spokane: the sequel - more wine and cheese!

Stained glass ceiling in the Davenport Hotel's Peacock Room

This is a continuation of my previous post: Wine Weekend in Spokane.

My second day in Spokane began gray and a little rainy.  I had to wake up somewhat earlier than normal for my Saturday, as we had a 10 AM appointment to play Mahjong with Marti, a family friend of Lina’s.  Marti recently taught Lina and her mother, Nancie to play and they thought I might enjoy it too. I have a strong competitive streak and I love to learn new games.  So I was eager (if sleepy) as we left the house to meet Marti and play.

I let the coffee kick in as we made the journey to Marti’s home in Spokane’s South Hill neighborhood.  South Hill is a lovely area and it was clear to me from the size of the trees and character of the houses that this was one of Spokane’s older neighborhoods. It was easy to imagine those big trees in their full summer foliage, lining the wide streets and creating a cool, green oasis in the hot Eastern Washington summer. 

The visit to Marti’s house made me thankful yet again for having local hosts.  Sometimes travelers (including myself) get into a “sightseeing” mindset and neglect the benefits that can be gained from spending quality time with friends in a new place, whether the friends are old and treasured or brand new.  I consider Marti and her husband Dennis new friends, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to visit with them in their home.  Their house is the kind that you never want to leave.  The inside is tasteful and filled with nice furnishings, but the feel is warm and welcoming rather than stuffy.  Marti’s father was an artist and art collector, and his pieces are in every room.  Marti’s open kitchen and living area has large windows overlooking the deck and a backyard that was just showing the first signs of spring during our visit.  Her house is exactly how I would like mine to look someday.

I had a great time learning Mahjong from Marti, but unfortunately my competitive nature was not rewarded with any wins that day.  Thankfully, everyone was very patient with me and it was fun to learn the game.  I think I’ll have to buy myself a set of tiles so I’ll be ready for a rematch!  I was consoled in my losing state by a delicious lunch of Marti’s homemade soup and salad.

After our lovely lunch and games at Marti and Dennis’, Lina and I returned to her house for a couple hours’ rest before our big Saturday night out.  I was very excited to go “out on the town,” for two reasons: firstly, because Spokane has a lot more going on at night than Moses Lake, and secondly because Lina had been telling me about her favorite hot spots for some time, and I had yet to see any of them!  Our itinerary consisted of a few places where we could get wine and cheese, without bothering to think of whether we would get any sort of vitamins or fiber.  Hey, it was Saturday night, I was on vacation and diets be damned!

Our first stop was the Downriver Grill to sample the Gorgonzola fries or, as I now call them, heaven in a bowl.  I have to say, the outside of Downriver Grill is deceptive.  It is situated along one of the main roads heading downtown, set back from the street and surrounded by a parking lot that holds probably twenty cars.  Honestly it looks like any other neighborhood place.  However, when you walk in, it becomes immediately apparent that the owners put most of their focus and attention into creating atmosphere inside.  The interior of the restaurant is lovely – it has a mid-size dining room and a small  bar that features local wine and beer in addition to the standard spirits.  The whole place had a casual feel, and the dark wood, warm colors and dim lighting made it seem classy but not snooty. 

Clearly, Downriver Grill’s charm and elegance are not lost on Spokane foodies.  Though we left early to beat the dinner rush, even at 5:30 the wait for a table in the restaurant was 35 minutes.  We were lucky enough to grab a seat at a table in the bar just as another group was leaving.  Fate was surely smiling upon us!  Knowing our food selection already, we took a brief glance at the wine list (I ordered Townshend Chardonnay, Lina ordered Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling) and ordered the Gorgonzola fries.

Let me tell you, those fries were everything Lina made them out to be!  Warm, fresh, waffle-cut fries smothered in the richest gorgonzola cream sauce.  It is not good for the hips, but oh it is so tasty on the lips!  My bright chardonnay cut the richness quite nicely and I was in cheese and wine heaven!

After getting fortified with potato and cheesy goodness, we made our way to downtown Spokane for…more wine and cheese!  Lina had better be careful, if she keeps hosting me for weekends like this I may just stay in Spokane forever!  We first went to Arbor Crest’s downtown tasting room in the River Park Square shopping mall.  You may remember from my last posting that we tried unsuccessfully to taste the wine at Arbor Crest’s main tasting room the day before. Luckily for us, the mall tasting room, unlike the one at the winery, stays open until 10 PM on weekends! 

For a mall location, the Arbor Crest tasting room has certainly made the most of the space.  Although the tasting room bumps up against the mall food court, the designers did a good job giving the space an intimate feel.  Half-walls with planter boxes, as well as (I suspect) a faux ceiling separate the space from the cavernous mall, and comfortable chairs, a gas fireplace and wrought-iron tables give the small space the feel of a coffee shop.  The tasting bar is set in the back, which also helps the atmosphere for wine tasters, as it creates distance between the tasting space and the hubbub of shoppers and moviegoers.

Lina and I lucked out again with our timing, reaching Arbor Crest at a time between movie rushes, according to our host.  Only one other party was tasting, and they were just finishing up as we arrived.  We shared a tasting of five wines, a sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, syrah, malbec and the Dionysus blend.  My favorite was the Dionysus.  I had tasted that before, and it is a delicious Bordeaux-style blend full of fruit and a scent that will knock your socks off.  I have no trouble understanding why the winery named it after the Greek good of wine and merriment.  Unfortunately, the Dionysus is beyond the range of my current budget ($48) , but I do have a bottle sitting in my wine collection (a wedding present, courtesy of Lina) for which I am now just awaiting an appropriate occasion.

After we had got our fill of wine from Downriver and Arbor Crest, our final stop and highlight of the evening was a trip the historic Davenport Hotel and its lovely restaurant and cocktail bar, The Peacock Room.  This portion of the evening was a real treat for me because I absolutely love old fancy hotels.  The Four Seasons Olympic in Seattle has always been a favorite of mine, and now the Davenport is right up there too.   Built in 1918, the hotel has a spacious lobby, dominated by a beautiful marble fountain surrounded by flowers.  The large space is roughly divided in half, on one side a lounge with over-sized, comfortable leather chairs (we had to try them out of course!) and a café, separated from the main lobby by lacy potted palms.  The entire hotel has that Gilded Age look of glamor to it, from the marble floors to the many columns, all decorated in gold leaf.

 An open gallery on the second floor overlooks the main lobby area, and also houses the hotel’s ballrooms and event spaces.  We arrived on a night when a local private school was hosting a gala.  It was a lot of fun to see so many people in evening ware sauntering around the swanky hotel as we explored the upper gallery.   In my jeans I certainly stuck out like a sore thumb, but it was fun to imagine I belonged there.

Once we finished our exploring, we found our way to the Peacock Room back on the first floor.  Another dazzling space, it would be easy to imagine Frank Sinatra enjoying a cocktail in this dim, intimate bar.  The walls are papered with art-deco peacock motifs on a dark background, and the entrance has a gorgeous backlit stained glass ceiling, also depicting a peacock. 

Lina and I lucked out yet again with our timing at the Peacock room, arriving at a time when the place was practically empty.  Over the hour or so we were there, it rapidly filled. I was glad we staked out the place that we did: a two-seater bar-height table with a good view out the window for Saturday night  people watching.

Although we had been drinking wine all weekend, Lina assured me that the Peacock Room was known really for its Cougar Gold cheese dip and its signature cocktails.  So, to do as the Romans, I chose a cocktail that the waitress suggested: the Ruby Red Grapefruit Drop.  Lina stuck with her favorite: the Key Lime Pie martini.   After having both, I see why that’s her favorite.  I liked my drink, but Lina’s really was a dessert in a glass.

And what’s the perfect complement to dessert in a glass? More cheese!  So, we ordered the Cougar Gold dip with extra bread (so no bit of dip would go to waste, of course).  For the benefit of any readers who are not from Washington State or who have never had the pleasure of tasting Cougar Gold cheese let me back up and give you a little background.  Cougar Gold is a sharp, naturally-made white cheddar that is sold to benefit Washington State University, hence the name Cougar Gold, for the WSU Cougars.  A 30 ounce package comes as a large wheel inside an aluminum can.  Apparently the can is a packaging innovation developed by WSU creamery in the 1930’s and still remains a tradition.  The WSU creamery actually has a very interesting history that you can read about on their website.

I have to admit that, even though I am a lifelong University of Washington Huskies fan, the WSU cheese is absolutely delicious.   The dip at the Peacock Room combines the cheese with shallots and herbs, and I’m guessing a little vermouth to cut the richness.  With the warm bread it was unbelievably good.  To top everything off, in the spirit of Mae West, we ordered a Chocolatini.  Because after all, “too much of a good thing is wonderful!”

Well that wraps up the highlights from my trip to Spokane.  Next be on the lookout for some more musings on Washington wine as we prepare for the spring barrel-tasting events!