Did you know that the author of my favorite Spokane blog, This One Time in Spokane, also runs one of the largest pickle guides on the Internet? I kid you not. Run over to How to Pickle—“Pickle Anything!”—to learn more.
I will admit I never was into pickles until I tasted a home-canned one last year. And my god. How good was that"? (The answer: very good!) So I will admit I was a bit excited to see “Bread and Butter Pickles” recipes, or not to mention the exotic sounding “Pear Pickles.”
And with everything from pickle links to pickle articles… Well, there’s no denying this: How to Pickle is now a Spokane institution. If I were you, I’d be SpoCOOL and go check it out right now.
We like many things here at ye olde SFB. We like contests. We like to support good local businesses. And we like to be sneaky. Combine those three*, and you’ll be seeing a pattern forming, at least if you pay attention. Take our recent Sante post for example—out of the blue you had the chance to win a $15 gift certificate to the restaurant.
Barry was on the ball last time and got the prize. Good for him! And to the victor goes the spoils, or whatever the saying is, and here are his thoughts about Sante. Remember: Play it SpoCOOL and you might just win something here next time.
We went, with some friends, on Friday night. The dinner menu is incredibly inventive and rich with a real diversity of vegetarian options. The cured meats from the charcuterie are all delicious (order the starter meat platter!!!!!). We liked the chicken terrine so much we bought a pound and took it home (it was eaten, entirely, during Saturday’s lunch). Service is attentive and professional, some of the best in town. Dishes are all wonderfully presented, with real thought to combinations of taste and texture (next time we’ll just go for the 7 course meal and let the chef choose for us, they know what really works). Portions are appropriate, not overwhelming. You are definitely getting quality over massive quantity. The wine selection is small, but covers all the bases (could do with adding a NW pinot noir and a few more quality local selections). Just about every wine was offered by the glass. Prices were quite reasonable, not the huge markups you sometimes get with high end restaurants. Only downside for my wife is she’s a huge Diet Coke addict and they don’t serve fountain drinks. I would also be a bit nervous about bringing my kids here to eat with us for dinner. It’s a slow food experience, which is wonderful for a nice night out with other adults, but my 5 and 7 year olds would have gone crazy before the entrees arrived. They would do fine though for lunch or brunch and we’ll try them out at the restaurant as soon as we can fit in a downtown walk.
So, the question that keeps popping up in these reviews is, do we rate Sante as the best restaurant in town (and the best in Eastern Wa when compared to Saffron and Brasserie 4 in Walla Walla)? I think it is. Everything we tried, from the gnocchi to the meats (gravlax is also awesome!), to the tofu and pear entree, to the trifle desert, was truly spectacular. We’ll definitely be back!
*) If this all is because Unknown Neva never made it onto The Price is Right before Bob Barker retired, and posting contests on SFB is her living vicariously is… Well… Also unknown.
Did you know we have a Twitter account? I kid you not. Head on over to Twitter, and check out our account—SpoCOOL, where we’re often all about #SPOEATS! Follow us, and you’ll be SpoCOOL too.
With a bit luck we will have the brand spanking superbly new design of Spokane Food Blog next week. Twitter and #SPOEATS will then be fully integrated into the site. You’ll not just love it, you’ll be in love with it.
And finally, user review of the week: Arcelia’s II I say it’s offensively bad. A ” Bart Mihailovich” calls it “authentic.” What do you think? Let the world know!
I started drinking this apple cider drink with my mom and grandma when my grandma was having issues with leg cramps. My mom read that vinegar could really help with the cramping, so we thought we would give it a try. My grandma’s cramps got better two nights after starting a nightly ritual of drinking this drink. The health benefits of drinking organic apple cider vinegar are fairly obvious and include vitamins and other antioxidants, fiber and minerals. Who hasn’t heard the old saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”? The list of folk remedies for drinking apple cider seems endless. The list includes helping leg cramps, aiding in weight loss, helping menstrual cramps, and helping UTIs among other things. And that is just a short list of the benefits of drinking apple cider vinegar. Regardless, I think the drink is pretty tasty and has been a great addition to my pre-bedtime ritual.
Recipe
2 TBSP Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar
1 TBSP honey
large coffee mug
Mix Bragg’s and honey in large coffee mug. Fill with boiled water and stir. Enjoy!
I started drinking this apple cider drink with my mom and grandma when my grandma was having issues with leg cramps. My mom read that vinegar could really help with the cramping, so we thought we would give it a try. My grandma’s cramps got better two nights after starting a nightly ritual of drinking this drink. The health benefits of drinking organic apple cider vinegar are fairly obvious and include vitamins and other antioxidants, fiber and minerals. Who hasn’t heard the old saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”? The list of folk remedies for drinking apple cider seems endless. The list includes helping leg cramps, aiding in weight loss, helping menstrual cramps, and helping UTIs among other things. And that is just a short list of the benefits of drinking apple cider vinegar. Regardless, I think the drink is pretty tasty and has been a great addition to my pre-bedtime ritual.