Soulful Soups

Website | (509) 459-1190 | 117 N Howard St.
Mon - Fri 10:30am - 3pm (all year); Saturday: 11am - 3pm (October - March) Unless we sell out early!

Ferrante's Marketplace Café

I'm addicted! This charming cafe has everything you could ever want: gelato, thin-crust pizza, paninis and boutique shopping. It's located in the Southgate Center next to Rite Aid (across the street from Shopko). I enjoyed browsing the shop while waiting for my food--everything is made fresh. They sell fancy brand soaps, lotions, candles, cards, jewelry, baby gifts and the like. They even sell my favorite Votivo candles (Red Currant is to die for).

Website | (509) 443-6304 | Located in Southgate Center 4516 South Regal
Open Tuesday - Saturday 11am - 8pm.

Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture (MAC)

Recently we took our little ones for an afternoon of the arts at the MAC. The MAC is a small regional art museum with a permanent collection of Native American art as well as a gallery dedicated to objects and information about the history of Spokane. In addition to the two galleries housing the permanent collection there were several well curated traveling shows. The shows offered a variety of works by high caliber regionally based artists as well has historical items including architectural drawings. The scale of the museum is intimate and this benefits the artwork as you are given the opportunity to spend time with each piece. The variety of work shown would allow for the art-lover and art-novice alike to enjoy this museum. The staff was also very kid friendly and helpful with questions.

Website | (509) 456-3931 | 2316 W. 1st Avenue
Tuesday - Sunday: 11am - 5pm

Café MAC

Café MAC (Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture) by D’Zaar serves American and Middle Eastern lunch items and pastries in a beautiful setting with a view. You will be rewarded by taking the road less traveled. If you like lentils, ordering the Jadra is a must…a Lebanese salad dish generously piled with lentils and rice. The not-so-daring taster will find this dish tasty. Most items on menu cost less than $6.00. Kids items start at $3.00.

Website | (509) 363-5356 | 2316 W. 1st Avenue
Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00am - 4:00pm.

Madeleine’s Café & Pâtisserie

Madeleine’s offers the taste of a Parisian Café in the heart of downtown Spokane. Ideal for lunch or a quick pastry while you’re out shopping, the restaurant serves a variety of soups, salads and warm entrees. The sliders with pomme frites are a delicious twist on the ubiquitous cheeseburger, pairing a grilled hamburger with caramelized onions and gruyere cheese. The pastry menu, though not necessarily extensive, offers several tasty French staples such as éclairs, napoleons and croissant. The prices are moderate with pastries ranging from $1-4 and meals around $10.

Website | (509) 624-2253 | 707 W. Main Street
Mon – Wed 7am - 6:30pm; Thur & Fri 7am - 10pm; Saturday 9am - 1pm; closed Sunday.

Perry Street Cafe

Last week as the cold weather officially moved in we decided it was time seek out a nice hearty American brunch. With this mission in mind we headed over to the Perry Street Café on the South Hill. Upon entering we were met by what seemed like dozens of friendly staff who chatted us up about our day and were the epitome of good home-style hospitality. The Café offers all the American breakfast classics, from omelets to French toast. Our food arrived quickly and did not disappoint. I had the veggie scrabble over home fries, which was delicious and hearty but didn’t leave me feeling too heavy afterwards. The friendly staff, feel-good, old-fashioned comfort food and interior decor of exposed brick walls from 1910 and a bar facing the street window are sure to please.

Website | (509) 535-4949 | 1002 S Perry St
Tues - Sun, 7:00 am - 2:30 pm.

Maggie's Grill

While my mom was in town visiting we decided to stop for lunch at Maggie’s on the South Hill. I’d driven past the little restaurant often on my way down 29th and was intrigued by what looked like a quaint little bistro hidden amongst a bevy of strip malls and chain stores. The restaurant is indeed petit but they had plenty of seating options when we arrived around 1pm on a Saturday. They expedite the service by having you order your food from the register before sitting down at your table. Luckily this casual ordering style stood in contrast to the quality of the food when it arrived, which was well thought-out, flavorful and creative. My entrée of gnocchi with shrimp was dressed in a surprisingly light and tangy lemon sauce with pine nuts. This preparation made the gnocchi, one of my favorite dishes, seem much less dense and heavy than it does with traditional tomato sauce or pesto. Maggie’s simple, contemporary takes on classic dishes and family friendly atmosphere make it perfect for both lunch with the family or a dinner date.

Website | (509) 536-4745 | 2808 E. 29th Ave
Open daily from 11am to 9pm and 8am to 9pm on weekends.

Moxie

With the influx of frigid winter weather I find myself craving perfectly prepared proteins and so I was thrilled to discover the destination for perfectly grilled tuna, the Moxie, downtown in the Davenport district. I stopped in for lunch and brought along my little one. The dining staff was very accommodating, however I’ll definitely be leaving him behind for future trips so I can more fully enjoy the dinning experience. The restaurant decor is a contemporary mix of exposed brick, dark woods, and a Japansese wood block inspired mural on one wall (apparently painted by the chef himself). The menu offers an array of Asian and European classics with a twist. The tuna tacos had a nice mix of Asian spices that did not overwhelm the light flavor of the tuna. If you’re looking for a heartier protein, the Parisian staple of grilled steak and pomme frits infused with chilli flakes and truffle oil is a perfect choice to warm you up on a cool day.

Website | (509) 456-3594 | W. 816 Sprague Ave
Open for lunch Monday-Friday 11am-2pm; dinner Monday-Thursday, 5-9 pm and Friday-Saturday 5-10 pm.

Bittersweet Bakery

A little bit of France on the South Hill. This hit the spot on a chilly winter morning. We ordered the light and sweet banana nutella crepe and it did not disappoint. The crepe was soft in the middle and crunchy on the sides with a delicious dollop of real whip cream on top. They offer a variety of savory crepes as well as cookies, pastries and cakes.

(509) 455-8658 | 1220 S. Grand Blvd.
Closed Mondays. Tuesdays 7am - 3pm; Wed - Fri 7am - 5pm; Saturdays and Sundays 8am - 3pm

Mel's Nursery

One of her favorite stores, my mother-in-law introduced me to Mel’s when I first moved to Spokane a year ago. It is much more than just a nursery. They sell a large assortment of distressed-looking home decor items with a french country flavor, custom furniture, fresh flowers, sweets, wrapped gourmet food, cooking tools, gift cards, stylish & pricey baby clothes, and a plethora of holiday decorations (trees, wreaths, ornaments, you name it)…you can even order an italian soda from their Espresso Bar. One of the places I like to go if I’m searching for a gift…but it can get pricey. It takes some time to peruse the store (it’s larger than you expect) and there is so much to look at, I would suggest leaving the kiddies home for this shopping trip.

Website | (509) 467-5132 | 8800 North Division
Hours: Mon - Sat 9am - 8pm, Sun 10am - 6pm

The Perfect Loaf

While you’re bundled up inside waiting out these arctic temps, try out this easy and tasty no-knead bread recipe. I’m not much of a bread maker myself but every time I make this recipe the loaf comes out perfect, nice and crisp on the outside and soft inside, and it’s easy enough to make with the kids. Formula and process created by Jim Lahey, owner of Sullivan St Bakery.

FORMULA
3 cups (430g) flour
1½ cups (345g or 12oz) water
¼ teaspoon (1g) yeast
1¼ teaspoon (8g) salt
olive oil (for coating)
extra flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal (for dusting)

EQUIPMENT
Two medium mixing bowls
6 to 8 quart pot with lid
(Pyrex glass, Le Creuset cast iron, or ceramic)
Wooden Spoon or spatula (optional)
Plastic wrap
Two or three cotton dish towels (not terrycloth)

PROCESS
Mix all of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add water and incorporate by hand or with a wooden spoon or spatula for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Lightly coat the inside of a second medium bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest 12 hours at room temperature (approx. 65-72°F).

Remove the dough from the bowl and fold once or twice. Let the dough rest 15 minutes in the bowl or on the work surface. next, shape the dough into ball. Generously coat a cotton towel with flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal; place the dough seam side down on the towel and dust with flour. Cover the dough with a cotton towel and let rise 1-2 hours at room temperature, until more than doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 450-500°F. Place the pot in the oven at least 30 minutes prior to baking to preheat. Once the dough has more than doubled in volume, remove the pot from the oven and place the dough in the pot seam side up. Cover with the lid and bake 30 minutes Then remove the lid and bake 15-30 minutes uncovered, until the loaf is nicely browned.

Auntie's Bookstore

Founded in 1978, Auntie’s is everything you would want in a local independent bookseller. Located downtown on the first two floors of the historic Liberty Building, it boasts a comprehensive selection of books with sections ranging from poetry and prose to local interest, wildlife, cooking, etc. While you can easily find the latest releases, I was impressed with the variety of used books which offered a more varied selection than the usual chain-bookstore fare. I came to Auntie’s with my little one in tow and was in search of a children’s book and perhaps a moderately priced architecture related book for myself. The children’s section takes up the far back corner of the store and includes a great selection of used collectible children’s books. Every book I picked up was reasonably priced and I ended up with two books for just over $17.

With its large open floor layout, the atmosphere of the store is notably lively and bustling for a bookstore, however there are still plenty of spots tucked away for sitting and quietly flipping through a book. Finally, I’ve always enjoyed going to public libraries where you can see a broad cross-section of the town, with everyone from teenagers, children, young and elderly couples coming together in one place. Auntie’s is one of first places that I’ve noticed this variety of clientele in Spokane and so it makes a perfect spot to do some local people watching.

My Auntie’s Book Pick (at top).

website | (509) 838-0206 | 402 W. Main Street
Hours: Mon - Sat 9am - 9pm, Sun 11am - 6pm