Divine Dining Leslie Kelly’s List Of The Spokane Area’s Best Restaurants Is Your Guide To Fabulous Dining Opportunities

In this year’s delicious art-house flick “Big Night,” the film’s protagonist, an uncompromising Italian chef named Primo, boasts that “eating great food brings you closer to God.”

If that’s true, I should be canonized.

As you can see from the accompanying list of Top 10 restaurants, this has been a heavenly year for dining in our region.

The most ambitious kitchens in Spokane - Fugazzi, Luna and II Moon Cafe - continue to push the creative culinary envelope. Though even those places have experienced rough patches over the past year.

Exciting new options include Spokane’s first upscale vegetarian restaurant, Mizuna, and the revamped Upstairs Downtown, which moved up to the South Hill into cozy quarters and is now known as Paprika.

While fast-food chains and popular restaurants such as Clink’s and The Onion continue to be huge draws, there’s also room for the region’s exciting ethnic eateries to flourish.

Never before have we had so many choices.

Of the dozens of restaurants of every imaginable kind I’ve eaten at this past year, the following made dining a particularly ethereal experience:

1. Fugazzi. This stylish restaurant has it all - a great setting, a polished service staff and innovative food.

First, the industrial art deco decor cleverly incorporates details from the original structure. Notice those granite pillars and the tile on the outside entry? They’re older than Bob Hope.

Chef Meg Edwards’ global menu is fitting for the sophisticated dining room.

The spicy calamari served with a mound of cooling slaw and the Thai noodle salad are Asian-inspired. The vividly seasoned black bean-stuffed ravioli takes a Southwest spin. The outstanding chewy breads taste as if they could have come from a rustic, European bakery.

I appreciate the kitchen’s attention to detail. Roasted pumpkin seeds sprinkled on a spicy sweet potato soup added a nice crunch. Pomegranate seeds are a pretty accompaniment to the exotic smoked salmon egg roll.

I’m looking forward to the addition of a lounge at Fugazzi in the near future, so I can drop in for appetizers and the city’s top martini.

2. Paprika. When the owners of Upstairs Downtown moved up to the South Hill, they left one of Spokane’s most appealing venues.

But the trade-off has resulted in easier parking and, subsequently, a big boost in business.

Owners Karla and Larry Graves have done a lovely job of remaking the small dining room at Paprika, covering the walls in rich shades of terra cotta and appealing artwork.

The meals there also qualify as works of art.

Each entree is thoughtfully complemented by a different side dish. A chile-spiced chicken dish is served with black beans and red rice from South America, for instance.

The seared ahi tuna is the single best seafood dish I’ve eaten the past year. It’s coated in crushed black pepper - just like a beef steak - and served with horseradish-spiked mashed potatoes and a tangy sauce flavored with balsamic vinegar.

I also like the way fresh herbs burst off the plate as fragrant garnishes.

Dinners are served with interesting starters including the outstanding spinach salad and the satisfying roasted tomato soup.

As much as I like the new place, I do miss the romantic room at Upstairs Downtown. It had a special feeling.

And though the owners have done a remarkable job in remaking this space, they can’t do anything about the fact that the windows look out on people streaming into the neighboring Baskin-Robbins.

3. Beverly’s. The lone out-of-Spokane entry on the list, this restaurant is a first-class operation.

It’s a great room with a fantastic view, attentive service and an amazing wine list. Most important, though, the food rises far above the standard hotel offerings.

Take the vegetarian sushi rolls, for instance. Or the ostrich satay and the grilled venison sausage. Those recent additions have helped stretch the menu into a more creative direction.

Prime rib might still be the top choice of diners, but at least they have the option of ordering a spicy vegetable hot pot or the eggplant tamale pie. Less successful was a bland beef Thai noodle dish.

The souffles at Bev’s have spoiled me for all other desserts. They’re feather-light, but still decadent.

Beverly’s certainly deserves to be known as the region’s top special occasion restaurant.

4. Luna. Last year’s soaring choice for number one restaurant has hit some turbulence.

I’m not exactly sure why my experiences there have been so uneven. I don’t want to pin it on the new chef, because I had problems before she arrived.

Hot pasta served on cold plates. A salmon fillet surrounded by undercooked puff pastry. A Thai pizza that tasted like it was covered with peanut butter, not peanut sauce.

The large menu is an ambitious undertaking. And when dishes work, they are worth celebrating. I’ve been impressed with a duck served with a vibrant beet risotto and the flavorful tenderloin stuffed with sweet peppers.

But other entrees are overwrought. Lamb chops with an intensely flavored porcini mushroom sauce were topped with a drizzle of creme fraiche. Why? It didn’t add anything but calories.

Lately, the best things on the menu have been the starters - the exquisite ahi tuna carpaccio with capers and a wasabi aioli, or the exotic Malaysian-spiced prawns stacked on a bed of pretty purple rice. The rich Dungeness crab and pumpkin bisque is pure bliss.

Also, I understand the decision of William and Marcia Bond to step back from the hectic pace of running their restaurant, but I miss their engaging presence in the dining room.

5. Mizuna. Who would dream that an upscale vegetarian restaurant would thrive in this meat-and-potatoes town?

The two women - Sylvia Wilson and Tonia Buckmiller - who started this innovative eatery probably didn’t even foresee the success of Mizuna. The menu appeals to vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

In the kitchen, Buckmiller does astonishing things with tofu, making it the base for creamy sauces and soups. Marinating and grilling it. Stuffing it into a spicy Thai burrito.

If tofu’s unappetizing, try the Caribbean curry served on a bed of millet, the Southwest pasta dish with a velvety chipotle sauce or a savory portobello mushroom burger.

Naturally, the restaurant’s wine list includes a selection of wines made from organically grown grapes.

6. Hill’s Someplace Else. The decor in this place reminds me of a coffee shop, but the food is world-class.

Chef Dave Hill has drawn on his experience of living around the world in creating his menu. And his sauces are nothing short of stunning.

The chicken satay with peanut sauce is remarkable. The shrimp creole doesn’t fall short on the seasonings.

Daily specials are even more adventurous. I was bowled over by a flavorful New Zealand venison, served with a concentrated green peppercorn demiglace. And an excellent Dungeness crab lumpia was overflowing with succulent crabmeat.

Hill was the first in Spokane to showcase Northwest beers through regular multi-course gourmet brewer dinners.

7. II Moon Cafe. If I were ranking this spot for food alone, it would appear much higher.

But the place is so quirky, I can’t recommend it without a qualifier.

The past few times I’ve been in, I was seated within view of the big-screen TV in the lounge. Having grunts from football games and cigar smoke from the bar drifting into my dinner makes me cranky.

And don’t even get me started about the restrooms.

Service is also wildly uneven. I have had many perfectly pleasant, helpful servers. But then there was the time someone who looked like a dishwasher brought me a glass of wine and handed it to me instead of putting it down on the table. Then he huffed off. Bizarre.

Still, Steve Quinones’ wonderful food helps ease the annoyance factor. Nobody does calamari better. Since they took my fav China Cat Sunflower rendition off the menu, I’m a sucker for the red-hot Fire on The Mountain version.

I’ve also been pleased with the Dire Straits - a chicken curry dish - and the shrimp enchiladas in an elegant champagne sauce. The fish tacos are a consistent winner, too.

I only wish Quinones were given more license to experiment with nightly specials. That would make the quirky atmosphere a little easier to swallow.

8. Niko’s II. This place is like an old friend. I eat there at least once a week.

I’m most often drawn to the unique salad bar, which changes every day.

But many of Laith Elaimy’s Mediterranean dishes have become my favorite comfort foods.

The smoky eggplant spread, baba ghannouj, for instance. Or the sesame chicken, which is chunks of white meat sauteed in with artichoke hearts and then mixed with pasta and a nutty tasting tahini sauce.

I’m also partial to the curry shrimp and the kabsa, a chicken dish with tomatoes, onions, peppers and a fragrant blend of spices.

This restaurant is due for a facelift next year, but I expect the food to stay the same - consistently good.

9. Anaconda Grille. Gina Lanza is a great cook. Her Italian meals have a home-cooked quality, but go beyond the standard spaghetti and meatballs.

The angel hair Lorraine is an unusual mix of pasta, yams, figs and goat cheese finished with a plum sauce. It sounds strange, but it works. A recent appetizer of steamed clams with Thai seasonings was exceptional.

More traditional fare that clicks is the rich canneloni and the intensely flavored spaghetti with puttanesca sauce.

This inviting dining room has a lot of quirky charm and rotating shows of local artists.

Don’t forget to pick up a banquet permit at the liquor store and bring your own beverages. Anaconda doesn’t have a liquor license because of its proximity to a school.

10. (tie) Thai Cafe and Thai Kitchen. These two family-run restaurants treat this exotic cuisine lovingly and customers reap the benefits.

At the popular Thai Kitchen in the Valley, Paul and Benjamas Hall serve the city’s best peanut sauce. It’s a perfect balance of sweet and savory. It comes on the side of orders of pad Thai noodles, which might not be authentic, but it’s a delicious departure.

Other standouts at the Thai Kitchen are tart shrimp noodle salad made with big plump prawns, the pineapple chicken curry and the lightly sauteed tofu served on barely steamed spinach with more of that incredible peanut sauce.

At the Thai Cafe, owner Val Chalard is a effusive host, making regulars and newcomers feel welcome.

I’ve tried exploring different dishes there, but always return to my favorites.

The vegetarian spring rolls are light and crispy, without a trace of greasiness that spoils so many egg rolls. The hot and sour soup (Tom Yum Goong) should chase away any chill. And the pad se-euew is a nice alternative to pad Thai, with broccoli, delicate rice noodles and chunks of chicken in a spicy sauce.

I also like the curries at Thai Cafe, especially the peanut and potato-studded mussamun.

After dinner, cool down at with an order of black rice pudding. Both restaurants make an excellent version of this rich dessert.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: Leslie Kelly can be contacted via E-mail at lesliek@spokesman.com or regular mail to Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210.

This sidebar appeared with the story: TOP 10 RESTAURANT PICKS 1. Fugazzi, 1 N. Post, 624-1133 ($$$) 2. Paprika, 1228 S. Grand Blvd., 455-7545 ($$$) 3. Beverly’s, Coeur d’Alene Resort, (208) 765-2300 ($$$) 4. Luna, 5620 S. Perry, 448-2383 ($$$) 5. Mizuna, 214 N. Howard, 747-2004 ($$) 6. Hill’s Someplace Else, 518 W. Sprague, 747-3946 ($) 7. II Moon Cafe, 312 W. Sprague, 747-6277 ($$$) 8. Niko’s II, 725 W. Riverside, 624-7444 ($) 9. Anaconda Grille, 510 S. Freya, 533-0064 ($$) 10. (tie) Thai Cafe, 410 W. Sprague, 838-4783 ($) 10. (tie) Thai Kitchen, 12722 E. Sprague, 926-8161 ($)

Key to menu prices: ($$$) from $15 - $20 and up ($$) from $10 to $15 ($) under $10