Signature Taste of Spokane

You may recall that I have pondered before about whether or not there was such a thing as an Inland Northwest cuisine, whether there was something about our food that makes it distinct from the cuisine of Seattle on one side and Montana on the other. If there is such a thing as a Spokane taste, it would have to be considerable less urban and urbane -- not to mention seafood dependent! -- as Seattle, without sliding into the self-conscious rusticity of Montana's cowboy cuisine. We would value local, fresh, and sustainable ingredients, although perhaps not as zealously as the Portland foodies do, so our dishes would feature local wheats, lentils, and farmstead cheeses, as well as game and freshwater fish like trout and steelhead. It would have a healthy dollop of Italian cooking, perhaps some Russian influence and a hint or two of Mexican flavors. And it would, no doubt, put my beloved Rueben front and center. 

It is premature to try to describe an Inland Northwest cuisine. I realize this. However, I do put forth the proposition that we have a young but respectable, even exciting food scene here. I know some of you may scoff at the idea; after all, denigrating Spokane's cosmopolitan credentials is nearly a contact sport around here. My eyes were opened earlier this fall when I helped organize and host a small, regional academic conference. Everyone raved about how lovely Spokane's downtown was, and everyone talked about how good the food was. A friend from San Francisco announced that the celeriac potato soup with parmesan and truffles at Italia should win an award it was so good. Friends from Vancouver said that they didn't have anything like Sante back home. A couple from Victoria said they were thinking about taking a getaway weekend trip to Spokane sometime, they loved it so much. Really? From Victoria? 

But, think about it. Sante thrives, offering high end, in-house charcuterie and an ever changing seasonal menu. Italia Trattoria I would put up against any Italian restaurant in the Northwest, and would beat most of the restaurants I ate at in Rome easily. Wild Sage has always had the best service in town, and their food (which seemed to me to take a little bit of a dip in innovation if not quality) is now solidly good. Mizuna has kicked up their game considerably. Madeleine's is about to open a second location. Rocket Market is a mecca. We can get good bread from Bouzie's, good pho, good street tacos, great cheese, great wine. We have three worthwhile farmer's markets, one of them year round (top that, Portland!). There are Russian, Korean, and Indian groceries. I surprised myself by passionate championing Roast House Coffee over Stumptown to a Portland-born student. Regal Street seafood even made me the most beautiful and delicious platter of oysters on the half shell last week for a party. To me, that constitutes a scene. 

You don't have to take my word for this (although you probably should). My friend and current hero, Nicole Manganaro, has "co-authored" Signature Taste of Spokane, a cookbook featuring recipes donated by over one hundred restaurants from all over Spokane. All proceeds from the book are donated to firefighter charities. I called it a cookbook, but it is actually a good deal more than that. One of the epigraphs in the book describes the project as "a culinary postcard: a celebration of the city itself," which is not a bad description. Every restaurant featured gets a quotation from the owner and a photo, in addition to their recipe. The recipes, like the restaurants, vary widely, from the high end Truffle Steak Penne from Twigs, to the homey, one might say basic, Traditional Egg Salad from the Garland Street Sandwich shop. Like the Spokane food scene itself, it is pretty hit or miss. I can't wait to make the Poblano Artichoke dip with Blue Corn Crackers from Wild Sage; I doubt I will ever make sausage gravy with Italian sausage, as the recipe from The Flying Pig suggests. Nothing against The Flying Pig. I've never eaten there. It may be great. 

I put scare quotes around the word "co-authored," because this book is all Nicole. It was Steven Siler's idea and money, but the work for this volume (Signature Tastes of is a series) was all hers. I don't believe Mr. Siler even had to set foot in Spokane, because she handled everything. She contacted the restaurants. She edited all the recipes to ensure they were complete, follow-able, and do-able in a home kitchen. She made and troubleshot many (if not all) of the recipes. I was lucky enough to be there when she tested the "buckets o' love" spiced chocolate cakes from Latah Bistro, and the Basil Strawberry Martini from Bistango. She copy edited every word. She handled the layout. She took all the photos but about six. She took the photos! This book, as Siler says, is a tribute to Nicole's determination, but also to her care, dedication, love of cooking and love of Spokane. She did such an amazing job that Siler put her on the Signature Tastes of Seattle project.

At the moment, I would argue that no one knows the Spokane food scene better than Nicole. She has talked with nearly every chef and restauranteur around. When I asked her my question about what makes Spokane's food distinctive, she had a very simple answer: "Honesty. When I called up the owner of Waffles Plus, he gave me his recipe for waffles. That's his livelihood. And he shared it with me without hesitation." I'm not sure what honesty tastes like, but I have over a hundred recipes to go through to figure it out. Now, if I could just figure out what "waffle flour" is . . .