eating and relaxing in spokane

as a treat to myself (after taking on a job that allows me no weekends completely free), i flew up to spokane to see erin before she leaves in august for marquette. seeing as how i've already been to milwaukee (oh so exciting as it may be =S), i decided that i had to see washington state w/one of my favorite college friends.

after a long day of working @ murphy, teaching @ wooden, and happy hour-ing @ NPG, i raced home on friday to pick up my one carry-on, stopped off at cafe elysee for some sweet treats, and hopped on the flyaway to LAX for my flight on alaska air.

not to be incredibly snobby and rude (ok, maybe simply to be incredibly snobby and rude), it's totally true that an airline is a reflection of its customers. b/c when i walked into the alaska/horizon air terminal, i was really grossed out.

the terminal was a huge space w/high ceilings, but it wasn't pleasant at all. instead, it was dark and grungy, and the people were all dark and grungy sitting in it. i was totally nauseated. when i finally found my gate, there was no order in which passengers were allowed onto the plane. compared to southwest's overly complicated, A/B/C line, self-assigned seat policy, alaska air's policy was pretty much non-existent. and while the plane was indeed small, that doesn't mean you should go w/o order. geezus christ, people.

at any rate, i got to sit next to this lovely gentleman who grew up in spokane but currently works for northrup grumman. he was a tall gentleman w/rosy cheeks, and we were chatting for pretty much the entire plane ride. this is generally good for me, since it makes me realize that there are cool and interesting people in the world (even if i can't find too many of them in my immediate vicinity - obviously this comment does NOT pertain to folks reading this blog.).

the best thing about this guy was that he's just like me! he mentioned travelling a lot, moving from job to job, and loving change. he has a beautiful wife, no kids, and two dogs! HOORAH for people who don't need to be parents to feel fulfilled. even though i was so exhausted that i was zoning out at some points in the conversation (he even apologized for keeping me up), i forced myself to stay awake, since it's so rare to meet someone on a plane who has enough interesting things to say to keep my attention the whole time. before we parted, we exchanged business cards (which i also love to do - it's cool to think some random people out there know me) and he even mentioned a great internship program at NG. talk about opportunities popping out of nowhere!

as soon as i rolled off the plane and into the terminal, i found erin waiting for me outside. it was so fabulous to see her after years of random catch-up phone calls. sometimes you just need to pick up and go, y'know? buy the ticket and don't look back. and i'm so glad i did b/c we had a totally fun and super relaxing weekend together!

after we hopped in the car, erin drove us to the red lion hotel, where she'd booked us a room to share. i was like "what?! why?!" but she apparently didn't want to inconvenience her dad, in whose guest room she was already staying in. so instead, she booked us a room at a lovely hotel right near downtown. i offered to pay for half, but she wouldn't let me! honestly, she wouldn't let me pay for anything! she said it was awesome enough that i was visiting. AWWW!!!

as soon as i got into bed that first night, i passed out. considering that i'd been waking up all week before 6am, i was completely exhausted. i'm so thankful that we got to sleep in b/c i totally slept more than 8 hours!! (for those of you who know me, you know how rare that is.) and it felt damn good, people, damn good.

to kick off my first (and only) full day in spokane, erin and i drove out to browne's addition to meet up w/her friend jenny and her family for some brunch at CAFE MARRON. the space was light and airy, and the walls were decorated with whimsical paintings and glass vases filled with dried flowers. the most unique thing about the restaurant was what looked like a sliding glass wall that resembled a garage door. basically, the wall could be pulled up (and slid along the ceiling) so that the restaurant opens out to the sidewalk. it was really quite a fascinating piece of handiwork. and definitely something that made the space more casual and relaxing.

as soon as i walked in the door, i spied some yummy-looking scones and i knew i had to order one. (i'm obsessed with scones now that i've been spoiled by alice's teacup and the knowledge that scones don't have to be dry!) we were seated quickly and served drinks right away. i must admit to being slightly off-put by the fact that we were handed paper/takeout menus though. i mean, you can't afford to have nice menus for people dining in?! how bizarre.

regardless, i really had to focus on the food. jenny and i decided on the duck eggs & chorizo. i mean, how delicious does that sound?? jenny's lil sis chose the avocado sandwich, erin went w/the eggs benedict, and jenny's mom thought the pancakes looked too good to pass up. i also picked out two scones: lavender chocolate chip and raspberry (i think). they brought them to the table warm and i cut them up to share. everyone raved. they were super moist and utterly fabulous. the only issue was that i really couldn't taste the lavender, though perhaps the amount of chocolate really overwhelmed any other flavors. not that the chocolate wasn't absolutely delicious of course b/c it totally was.

when the food arrived, we were all happy as clams. jenny & i pretty much inhaled our dishes (bread & all). everyone else made significant progress through their meals. my eggs & chorizo were just the right consistency and flavor, not too mushy and not too salty. and having had the scones beforehand, i was able to get both my sweet & salty fix. needless to say, the company always helps to make the meal. but the food, atmosphere, and service at cafe marron can easily stand on their own.

cafe marron
http://www.cafemarronbrownes.com/cafemarron/index.php

after brunch, erin and i stopped off at the hotel to drop off the car. and then we made our way downtown for some shopping. we decided to pick up our batman IMAX tix first, which we were glad we did, b/c we found out early that the 7pm show was sold out. we decided to get tix for the earlier show at 4pm, which was probably better in terms of scheduling, since that placed us at a perfect dinner time. (i loved it when erin asked me about dinner right after brunch! talk about reading my mind!)

on the way around the square to the mall, erin pointed out some awesome statues that celebrate bloomsday, the longest timed road race, which takes place in spokane. apparently, there are some strict rules, so pay attention if you decide to run it!

bloomsday run
http://www.bloomsdayrun.org/

we decided to start off w/nordstrom's (since i don't think i've ever been in one), but it wasn't anything to rave about. (perhaps nordstrom's rack is different? anyone up for a shopping trip?) however, erin did fall in love w/a bag that we eventually had to go back for later in the evening. (talk about bag on the brain.) we then checked out several cute shops in the area, including a shop called boo radley's, after the infamous character in to kill a mockingbird! who would've thunk? btw, shopping is so relaxing when you're not intent on buying anything. though i suppose that's when the money starts to leak out slowly....

we took the rest of the afternoon to walk around the park (one of many that spokane is known for) and enjoy the fresh air. it really was the perfect way to spend the day. i'm not sure how high maintenance people think i am, but i really do enjoy just walking around, people watching, eating, and shopping. and if the place is known for parks, i wanna see parks! oh! and carousels! i love carousels. as soon as i saw the one in the park, we had to get on it. i snagged what looked like a cross b/w an antelope and a llama - it was actually quite cute. as we went around and around, the carousel seemed to go faster and faster. until i realized that this was probably the fastest carousel i'd ever been on! erin egged me on to grab a plastic ring, but i was holding on for dear life, trying not to flash anyone in my cute dress, and feeling like my arms were just a little too short to make it happen. plus, i thought i might chip a nail or break a finger in the process. needless to say, i was uber jealous when the girl in front of me picked off several rings w/o blinking an eye. GRRR!!!

after the carousel ride, we grabbed some hawaiian ice, which is essentially lots of shaved ice covered in sugar water. my volcano & watermelon combo was actually quite tasty, though i was glad to have the flavors diluted by all the ice. we ended up bumping into erin's aunts (who were seeing the movie w/us) who'd just made their way through a hawaiian ice themselves! they trekked off to do some shopping and we made our way through the park back to the IMAX theater. and it was good that we showed up when we did b/c the line was already getting quite long. we ended up waiting for an hour, surrounded by what i thought seemed like lots of young, married people. everywhere i turned there were engagement & wedding rings flashing, from folks that looked no more than 25! it was quite bizarre. the rest of the crowd was quite diverse, more diverse than i expected, considering that i hadn't seen too many people of color throughout the day.

needless to say, batman was AMAZING. we were in the center of the theater and so close to the action. and considering that there was so much psychological stuff going on, this film definitely warrants a second viewing. (no worries. kel & i are on this!)

after the movie, we all parted ways. erin & i trekked back to nordstrom's to get her bag (woohoo!) and then we trekked through yet another park, this time w/views of rushing water. it totally reminded me of simon pearce and looking down into the connecticut river. *sigh* considering that we were leaning towards seafood for dinner, erin decided that we should check out ANTHONY'S, one of her favorites in the area. it wasn't until i saw the restaurant at the airport that i even knew it was a chain. but i'm glad i didn't know b/c chains always seem to bring w/them all these negative connotations. and this place definitely went way beyond your typical chain.

as soon as we walked in, we were pretty much seated immediately. we were shown to a lovely booth with a fabulous view of the water. it was actually nicer to sit along the inside so we could see the water but avoid the glare of the sun. our waiter was quite adorable, though he seemed a bit too eager to please at times. (poor thing. it was probably b/c we were so dazzling.)

we started off w/the baja cocktail (w/2 different kinds of shrimp) and a dish of sweet oysters (i forget the exact name). the shrimp were amazing w/the avocado. while the oysters were a bit smaller than i expected, they still went down perfectly w/absolutely NO sand whatsoever. (this is pretty amazing, considering that there ALWAYS seems to be sand in my oysters.) totally fresh and delicious. and no tummy aches later!

for the main entree, i went w/the local fish on the specials list, the columbia river sturgeon, that came w/basmatic rice and sauteed veggies. erin chose one of her favorites, the alaska scallops, that also came w/rice and veggies. considering that this was probably the first time i'd ever had sturgeon before, i wasn't quite sure what to compare the experience to. however, the consistency of the fish was quite nice -- just a little firm w/a bit of chew. i tend to like fish that don't just fall apart in your mouth, and the sturgeon did well in this regard. the flavor was also quite well done, such that the fish didn't require any extra seasoning.

for dessert, i went w/the local ingredients and chose the huckleberry crumble. erin didn't think *too* highly of the rest of the desserts, plus i really wanted some fruit @ that point. when it came to the table (w/a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top), i couldn't help thinking that it wasn't quite warm enough for me. in terms of texture, though, there was definitely a good ratio of crumble to fruit. more often than not, this ratio is where many restaurants/cafes/coffee shops screw up. you can't have too much crumble, or else the dessert will be really dry. you can't have too much fruit, or else the dessert will be totally wet. so figuring out this magic ratio is absolutely essential to making any fruit crumble perfectly delicious.

anthony's
http://www.anthonys.com/restaurants/info/spokane.html

after dinner, erin & i trekked slowly back to the hotel, wandering in the lovely darkness of night, bumping into eerie-looking statues, chatting about her big move to marquette, and listening to a wedding reception take place on the roof of a nearby hotel. it was really quite relaxing and i couldn't help thinking that i wished i had more times like this with friends. *sigh*

as soon as i got back to the room, i passed out almost immediately. i couldn't even stay awake through an episode of L&O: SVU! i didn't really mind falling asleep early though, especially when i woke up naturally to the nice bright light of morning. somehow my brain & my body had woken me up a little bit before 6AM (!!) even while i was on vacation. and rather than being annoyed, i decided to take advantage of being up.

while i felt horrible that i had to wake up erin to grab the key card for the room, i really really really wanted to go for a swim. YES, can you believe it? MOI. but considering that i'd failed miserably on my freestyle stroke in my last swim class before leaving for spokane, i felt i had to redeem myself. (and to think rusty had JUST offered me all those compliments. *sigh*) unfortunately, this process of redemption required THREE visits to the front desk before my key card actually got me into the indoor pool (which should've opened precisely at 6AM).

but thank the lord that i finally got in b/c it was absolutely AMAZING to have this huge, 4-foot deep, heated pool ALL to myself for a whole luxurious HOUR. i worked on my backstroke and my freestyle stroke, and i was literally there for the whole hour, talking myself through i don't even remember how many lengths of the pool. and except for a few employees wandering through every so often, i was left completely to my own devices. by the time i left, i'd completed some serious laps. and i was happily exhausted from my early morning cardio workout.

by the time i headed back up to the room, erin was already up and watching some golf action. we both took quick showers, packed up, and headed out for our last few hours of adventure together. we weren't quite sure where to go for breakfast, until erin suggested FRANK'S DINER, which is this adorable diner set INSIDE a railroad car! as soon as she mentioned it, i said YES YES YES. i mean, how totally COOL is that?

as soon as that decision was made, we sped on over. and it was good that we were up early b/c we didn't have to wait more than a few minutes before we were seated in a lovely 2-person booth toward the back of the railroad car. it would've been nice to sit at the counter too, but it also would've been a bit of a squish. and who wants to be squished on vacation!

our booth was quite cozy. as was the menu! i considered eating light (for about a minute), but i thought: what the heck! live it up! and since i hadn't had waffles since lou's, i ordered waffles w/priest lake huckleberries, as well as a side order of extra crispy bacon. (i mean, why not go all the way?) erin went w/the blueberry muffin french toast, which also sounded quite delectable. i have no idea why i thought i should eat light b/c i ended up polishing off both of my dishes, as well as the remainder of erin's french toast & fruit. and surprisingly, i could still walk out of there standing upright!

everything was YUMMY, and i couldn't have asked for a better last meal. the service was also quite good, despite the fact that the waitress didn't have any skim milk for my coffee! i certainly wasn't offended or upset by this, but more amused than anything, considering that skim milk is totally the norm in LA. (surprise, surprise.) just ask giselle (my favorite ex-barista)!

frank's diner
http://www.franksdiners.com/index.htm

after breakfast, we decided to walk around yet another park. (god how i love parks!) this one was absolutely gorgeous, with several different gardens embedded within. our first stop was the rose garden, where erin's totally getting married to her prince charming. we then passed through a japanese garden, where we hopped across rocks in a bubbling brook. we even asked a random guy to take our picture on the bridge! (ahem ahem - WHERE'S THAT PHOTO?!). we then made our way into what i thought looked like a mini-versailles garden, where a couple was taking wedding pics. (neither erin nor i were very impressed by the ladies' choice of dresses, but we decided to keep our comments to ourselves.) we finally meandered into a bonsai show of sorts, where erin bumped into an old friend of little substance (HA!) and i picked up a magnet with some lovely, hand-drawn goldfish. the bonsais were also quite fascinating, though i thought it was actually more interesting that a white man was telling me about bonsai-making. hmmm....

as we left the park, we were trying to figure out what to do next. considering that there's only so much to see and do in spokane, erin asked if i wanted to go to idaho. of course, that was an automatic YES! (i mean, when else would i go to IDAHO?!)

so for our last big adventure, erin took me out to coeur d'alene, which is apparently a big lake resort town in idaho, approximately 20-30 minutes from spokane. it was quite lovely and reminded me of nantucket and the cape, what with the older buildings and the cute shops lining both sides of the street.

erin and i sauntered down the main thoroughfare and stopped in to pick up little trinkets here and there. we wandered into this little shop, where we spotted BUTTER LONDON, a shi-shi brand of manicure/pedicure products that erin is in love with. (which is the main reason why it's specially cited here!) i picked up a small bottle of cuticle remover that's supposed to make your cuticles magically disintegrate upon rubbing. i asked the saleswoman whether they were burned off, and she assured me no. of course, i've yet to try it. when i do, i'm sure there will be some news on facebook.

butter london
http://www.butterlondon.com/

we stopped into a few more shops (including one where i finally found my elusive biscuit cutter -- thank god the TSA didn't take it away from me!) before we wandered down toward the lake. erin didn't seem to think there was much to see, but i was quite impressed by the size of the lake and the makeshift beach. i'm not quite sure it was real sand, though i suppose it could've been light dirt. at any rate, it was a lovely expanse of water, especially when i expected fields of corn. and yes, i know, but i can't help my preconceived notions.

before we headed back to the spokane airport, we made a pitstop at the TJ MAXX so that erin could check out more bags. (whoever knew she was such a bag whore?! janet, you two would SO appreciate each other.) after what seemed like an interminable ride (b/c traffic got heavy), erin dropped me off and we said our goodbyes. even though this trip was *so* short, it really was one of the best vacations ever! THANKS ERIN!! i miss you already! *sniff*

(not to take away from this mushy ending or anything, but FYI that i had yet another splendid conversation on my return flight, this time w/an older woman who was on her way back to oregon, and that i had a wonderful time wandering around the amazing seattle airport. oh so much to see! and eat! i even stopped by a butter london boutique in the airport -- what a small world!)