Fugazzi’s New Chef Loaded With Culinary Credentials
Fugazzi has a new chef who will infuse the menu with lighter touches, focusing on seafood and fresh seasonal ingredients.
Meg Edwards has replaced Michael Waliser, who left to head the kitchen at Bountiful Foods. That health food store-cafe will open in the next few weeks.
Edwards, who is a graduate of the California Culinary Institute in San Francisco, has some impressive credentials. After graduating, she started a well-known Bay Area dining spot called Julie Ring’s. She went on to work at celeb-chef Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio as the pasta chef for more than a year.
She and her husband, Bill Edwards (the chef at The Glover Mansion), got tired of life in the big city and decided to move to Jackson Hole, Wyo. There, they were co-chefs at the popular Cadillac Grill. But working 18-hour days took its toll, especially when they had a child.
“We wanted a city, but not the big city, and we thought it was so beautiful here,” she said.
Since moving to Spokane 18 months ago, Edwards has worked in some of the city’s most innovative kitchens including stints at Fugazzi, Luna and, most recently, Ankeny’s.
She’s now looking forward to the chance to throw her own creative weight around.
Revamped lunch and dinner menus should show up in mid-June. She promises more bistro-style food along with dishes that reflect the trend of mixing Asian ingredients with Northwest standbys. Salmon with Thai curry sauce, anyone?
Another change for Fugazzi: Dinner hours will be scaled back for the summer. Starting next week, dinner will be served Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Lunch will still be served Tuesdays through Saturdays. For reservations, call 624-1133.
Upscale fish
Monarch Fisheries, Coeur d’Alene’s only fish market-restaurant, recently began serving dinner, as well as lunch.
Owner Floyd Hutchens hired European-trained chef John Brunelle, who rewrites his mouthwatering menu weekly based on what fish is freshest.
This week, Copper River salmon is prepared in two styles - pan fried with a three-peppercorn crust and grilled with a fresh tarragon and shiitake mushroom butter. There’s also halibut with a pecan crust served with an apricot and lemon grass compote; tiger prawns with a butter sauce laced with roasted garlic, Thai basil and sun-dried tomato; broiled swordfish with balsamic-ginger butter sauce; and seared orange roughy with smoked New Zealand mussels in a orange beurre blanc accompanied by a spicy kiwi salsa. Yum.
The appetizers at this casual dining spot sound equally promising. For instance, smoked mussel won tons come with a mango chutney and a flaky phyllo dough pastry is filled with chunks of Maine lobster, spinach and a sun-dried tomato puree.
Prices on starters range from $5.25 to $6.75. Entrees start at $12.95 and top out around $15.
Monarch Fisheries is located at 445 Cherry Lane, just off Highway 95. The phone number for reservations is (208) 765-6744.
Romeo’s adds beer, wine
Romeo’s, the cozy coffee bar-eatery, recently added a beer and wine list.
Owner Ron Horton said he plans to change the wine offerings each month and focus on different parts of the world. This month, Northwest selections are highlighted. Next month, it could be Spain or Southern France.
Among bottled Northwest micros offered are Pike Place Pale Ale and Widmer Hefeweizen.
Romeo’s menu of grilled pannini sandwiches and made-from-scratch soups and salads is available until closing time (6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays), to complement the new beverage offerings. The restaurant is located in the Old City Hall Building on Wall Street.
Quick bites
On June 6 the Metro Cafe will host a four-course cigar dinner featuring Jamaican jerk pork with Caribbean beans and rice. The price of the meal is $50, which includes three cigars, wine from Caterina, as well as taxes and tip. For reservations, call 747-8250.
A new Bruchi’s has opened on the corner of Third and Washington. The Spokane-based sub sandwich specialists now have 16 locations throughout the region including stores in Kennewick, Yakima and Lewiston, Idaho.
The Floating Restaurant in Hope, Idaho, is open for the summer season. Lunch and dinner are served daily and brunch is offered Sunday starting at 10 a.m. For reservations, call (208) 264-5311.
Gregory’s in Sandpoint has closed. The restaurant opened three years ago and had been recognized in a national publication for its outstanding wine selection.
, DataTimes 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.