Latah Lounge

For some reason beer does not hold the same lofty position that wine does when it comes to pairing with food. We have not let that stop us from experimenting…lots. We would like to share some of these beer/food pairing results and make it fun. So… on Sunday nights, starting in November, we will be offering discounted beer flights, half off bottles and a special menu with suggested food mates.

Currently on tap we have Iron Horse Cream Ale, Northern Lights Chocolate Dunkel, Mac & Jacks, Kokanee Gold and, of course, Guinness. Oh yeah, we will also be bringing in a flat screen TV to watch the Sunday night football game because football seems to pair with beer well also.

We are currently in the planning phase of upcoming cooking classes. So far we know that they will be held Sunday afternoon at the Bistro. The class will be 10 people only and involve hands on cooking and a meal with wine following the class. More information will be available on our website soon.

OREGON WHITE TRUFFLES
Lately we have been tasting truffles. Lots of people have asked us what they are….

Truffles are underground versions of mushrooms. They don’t form a prominent stem and their spore-bearing surfaces are enclosed. They rely on animals eating them to distribute their spores, instead of air currents like mushrooms. Truffles resemble small potatoes, and are often between the size of a marble and a golf ball (see the photo gallery). There are hundreds of different kinds of truffles, and while none are known to be poisonous, only a few of them are considered to be delicacies by humans. Truffles (and mushrooms) are only the “fruit” of the fungus (like an apple to an apple tree); the main perennial fungal body exists as a web of filamentous hyphae in the soil. All of the truffle fungi form mycorrhizae with the roots of trees, and are essential to the trees’ ability to acquire nutrients. The below ground fruiting habit of truffles is thought to be an adaptation to forest fires or dry or frosty periods, in which aboveground mushrooms are more vulnerable. Oregon State University Extension has published a nice overview of truffles available here, “An Oregon Garden Guide to Truffles.”

Needless to say we have been tasting a few truffles lately in preparation for a black truffle pasta like the one we tasted in Tuscany. We should have it on the menu soon.

Thank you Spokane! It is our 3 year anniversary since opening the doors here at Latah Bistro and we would like to thank our guests for continuing to visit and thank our wonderful team of employees for all their talent and hard work. We have met some great people and made a ton of new friends in the last three years. We are humbled and grateful. Here’s to another 3…. Heather and Dave.

‘Tis the season for squash and pumpkin. Spokane local farms like King’s Garden and Dan Jackson provide excellent heirloom varieties. If you can properly identify the squash being held by Drew Mahan, David Blaine and Matt Day you will receive a $10 gift certificate. Good luck.

I know there are quite a few environmental and social movements and trends today and sifting through the quagmire of information to get to the true intent and result of some of these movements can be time consuming. We have always placed a high priority on knowing where our food comes from and the impact of the sourcing. This includes coffee. For humanitarian reasons we only use fair trade coffee sources at the Bistro and Latah Latte drive through. For a brief read to understand why check out this Fair Trade link.

Could it be true? Yes. This is no joke and it’s in the house. That’s right, bacon and chocolate in a single bite. The deep milk chocolate coats your mouth and leads to the crunch of smoked bacon pieces. Now you can fill your mouth with the smoked salt and sweet milk chocolate combination. Huh? Strangely it works. You should try it.

In the Inlander’s recent issue of their Annual Manual magazine, we were honored to end up with a 2 page picture of a busy night on page 20. Chef Blaine is in the foreground with a row of tickets up and the restaurant is bustling.Please excuse the scanner crease in the center. Photographer Ben Tobin took the great shot. Thanks Inlander and Ben. We appreciate the exposure.

Ben’s web site

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Contrary to the rumors that are circulating, we are not selling the Bistro, nor have we even considered it. Are you kidding? Why would we think about selling? This place is hot and has been since we opened. We love it. I suppose it’s nice to know people are talking even if it’s just B.S.

For the true dessert connoisseurs, we have begun flights of Grahams Port Wine paired with imported chocolate.