, dull is dull, and there's not much more to say about them.

The red wine risotto, a special for the day (or possibly week), also holds a good standard. We're not talking Sante quality, but as far as pub grub goes, it's better quality than what we had expected. A bit more salt wouldn't have hurt it, but the mushrooms are fine, if, again, not super exciting. Overall a good special.

Really, all the food in The Elk Empire has kind of a particular flavor to it. I'm not sure I'd use the word "theme" as that is just a bit too Applebee's-like, but I'm sure you get what I'm saying. There's a familiarity through all of these pubs, and that's great. It works.

Beer selection, at all location, is also pretty excellent, and the Jubelale on cask is something everybody should try before they die. Add it to your Bucket List.

The Two Seven Public House is recommended. Of course, you already knew this, but it never hurts to hammer home the point.

Let the fight over who can deliver the blandest Italian food commence: Olive Garden's brand spanking new location, nay, locales have opened in North Spokane! Apparently the design was inspired by their Tuscany restaurant, which begs the question: Olive Garden has locations in Italy?!

Not to be outdone, Ciao Mambo -- "where even the pasta is sexy," god help us all -- is set to open at the end of the month. I guess the real question is if you prefer bottomless salad bowls to Italian Nachos. Or, you know, you could always just go to Italia Trattoria instead.

On a happier note we have heard rumors that The West Wing of the White House will have its soft opening next week. This is of course the Spokane branch of The White House Grill which is an awesome spot if you like garlic. If you don't, well, it probably won't be for you.