Holy bouncing Buddha, it's American Craft Beer Week! And what better way to kick it off, than by enjoying a (fairly) local ESB, the Laughing Dog CSB?
The CSB monicker has a fairly amusing back story to it. Apparently the namesake Laughing Dog had a tendency to greet people by sniffing their crotches, and was thus called the Crotch Sniffing Bastard. Dogs will be dogs, I suppose.
Odd name aside, the Laughing Dog is not a bad ale at all. It's not super exciting, but has a bit more kick and depth to it than many ESBs. It pours a nice amber color with a bit of head to it and minimal lacing.
The nose gives a kick of toffee and caramel that carries over into the flavor. There aren't much of a hop punch, but the CSB's sweetness and lingering bitterness gives the ale a rounder flavor than what I had expected. This really feels like a beer that would great with a good falafel. It's very refreshing.
Laughing Dog has made better beer and certainly more exciting ones. The CSB, though, is nice and refreshing, and a good way to start of the week with.
We love ourselves some Murder, She Wrote here at Team SpoCOOL Towers. Not in an ironic way or anything, but in a true, honest to Obi-Wan fanboy/fangirl fashion. It's easy to dismiss the show, of course, but it truly is well shot -- watch the intro sequence around the 25 second mark and see how brilliantly Hitchcockian the push-down-the-stairs scene is filmed (this might have been a veiled commentary on old people falling down stairs a lot) -- and the roster of actors is impressive.
Angela Lansbury and Tom Bosley aside, you get names like Olivia Hussey, Leslie Nilsen, Milton Berle, any actor that ever appeared in M*A*S*H, and, my personal favorite, John Saxon. The fact that many of these appear in multiple episodes, even though they have previously appeared as murder victims, seems to be of no concern to the producers.
As the people over at 2birds1blog found out, Murder, She Wrote lends itself perfectly to drinking games. The real question is, what does one drink with such a classy show? Pimm's definitely comes first to mind. You probably know the drink from your grandma's liquor cabinet. Another favorite is the Campari, but that should only be enjoyed when an edgy actor appears on the show. Like Mickey Rooney. If you're really feeling frisky, make it a Gibson.
And the game, well, I don't think there's a better one than what 2birds1blog came up with. Here are a few excerpts; make sure to read the whole entry. It's worth it.
- Drink when Angela Lansbury / Jessica Fletcher says: "Tonight on 'Murder, She Wrote...'" "Oh, no. I'm afraid this was no accident. No, it was murder." "Of course!" or "Oh, how silly I've been!" followed by running off to check something. "X could not have known that the victim would be at the shooting range. But you could."
- Drink when there's a guest star that went on to be famous for another show (Lucille Bluth, the host from "Unsolved Mysteries," Jerry Orbach, the mom from ALF, Goerge Clooney, etc.)
- Drink when there's a guest star that used to be famous (Tab Hunter, Dorothy Lamour) but has aged and now does guest shots on prime-time family crime dramas to pay the bills.
- Drink if the motive is hilariously obscure. Double if it involves an inheritance or revencge for something that happened many years ago.
- Drink if Jessica is involved because of a nephew/niece/cousin/old friend/old friend's niece's nephew's cousin who is either in danger or accused of murder.
- Drink whenever Jessica has to deal with a wacky subculture, like theatre people, pornographers, or the DAR.
Yes, we have written about Sante before; yes, we will write about them again. This is as good time as any to remind you to head back to what we feel is the best restaurant in Spokane.
It might sound like a hyperbole, but while Sante was amazing when it opened it has just gotten better. Back of the house has been fine tuned to a team that prepares outstanding dishes, from amuse-bouche to dulce. The ever changing menu currently features some of the best gnocchi I've ever had. Perfectly prepared, served in a sherry butter sauce with mushrooms and herbs. It's what dreams are made of.
Go for anything on the charcuterie menu, too, and you can not go wrong. You can't; you won't! The duck prosciutto is decadent, and so is the terrine. Even if you're a vegetarian, they have a menu for you. Not bad for a restaurant with 'charcuterie' in its name. And if you're into buying local and organic (you probably should be) then Sante is definitely what one would consider a true Spokavore spot.
Front of house has also steadily improved. The service here is stellar; friendly and knowledgeable, and not at all stuck up. For fun, play some food-Russian-Roulette and have the staff pick your courses. You won't be disappointed.
The list goes on... Five course meals, seven course, and now even ten course. Events like the upcoming 15 is definitely something new for this town. Great selection of wine and beer.
What's not to love? If you don't love Sante you're probably dead to us. In fact, we are so into this place, we want to send you there. Over to Top That:
To make a long story short: My Catholic Guilt will result in one of you winning a $16 gift-card to Sante! So, what do you have to do to win? Send ten reasons you love Sante or ten reasons you have not been there yet, but want to go. Team SpoCool will select the winner after 24 hours of this post. If you have played Apples to Apples, you many be onto a great strategy. Send your entries to team@spocool.com.
To inspire you, here are our top tens:
Top That
Philosophy about ingredients
Taste
Selection of meals I would not succeed at making on my own
Staff
Some foods I have not tried before
Conscience detail in every dish
Every gnocchi and soup offering
Atmosphere
Watching the many ways people parallel park
Presentation
Mack Salmon (a 2009 vintage top 10)
The food is out of this world. I mean, it’s as simple as that. The food is consistently great, and always creative.
The portion sizes are just right. I’m tired of plates filled with food you won’t eat anyway. Sante serves true portions.
It’s affordable. And surprisingly affordable at that. Grab some brunch and we’re talking something close to diner prices. Dinner, too, is a lot cheaper than you’d expect from a place that—pretty literally—makes everything from scratch. Even the ketchup.
They have a to-go charcuterie menu. Grab some of their duck prosciutto and put it in your pasta or with your steak—I did both. (This isn’t the dumbed down prosciutto you might be used to, though, this is the real, super-salty, Better Taster stuff.)
The coffee is awesome. Four Seasons, and brewed really quite well. I admit to enjoying an espresso con panna.
Vegetarian/vegan options. Even I have ordered from the vegetarian menu. That’s just how I roll.
Best waiter in Spokane. Go during dinner service and you can experience what I consider to be the best waiter in Spokane. This guy really puts pride into his job, and watching him work is poetry in motion.
The ambiance. Hey, feels just like a Southern European cafe. Plus being inside a bookstore is just kind of cool.
Best gnocchi in town. Not that the competition is stiff, but the gnocchi is what dreams are made of.
No really, it’s just really, really, really good. I mean, I hate ketchup, but I’d eat their homemade stuff by itself. Gourmet ketchup? I’ve heard the word used, but here it’s actually true.
Note! This is the restroom review. For the restaurant review, you can read this post.
I have to admit, I am a bit disappointed in Churchill's facilities. They're not bad, certainly, and are good and clean and private. It's just that they lack that certain panache, that je ne sais quoi places like The Davenport offers.
That aside, there is a muted elegance to the restrooms. The soft lighting and the kind of old timey faucet are not bad. Tiles on the floor... Yes, it's all classy enough, but also a bit self-aware. You know you're in a restroom, and stylish as it may be, it's also just a bit utilitarian. I had expected more from Churchill's.
I don't want to be too down on these facilities. They definitely do the job, and then some, even though they're not a must-visit.
