(SpoCOOL) A Spokane Blog

Well, we like the spot. We'd like it even more if we could sit down and enjoy the coffee in an actual cup, but, as there is currently no seating in the tiny space, that'd be difficult. Really, that's kind of sad, as the coffee here is very good, but I suppose we can just bring our KeepCups next time.

Lack of seating aside, Cannon is joining the slowly rising number of spots in town that seem to take coffee seriously. Anvil is the roaster of choice here, and you can get your coffee Chemex style -- if it's good enough for James Bond, it's good enough for you -- or as espresso. For the latter we did not spot any syrups around, which probably is for the best.

A nicely pulled espresso shot and an appropriate amount of foam made for a very pleasant cappuccino. That the proprietor defaulted to a small cup and made a crack about someone trying to order a 32 oz dry cappuccino are always good signs. 

The Chemexed coffee, too, tasted like it should. The barista had obviously taken his time with it and sometimes that's as simple as it needs to be. No need to add milk or sugar, the coffee spoke just fine for itself in a straightforward manner.

The space is tiny, and is painted in nice, calming shades. None of that dumb "shabby chic" decoration that is so, so, so overdone around here. Importantly they also serve Brain Freeze ice cream, and even have a coffee drink incorporating it. ("The Chuck", according to KXLY.)

We like Cannon Coffee. We'll be back. You, too, should try it, unless for some reason you want Tully's and everything that is wrong in the world to win.

We are continuing the semi-sorta ongoing $100 Mac & Cheese Challenge...

... by trying Manito Tap House, which currently has quite the colorful dish going. Dubbed the Green Chili Mac & Cheese, it is exactly what it's advertised as: Mac and cheese with green chilis. It might sound simple, but there's a lot going on here. The chilis, for example, are a mix of jalapeños, poblanos, and serranos. It's not crazily spicy, but the peppers certainly add a bit of a kick to the palette.

This is not a vegetarian mac and cheese, and the somewhat predictable chicken and bacon have made their way into the mix. Hey, predictable doesn't have to be bad, and they do make for a more hearty meal. The cheeses and Jack and cotija, which, when paired with a healthy dose of cilantro and aforementioned peppers, gives the dish a decidedly Mexican feel.

So is it the $100 mac and cheese? That's up to the masses to decide, I suppose. Or Patrick. We quite enjoyed Manito's take on the dish, and while it's not your grandma's mac and cheese, I, personally, would say it's better than Saranac's offering. You might disagree, but you should still check this out. It's a good take on mac and cheese either way.

I've never been quite so torn over wings in my life, which, granted, doesn't say much, as wings aren't much to be torn up over. Yet here I am, torn, contemplating what exactly to think about the not-so-hot wings at Red Lion BBQ.

The issue is that it's hard to consider these wings "Buffalo wings", which is how they are marketed. The chicken is fried, and served with the hot sauce on the side which, in most cases, would be enough for me to completely write them off.

In a sense that is exactly what I am doing, yet there's no getting around the simplest, most basic fact: The actual chicken is perfectly prepared here. Really. The wings taste great, and have an excellent bite to them. Run over to Red Lion if you want some great chicken. Stop and re-consider if you want some hot chicken.

Having to dip the wings in hot sauce kind of defeats the purpose of a Buffalo wing, and the sauce here is neither particularly hot nor good. That left me dipping the chicken in the blue cheese sauce, which really makes the experience very different from what I had expected when ordering.

So. There are plenty of reasons to go to Red Lion. The wings might be one of them, but the hot part is not. We like Red Lion, just make sure you have your priorities in order before visiting.

The team sign-up is moving along (stragglers, you know who you are), and what better way to celebrate this than to introduce some of the teams that will be brewing for you, the honored #SpoBREW2 guest? We give you...

&: No. Really. That is the team name. "What kind of pretentious douchebags would come up with a name like that?", you may ask, and an appropriate question it is. It will likely surprise no-one that retired glam model Doxey and beret-wearing Scott are behind this endeavor. Their original #SpoBREW entry was... interesting... and we're looking forward to see what they will be doing this year. 

Skull Rooster: One half of "The Official Tin Can Committee" is back, which is great; they made Team SpoCOOL's favorite beer last year. The question is if one half is enough to repeat the success. Or will Will crumble under the pressure to perform?

DreyerBräu: Dreyer had to pull out of the contest last year, and probably feels he has a lot to prove now. Which he does. And as many ADDY awards as he might have won for designing DOMA bags, it is clearly a scientific fact that winning #SpoBREW2 is a more difficult feat. 

The Power of Yeast Genetics: Twitter's biggest curmudgeon is back, and after a strong showing in the 17th of May potato race, he has a lot to prove. 

As for the artists, there are still spaces open, so sign up if you are so inclined.

Finally, in honor of a great season of Mad Men, let's sign off with another vintage ad which is... Well... Schlitz is clearly pure class.