Dining

LOS ANGELES – The Tropic Truck has set up shop on the outer edges of a strip center parking lot, just steps from an insurance agency, barbershop and other businesses that have yet to reopen after wildfires jumped from Eaton Canyon to Altadena, a foothills community in the shadows of the San Gabriel Mountains.

The James Beard Awards announced its 2025 semifinalists Wednesday morning, with the Seattle area getting 16 spots for candidates in the Oscars of the restaurant world.

When you walk into Little Tokyo Hibachi and Bento Box, it’s easy to forget you’re in a strip mall on busy North Sullivan Road.

This Saturday, the Couer d’Alene Downtown Association will host its eighth Mac & Cheese Festival, and even though general admission and VIP tickets are sold out (totaling 2,000 tickets), there are still pathways to attend.

Tastea Coffee and Boba Lounge is about big city boba, featuring the newest trends: fruit jams, cheese foams and dirty sodas. Authentic Vietnamese coffee so good customers wish they could order it by the quart (Hint: try it with ube cold foam). Luxe furnishings meant for congregating with friends and snapping photos of your order.

Clinkerdagger celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, as it opened in 1974. 

Kevin Pereira is hoping the third time’s the charm.

When you think of mall food courts, exotic menus usually don’t come to mind, but a new restaurant at the Spokane Valley Mall has upped the ante on flavor.

When Jacey Dawis makes cotton candy, it’s not usually a fluffy cone typically spun at the fair. Her creations are much more artistic, shaped to be everything from a unicorn to a flower to a Minion.

Patera started as a kitchen project between co-owners Annie McGuinness and Darold Miller, who also happen to be engaged. They were making sourdough, custards, kombucha and more. McGuinness especially loved experimenting with fermentation.

Glittering chandeliers resembling dandelion puffs. Tables covered in white starched cloths set with quality china and gold flatware.

A new restaurant has opened in Spokane’s South Perry district that merges the cuisines of Mexico and India, offering everything from naan tacos to steak with masala compound butter.

Yomiuri Shimbun

Brew Peddler, a new coffee shop on Spokane’s South Hill that had a soft opening last month, will begin serving food at its official grand opening celebration Friday.

Gooey cinnamon rolls, flaky croissants and other baked goods fill the shelves of the Leaven Bakery & Patisserie in Deer Park three days a week, at least until hungry shoppers clear the display cases each day.

Going out on a date night? In this economy? While stagflationary dining may seem outlandish, it is possible with $50 and a little scheduling. Better than that, you can eat at places that inspire you to dress up and don’t limit you to Rainier and fries (unless that’s your vibe; no judgment).

It took them two years but in July, Kurt and Sarah Wood completed an ambitious and delicious project: They dined their way through the alphabet.

Taste of Chewelah returns bigger than ever this year, featuring 12 taste providers, a variety of musicians and a silent art auction.