Klink’S Setting Is A Real Catch
Many would call L.J. Klinkenberg’s work environment downright idyllic.
On most days, he’s greeted by the birds singing, the creek burbling and, just out the window of Klink’s restaurant, the sun dancing off the surface of Williams Lake, southwest of Cheney.
There’s no doubting Klinkenberg’s sincerity when he enthuses: “I really do love it here.”
Klinkenberg and his parents — Jerry and Sandy — have turned a formerly humble lake resort into a destination dining spot (W. 18617 Williams Lake Road, 235-2391).
When they bought the place 10 years ago, it had just a small sandwich counter and a tackle shop.
“We had the whole family out here helping us and my mom had made some spaghetti,” said Klinkenberg, who turns 23 in two weeks. “A customer came in and said he didn’t want a burger. He asked what else we had and we said there was spaghetti.”
The venture just took off from there.
They gradually expanded the dining room and added a large, shaded deck. Klinkenberg started out working summers as a kitchen helper. A year and a half ago, he graduated from Spokane Community College’s culinary program.
Now, he works with his former professors while a fellow grad (Trevor Bradley) and a current culinary student (Greg Abt) serve as line cooks. Peter Tobin will be the executive chef at Klink’s for his second summer and another SCC instructor, Greg Richards, works the floor.
“It’s great because we have people who are really into food, who care a lot about little details,” said Klinkenberg, whose official title is sous chef.
That care comes across on each plate, but especially in the weekend fresh sheets. They include such innovative entrees as pan-seared cod with melon chutney, trout with Cajun seasonings and apple salsa, and a polenta Napoleon garnished with sage flowers.
Even the chicken-fried steak - offered as a special every Wednesday - gets a creative twist.
“I like to do what they call vertical cooking, so I make it tall by taking the chicken-fried steak and leaning it up against a big stack of whipped potatoes,” Klinkenberg said. The leaning tower of meat and potatoes is then topped with rich gravy made with cream that has 40 percent butterfat.
That classic comfort food might be garnished with a sprig of fresh sage from the restaurant’s pretty herb garden out back. There, they grow several varieties of thyme, chives, oregano, Italian parsley and a few tomato plants. Most of the basil was wiped out during the unseasonably cold and wet spring.
“It’s fun to come out here and pick stuff in the morning,” Klinkenberg said. “I’m always trying to think of new ways to use the herbs.”
The kitchen also uses produce from local farmers whenever possible.
A portion of Klinkenberg’s day is spent chopping veggies and making sauces, stocks and the restaurant’s popular salad dressings (which will soon be available in supermarkets and specialty food shops). He also frequently smokes his own salmon and helps his mom when she makes the homey desserts. Her marionberry cobbler is a Klink’s tradition.
Most of their business consists of repeat customers, but they still get diners who are delighted to stumble across this gastronomic gem.
“We have people telling us they can’t believe they’ve found food this good in the middle of nowhere,” Klinkenberg said.
Like all chefs worth their salt, Klinkenberg enjoys getting feedback from his customers.
“There’s one lady who comes in every week with her husband. He always has prime rib and she comes in asking, ‘What am I eating tonight?”’ Klinkenberg said. “Then, she’ll rate the dishes. She loved this creamy seafood lasagna I did a couple of weeks ago and has been asking when I’m going to do it again.”
Klink’s Classic Stuffed Chicken Breast
This is one of the more popular (if not particularly low-calorie) specials. If it seems too involved, Klinkenberg said, you could just prepare the pesto sauce for pasta.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons basil pesto (recipe follows)
8 thin slices Swiss cheese
6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto or other ham
2 cups white wine
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, cut into pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
Bechamel sauce (recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Trim fat from chicken breasts and pound to an even thickness. Spread 1 tablespoon pesto on each piece, then top with Swiss cheese and ham. Roll up and secure with a toothpick.
Place chicken rolls in a nonreactive baking pan at least 2 inches deep, add wine and butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 30 to 35 minutes and serve topped with bechamel sauce.
Yield: 4 servings.
Nutrition information per serving (without bechamel sauce): 756 calories, 38 grams fat (45 percent fat calories), 5 grams carbohydrate, 75 grams protein, 223 milligrams cholesterol, 1,559 milligrams sodium.
Pesto
1 cup fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
3 cloves fresh garlic
1-1/2 ounces salted cashews (or pine nuts)
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
About 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
In a food processor or blender, pulse the first four ingredients into a paste. With the motor running, add oil gradually until smooth.
Yield: About 4 ounces, or 8 tablespoons.
Nutrition information per tablespoon: 127 calories, 12 grams fat (85 percent fat calories), 2 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams protein, 2 milligrams cholesterol, 91 milligrams sodium.
Herb Bechamel Sauce
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced shallots
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
Pinch nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
Make a roux by melting butter or heating olive oil in a small saucepan, stirring in flour to make a smooth paste and cooking over medium heat until lightly browned.
Saute garlic and shallots in olive oil over medium heat until transparent. Add basil and wine, bring to a boil and simmer until mixture is reduced by half. Add milk and cream and heat almost until boiling.
Whip in the roux and add the nutmeg. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Yield: 4 servings.
Nutrition information per serving (using 2 percent milk): 285 calories, 27 grams fat (85 percent fat calories), 7 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams protein, 80 milligrams cholesterol, 99 milligrams sodium.