Location: 1611 South Smittys Boulevard, Ritzville, WA (inside the Cow Creek Mercantile)
Our choices were very limited off the exit in Ritzville. We could either opt for fast food, or we could try something new and different. We went for the new and different and stopped in at Spike's Deli and Pizza, located in the Cow Creek Mercantile.
We had to creatively get around the split plate fee, so I ordered the Baked Potato and Ham Soup. My husband ordered the Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich. The soup was a bit different than what I had in mind, but it was good. I think I was taken aback because it was darker than most potato soups I have eaten, but that goes to show you can never judge a soup by its color.
The plate with the sandwich was adorable. In addition to the sandwich, they served up chips, some carrots, a pickle and a cookie. The sandwich was a pleasant surprise. The sauce was delicious, though I could have done without the bacon. Most people will probably like it. I'm just not a fan of bacon in my sandwiches unless they are a BLT.
The restaurant had a lot of fun books at the table, and I saw some games sitting on the ledge. It's a decent family restaurant, but I'm not chomping at the bit to go back. The food was tasty but average, though I am curious about their carrot cake. They claim quite a few of their desserts are famous, and I love a good dessert! I guess we'll see what happens next time we're in town.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Tomato Street
Location: 6220 North Division Street, Spokane, WA
Tomato Street has kind of ruined me. My first experience there was so awesome that I hold every other Italian restaurant in Spokane to their standard. I have yet to find one I like as much, so I was super excited when the girls suggested we go there for lunch.
My favorite item on their menu is their Baked Spaghetti. Unfortunately, it wasn't on the lunch specials menu, and I was trying to be cheap, so I made a different selection. I debated between Uncle Tony's Chicken Pasta and the Smoked Chicken Manicotti, but in the end I decided to give the Smoked Chicken Manicotti a whirl.
Let's not get ahead of ourselves, though, because there is the matter of bread that needs to be discussed. Tomato Street calls it garlic bread, but highly addictive buttery goodness bread would probably be more accurate. It is soaked in butter and garlic, and it's delicious. Hello carbs!
The lunch portions are quite generous and, in addition to the garlic bread, a small side salad comes with the meal. The side salad was truly the least exciting portion of the meal, so I'm just going to breeze through and get on with the good stuff.
The menu claims the lunch portions are half portions of the dinner entrees, and they are STILL huge. There were 3 pieces of manicotti, stuffed with smoked chicken, ricotta, mozzarella, provolone, smoked Gouda, bacon, green onions and Roma tomatoes. As if that isn't a rich enough mix of cheeses, they cover it in Asiago sauce.
So how did it stack up to my beloved Baked Spaghetti? Well, it wasn't a bad meal by any means, but it wasn't my favorite. Rumor has it I should have chosen Uncle Tony's Chicken Pasta, which I will definitely do next time. I'm sure I can arrange another visit to Tomato Street sooner rather than later.
On a bit of a side note, be sure to check out the servers' hats when you visit. Each server wears a fun hat that quite possibly reflects their personality. Our server had a viking-type helmet, which we joked was indicative of his level of brain activity. He forgot a refill on one of the girls' drinks, so it's only fair I throw in a little humor at his expense. ;)
P.S. Apologies for the lack of video in this post. We recently joined the 21st century and bought smartphones, and I'm still trying to learn the ropes. (My handy dandy videographer did not accompany me on this dining excursion.) Will you forgive me if I share a pic of that yummy garlic bread I told you about instead?
Tomato Street has kind of ruined me. My first experience there was so awesome that I hold every other Italian restaurant in Spokane to their standard. I have yet to find one I like as much, so I was super excited when the girls suggested we go there for lunch.
My favorite item on their menu is their Baked Spaghetti. Unfortunately, it wasn't on the lunch specials menu, and I was trying to be cheap, so I made a different selection. I debated between Uncle Tony's Chicken Pasta and the Smoked Chicken Manicotti, but in the end I decided to give the Smoked Chicken Manicotti a whirl.
Let's not get ahead of ourselves, though, because there is the matter of bread that needs to be discussed. Tomato Street calls it garlic bread, but highly addictive buttery goodness bread would probably be more accurate. It is soaked in butter and garlic, and it's delicious. Hello carbs!
The lunch portions are quite generous and, in addition to the garlic bread, a small side salad comes with the meal. The side salad was truly the least exciting portion of the meal, so I'm just going to breeze through and get on with the good stuff.
The menu claims the lunch portions are half portions of the dinner entrees, and they are STILL huge. There were 3 pieces of manicotti, stuffed with smoked chicken, ricotta, mozzarella, provolone, smoked Gouda, bacon, green onions and Roma tomatoes. As if that isn't a rich enough mix of cheeses, they cover it in Asiago sauce.
So how did it stack up to my beloved Baked Spaghetti? Well, it wasn't a bad meal by any means, but it wasn't my favorite. Rumor has it I should have chosen Uncle Tony's Chicken Pasta, which I will definitely do next time. I'm sure I can arrange another visit to Tomato Street sooner rather than later.
On a bit of a side note, be sure to check out the servers' hats when you visit. Each server wears a fun hat that quite possibly reflects their personality. Our server had a viking-type helmet, which we joked was indicative of his level of brain activity. He forgot a refill on one of the girls' drinks, so it's only fair I throw in a little humor at his expense. ;)
P.S. Apologies for the lack of video in this post. We recently joined the 21st century and bought smartphones, and I'm still trying to learn the ropes. (My handy dandy videographer did not accompany me on this dining excursion.) Will you forgive me if I share a pic of that yummy garlic bread I told you about instead?
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Sushi I
Location: 4314 South Regal, Spokane, WA
It had been months since I had sushi, and I was craving it like mad. My husband and I had been eager to try the new sushi place on Spokane's South Hill. Yollar featured a deal with $20 of sushi from Sushi I for $10, so I jumped on the deal and we stopped in to check them out.
They were surprisingly empty for a Saturday evening. The bonus to that was the service was amazing. We felt very well attended to. We sat up at the sushi bar and tried the Dragon Roll and Tiger Roll to start. Both rolls used similar ingredients, except one had masago and the other did not. They were equally enjoyable. We were not quite full from those two rolls, though, so we decided to also order the Lobster Roll.
Every once in awhile I order sushi that tastes original. Our first sushi experience after moving to Washington involved apples in the sushi. It was incredible. Sushi I managed to wow me with their Lobster Roll. In addition to the lobster, there was fried mozzarella cheese on top. I've never tasted anything like it, and I want more just sitting here typing about it. I told my friend about it, and now she is excited to try it out.
I saw several rolls on the menu I would like to come back and try myself. They actually have a Tempura Philadelphia Roll, which sounds amazing. We promised to come back, and I hope that business will pick up for them once more and more people check them out. They are worth keeping around, and I look forward to going back to do a second review.
It had been months since I had sushi, and I was craving it like mad. My husband and I had been eager to try the new sushi place on Spokane's South Hill. Yollar featured a deal with $20 of sushi from Sushi I for $10, so I jumped on the deal and we stopped in to check them out.
They were surprisingly empty for a Saturday evening. The bonus to that was the service was amazing. We felt very well attended to. We sat up at the sushi bar and tried the Dragon Roll and Tiger Roll to start. Both rolls used similar ingredients, except one had masago and the other did not. They were equally enjoyable. We were not quite full from those two rolls, though, so we decided to also order the Lobster Roll.
Every once in awhile I order sushi that tastes original. Our first sushi experience after moving to Washington involved apples in the sushi. It was incredible. Sushi I managed to wow me with their Lobster Roll. In addition to the lobster, there was fried mozzarella cheese on top. I've never tasted anything like it, and I want more just sitting here typing about it. I told my friend about it, and now she is excited to try it out.
I saw several rolls on the menu I would like to come back and try myself. They actually have a Tempura Philadelphia Roll, which sounds amazing. We promised to come back, and I hope that business will pick up for them once more and more people check them out. They are worth keeping around, and I look forward to going back to do a second review.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Waddell's Pub and Grille
Location: 4318 South Regal Street, Spokane, WA
Let's face it. Most restaurants can make a suitable burger. They are pretty hard to mess up. Every so often, though, you find a restaurant that can make a great burger. Well, look no further. Waddell's is that restaurant. In my opinion, they make the best Mushroom 'N Swiss burger I have ever eaten.
It should come as no surprise that I went with my standby. All the standards are there. Your hamburger patty (of course), a fresh hamburger bun, sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions and Swiss cheese. Easy breezy, right? But Waddell's takes it one step further and adds in what they say is mayonnaise but tastes nothing like mayonnaise I've ever eaten. It.is.amazing. They have to add in something else to make it taste so good, but I have no idea what that is.
We were given the option of regular or sweet potato fries, though I am pretty sure you can order a house or pasta salad if those options don't suit you. Waddell's seasons them with Squirrelly Beaver Seasoning, which is their own custom blend of spices. While they are not my favorite fries ever, they are pretty tasty. I definitely don't turn them down!
My husband is a big fan of their beer selection. They have 35 beers on tap, which is pretty impressive. He tried the Puget Sound Porter and was a fan.
The service can be very hit or miss at Waddell's, but tonight they were a hit. We were fortunate enough to score outdoor seating, and our waitress was pleasant. There was an acoustic guitarist performing in between Twigs and Waddell's, which made for nice background music.
Let's face it. Most restaurants can make a suitable burger. They are pretty hard to mess up. Every so often, though, you find a restaurant that can make a great burger. Well, look no further. Waddell's is that restaurant. In my opinion, they make the best Mushroom 'N Swiss burger I have ever eaten.
It should come as no surprise that I went with my standby. All the standards are there. Your hamburger patty (of course), a fresh hamburger bun, sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions and Swiss cheese. Easy breezy, right? But Waddell's takes it one step further and adds in what they say is mayonnaise but tastes nothing like mayonnaise I've ever eaten. It.is.amazing. They have to add in something else to make it taste so good, but I have no idea what that is.
We were given the option of regular or sweet potato fries, though I am pretty sure you can order a house or pasta salad if those options don't suit you. Waddell's seasons them with Squirrelly Beaver Seasoning, which is their own custom blend of spices. While they are not my favorite fries ever, they are pretty tasty. I definitely don't turn them down!
My husband is a big fan of their beer selection. They have 35 beers on tap, which is pretty impressive. He tried the Puget Sound Porter and was a fan.
The service can be very hit or miss at Waddell's, but tonight they were a hit. We were fortunate enough to score outdoor seating, and our waitress was pleasant. There was an acoustic guitarist performing in between Twigs and Waddell's, which made for nice background music.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Jacobi's Cafe
Location: 416 North Second, Walla Walla, WA
Just the thought of eating at Jacobi's excites me. This is yet another place where I haven't found a bad meal. In addition, they are the home of one of my favorite meals ever. My husband gave me a hard time for not ordering something new to review for the blog, but I can't help it. I know what I like.
Jacobi's has a ton of great specialty salads you can order for an additional price. We decided to start out with their Pea Salad. They combine sweet peas with jack and cheddar cheeses and then mix in a ranch-style dressing. It's a super yummy way to dress up peas, and their homemade dressings are absolutely fantastic. Don't even get me going on their sweet shallot dressing. We'll save that one for next time. ;)
I've discovered one of the hardest parts of hosting a video blog is waiting for my husband to film the meal before I get to dig in. I joked about knowing how our dog felt when we ate apples in front of him. He salivates all over, which is precisely what I wanted to do while I not-so-patiently waited to eat. So what great dinner did we choose?
Think I might need a drumroll for this one...
We had the Wild Mushroom Sacchetti. It is true pasta perfection. I love it so much it makes me want to cry. Why? Well, most times I can figure out how to duplicate a recipe if I like it enough. This one, though? This one is a challenge. Sacchetti is not your everyday pasta. They are cute little "purses" filled with various things. Most I've seen contain cheese as one of the ingredients.
These particular sacchetti are filled with roasted portobellos, wild porcinis, ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, swiss and fontina cheese. Have I ever mentioned how much my husband and I like cheese? Between the melting of all those cheeses and the mix of all those mushrooms, it's like Heaven. And just when you thought that sounded good, they cover it in a wild mushroom pesto cream sauce. I seriously want to lick the plate when I am done. I actually counted how many I had and how many my husband had and made him fork over another because he had 6 to my 3.
Since I chose our dinner entree, I let my husband choose our dessert. Let me tell you a little story about that. I dislike 2 kinds of cake - chocolate and red velvet (which might as well be chocolate in my opinion). I'm getting better about the chocolate, which you might have been able to tell by the Iron Horse post, but I would never order red velvet cake on my own.
My darling husband thought it would be funny to order the red velvet cake. I threatened to let him eat it by himself. He challenged me with a comment about reviewing something I didn't like for the blog. It was a reasonable enough idea, and I only needed to take a bite to note my thoughts.
It arrived at the table, and something crazy happened . We both grabbed our forks and started eating...before we got a chance to film it. And I didn't have just one bite. I started shoveling that stupid cake down my throat. We were halfway through before we realized what happened, and I told him to film the half-eaten cake anyway. It would make for a funny story.
It was amazing. It wasn't dry and nasty like most red velvet cakes I've tried. It was moist, and it was covered with an incredible cream cheese frosting. I think there was some chocolate sprinkled on the top, but I was too busy eating to pay much attention. I think it's time to rethink my feelings on red velvet cake. When it's done right, it's good stuff.
Jacobi's was packed when we got there, so they seated us in the dining car. That was fun. I've always wanted to take a train ride, so this was a pretty good simulation (minus the bumps I'm sure happen on a moving train). It seemed a little noisy, but I didn't mind it too much. Our service was great as well. Our waiter was polite and checked back with us to make sure our waters were filled and to see if we needed anything. Ummm...maybe the recipe for the Wild Mushroom Sacchetti if you can spare it. Just kidding! But seriously, try it and you won't regret it.
Just the thought of eating at Jacobi's excites me. This is yet another place where I haven't found a bad meal. In addition, they are the home of one of my favorite meals ever. My husband gave me a hard time for not ordering something new to review for the blog, but I can't help it. I know what I like.
Jacobi's has a ton of great specialty salads you can order for an additional price. We decided to start out with their Pea Salad. They combine sweet peas with jack and cheddar cheeses and then mix in a ranch-style dressing. It's a super yummy way to dress up peas, and their homemade dressings are absolutely fantastic. Don't even get me going on their sweet shallot dressing. We'll save that one for next time. ;)
I've discovered one of the hardest parts of hosting a video blog is waiting for my husband to film the meal before I get to dig in. I joked about knowing how our dog felt when we ate apples in front of him. He salivates all over, which is precisely what I wanted to do while I not-so-patiently waited to eat. So what great dinner did we choose?
Think I might need a drumroll for this one...
We had the Wild Mushroom Sacchetti. It is true pasta perfection. I love it so much it makes me want to cry. Why? Well, most times I can figure out how to duplicate a recipe if I like it enough. This one, though? This one is a challenge. Sacchetti is not your everyday pasta. They are cute little "purses" filled with various things. Most I've seen contain cheese as one of the ingredients.
These particular sacchetti are filled with roasted portobellos, wild porcinis, ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, swiss and fontina cheese. Have I ever mentioned how much my husband and I like cheese? Between the melting of all those cheeses and the mix of all those mushrooms, it's like Heaven. And just when you thought that sounded good, they cover it in a wild mushroom pesto cream sauce. I seriously want to lick the plate when I am done. I actually counted how many I had and how many my husband had and made him fork over another because he had 6 to my 3.
Since I chose our dinner entree, I let my husband choose our dessert. Let me tell you a little story about that. I dislike 2 kinds of cake - chocolate and red velvet (which might as well be chocolate in my opinion). I'm getting better about the chocolate, which you might have been able to tell by the Iron Horse post, but I would never order red velvet cake on my own.
My darling husband thought it would be funny to order the red velvet cake. I threatened to let him eat it by himself. He challenged me with a comment about reviewing something I didn't like for the blog. It was a reasonable enough idea, and I only needed to take a bite to note my thoughts.
It arrived at the table, and something crazy happened . We both grabbed our forks and started eating...before we got a chance to film it. And I didn't have just one bite. I started shoveling that stupid cake down my throat. We were halfway through before we realized what happened, and I told him to film the half-eaten cake anyway. It would make for a funny story.
It was amazing. It wasn't dry and nasty like most red velvet cakes I've tried. It was moist, and it was covered with an incredible cream cheese frosting. I think there was some chocolate sprinkled on the top, but I was too busy eating to pay much attention. I think it's time to rethink my feelings on red velvet cake. When it's done right, it's good stuff.
Jacobi's was packed when we got there, so they seated us in the dining car. That was fun. I've always wanted to take a train ride, so this was a pretty good simulation (minus the bumps I'm sure happen on a moving train). It seemed a little noisy, but I didn't mind it too much. Our service was great as well. Our waiter was polite and checked back with us to make sure our waters were filled and to see if we needed anything. Ummm...maybe the recipe for the Wild Mushroom Sacchetti if you can spare it. Just kidding! But seriously, try it and you won't regret it.
Sweet Basil Pizzeria
Location: 5 South First Avenue, Walla Walla, WA
My husband and I consider ourselves pizza connoisseurs. We've been to many great pizza places during our travels, and we've even started making our own pizzas. Needless to say, we've established a list of favorites. Sweet Basil Pizzeria in Walla Walla has made our list.
We were starving when we made it into town today, so the smell was enough to make us weak in the knees when we walked in the door. I've actually never been inside before, so it was fun to have a look around the place. (Normally I am waiting outside on the patio with our dog.)
Today's specialty pizza (aka my selection for today) was the Primavera, which is topped with spinach, garlic, mushroom, roasted red pepper and feta. Can you say, a few of my favorite things?! My husband ordered the BBQ pizza with the agreement that we would each share some of our piece with the other. His was topped with bbq sauce, chicken, bacon and onions.
Sweet Basil makes their pizzas with a thin crust, and the slices are huge. We ordered some cheese breadsticks to go along with our meal, and we both felt comfortably full. Both the pizza and the breadsticks have always been consistent. We've not had a bad batch. They serve marinara sauce with the breadsticks, but it's definitely not needed. Their cheesy, buttery flavor is enough on its own.
While I love eating outside on their patio, it's fun to be inside because you can watch them toss the pizza dough. No matter how many times I see it done, I'm always impressed by those who do it well. Sweet Basil definitely knows how to make a great pizza!
My husband and I consider ourselves pizza connoisseurs. We've been to many great pizza places during our travels, and we've even started making our own pizzas. Needless to say, we've established a list of favorites. Sweet Basil Pizzeria in Walla Walla has made our list.
We were starving when we made it into town today, so the smell was enough to make us weak in the knees when we walked in the door. I've actually never been inside before, so it was fun to have a look around the place. (Normally I am waiting outside on the patio with our dog.)
Today's specialty pizza (aka my selection for today) was the Primavera, which is topped with spinach, garlic, mushroom, roasted red pepper and feta. Can you say, a few of my favorite things?! My husband ordered the BBQ pizza with the agreement that we would each share some of our piece with the other. His was topped with bbq sauce, chicken, bacon and onions.
Sweet Basil makes their pizzas with a thin crust, and the slices are huge. We ordered some cheese breadsticks to go along with our meal, and we both felt comfortably full. Both the pizza and the breadsticks have always been consistent. We've not had a bad batch. They serve marinara sauce with the breadsticks, but it's definitely not needed. Their cheesy, buttery flavor is enough on its own.
While I love eating outside on their patio, it's fun to be inside because you can watch them toss the pizza dough. No matter how many times I see it done, I'm always impressed by those who do it well. Sweet Basil definitely knows how to make a great pizza!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Iron Horse Brew Pub
Location: 501 North Higgins, Missoula, MT
This was my third time eating at the Iron Horse, and each time has been absolutely amazing. Tonight was no exception. I have actually started to wonder if they can make a bad meal. It was a perfect night to eat outdoors, so we decided to take advantage of their ample outdoor seating.
We started with the Crab, Artichoke & Spinach Dip. Upon first glance, it appeared there was way more pita bread than we could go through. It always seems when you order these kinds of things that you either run out of bread or you run out of dip. We soon discovered, though, there was more dip than we thought, and it was pretty much a perfect ratio. And here's the best part - the dip was incredible. We've decided it was one of the best we've ever tried.
For dinner, we opted for the house specialty - The Tender 501, and we ordered a cucumber salad as the side. Drop dead yummy on both accounts. I started with the cucumber salad, while my husband started on the sandwich. I almost didn't want to give my husband his half of the salad. It was fresh and so tasty. As I was drooling over that, my husband was literally moaning over the sandwich.
When I finally parted ways with the salad, I dove right in to the sandwich. No wonder he was moaning. We ordered the tenderloin medalions medium-rare, and the bread (which the menu lists as a Romano cheese hoagie) was super fresh. Add in the caramelized onions and the Iron Horse's sriracha aioli sauce, and that thing was just melting in your mouth. This is the first time we've done a sandwich instead of a dinner entree, and we'd gladly do it again if every result tasted like this.
We ended our meal with a Nuts About Beer cupcake, which *I think* comes from Bernice's Bakery. Iron Horse hired a pastry chef who makes some of their desserts, but others are brought in from an outside bakery. Previously, we ordered desserts that were made in-house, but this time we opted to try something new. What can I say? Beer + cupcake = tempting!
It was good but not great, and here is what I think happened. It tasted like it had been refrigerated or frozen and then thawed out for us to eat. The frosting was a bit hard, almost as if it hadn't thawed enough. I imagine it's killer good when it's fresh. It's a chocolate cupcake, made with Nut Brown Ale from the Bitterroot Brewery. The frosting is a salted caramel buttercream. I would love to try it fresh because I think I would reverse my opinion from calling it just a good cupcake to calling it a great one. With that said, we'll probably stick to ordering the in-house desserts next time.
This was my third time eating at the Iron Horse, and each time has been absolutely amazing. Tonight was no exception. I have actually started to wonder if they can make a bad meal. It was a perfect night to eat outdoors, so we decided to take advantage of their ample outdoor seating.
We started with the Crab, Artichoke & Spinach Dip. Upon first glance, it appeared there was way more pita bread than we could go through. It always seems when you order these kinds of things that you either run out of bread or you run out of dip. We soon discovered, though, there was more dip than we thought, and it was pretty much a perfect ratio. And here's the best part - the dip was incredible. We've decided it was one of the best we've ever tried.
For dinner, we opted for the house specialty - The Tender 501, and we ordered a cucumber salad as the side. Drop dead yummy on both accounts. I started with the cucumber salad, while my husband started on the sandwich. I almost didn't want to give my husband his half of the salad. It was fresh and so tasty. As I was drooling over that, my husband was literally moaning over the sandwich.
When I finally parted ways with the salad, I dove right in to the sandwich. No wonder he was moaning. We ordered the tenderloin medalions medium-rare, and the bread (which the menu lists as a Romano cheese hoagie) was super fresh. Add in the caramelized onions and the Iron Horse's sriracha aioli sauce, and that thing was just melting in your mouth. This is the first time we've done a sandwich instead of a dinner entree, and we'd gladly do it again if every result tasted like this.
We ended our meal with a Nuts About Beer cupcake, which *I think* comes from Bernice's Bakery. Iron Horse hired a pastry chef who makes some of their desserts, but others are brought in from an outside bakery. Previously, we ordered desserts that were made in-house, but this time we opted to try something new. What can I say? Beer + cupcake = tempting!
It was good but not great, and here is what I think happened. It tasted like it had been refrigerated or frozen and then thawed out for us to eat. The frosting was a bit hard, almost as if it hadn't thawed enough. I imagine it's killer good when it's fresh. It's a chocolate cupcake, made with Nut Brown Ale from the Bitterroot Brewery. The frosting is a salted caramel buttercream. I would love to try it fresh because I think I would reverse my opinion from calling it just a good cupcake to calling it a great one. With that said, we'll probably stick to ordering the in-house desserts next time.
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