Dining: two unforgettable experiences

Above: Scallops dish at Beverly's.

I don't usually write about my dining-out experiences on this blog. But recently I've enjoyed two excellent dinners, and I thought I'd write about them.

The first was at Beverly's, the restaurant at the Coeur d'Alene Resort. My wife and I joined a pair of friends, one of whom was celebrating her birthday, and we all stayed over night (hint: ask for rooms with a lake view).

Before out dinner reservation, which was for 8:30, we spent a couple of hours at the resort's Lakeside Infinity Pool (free shuttle service to and from is included). At dinner, we ordered a range of dishes, from salmon and Filet Mignon to scallops and simply a salad and stuffed baked potato. And not only was the service terrific — informative, friendly and yet not pushy — but our server brought our birthday celebrant a special dish of ice cream embedded in a mass of cotton candy.

Then this past Friday night, we met up with an old friend at Eyvind, the new downtown eatery of Spokane chef Tony Brown. Again, the service was great — friendly and willing to let us sit and talk long after we'd finished eating (no one was waiting to get a table, so we didn't feel pushed).

And the food was perfect: just the right amount at just the right price (unlike massive amounts at hefty prices). Monkfish, salmon and Dan Dan noodles (spinach noodles with mushrooms, which I couldn't resist) and dessert (basil-flavored ice cream and, believe it or not, parsnip cake).

Spokane diners have a lot of great options, in pretty much every kind of cuisine possible. Beverly's and Eyvind are among the best. 

Next time I go to Eyvind, though, I hope they don't sell out the Brussels sprouts starter dish before I can get my hands on some.