Traveling Feast

Earlier this fall I  called 7 of my 10 Spokane restaurants that I feel simply must survive the economic rollercoaster.  Not in any logical order they are:

Moxie, Chicken N More, Tacos Tumbras, China Garden, Luna, Mizuna, and the Donut Parade.

I only have three spots left and there are a number of worthy contenders.  I am ready to call one more definitively.

Latah Bistro.

Latah should easily have made my original list, but it has been several years since I first reviewed it for Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living.  Several recent visits and some online time spent on Chef David Blaine’s blog From The Back Kitchen recomfirmed my original impression of Latah’s quality and added a new appreciation for the creativity of the current kitchen crew.  Not only do they know how to cook, they actually appear to be having fun while they are doing it.  Add in warm and typically competent front-of-the-house folks and Latah moves to the top of the ranks of the Spokane spots that deserve your more limited dining dollars.

Latah's Smoked Salmon Wrapped Salmon with small red onions in a port and cherry sauce... brilliant.

Latah Bistro distinguishes itself in chocolate.  Since the day it opened back in 2003 it has featured a chocolate sampler on the dessert menu.  You pick the three chocolates you’d like to try from over two dozen possibilities.  That was dessert chocolate by design.  The Bucket of Love secured its permanent spot on the menu more like a walk-on at training camp.

Chef David Blaine was experimenting with tiny chocolate chili cakes to accent another planned dessert only to have guests begin to ask for the “little chocolate muffin things” on their own.  Now you don’t have to be a Latah insider to get them.  Just ask for the Bucket Of Love.

A Facebook request for REUBEN RUN votes produced some fun commentary.

Heather Estridge and Amanda Hyman weighed in in favor of O’Doherty’s Irish Grille.

Heather: “Ok, so it’s been a while but I loved the Reuben at the Irish pub downtown, O’Doherty’s.”
Amanda: “I vote for O’Doherty’s too…I always order it when I go there!”

Amanda also added: “Latah Bistro makes a good one too.”

Next came Mr. Benson with a vote for the Wall Street Diner on the near northside:

Kevin: “Oh! The Wall Street Diner knows how to make a good one. Let me know if you need more “reviewers”. YUM!!”

Kelley Damon confesses to regular visits to the Elk Public House for her Reuben fix:

Kelley: “My vote is the Elk. I had at least 100 during my last pregnancy! Love those cravings.”

And Blythe Thimsen suggests a second possible Reuben rivalry in close proximity.  In Browne’s Addition the Elk and Cafe Marron go head-to-head across Cannon Street.  Blythe says that the Reuben at Chaps is also a contender, and this creates a parking lot sandwich smack-down between countrified Chaps and upscale Latah.

Blythe: “No need to continue the voting, I have the answer – it is at Chaps – (across from Latah Bistro)”

Any place else we need to consider?  We have seven sandwiches on the list thus far.