(SpoCOOL) A Spokane Blog

I'm still kind of miffed Lazy Bones closed down; it was one of the few places in town that did barbecue the way it should be done, while even adding a bit of creative twist to it.

While we're waiting for its replacement, the more traditional Texan-style Longhorn is definitely worth a visit. The spot has become kind of a Spokane institution since, according to their website, the 40s, and while it's not superbly creative in what it does, it at least does its thing rather well.

I tried the Duke platter, which I had kinda sorta hoped was a tribute to The Duke, but as it seems, it was probably named after one of the owners. C'est la vie. The food, at least, was not shabby at all, with tender pork and some nice steak fries and slaw. In fact, the only sort of letdown were the beans, which were just a tad on the dull side. Not awful or anything, just a bit... Eh...

A quick sampling of the baked potato was also a pleasant experience. Slow cooked, with a bunch of stash in it. Not superbly exciting, but very good in a comfort food style of way.

It might not be the most exciting restaurant(s) in Spokane, but Longhorn is pretty satisfying when you crave some barbecue. 

Redhook, you sly devil you! After Kirkland close to ripped off your labels, you decided that you'd rip off the quality of their beer! That must have seemed like a good "well, that'll show 'em" moment at the time, but really, in retrospec it was probably one they should have shied away from.

Ropeswing is a pilsner, and not a good one at that. It is Redhook's Budweiser, and feels like another attempt from the Woodinville brewery to reach out to the stereotypical Budweiser posse. The rest of us are, apparently, not welcome to the party.

The beer pours a bleak yellow with minimal head. Lacing is pretty much not non-existing. The initial taste is vaguely sweet but turns almost metallic in the back of the mouth. I'd compare it quality wise to Budweiser Select. 

Really, I got nothing. There's preciously little to say about Redhook Rope Swing, because it's so dull. If you're in the market for a good pilsner, add an extra "e" (pilsener) and head to the German or Czech part of the beer aisle. Chances are you'll find something a whole lot better than this.

It is, apparently, Average Week here at SFB.

The Kalico Kitchen is very average, and that's not always a bad thing to be for a diner, as is proven by the twenty minute wait to get a table there on a Sunday morning. Me, I just don't quite get it. We did the whole wait thing, and "fool me once..." comes to mind. I don't foresee a "... shame on me" coming on in the near future.

The spot is just so very very average. Switch the food out with Shari's and I doubt anyone would notice too much of a difference.

I tried the Eggs Benedict, and granted, some might argue that the dish is a step up from what should be ordered in a diner. My take? If it's on the menu, then there's no reason not to order it.

Don't order the Eggs Benedict if you go to Kalico Kitchen. It's not that it's awful, it's just something you could make at home, both better and faster. A couple of English Muffin from a bag, hollandaise sauce mix, a few slices of Hormel ham... Yeah, there's no way on earth Kalico made any of this from scratch, and replicating it wouldn't take a culinary genius. (Why you would want to replicate it is another question altogether, of course.)

Luckily the orange juice does come freshly squeezed, and I'd go so far as to claim it was the best part of the meal.

Other than that, the place is oddly quasi-Gonzaga decorated. I say 'quasi' as it seems a bit half-hearted. There are some autographed items to look at but not much more.

Kalico Kitchen is what it is. I don't love it, but if you're really hankering for some average diner food, then fine... It's as good as any other average diner. The question is, why would you settle for average?

Pueblo Amigo and I have been friendly for a while now. It's not an amazing BFF type of friendship or anything, but it's definitely cordial. 

Over the last year or so I've been neglecting the northside eatery. Hey, it happens. I'm all about making good, however, so we decided to make the trek there and give Pueblo Amigo some face to face time again.

It has to be said though... I can see why this place isn't in my top 8 on MySpace (isn't that what the kids use?). It's not that it's a bad restaurant -- some of the dishes are downright creative -- it's just... Good. Pure and simple. Good. There's nothing wrong with that, other than De Leon being two minutes down the road. Seeing how De Leon is great, then, well, Pueblo Amigo sort of falls between a rock and a hard place.

Back to the food. This is a bit more Tex-Mex or Cal-Mex or whatever than anything on the traditional side of things. Think large plates with plenty of sour cream and you get the gist of it. What does set Pueblo Amigo apart from similar places around town is that they come up with some fairly interesting takes on the established. I tried what they called a "grilled quesadilla roll" which came stuffed with bacon. Who doesn't like bacon? The communists, that's who.

Other than that, though, there wasn't much to get up on the table and sing about. The beans were dull at best, and I'm guessing they were lard-less. That's fine, if they properly salt them, but alas, they didn't. The rice, too, was forgettable and vaguely flavorless.

Overall the dish wasn't bad per se, just not amazing. I gave the enchiladas a try too, and they didn't seem much different. The salsa verde was OK, but not a crazy flavor rush or anything either. Just good enough.

Pueblo Amigo and I will remain friendly. I don't doubt that. Do I see myself walking hand in hand on the beach with it? No, but I'm sure the cordial friendship will last.