Leslie Kelly

Obviously, fall means big seasonal changes - watching the leaves turn, harvesting the last tomatoes and playing that annual guessing game of when exactly to put on the snow tires. For Spokane restaurants with seasonal menus, it means shifting gears to the foods that remind us of autumn: squash, apples, hearty stews and warming pasta dishes.

1. Cooking student Catherine Creer checks out a sauce Ed Tsutakawa created for a salmon dish during a recent class at the Japanese Cultural Center. Photo by Sandra Bancroft-Billings/The Spokesman-Review 2. Tsutakawa slices beef during his cooking class. Photo by Sandra Bancroft-Billings/The Spokesman-Review

(From For the Record, September 28, 1996:) Doxie's Drive-In is in Wilbur, and Tonasket is north of Omak and south of Oroville. Both were located wrong in a story in Friday's Weekend section.

Moon Time's Brad Fosseen, left, and John Grollmus. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

Presuming you haven't stuffed yourself silly on hot dogs and popcorn at the Cougar football game, there are plenty of restaurants in Pullman where you can celebrate the home-opener on Saturday. The Hilltop is a faculty favorite with its meat-and-potatoes menu and a sweeping view of the town. The offerings include a variety of steaks, prime rib and seafood such as prawns, oysters, bay scallops, even lobster. There's also chicken and pasta dishes. For reservations, call 334-2555.

A Spokane institution recently received a much-needed facelift. The Suki Yaki Inn Japanese restaurant has been around for some 45 years, which is an amazing stretch in the restaurant biz. But by the time original owner Harry Omine retired last year at 80, the place was a shadow of its former self. It was dark, dirty and thoroughly unappetizing. Some people referred to it as the "Super Yukky." Enter Amy Collett, an industrious waitress who had worked at the Suki Yaki for 17 years. She bought the place and began making it over.

Thai pizza combines a spicy sauce and fresh vegetables to offer a twist on the traditional pizza pie. Pizza from Tomato Street; plate provided by Joel. Photo by Christopher Anderson/The Spokesman-Review

Recently, I was flooded with letters (OK, there were two) about a hot Mexican restaurant in Bonners Ferry. Eva Thomson from Libby, Mont., wrote that Alberto's on Highway 95 is the best Mexican fare she's ever eaten. "The food is authentic Mexican cooking," she wrote, making it worthy of the two-hour drive from Spokane.

A dispute between two Spokane restaurants over allegedly purloined recipes will be decided in dry legal documents or in a stuffy courtroom. But, as Betty Crocker might philosophize, the proof is in the pudding. And after spending a couple of nights sampling nearly identical dishes at Finnerty's at the Arena and Clinkerdagger, I was struck by a certain sameness. I found the meals at both mediocre, especially after shelling out nearly $20 for each dinner. But before I dish the dirt on the food, here's some background on the brouhaha: When upstart Finnerty's recently opened a competing restaurant with Clinkerdagger-like preparations on its menu, Clink's parent company cried foul. Seattle-based Restaurants Unlimited filed suit against Finnerty's and two former Clinkerdagger employees now working at that restaurant. The action alleges the menu at Finnerty's was developed using Clink's top-secret recipe book. While the suit simmers, the squabble has prompted some snickers among area restaurateurs. A bar and grill in the Valley posted a nightly special touting its prime rib cooked on a bed of rock salt. Wink, wink. However, most people in the business of feeding a hungry public concede this type of thing happens often. "I remember a couple of guys who took our whole recipe book and opened a restaurant in Montana," said Jim Becker, one of the owners of the Chapter 11 chain. "But it wasn't the same and they went out of business." Without some borrowing of ideas, culinary trends wouldn't sweep the nation. Buffalo wings would be served only at a dive bar in Buffalo.

Perusing the menu from this year's Pig Out in the Park, I'm struck by how much is the same old, same old. I suppose restaurateurs don't want to fix something that's not broken. Give the public what they want, never mind tempting them with something new and different.

I truly admire the concept of a restaurant dedicated strictly to seafood. Most fish-friendly eateries serve the cursory chicken patty or burger, but at Monarch Fisheries, no turf is offered with the surf.

Dave Hill flames a dish at his Hill's Someplace Else downtown. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review

The popular sushi chef at the Shogun, Kou Moua, has left, reportedly to start his own place. "Cow," as his loyal regulars call him, was known as much for his gift of gab as for his superb sushi. He will be missed. "I've eaten sushi all along the West Coast and Kou makes some of the best I've ever eaten," said sushi afficiando Doug Olson, owner of Harry O's. Kou's replacement is Steve Ball, who did a fine job the night I stopped by to sit in the tiny sushi bar. I enjoyed the eel, the spicy tuna roll and the delicate yellowtail.

This is a love story, but not the Harlequin variety. This steamy tale is set in Texas. In July - when it's unspeakably hot and humid and the countryside is a lovely shade of dusty brown. It doesn't sound like the spot for a dream vacation. Unless, of course, you're on a baseball pilgrimage. By arranging for my husband to spend his 40th birthday watching his favorite team, the Seattle Mariners, take on the division rival Texas Rangers, I had agreed to sit through three outings of a game that I've always thought went on a few innings too long. But somehow on this little adventure, I surprised myself by falling in love with baseball and with Texas.

Was the glow of the fire supposed to make the dining room cozy and romantic? Maybe, but it was over 90 degrees outside and not a lot cooler inside. Being seated in front of a faux fire for dinner seemed downright comical.

1. Pineapple sage 2. Purple ruffles basil 3. Golden sage 4. Thom Sadoski (left) and Diane Green raise vegetables and herbs for Sandpoint-area restaurants such as Swan's Landing, where chef Marshall Blanchard prepares meals. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

What's up with the Sandpoint dining scene? It seems lately that one restaurant after another is permanently checking out. Bradley's, the city's creative French bistro, recently closed. That was on the heels of Gregory's going under and The Cupboard being shuttered. Former owner Robert Bradley said his restaurant just wasn't being supported.

Wolfe's Place on the River has the feel of home. Photo courtesy of Wolf's Place

1. Youngsters watch the surf surge against the seawall at Fort Point on the bay side of San Francisco's Golden Gate. Photos by San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau 2. Taking advantage of winds off the bay, a young boy flies a kite ont he Marina Green.

There's something comforting about the familiarity of chain restaurants. Whether an Applebee's Neighborhood Bar & Grill is in Spokane or Fort Worth, Texas, you can presumably expect the same menu, the same standard of service and a similar atmosphere. (At last count, there are currently 820 Applebee's in eight countries, making it the fastest-growing casual dining chain in the world.) One way this chain has distinguished itself is to cleverly customize the decor at each location, giving it a neighborhood feel. For instance, at the Valley store, the entryway is crammed with memorabilia from the three area high schools, including a West Valley band uniform hanging from the wall.

Gina Lanza's latest venture is The Anaconda Grille. Photo by Shawn Jacobson/The Spokesman-Review

The menu at the new Moon Time in Coeur d'Alene elevates pub grub to new heights. Instead of the classic beer accompaniments like pickled pig's feet, try sinking your chompers into a Caribbean pork sandwich - meat basted in a ginger-orange sauce and served with carmelized onions. Or, a lamb sandwich is given a Greek accent with a side of tzaziki, the yogurt-cucumber salad. The ale house and restaurant was recently launched at 1602 Sherman Ave. by John Grollmus, Jeff Meagher and Brad Fossen. They have transformed a former antique store-cafe into a homey, English-style pub complete with dartboards and a copper bar.

Here's a gastronomic fantasy: Get five of Spokane's hottest chefs together in one kitchen and have them cook up a meal to complement merlot, the state's hottest wine varietal. This is actually a dream that will come true during a lavish benefit dinner on July 26. The event is called Mostly Merlot (because a late-harvest gewurztraminer will be served with the dessert course). This event marks the first time Spokane's finest restaurants have collaborated on such a grand scale.

People often pick my cerebrum about where to celebrate life's special moments and have a great meal all at the same time. That can be a tall order. However, I have no reservations about recommending Beverly's at The Coeur d'Alene Resort as the region's premier special occasion dining spot. Its incredible view, gracious service and quietly elegant decor provide a fitting backdrop for an impressively broad menu. Many hotel restaurants play it safe by serving mostly mainstream selections and, to be sure, the prime rib is one of the hottest sellers at Bev's. But steaks and the like are nicely balanced with such inventive dishes as halibut and mussels in a Thai curry broth, a vegetarian version of sushi and a cheesy eggplant tamale pie.