So, yeah, we're a bit unsure how many artists are showing up this year, mostly because we weren't as strict with their sign-ups as we were with the brewers's. With that in mind, here are some (possibly all?!) of the #SpoBREW2ART artists. Remember, you have the opportunity to bid on some of the artworks in an auction where we're expecting to surpass Sotheby's The Scream bidding frenzy.
Becky: A contestant from last year, she entered her Beerd label. Will this year be her turn to shine? We shall see. We. Shall. See.
Crystal Clark and Brandon Jacobs: A collaboration on a piece described as "beer related, but with a strong space theme", we are finding this concept intriguing. Crystal also competed last year with "Wayfarer Sour".
Erin AE Smith: Little is known about Erin, but she doesn't like Comic Sans, something most of us considers a great first step for any artist. We have been told to "prepare ourselves" for her entry and so we have.
Lars Huschke: Last year's champion and the creator of the 6pack Saddlebag. I mean, really, what else is there to say? Hands on favorite? Possibly so. Very, very possibly so.
Scott Mueller: Scott had signed up last year, got cold feet, panicked, and withdrew from the competition. (He did enter an artisinal "beer" in the homebrewing contest, however.) Does he stand a chance? As the co-creator of our Hopster mascot and as a member of a homebrewing team called &, signs might be pointing in that direction?
I really and truly don't know what's going on with Ninkasi. Much as I try -- and I do -- I just can't bring myself to really liking their stuff as of late. I have seen their Radiant described as dull a couple of times, and really, I think that's the best way to describe it. There's just nothing to this ale, none of that old Ninkasi magic.
It pours decently enough, I suppose, with a golden amber hue and a finger's worth of head. Really, this is your beer if you want something just to look at, as it goes downhill from here.
The nose has pretty much nothing going for it. There might be just a bit of maltiness with faint hints of hops there, but that's about it. In years past the Radiant has been a playground for hops and citrus, but that clearly is not the case anymore.
Sip, and you'll pick up on a rather dull and faint taste of a very standard pale. Mirror Pond actually seems downright exciting compared to this. I mean, really, come on? This is it? It might qualify as being refreshing, what with all the water put into it, but other than that I can't think of a lot of positive things to say about the Radiant. In fact, I can't think of much to say about it at all. I would at least have respected Ninkasi had they tried and failed.
Sadly I don't think Ninkasi tried to do anything here. You can only coast on your reputation for so long, and I don't know why I'm even bothering with this brewery anymore. The Radiant is dull, and Ninkasi is dead to me.
For all intents and purposes there is little reason for us to revisit the original two year old post on Italia Trattoria. The place is still excellent, with some evolutionary improvements here and there. Hey, why mess with a good thing?
Yet, in case some of you are in need of a reminder, we'll re-emphasize the point: Italia Trattoria is, in our opinion, the best Italian restaurant in Spokane. Sure, the competition might not be fierce around these parts, but that doesn't take away from the quality of Italia Trattoria's food.
We sampled the chicken breast during our last visit, and excellent it was. Served with fresh fregula pasta and a diavolo sauce, this had a very summer-y feel to it. It would probably go well on their porch seating, if you're willing to brave the sun.
Those looking for a great deal might want to look at the $23 three course option. Here you get a Caesar salad -- the dressing has a nice tangy kick to it -- as well as the flap steak, with ice cream for dessert. The flap steak was pretty spectacular, perfectly cooked and seasoned, and served with a very fresh salsa verde. It wasn't too heavy, for being a steak dinner, and again seemed perfectly seasonable. The accompanying fries were very good too.
At this point, of course, some know-it-all will whine about diavolo sauce being American and fries being Belgian, and yada yada yada. That might all be true, but who cares? They go well with their dishes and the Italianess is never taken away from. Just go with it, it's good for you.
Finally, the ice cream was Brain Freeze's salted caramel, and spectacular it was. Really, Brain Freeze makes awesome ice cream. We must not forget that.
Italia Trattoria is great. Excellent. Fabulous. Go revisit them if you haven't been there in a while. The tables have even been moved a bit further apart, making the atmosphere more quiet than what it used to be. Italia Trattoria is one of our current Spokane favorites, so good we're putting it in our rotation. Boom!
Original August 5th, 2010 post
Is it fair to review an establishment the same week they opened? Many will say "no" and those same many will therefore be wrong. It doesn't matter if a restaurant has been open for a day or a year; if customers are to cough up their hard earned cash for a meal they have a right to do some research. Mainstream media, blogs, restaurant review sites... Should a potential customer have the desire to read reviews before going to a place, that is their prerogative. I still firmly believe that anybody with more than an average interest in food should ignore reviews, and figure things out themselves, of course, but that's a different discussion. And, of course, any spot that gives a poor first impression in their early days should be revisited and reevaluated.
Then there are places like Italia Trattoria. Places that run almost flawlessly after a week of being in business. This is the kind of standard new restaurants in Spokane should strive for. Heck, Italia Trattoria's standard is the kind any restaurant should strive for.
For the most part the spot captures the true trattoria feel perfectly. Italia Trattoria feels laidback and casual, with plenty of hearty Italian dishes. The service is friendly and quick and, thankfully, professional. The food, magnificent, the kind of authentic cuisine you get in a classic trattoria.
I tried the Barollo (I thought it was spelled "Barolo" but whatever) braised pork cheeks which were truly delicious. The cheeks were perfectly braised; nice and tender; not too fatty. The chard came as a very flavorful companion. A pork lover's dream, in other words.
Top That's gnocchi, too, was stellar, and a good contender for the best gnocchi in town. Served with a roasted tomato sauce, nice and chunky, this was the type of authentic Italian cuisine Spokane sorely has been missing. Yet, thankfully, no more.
The tiramisu was a bit different than any other I have had. It's hard to explain, but give it a shot anyway, as it was good. The flavor was exactly what I had expected, in fact, it just wasn't layered the traditional way. Which is just fine. The panna cotta was A+. Flavorful and refreshing, served with a nice biscotti.
All the dishes were reasonably priced -- $20 for the most expensive dinner item -- and just the right size. No Olive Garden bottomless plates to be seen. Thank god.
The only thing that put a small damper on the experience was the same issue Cafe Marron had: The table were placed way too close together. Now I'm all for an intimate dining experience and all, but when each table tried to drown out the others by yelling... Well, it got a bit ridiculous. Remove a few tables, and everything would have been so much better.
There is no excuse for not trying Italia Trattoria. None whatsoever. This is as close to a perfect trattoria we have in this town or, for that matter, most other places. Run out to Browne's Addition now and try it, otherwise the Communists win.
(Photo courtesy of @andrewzahler. Used without any permission whatsoever!)
There were times, back in the day, when I found myself enjoying Deschutes's Black Butte special releases at least as much as The Abyss. Often times I would even claim Black Butte to be the better beer. Hey, I am no stranger to controversial opinions!
Those opinions have been subdued over the last years, when Deschutes has released some rather spectacular bottles of The Abyss. Yet now I'm thinking the game might be on again. Sure, that will probably change with the next Abyss release, but there is no denying Black Butte XXIV is a stellar ale, even at the time of release.
The recipe seems to have been switched up a bit this year, and the change is for the better. You won't notice the differences when pouring, mind you. Color wise it's just on the lighter side of black, with a creamy, but fairly short lived head. Compare it side by side with the XXIII and you might find some differences, but going both by memory and notes would suggest the XXIV is highly similar.
Sniff it, and you should start noticing some difference. There's a bit more fruit here, figs in particular, with a very apparent note of roastiness. The chocolate of the XXIII hasn't gone anywhere, and it's not like this smells like a completely different beer, but there are certainly a lot of newness here.
The flavor follows suit: Different but familiar. Familiar but different. The roasted malts flank the chocolate perfectly, giving the dark chocolate flavor more of a backbone this time around. It still doesn't feel overpowering, and the figs gently coat the mouth to let you know everything will be OK. You have sweetness mixed with bitterness mixed with roastiness, and the balance is pretty dang perfect. Just to make it more fun, there is a gentle spiciness toward the end too. Like a farewell present.
As with most Deschutes reserves, this is a strong ale at 11% ABV, yet it never feels that extreme. I'm sure it would knock you out should you decide to shotgun it, but really, the XXIV is a beer designed to take your time with. Sip it, find its nuances. A bottle is a long journey, and it's a journey well worth taking. This is a nigh flawless ale. Imagine what it'll be like a year from now.
