Small city, big food

Spokane was named one of six great small cities for food lovers by the Wall Street Journal last week.

“Whereas once the national conversation around dining centered on culinary capitals like New York and San Francisco, now cities of all sizes are on the table. To back up that claim, we went looking for six of the most vital contemporary restaurant genres in six markets of varying size, none of which are well known for their dining scenes – yet. What we found was very good eating,” Joshua Ozersky wrote in the Friday story, which spotlighted six local restaurants in six different categories.

They are: meat-centric gastropub Durkin’s Liquor Bar; chef-driven regional Italian restaurant Italia Trattoria; hipster Asian mash-up the Wandering Table; modern Southern, Casper Fry; old-school bistro Santé; and next-generation farm-to-table Mizuna.

The other top small cities for food lovers cited in the story are San Antonio, Columbus, Sacramento, Raleigh-Durham and Omaha.

Colfax cooking class

Joseph’s Grainery in Colfax is hosting a Healthy Family Dinner Ideas class March 30 – and now’s the time to sign up.

The class costs $13 and takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Whitman County Library, 102 S. Main St. in Colfax. Kelli Collins, who blogs at www.josephs grainery.com, and her father, farmer Bill Myers, will spotlight meals featuring whole grains and legumes.

The class is offered through the Community Colleges of Spokane. Sign up at www.campusce.net/ spokane/course/ course.aspx?C= 2559&pc=1&mc =194&sc=0. Reach the farm offices at (509) 397-3670.

Happy birthday, Ivar!

The founder of Ivar’s Restaurants and Seafood Bars would be turning 110 on Tuesday.

To celebrate, customers who buy a regular-price entrée and say “Happy Birthday” will receive a second dish from a special menu for $1.10. The first 110 guests also get a blueberry dessert. The special runs Tuesday at any Ivar’s, except stadiums.

Ivar Haglund, who died just before his 80th birthday in 1985, opened the first Ivar’s in Seattle in 1938. Today, there are about two dozen eateries, including Spokane Seafood Bar, 14700 E. Indiana Ave. in the Spokane Valley Mall.

For more information, visit www.Ivars.com/ birthday.