I found the center of my appetite's Universe!

Episode 4: Central Food

      I would argue to any big city foodie savant that Spokane's restaurant venue can match that of bigger places like Seattle or Portland. If I haven't made my case with my earlier posts then I present to you Central Food. Located only a few blocks away from the courthouse this is a restaurant that hides from plain sight, but shines out as one of the best places to dine. Central Food prides themselves on providing one of the most welcoming menus in Spokane by catering to almost every allergy or diet in main stream media today. Gluten free, non-dairy, vegan, or pescetarian they make sure you can get your fill without the hassle or awkwardness that can come from explaining to the wait staff why you can't have meat or what being a celiac entails. No one enjoys an evening where you have to explain your eating habits. Central Food not only understands this basic concept, but creates foods and goodies that build around ingenuity making them a premier destination for not only the food connoisseur, but the dietary conscience as well.

I was on a diet and changed my mind

     Let's talk about apps and I don't mean the ones on your phone. Most places have the same old appetizers each with the same old takes i.e. mozzarella sticks, nachos, chicken wings, and anything else that is either deep fried or quick and easy. Central Food provides appetizers like no other. Roasted Brussel Sprouts are tasty, inexpensive, and won't break your diet they are at the top of my list. If you love the taste of mushrooms then I suggest you try their Terrine which is made up of a poach egg, mushroom mousse and served with their house made garlic toast. If they have it as a special order their version of the calssic Scottish egg which takes a hard boiled egg covered in spicy sausage and deep fried it is a treat for the hearty at heart. If you look closely at the menu you will find something unusual bread as an appetizer. Many places serve bread for free and are happy to do so, but you must ask why on earth does Central Food charge for something that other restaurants give out for free? The answer is simple: it is amazing! Unlike those other places Central Food makes all their bread fresh everyday and makes a gluten free version as well. Other establishments get their bread frozen from a factory or make it weeks in advance, freeze then thaw in a microwave. Don't underestimate the power of properly made fresh bread it can be a life changer. You can also pick up a loaf for home use. Your sandwiches will never be the same.

Say hello to my future breakfast, lunch and dinner

    I have a very difficult time deciding what I am going to eat whenever I visit Central Food. As often as I decide a favorite or "usual" they change the menu or have a special going that distracts me to greater glories. However, I can honestly say that while I lack the phrase "you gotta try..." I can describe some of the delicacies that I have been exposed to me in the past. At my last visit during the coldest part of the year they had a Champagne Clam Chowder served with quohog clams large enough to satisfy any clam craze you've been meaning to fill. The creaminess and richness made me feel as though I were trespassing into a New England home for dinner. The time before that I had a type of Shepard's Pie with tender cuts of beef and fresh organic vegetables reminding me of a simpler time. You can always rely on certain dishes to be their like their Pumpkin Risotto which will remind you why the French were the ones to invent the Culinary Arts, but why Americans still strive to make food better. Their Lamb Pasta is the at the pinnacle of a summer pasta dish with lamb sausage, goat cheese, and a Greek tomato sauce. Try one of their salads with one of these delectable dishes. This is not a suggestion. If you've been meaning to try kale then they have a caesar salad that is right up your alley. If you want light and airy try their arugula with dried apricots. Each will challenge your taste-buds to try and find something better and they might be wrong.

Like my smile? O wait my camera is pointed the wrong way

    
     Central Food is one of the very few places in Spokane with a view. From inside their establishment a patron can get a wide eye view of the Spokane River or that of downtown. I like to plan for sunset, but miss out every time due to the competitive view that comes from my plate. They manage to remain a place where every inch is on the level of simplistic art. It is a distracting place, but worth it. The next time your their order a Paris In the Rain for me and think about the beauty in each and every single day. You might be pleasantly surprised about how much you can miss when you are constantly on the go.

    Every post I make it a tradition to give my thanks to those that make Spokane and the surrounding area a wonderful place to live and Central Food is definitely near the top of list. I want to thank the wait staff who are courteous beyond expectations and to the chefs that are beyond the title of cooks who make the dishes to fit almost anyone's needs. I also want to thank the innovators that spend their lives inventing new ways to torture the indecisive, such as myself, with the many tasty treats and concoctions they whip up especially the friendly bar tender who strives to make each drink special. Lastly I want to thank David Blaine who keeps the lights on inside the restaurant and in his head who strives to make good food accessible whether their diet or their wallet restricts them. Thank you all.

View from the patio

Central Food
Food: Accessible to anyone and everyone
Atmosphere: Great view, and always something to look at
Price: ~$10-$20 per person, apps range from $2-$10

1335 West Summit Pkwy, Spokane, WA 99201
(509) 315-8036
You can call the phone number for reservations or make them online at eatcentralfood.com. They are also fairly active on facebook and tumblr.

If you try Central Food because of this post please comment below.

Contributors:
spokesman.com
eatcentralfood.com
tripadvisor.com

What's really in a name?

Episode 3: Saranac Public House
          Special Feature: Magic Lantern

     As a guy I know the stress-and-strain of coming up with amazing date ideas or, if anything, an evening to prevent your rolling stone from catching any moss as so to speak. Many times we fall back on the comfortable classics of bowling, long walks, or the famous dinner and a movie. After a time these events can become dull and can be an obvious cop-out for a momentary lapse unimaginative judgement on the date planner. However, there is a solution to keeping one of the classics going while also adding a bit of spice a movie at the Magic Lantern Theater and dinner at the adjacent Saranac Public House will make you glad that you haven't abandoned traditional date ideas.

Worth the walk from one to the other

     I often find myself telling people where to find the best pizza, sushi, ribs, etc in Spokane, but I boast one dish above all good old fashioned mac-and-cheese. Saranac by leaps and bounds delivers the creamiest, tastiest, brie infused, bread crumb topped, and never seeming to satisfy mac-and-cheese. You can order an entire bowl for yourself or choose it as a side for a wonderful sandwich or salad. Vegans praise! They have a version of their signature side meant just for you. Be sure to order the chicken caprese sandwich where they take a pounded chicken breast roll it in panko crumbs, then pan fry it topping on a toasted kaiser bun with lettuce, tomato, prosciutto, creamy pesto mayo and melted mozzarella meant to match the cheesy goodness I know you will order. If you are in the mood for sweet and tangy they have a Hawaiian pulled pork sandwich topped with light sweet mustard slaw that will put you back in the luau before you know it.

What is praise without pictures?

      Saranac is also a great place for the split decision form of dinner dating. You intelligently, after reading this article, want to have some amazing mac-and-cheese, but your date doesn't even know what continent they wish their next meal to be. Have no fear! Saranac has you covered. From a vegan conscience Yaki Udon Stirfry with an array of fresh veggies and choice of tofu to the all-American-and-then-some Grilled Meatloaf with rosemary gravy and garlic mashed potatoes Saranac will fulfill every desire your taste buds could want. Sit down and wish you went out for tacos? They already anticipated your arrival. Wish you had went out for Asian? They have a Thai Rice bowl that will make you believe in the power of spicy peanut sauce. If you're like me and want pizza with every meal order one of their flat-breads as an appetizer. I suggest the Onion Goat with carmalized onions, baby spinach, goat cheese and toasted hazelnuts to get you a perfect first step for an entire evening boasting with good flavors.

Chicken Caprese with side salad

     If you're tired from the same expensive commercialized over budgeted Hollywood flops that we all have come to expect from traditional movie theaters may I suggest a trip to the Magic Lantern. With a $4 bottomless, yes I said bottomless, popcorn, fresh baked cookies, and barista style lattes and cappuccinos all reasonably priced you will feel as though some one extinguished the hole burning in your pocket. Spokane this is your one stop shop for independent, foreign, and Oscar winning films of taste that will supply much added conversation topics for you and your date. Whether you choose to eat before or after the film is of no consequence for the Magic Lantern is housed in the Saranac building which holds the Saranac Public House with an inside entrance.

    The Magic Lantern has always housed a cozy home like atmosphere with movie screens substantially smaller than the norm and seat numbers to match you will find comfort in the like minded patrons you share this warm space with. Be sure to show up on time because each movie lacks the normal half hour of commercials and previews that drown out our senses before mainstream cinema viewings and you will most likely not be allowed to enter once the show has begun like any good theater show. The Magic Lantern is home to a yearly foreign film festival that will put you on the edge of your seat where sometimes you can meet one of the makers of these prize winning masters of the silver screen. Though the festival just ended you can spend this next year getting to know your local independent theater a bit better by becoming a regular patron.

 

 

Your entrance to enjoyment

     Like every post I wanted to give my thanks to the wonderful people at both the Saranac Public House and the film masters at the Magic Lantern Theater who both continue to serve the public the best way they know how. I wanted to pay particular respects to the cooks at Saranac Public House for their keen ability to master techniques of multiple dish dignitaries that represent the ingenuity that all restaurants should seek their aspiration towards. Thank you again to all my contributors listed at the bottom of this post.

Saranac Public House
Food: Best Mac-and-Cheese, and truly a bit of everything
Atmosphere: Your hometown bar
Price:~$8-$15 assuming you want a drink

21 West Main Avenue, Spokane, WA
509 - 473 - 9455

Magic Lantern Theater
Food: Bottomless Popocorn and lattes
Atmosphere: Like watching a movie at home
Price: $8 tickets, $4 popcorn, removing the need to take a second mortgage out for a trip to the movies: Priceless

25 West Main Avenue, Spokane, WA
To rent the theater call (509) 209-2383
For movie times either call or go to http://www.magiclanternspokane.com/





If you try either Saranac Public House or Magic Lantern because of this post please comment below!


Contributors:
http://www.yelp.com/
http://www.inlander.com/
http://www.saranacpublichouse.com/Saranac_Public_House/HOME.html
http://www.magiclanternspokane.com/