(SpoCOOL) A Spokane Blog

Once upon a time, before the De Leons and Tumbras of the world, Rancho Chico was considered by many to be the Mexican place in town. I can sort of see why, seeing the competition at the time wasn't stellar.

And it's not that I don't like Rancho Chico. I kinda do. I don't love it, but the spot has a certain charm. Their steak special -- something akin to a steak ranchero -- wasn't too bad. The steak was a bit chewy, and there wasn't tons of flavor to the whole thing mind you, though the refried beans were good, if you're OK with lard. In other words, they aren't vegetarian friendly. 

I sampled Top That's burrito which was of the vegetarian type, and it wasn't too bad. Not spectacular or a flavor kick or anything, but definitely fresh tasting, which is just OK with me.

Rancho Chico isn't particularly exciting. But I suppose like many have their favorite old diner, this is a place where you can go for a type of comfort food. That's certainly acceptable. For quality Mexican, though, you'd be better off with De Leon or Tumbras or Guerrero or El Mercado del Pueblo or Michoacana or...

Avery is a brewery most beer enthusiasts should be familiar with. I can't remember ever having a bad ale from them, and flavor kicks always sit in the front seat. 

The DuganA IPA is no different. It pours a deep gold color with a nice creamy head, almost two fingers. Excellent lacing. 

A quick whiff reveals that this is going to be hoppy. Very hoppy. Floral and citrus scents are also abound. Give it a sip and the hops kick right in. This is bitter stuff, and not for those who aren't into the super hoppy stuff. A few more sips also reveal a good deal more depth. Oranges and possibly toffee lingers once you get used to the bitterness.

At 8.5% ABV this is a pretty strong ale, but I didn't find it boozy at all. That's a good thing.

Highly recommended IPA.

... but, and I have whined about this before, very few people seem to consider waitering much of a career in these parts. And by "these parts" I mean pretty much all of the US outside of larger cities like NYC or LA or whatever.

Hey, it is what it is I suppose and common sense and general friendliness can frankly push any server to a good level. Yet there are just a few basics I miss when I visit local restaurants -- some, like Latah Bistro and Sante, are often exceptions -- and I wouldn't be me if I didn't list them here. They might seem minor, but they truly can make a difference for a diner's experience. Trust me. I know these things. I have a blog.

• Pour wine or whatever from the guest's right side. It's just easier than leaning over the plate and a bit more elegant than the age-old "could you pass me your glass?".
• Likewise, serve plates from the right side. If you serve from a dish onto a plate already on the table, serve from the left. 
• When one guest has finished his or her meal, for the sake of everything that's good and holy, don't remove their plates. Wait until everybody at the table is done. This is one I don't get why people can't understand. Removing individual plates at different times interrupts the other guests and pretty much says "Hey! Hurry up!" 
• And finally, this one is for the guests, but can assist the server. If you place your utensils down when you're not finished eating, point them toward the center, fork on the left (approximately 7 or 8 o'clock position) and knife on the right (approximately 5 or 4 o'clock position). When you're done, place the fork and knife in the 5 or 4 o'clock position. Teeth point down and the blade points inward in both cases. This way you discreetly tell the waiter you're done.

That's four. Well, three and a half. There are many more, I'm sure, but I do think something as simple as this really makes for a happier dining experience for both customers and staff.

The Spokesman and The Inlander are falling over eachother writing about "pop-up restaurants" and lovely all the coverage is. This type of dining has been the rage in places like NYC for a bit now, and Spokane has actually jumped on the bandwagon at a fairly early time, at least with our previous timeliness taken into consideration. (That is, not very timely at all.)

It's great that these people who are taking chances are getting some mainstream exposure. If the chefs mentioned in these articles could make some money off the events, then hey, awesome. Yet when some people have been calling Ghetto Gourmand an "underground" dining experience, my mind started wandering.

The events mentioned in the articles -- Pop-Up (where I borrowed the photo from), 15, Ghetto Gourmand, and Wandering Table -- are, of course, not underground. Nor do I think they want to be, which is understandable. I, like  you, have had the chance to experience all of them -- though we only ventured out to Pop-Up -- and with the exposure they're now getting, they're close to being as commercial as a conventional restaurant. Again, there's nothing wrong with that, but it would be fun if Spokane had a true "underground" (and I do hate that word, but whatever) restaurant, i.e. a place that truly popped up at random times and location only available through speakeasy channels as opposed to mass e-mails and the region's largest newspaper.

These events are great, don't get me wrong, but to get a true dining-out-culture, I think we need something more mythical. True "underground" events don't receive media coverage, hence the name. It'd be fun to see that here.

As for the more upscale events mentioned above, I'm sure the food is extraordinary at each of them. (15 dishes by Sante? Come on...) I do, however, feel that these events serve more of a "see and be seen" purpose. Again, there's nothing wrong with that, but I, personally, am not a fan of those kind of things. I'd rather walk into Sante, pay up for a 5 or 7 or whatever course meal, and have them cook whatever they feel like. (And they do, it is even encouraged.) 

Wound an "underground" event bee all about "see and be seen"? Possibly. Probably, even. But I'm guessing on a lesser event than something that was mass publicized weeks before the event.

I suppose the really great thing that's coming from Pop-Up and 15 and its ilk is that we now have options ranging outside of our standard brick and mortar restaurant where we can get everything from burgers to fifteen course gourmet dinners. That is really awesome and it is extremely beneficial for the dining culture in Spokane. Now if we can get options that are really underground -- some have existed in the past, and probably still do, on smaller levels -- then I feel we have taken an important additional step.

Of course, maybe the underground events do flourish and I just don't know about them. Egg on my face if so!