Over in Kendall Yards, amid a sea of new construction, David Blaine's new restaurant Central Food is beginning to open.

Central Food opened today, and will have limited hours this week as the staff tests menu items, learns the new computer system and generally work out the kinks, Blaine said. Through Friday, Central Food will be open for breakfast and lunch, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Saturday, the restaurant will be open for dinner service from 4:30 to 10 p.m. Next week, Blaine said, they'll work on offering all three meals.

Blaine, who was the head chef at Latah Bistro, told The Spokesman-Review this summer he thought the Kendall Yards  was the city's most exciting development, and he couldn't pass up the opportunity to open his first restaurant there.

The building, at 1335 W. Summit Parkway, is brand new. The restaurant sports that industrial vibe that's popular now. The walls are painted in gray and blue tones. The floor is concrete. There are gleaming metal pipes and vents above the open kitchen. But wooden table tops and accents help bring warmth to the space, and the large south-facing windows let in plenty of light and offer nice views of west donwtown, Browne's Addition and Peaceful Valley. The restaurant will seat 70 when it is fully open.

My colleague and I walked over for lunch today, and we ended up building our meals from the small plate offerings. She went vegetarian, with roasted Brussels sprouts, skillet potatoes and molé lentils. I was feeling British, and went with the Scotch eggs and the meat pie. It was all delicious. Best of all, we had prompt and attentive service - good news for a restaurant on its first day.

Three curry chocolate mini cupcakes came back to the office in a box, awaiting afternoon snack time.

Blaine said he expects to have the formal grand opening sometime around Black Friday, which is Nov. 23 this year. Stay tuned.

Don't forget about SpoCup on Saturday. 

Five local coffee shops are hosting a coffee crawl 3-6 p.m. Participants get a passport and a T-shirt, then they hit five coffee shops in three hours. All of the details are here.

The event starts at INDABA Coffee Bar, 1425 W. Broadway Ave. That's where you'll need to go first if you didn't sign up in advance. You'll have to pay $30, but there are benefits:

1) You'll get to hang out with like-minded coffee geeks (Or not. You choose.)

2) Local businesses will benefit from your caffeine addiction.

3) There's a cool T-shirt.

4) A local non-profit benefits from a portion of sales on Saturday each of the five participating coffee shops. Big Table supports restaurant industry workers and they probably have a few people to help right now given some recent (unexpected) restaurant closures.

5) There will be swag and raffles.

6) Boots Bakery & Lounge, 24 W. Main Ave., is hosting the last stop on the crawl and they serve cocktails. There will be a DJ, too. You'll get to hit Coeur Coffeehouse, 701 N. Monroe St.; Luxe Coffee House, 1017 W. First Ave.; and Atticus Coffee and Gifts, 222 N. Howard St.

If that is not enough, here's one last thing to consider:

7) You could drop some serious coin on rare coffee.

Coeur Coffeehouse owner Mike Garrison says they received a shipment of some of the rarest coffee on the planet. Stumptown's Guatemala Finca el Injerto, Gesha varietal costs about $125 for a 12-ounce bag.

Coeur will be serving it for $10 per cup or $25 per Chemex for those who want to check it out. There are details - including an heavenly description of the flavor of the coffee - here.

Last weekend, my husband John and I were out on South Perry Street running down photos of food trucks and their owners.

We met Tom Pinyo at the Thai Lunch Box and had his deliciously tame mussamun curry and chicken satay with peanut sauce for dinner. Then, we were on the prowl for dessert. Our first instinct was to head to South Perry Pizza and sit at the bar with a glass of wine, while we ordered ice cream for the kiddo. But the place was packed. Ditto for Casper Fry.

That's when I remembered seeing the signs at The Shop, 924 S. Perry St., earlier in the week saying beer and wine would be coming soon.

It was perfect. We ordered Brain Freeze ice cream for our son, while we each picked out a glass of red wine. (They also have a small selection of microbrews on tap.) We all sat at a high table and watched the activity in the neighborhood while we savored our wine. John and I also split an espresso affogato (a scoop of vanilla ice cream drowned in a shot of espresso).

The Shop had to build a little corral of sorts outside to appease the Liquor Control Board but there was still a nice warm vibe. It was quiet that night, but that's all about to change, too.  Correspondent Isamu Jordan recently wrote about plans to return live music to the venue.

Chefs Collaborative, a national network of chefs committed to sustainable food practices, honored Rick and Lora Lea Misterly of Quillisascut Farm in Rice, Wash. this week.

The collaborative recognized the Misterlys efforts as a “foodshed champion” during the fourth annual Chefs Collaborative Sustainable Food Summit this week in Seattle. (Thanks to former S-R staffer Leslie Kelly for this shot of the Misterlys at the conference.)

The award recognizes a food producer in the Pacific Northwest committed to working with chefs who believe, “good food begins with unpolluted air, land, and water, environmentally sustainable farming and fishing, and humane animal husbandry.”

In addition to making farmstead cheeses at Quillisascut, the Misterlys invite chefs, writers, students and food lovers to come to their farm to learn about sustainable food and growing practices and the heart of farm-to-table.

I do mean heart. Visiting Quillisascut for a workshop has been transformational for some chefs and students.

Kären Jurgensen, chef/instructor at the Seattle Culinary Academy in Seattle, works with Quillisascut Farm and her recipes are featured in Shannon Borg's book about the farm school, “Chefs on the Farm.”

Jurgensen was also honored this week by Chef's Collaborative for her work as a model and mentor to the culinary community by purchasing seasonal, sustainable ingredients and turning them in to delicious dishes.

“The work of the winners reflect the best of this region's and this country's efforts to build a more sustainable food system,” said chef Michael Leviton of Lumiere and Area Four restaurants in the Boston area and chair of the Chefs Collaborative board in a news release.

Here's the complete list of the 2012 Sustainability Award winners from the news release:

Pathfinder

Paul Willis

Founder and Manager Niman Ranch Pork Company, Thornton, Iowa

This award recognizes a visionary working in the greater food community who has been a catalyst for positive change within the food system through efforts that go beyond the kitchen.

Foodshed Champion

Lora Lea and Rick Misterly

Owners, Quillisascut Farm, Rice, Wash.

This award recognizes a food producer (farmer, fisher, artisanal producer)in the Pacific Northwest committed to working with chefs and who exemplifies the following principle:  Good food begins with unpolluted air, land, and water, environmentally sustainable farming and fishing, and humane animal husbandry. 

Sustainer

Kären Jurgensen

Chef/Instructor, Seattle Culinary Academy, Seattle, Wash.

This award recognizes a chef who has been both a great mentor and is a model to the culinary community through his/her purchases of seasonal, sustainable ingredients and the transformation of these ingredients into delicious food.

In addition, chefs John Ash, Tom Douglas, and Jimmy Schmidt were inducted into the Pioneers Table - the Chefs Collaborative equivalent of the hall of fame.

For more information, visit  chefscollaborative.org or follow them on twitter @chefscollab.

Beignets is closing.

The new downtown restaurant and creperie didn't make it three months. Owner Judie Sowards opened the restaurant with her son Ryan in mid-July. It is at 121 N. Wall St.

They said the business was done in by a group of people loitering across the street from the restaurant. The group - sometimes more than 100 people strong - are obnoxious, block the sidewalk, beg and are just a general nuisance.

“They have been right across the street from me and literally for the last month they have been chanting, making horrible gestures and noises and just hurting the business horribly,” Sowards said. “We’ve had so many customers say that if this continues they weren’t going to be back and they meant it. Our business has gone down 75 percent.”

Sowards said she had to take out a loan two weeks ago to make payroll because business dropped so dramatically in the past three weeks.

She said they tried working with police and the city to chase off the group, but it was too little, too late. Other businesses on the block are struggling for the same reason, Sowards said. The group used to hang out near the STA bus plaza in the smoking area, but were displaced by the construction and new non-smoking policy there.

“Those kids need a place too and I understand that. We are not against the kids we are against them wrecking our quiet atmosphere that our customers had wanted to have… We were trying to hold out until the weather got colder.”

Police and security officers increased patrols recently, so the group was not quite as loud, Sowards said. “But their presence and their gestures are not pleasant. People don’t want to walk through them. They beg. They were coming by to my tables asking for food and drink and that is just not right.”

Sowards said they just couldn't wait any longer. “We ran out of money… I had plenty of money in reserve and we’ve had to spend it because literally in the last three weeks (business) has gone down to less than a third of what we were getting.”

“We are now having to let 34 kids go to unemployment that want to work because of the 106 kids across the street that don’t want to work and that is really sad. My kids wanted a job and I have to let them know now because I can’t afford to pay them.”

Beignets will be open today from 11 a.m. to close and tomorrow from 11 a.m. to close so they can sell out the food in their coolers and freezers.

Look for a more in-depth story on the problems with the group hanging out by Beignets and along Wall Street in tomorrow's newspaper.

The 77th annual Greek Festival is underway at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 1703 N. Washington St.

Lunch started at 11 a.m. and is served until 2 p.m. today and tomorrow. It's a beautiful day for souvlakia from the outdoor tent. There are Greek salads and vegetarian options.

Dinner is served tonight, Friday and Saturday from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets for dinner are $15 at the door. Did I mention the incredible honey-drenched desserts? Coffee? Cheeses? Appetizers?

Get a taste of Greek culture and take the time to tour the beautiful church while you're there.

There are more details on the festival website.

Go now.

The kids at Grant Elementary School in the Perry neighborhood got a taste of fresh Washington fruits and vegetables on the salad bar on Wednesday.

The Washington Department of Agriculture and the Washington State Nutrition Assoication teamed up for “Taste Washington Day” at school districts across the state.

At Grant, waves of kids came through the lunch line were able to choose from apples, peaches and pluots grown near Othello and carrots grown in Cheney. Older students helped the younger kids pick out produce and encouraged them to try something new.

Brian Estes, Eastern Washington coordinator for Fresh Food in Schools, said they hope the exposure will help kids discover new flavors they love and in turn encourage their families to buy them.

Doug Wordell, Director of Nutrition Services for Spokane's School District 81, said a new mandate from the USDA means children must choose a fruit or vegetable with their lunches. He said they expected to increase spending on fresh fruits and vegetables by about $250,000 this year to meet that new rule, but now estimates the increase at about $500,000 because kids have been eating more healthy produce.

There is some waste, Wordell said, but getting more fresh fruits and vegetables onto kids' lunch trays is good news. They'll be working on ways to reduce waste soon.

Wordell said the district always buys some Washington grown produce, but Wednesday's fruit and vegetables were all from the state. It helps to highlight the farm-to-table connection and the importance of helping local farmers by buying their produce, Estes said.

Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart stopped by to see the efforts as did councilman Jon Snyder.

Mike Garrison first noticed the art deco building with the corner door on a drive to Spokane Art Supply.

He didn’t have plans for a business, but the space somehow convinced him that he needed to open Coeur Coffeehouse. Garrison, who grew up in Coeur d’Alene, settled on plans to sell coffee from Portland’s Stumptown Coffee Roasters while remodeling and repairs were finished at 701 N. Monroe St.

Garrison wanted the most ethically sourced coffee he could find and liked Stumptown’s commitment to forging relationships with coffee growers and paying higher than fair-trade prices.

Coeur Coffeehouse uses local milk from Spokane’s Family Farm and baristas make syrups from scratch. In addition to espresso, Coeur Coffeehouse offers popular slow-brewing methods, including Chemex and Aeropress. Stumptown Coffee is sold by the pound.

Garrison and the Coeur Coffeehouse crew will host the latest round of the latte art and brewing competition for local baristas Thursday. Thursday Night Throwdown: Inland Northwest starts at 7 p.m. Local baristas are invited and must register by 6 p.m. Coffee lovers can come taste the results of the battle.

Coeur Coffeehouse is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

It’s Cougars vs. Ducks at Saturday’s game in Seattle, but the real winners will be hop heads.

During Saturday’s match-up between Washington State University and the University of Oregon at CenturyLink Field, Spokane’s No-Li Brewhouse will take on Eugene’s Ninkasi Brewing Co. in the first Hop Cup. The first brewery to kick two kegs wins the Hop Cup trophy. No-Li will be serving Born & Raised IPA, while Ninkasi pours Total Domination IPA.

For more information, go to www.nolibrewhouse.com.

A sign on the door of the West Wing announces the bad news for garlic lovers.

Raci Erdem, owner of the beloved White House Grill in Post Falls, has shuttered Spokane's sister restaurant. The West Wing, 4334 S. Regal St., opened in November 2010.

The sign said it was a difficult decision, but that Erdem wanted to concentrate on the White House Grill. No word on the Oval Office, which is also owned by Erdem.

I'll check in with him and report back.

The White House Grill is at 712 N. Spokane St. in Post Falls. Reach the restaurant at (208) 777-9672 or (208) 964-2077.

I made this cake for last week's appearance at the Kitchen Engine.

I can't stop thinking about making it again. I sprinkled just a tiny bit of extra sea salt over the glaze before it set to give it that popular salty, sweet pop of flavor.

The recipe came from the popular website Food 52, which is filled with recipes and food porn galore. Bloggers and other community members can share their favorite blog posts and recipes on the site.

Writer and cookbook author Amanda Hesser is one of the founders of Food 52. She famously appeared as herself in the movie Julie and Julia and was the editor behind the The Essential New York Times Cookbook.

This recipe was picked as a favorite by the Food 52 community.

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, pepper and spices and set aside. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the eggs with both sugars until light. Mix in the applesauce, oil and vanilla until smooth.

2. Using a spatula, fold in the dry ingredients, being careful not to over-mix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake for 10 minutes in the pan on a rack before turning it out and cooling completely on the rack — make sure the cake is not at all warm before you make the glaze.

3. TheRunawaySpoon wisely advises that you put a piece of foil or paper under the cooling rack to catch any drips before you start the glaze. Put the butter in a medium saucepan with the brown sugar, cream and salt and set over medium heat. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute exactly, and then pull it off the heat.

4. Leave the pan to cool for a couple of minutes, and then gradually whisk in the powdered sugar until you have a thick, but pourable consistency (you may not need all the sugar). If the mixture seems too thick, just add a splash of cream to thin it out a little. Immediately pour the glaze over the cake, moving slowly and evenly to cover as much surface area as possible. Let the glaze set before serving the cake.

Good morning.

Come see me at the Kitchen Engine this morning at the Flour Mill. I have goodies.

I'll be there with food and newspapers from 10 a.m. until noon today and 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Friday.

I'll have tastes of this Danish Puffs recipe (pictured above) from the Dorothy Dean Homemaker's Service.

I also have these vegan Almond Jam Thumbprint Cookies.

And perhaps I'll even break into this Applesauce Cake with Caramel Glaze.

I'll have copies of the recipes.

I can't wait to see you.

Jeanette Herman has a new toy.

Although she is best known for her organic fruit from Cliffside Orchards, Herman and her husband Jeff also grow tomatoes and vegetables on their farm. They sell their produce at the Spokane Farmers Market.

She roasted peppers in a drum roaster for the first time at today's Spokane Farmers Market. When I arrived she was spinning sweet bell peppers in the drum as the smell of roasting peppers filled the air. As the peppers began to sizzle, bits of charred skins also flew into the sky.

She's selling the roasted peppers for $5 for a scant 1 pound container. I'm adding one to my sandwich at lunch today. (I was inspired by market manager Diane Reuter, who came over while I was talking to Jeanette to show off her sandwich made from mostly market ingredients: Bouzie Bakery croissant, lettuce from Tolystoy Farms and a roasted pepper … among other goodies.

Herman said she'll be there Saturday roasting peppers, too. She has an assortment of sweet and hot peppers for sale.

The farmers were also talking about this week's freeze, which hit parts of Tolstoy Farm and Deer Park among other areas. Get to the market to support local farmers before the season is over.

The Spokane Farmers Market is Wednesday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Here's a link to our listing of area farmers markets.

I have not yet made my annual trek to the Spokane Interstate Fair, but I'm looking forward to checking out the fare offered this year.

Judges have already done some of the hard work finding the best food.

Bob Rogers, executive chef at Masselow's at Northern Quest, caterer Eric Wilson and photographer Megan McCorkle judged Best Fair Food Contest on Saturday.

They picked foods based on taste, appearance, originality, portion size and value.

Here are the results:

Best Signature Dish / Entrée – King Burrito ($9) at Baja Bowl

Best Dessert – Tiramisu ($5) at Lasagnas On Ya

Best Deep Fried Food – Greek Nachos ($9) at Azar’s

Most Creative – Bacon Wrapped BBQ Hot Dog ($8.50) at SandwicHAVEN

What is your favorite thing to eat at the Spokane Interstate Fair?

The owners of Brews on Washington have announced the espresso shop and bar will close on Saturday.

Owners Brett and Katie Anderson announced the closure on the Facebook page for Brews on Washington, 7 S. Washington.

“There's no easy way to say it… Katie and I have enjoyed 13 crazy and rewarding months of entrepreneurship, have met scores of the most fascinating and wonderful people we could ever hope to know and have had the help of some of the greatest employees in town, but all great rides come to an end and unfortunately our ride comes to an end this week,”

For the last few days of business, Brews on Washington will sell all draft beers for $3 per pint and bottled beer is $2 off. Wine pours are $5 each and bottles will be sold for $18.

Brews on Washington forcused selling fine coffees and microbrews. The owners also encouraged beer cupcake entrepreneurs Sweet & Stout and sold the cupcakes at the shop.

The business is open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m Thursday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. After Saturday night, the bar closes for the last time.

Rex's Burgers and Brews and Fraiche Contemporary French are closed.

Owner Connie Naccarato declined a request we made last week to take photos at the restaurants for a review planned for the Food section. At first, she said the restaurants, which she opened with chef Jason Rex, were for sale. Later in the conversation, she indicated that she would probably be closing the doors.

The restaurants shared the kitchen in the space that was previously Niko's, 14 N. Post St., and closed sometime over the weekend. On Tuesday, the shades were drawn and signs and sports flags that had hung in the windows had been replaced by “For Lease” signs.

Rex's Burgers and Brews and Fraiche opened about nine months ago.

Naccarato and Rex are still partners in Scratch restaurant,  1007 W. First Ave., and Rain Lounge, next door. There is also a Scratch in Coeur d'Alene, 501 Sherman Ave., where you can still dine on Rex's cuisine.

I'm sorry to see the restaurants close. It may have seemed an unlikely pairing, but I had great meals at both the burger joint and Fraiche.

Last week, this shady spot on the Lindaman's patio became my temporary work space.

Where is your favorite patio or deck for summer dining?

Need a little pick-me-up? Head to Boots Bakery & Lounge in the former home of Rocket Bakery, 24 W. Main Ave.

Alison Collins, the former bartender at Mizuna's wine bar (and the genius behind their vegan carrot cake) has opened the new coffee shop, deli and lounge. The joint is open everyday at 6 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday. From Wednesday through Saturday it is open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The place is still a work in progress, but renovations and painting have brought more light into the space. Those familiar with building owner Dan Spaulding's ecclectic style will notice his influence, especially in the inverted blender lights that hang above the bar. (Which he also assembled from collected pieces.)

Two murals are on the walls, one that is new and the other is actually an advertisement uncovered when plaster was removed. The giant bull was part of a billboard for smoking tobacco. Employees said the wall was once the exterior wall of an adjacent building that has since been demolished.

Collins invited local residents and artists to help design the booths in the bakery and lounge, so the seating is an array of brightly painted and adorned tables and high-back booths.

Collins said help from friends who have just been willing to just jump in and volunteer has been essential to the early sucess. While we talked last week, a friend was in the kitchen baking.

Perhaps Boots' specialty is the vegan baked goods, but there is plenty of vegan and vegetarian lunch fare in the case. Collins makes the dishes as inspiration strikes and depending on the foods she has available each day. Local farmer Brian Estes brings a weekly community-supported agriculture box from his garden that Collins uses in the kitchen.

Collins said many are asking for the same dishes to be made each day, but she said she is refusing to succumb to that request.

I tried both the “Tuno” noodle salad with mushroom sauce and the spicy barbecue tofu topped with espresso barbecue sauce. I didn't exactly get tuna from the first dish, but it was delicious nonetheless. I've been recommending the tofu to friends and plan to go back for more soon.

Collins said they're still filling in the space with more seating and finishing artwork and painting. Since I visitied, there has been quite a bit of progress on the new front deck. There's a large community table near the kitchen that groups have been using for meetings and book groups, Collins said. Call ahead to ensure the table will be open for your group and Collins can also make an array of small bites and snacks for you.

Oh, yeah! Cocktails. I guess I'll have to make a return visit.

Boots Bakery & Lounge is planning an early August grand opening. Reach them at (509) 703-7223.

Maybe not, but I wasn't convinced when I first saw this recipe.

Even when I decided to make this dish for my food families, I was thinking I might serve it as a warm lentil salad with the cucumber and tomato raita on the side. (I cook each week on Wednesdays for three other families and deliver dinner to their houses. The rest of the week they take turns cooking and delivering to mine.)

In the end, I made it just as we learned it in a pilot class at the Inland Northwest Culinary Academy at Spokane Community College. The school is hosting a new series of cooking classes that will be called INCA After Dark. The story is in Wednesday's food section or online.

Chef Peter Tobin guided us through crepe making and the Indian curry spiced lentil filling. We had so much fun flipping crepes and chatting about the new program. We made raita from yogurt the students make at the college.

The classes will be offered every month in the INCA kitchens at the Spokane Community College. Updated class offerings will be online at incaafterdark.scc.spokane.edu soon.

Savory Crepes

From Chef Peter Tobin, Inland Northwest Culinary Academy and INCA After Dark

2 cups Shasta yellow or Sunrise red lentils (see note)

4 cups water

1 slice lemon

Pinch salt

1 cup potato, diced 1/2 inch

1 cup carrots, diced 1/2 inch

12 whole cloves

8 cardamom pods

2 inch cinnamon stick

2 tablespoons fresh ginger

2 tablespoons fresh garlic

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion sliced thin

1/2 Serrano chili, minced

1 1/2 cups cooked Basmati rice

1 tomato seeded and cided

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 tablespoon mint, chopped

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

1 cup water

Salt and black pepper to taste

Bring water to a boil wiht lemon and a pinch of salt. Add potatoes and carrots and lentils. Cook 5 minutes, until lentils are soft, but still have some bite. Drain and hold warm

Combine cloves, cardamom and cinnamon in a spice grinder and grind.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat; add oil. Add onions and lightly brown. Add ginger, garlic, chili, yogurt and water. Add drained lentils, potato and carrot mixture, along with cooked rice.

Cook until headed through 5-10 minutes.

Note: Tobin recommends using Shasta or Sunrise lentils from PNW. Our story about PNW is here.

Yield: 10 servings

Crepe Batter

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

10 eggs

2 cups milk

4 tablespoons melted butter

Sift flour and salt into a small bowl. Combine egg and milk in a separate medium bowl.

Whip wet ingredients into dry slowly. Whip until heavy cream consistency. Add butter.

Rest 15 minutes. Heat a non-stick egg pan over medium heat. Season pan with a bit of oil on a paper towel or a brush dipped in oil.

Add 2 tablespoons crepe batter and swirl around in pan. Lightly brown on one side and flip to the other side to brown (don't worry, the first one never works). Remove from pan and continue to make crepes until all hte batter is used. Cool crepes completely/ individually on counter before stacking or they will stick together.

Yield: About 40

Raita

2 cups plain yogurt

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

1/2 cup tomato, seeded and diced

1/2 Serrano chili, chopped fine

1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

Combine ingredients and hold at room temperature.

To serve crepes, fill crepe with lentil filling and roll up. Place seam-side down on a plate and top with raita.