Area’s Top Chefs Team Up For Merlot Celebration-Benefit

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.

Each of the five courses has been created to complement specially selected merlots. The winemakers will be on hand to discuss trade secrets and to tipple with guests.

Here’s the lowdown on the menu:

For the first course, Luna chef Brett Fontana has come up with Madagascar seared scallops with wilted spinach, red pepper puree and pickled pumpkin ribbons. It will be served with L’Ecole No. 41’s ‘94 merlot.

Karla Graves, from Paprika, has designed the salad course - a quail salad with wild mushrooms, baby greens and plum sauce. The ‘93 Chateau Ste. Michelle merlot from Cold Creek Vineyard will be poured with this course.

The main course, a stuffed tenderloin of beef with gorgonzola vinaigrette, will be created by Windows of the Seasons’ Yannich Droogmans. It will be accompanied by a Gordon Brothers merlot from the 1993 vintage.

Robert Schweiger at Patsy Clark’s will serve a ginger-marinated duck breast, grilled and served with a crispy wonton and Northwest plum sauce. That should marry well with the flavors of Caterina’s ‘94 merlot.

Fugazzi’s Bob Hancock will create the meal’s finishing touch - a rosemary polenta poundcake with a lemon buttermilk ice and seasonal berries. It will be served with the 1994 late-harvest gewurtz from Kiona.

Tickets for the five-course feast, which starts at 7 p.m. on the 26th at Cavanaugh’s Inn at the Park, are $100 apiece. While that tab might sound hefty, keep in mind that proceeds will benefit Cancer Patient Care, an organization that provides assistance to low-income cancer patients.

For ticket information, call Cancer Patient Care office at 456-0446.

But where’s the chow-da?

What’s the scoop on the new Boston Market? This chain promises to deliver meals like Mom used to make.

My mother’s specialty was Swanson TV dinners, so naturally this place was going to exceed my expectations.

Seriously, the meal I got to-go at Boston Market was surprisingly good. I tried the moist, flavorful rotisserie chicken and chose two side dishes from a more than a dozen hot and cold selections. (The eager staff will give you samples of any of the items.)

The mashed potatoes were above average, fluffy but substantial. Real spuds were used. (I asked.) The dressing had bits of onion and celery and I could actually taste some sage. A cranberry-walnut relish was refreshingly tart, not too sweet. The only thing that tasted pre-fab was the gravy.

Boston Market also offers meatloaf, chicken pot pies, rotisserie turkey, ham and a variety of sandwiches. Prices range from $3.99 for a meal with dark chicken meat to $25.49 for a double feast for five to seven people. The pot pies are $3.99 and a feast for two to three people will set you back $13.

The first Boston Market opened a couple of weeks ago at 13920 E. Sprague, near the southeast corner of Sprague and Evergreen. Its phone number is 891-8900.

Another is scheduled to open Saturday at 2026 N. Argonne Road. The phone number there is 891-0500.

Great outdoor update

The response was terrific to my request for reader’s favorite outdoor dining spots.

Suzanne Capstick recommended the Cannon Street Grill in Browne’s Addition. “It’s small, but a very pleasant place,” she said.

Buzz Arndt from Sandpoint wanted to know how we could possibly neglect to mention The Garden with “the finest outdoor eating available.”

Juice extractor extraordinaire Linda McClain wanted to call attention to the various vendors at The Spokane Marketplace. Munchies fit for a picnic in the park include sandwiches made from buffalo, Mexican food and Oriental cuisine. Wash that down with a smoothie from McClain’s juice bar.

Tom Michels called to alert us of his fairly new eatery in Post Falls. In addition to indoor seating, Michel’s offers dining on a 12-foot deck outside that has a dandy view of Mount Spokane. It’s on Pleasant View Road.

Judith Farrey praised the food at the Hudson Bay Resort in Bayview.

A couple of people called to praise the peaceful courtyard at the SS Beryl on Wall Street. Bo Cunningham said it’s a wonderful place for good food and it has a nice selection of tropical drinks perfect for warm summer nights. Lissa Brown rated the courtyard as an excellent place to savor wonderful seafood.

Louise McKay from Curlew wrote to recommend the charming outdoor courtyard at Cafe Italiano in Colville. She likes the restaurant’s European menu and ambiance.

Other spots suggested for dining al fresco were Cafe Roma in Lincoln Heights, The Onion on North Division and Taco Time on South Grand.

Brand new menus

A trio of restaurants owned by Cyrus Vaughn and his partners have recently undergone some exciting new developments.

For the first time in years, Cyrus O’Leary’s has updated its huge menu.

Among the new items are a firecracker shrimp, egg rolls, a Santa Fe chicken with a corn and jicama salsa, a shrimp and feta saute, a hero sandwich stuffed with char-broiled veggies and barbecued baby back ribs, coated with a special brown sugar-pepper glaze.

The Coyote Cafe introduced its summer menu with fresh fare such as a fruit platter and several dishes featuring chicken salad including a quesadilla. The restaurant also deserves special mention for its low-fat offerings that range from steamed veggies served with a made-from-scratch ranch dressing to a skinny burrito with fat-free sour cream and a side of fat-free rice and beans.

Finally, Tomato Bros. has changed its name to Tomato Street - to avoid being confused with a Tomato Bros. in Lewiston under different ownership - and added some new items to its menu.

Among the new dishes are a seafood fettucini with creamy pesto sauce, a tortellini salad with smoked bell peppers and pinenuts, a Sicilian pasta that features peppers, artichoke hearts and pepperoni and a tri-color tortellini with Gulf shrimp in a garlic cream sauce.

The big chill

For people who can’t eat dairy, summer can be a bummer with everyone indulging in ice cream and frozen yogurt.

Until now.

The dairy-impaired should check out a wonderful chilly treat made from tea at Yogurt Supreme at Lincoln Heights.

This cool, soft-serve concoction comes in several interesting flavors including lemon-ginseng, mango-ginger and peach.

It’s refreshing and tastes creamy despite the lack of moo juice.

Check this stuff out. It gives new meaning to the term iced tea.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Hot off the grill A readerboard at The Hedge House advertising a dinner special of turkey testicles recently caught my eye. Heck, I nearly swerved off the road. Was this some kind of a joke? Nope, that poultry’s private parts are breaded, deep-fried and then served at this once-a-year event. And what do this pint-sized Rocky Mountain oysters taste like? Chicken, of course. Chicken gizzards, according to the folks at the restaurant.