5 GREAT SPOTS TO EAT JUST OUTSIDE SPOKANE

We already know that Spokane has delicious food, but what about just outside of Spokane? We are lucky enough to have many cities flourishing all around us. We thought we would share a few of our favorites to give you some inspiration for next time you want a little escape from Spokane. We mention some of our favorite places to eat in Cheney, Post Falls, Coeur d’Alene, and Seattle.

Cheney- Breakfast: Bene’s AM Fix  (24 W 1st St. Cheney, WA // 509.951.5207)

Located in Cheney, WA, Bene’s specializes in Eggs Benedict and all things breakfast. If I go to a restaurant called Bene’s and I order eggs benedict, it better taste like this. The eggs were soft and lush, the muffin toasted and buttered with a good crunch, and the hollandaise glazed the eggs oh so perfectly. The egg benedict dishes range from $11-$15. If you can’t decide which one to try, order a half and half and try two!

To all of the people that say Millennials are lazy and don’t know how to work, I’d like to introduce you to Derek. He’s one of the hardest workers around. He has poured his heart and soul into this business and it shows! Derek has been around the block working in various restaurants around Spokane, most recently at Backyard Public House and Remedy. Bene’s opened in September 2017 and is located in the heart of Cheney, WA. Just minutes away from Eastern Washington University, Bene’s offers unique twists on traditional breakfast and brunch dishes. My favorites are the Fireman’s Benedict and the Breakfast Burrito with steak.

They serve all of your breakfast favorites starting with over TEN different eggs benedict options, waffles, breakfast sandwiches, burritos, and more. If you’re in the mood for lunch, you can order a sandwich, wrap, burger, soup, or a salad. Though, I will say, you are cheating yourself if you don’t try one of their benedict creations.

Coeur d’Alene Paragon Brewing (5785 N Government Way Coeur d’Alene, ID // 208.772.9292)

Paragon Brewing is your Coeur d’Alene neighborhood pub with a British-inspired menu featuring favorites like boxty pie, scotch eggs, and fish & chips. The ambiance is cozy and relaxed. For a brewery, they are surprisingly kid-friendly. They have a small area in the back with a chalkboard wall dedicated for kids to draw and televisions throughout to entertain the adults.

First order of business, make sure you start with the Scotch Eggs. These are a staple item at Paragon Brewing. This is a great entrée to split with two or four people. Not only is the food at Paragon delicious, they go above and beyond to perfect their presentation. Which brings me to their Pork Chop. It comes out stabbed with skewers and loaded with braised brussels sprouts. This Pork Chop was PORK-fection! It was beer brined and lightly breaded, served with pear butter and barley risotto. I try to always get a new dish when I visit a restaurant more than once, but it would be very difficult to come back to Paragon Brewing and not order this Pork Chop. I can still taste it, and now I’m drooling on my keyboard. Great.

They also serve Fish & Chips, Boxty Pie, and Beer Mac-N-Cheese, with new weekly Chef Specials. Like I said, Paragon Brewing is super family friendly with a great kids menu including chicken strips, grilled cheese, chicken sliders, pasta, fish and chips, etc. Don’t be afraid to bring the kids and enjoy a nice night out in Coeur d’Alene.

Coeur d’Alene The Garnet Cafe (315 E Walnut Ave, Coeur d’Alene, ID //208.667.2729)

The Garnet Cafe is the true farm-to-table breakfast experience. “The owners also operate McLane Farms, located just a few miles away in Cougar Gulch. They use organic methods to raise livestock and they don’t use pesticides, hormones, or antibiotics.”

When you first walk in to The Garnet Cafe, it looks as if it may be a greasy-spoon type diner. But it’s kind of the opposite. It’s gourmet. I ordered the Sockeye Salmon.  The creamy caper sauce was the perfect flavor, not too creamy and not too strong. And the wild caught salmon was buttery and just right for a savory breakfast dish. It comes served with two eggs, Northwest potatoes and your choice of toast. I subbed the potatoes for roasted veggies. Garnet is really accommodating in that way. The wheat toast was one of my favorite parts. They bring you their homemade lemon curd sauce and jam to go with your toast. Their lemon curd is reason enough to make the drive to Coeur d’Alene. It tasted exactly like a lemon meringue pie! They also have a rosemary toast that everyone was raving about.

We also tried the Sandpoint Omelet made with McLane Farms Bacon, sausage and ham, sautéed onions and cheddar then topped with smoked pork link sausage. I had to give the biscuits and gravy a try since I am a southern girl at heart. I’m happy to report that even drenched in gravy, the biscuits never got soggy. They stayed flakey and fresh, which is the main thing I look for in a good biscuit and gravy dish.

Post Falls, Idaho. The Wellness Bar (900 North Highway 41 Suite #1 Post Falls, ID // 208.773.6444)

Acai Bowls, fresh pressed juice, smoothies, espresso & tea, gourmet toast, quinoa and salad bowls, soup, and more! If you are a peanut butter lover, order the crunchy monkey Acai bowl. If you are a greens lover, order the Green Goddess Smoothie or the Green Seed Super Smoothie. At The Wellness Bar, they sell a variety of fresh pressed juices and you can get a 16 oz for $5.99 or a 24 oz for 7.99. They also serve DOMA coffee in their organic espressos with many milk alternatives such as coconut, hemp, soy, almond, and cashew. If you want something more savory, try one of their toast options, all topped with fresh fruits and spreads. My favorite is the avocado toast, and if you’re lucky, they will shape it into an avocado rose! All of their toast is made with Sprouted Grain Ezekial Bread which is high in fiber and wheat free. Their avocado toast is made with coconut oil, avocado, Himalayan salt, hemp hearts and chia seeds for 2.99. The flavors from the coconut oil are strong so only order this if you like coconut. If you’d rather have a sweet toast, they have plenty of those options as well!

The Wellness Bar has locations in Downtown Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, and Hayden. They are locally owned with a focus on health, wellness and community. They recently remodeled their Coeur d’Alene location and it is beautiful, bright, and inviting.

Seattle Pestle Rock Thai (2305 NW Market St, Seattle, WA 98107 // 206.466.6671)

Surprisingly, Thai food is the second most popular type of food in Seattle. The first most popular type of food in Seattle is…. Can you guess? Mexican! Thai food has the bright colors, spicy flavors, and warm entrees to help Seattleites make it through the long, grey days. Seattle is home to people of all cultures and the Thai food at Pestle Rock Thai in Ballard is as good as it gets! Their curry is bold and rich with just the right amount of kick. Their version of pad Thai noodles are astronomically better than Americanized Thai restaurants. The noodles are super skinny and it’s not as heavy as the Pad Thai you typically see in Thai restaurants in America.

The Ballard neighborhood is home to a farmers markets, great shops, exciting night life and the “engineering marvel,” the Chittenden Locks. Stop by before dinner and watch as boats pass through the locks from the bay to the ocean. It’s a fun sight that people of all ages will enjoy.

For dinner, we recommend the Mee Ka Ti or Kao Soi Curry. I got the Panang Salmon curry and it was a tiny portion for a large price. The flavor was perfect, but I left wanting more which wasn’t the worst problem as D’Ambrosio Gelato was right next door.