Rainbow’S Got Down-Home Fare

“Crystal, I need a combo plate with extra gizzards!” was the cry from the bartender/waitress into the kitchen at La Rue’s Rainbow Inn on the east shore of Hauser Lake.

Yup, that order just kind of set the tone for this place — a throwback to another time with its knotty pine dining room and down-home menu.

I went to this lakeside resort on a mission. A Rainbow regular had raved about their chicken-fried steak. This guy had supped on chicken-fried steaks all across the country and there was none better than the Rainbow’s. So he said.

Now, chicken-fried steak isn’t likely to show up on the menu of some chi-chi restaurant. This humble dish with a Southern heritage is quintessential cafe fare, born from a need to doll up cheaper cuts of meat.

Not all chicken-frieds are created equal, though. When it’s bad, this dish can be rubbery and greasy. The worst are those precooked patties warmed in the microwave. But when it’s good, chicken-fried steak can be a memorable mouthful.

And that’s what I found at the Rainbow.

On my first visit, for lunch last week, kids were jumping off the dock into the sun-dappled water as I pulled into the gravel parking lot. There was a fishing rod leaning up against the front door, with a cup of worms by its side. I guess the trusting fisherman was taking a break inside.

When I walked through the swinging wooden door, everyone sitting at the bar swung around to have a look, just like in the old Westerns. This is a real neighborhood hangout, that much was clear, but I still felt welcome.

Take a seat anywhere, the bartender called out.

In the cozy dining room, lacy curtains hung on the windows and there was an ashtray on every table. The walls were covered with pastoral paintings and silk flowers adorned the booths. There were cloth napkins, even at lunch.

What they didn’t have during the noon hour were mashed potatoes. “The cook’s very particular about her mashed potatoes. She likes to make them fresh every day,” in late afternoon, the pleasant server explained.

Fair enough.

I admire a kitchen that doesn’t warm up day-old potatoes.

Instead of the dinner with mashed spuds, I ordered a chicken-fried steak sandwich with a side of fries (which was 75 cents extra).

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a sandwich quite like it, either. The golden-fried cube steak was so huge, it hung over the toasted bun. Once I added the slices of tomato, onion and iceberg lettuce, I couldn’t fathom how I was going to wrap my mouth around this monster.

But somehow I managed.

The crispy coating crunched as I took my first bite. The steak was juicy inside and tender enough. Oh, yeah. This was the real deal.

The big fat fries were first-rate, too, hand-cut and fried deep brown. They weren’t exactly crispy, but certainly not limp. What made them special was the real potato taste.

I also tried a bite of my buddy’s burger — a thick, hand-formed patty that dripped as you ate it. This sure beat the sandwiches I’ve had recently at those upscale burger joints. For one thing, you could actually taste the meat. It wasn’t just the background for some fancy toppings.

The patty even had those crusty brown edges from searing it on the grill.

It was thick, juicy and so good.

Of course, I had to come back and try those potatoes.

This time, I went for the hot turkey sandwich — a huge platter that was swimming with tan-colored turkey gravy.

And, yes, the potatoes were good. There was a big pile of them with just enough lumps to prove that they hadn’t come out of a package. Well, there was also the sound of mixer I heard running in the kitchen.

The generous portion of turkey was the thin-sliced lunch meat variety, not the roasted bird you’ll find on the table at Thanksgiving. But it worked well on this open-face sandwich.

The only thing missing on this monochromatic plate was a side of cranberry sauce.

I also got to try a bite of the chicken-fried steak dinner, which was ordered by someone else at the table.

It was as tasty as the first time, the same crispy coating, but this time sitting on a lake of sausage-studded country gravy. I wasn’t crazy about the gravy, though. It tasted bland and didn’t really add anything but calories.

The dinner comes with a choice of potato — baked, fries, hash browns or mashed — a side of mixed veggies (steamed, frozen green beans, corn and cubed carrots) and a roll. Add a salad bar for $2 extra. (I spotted deviled eggs among the salad bar offerings.)

Sure, there are other steaks on the menu — a top sirloin, a ribeye or T-bone. There’s even a bacon-wrapped filet mignon.

But every other restaurant in this region offers those cuts of beef.

There just aren’t that many places — yes, we’ve been to Thud’s — that can crow about their chicken-fried steak.

My next trip over to the Rainbow, I think I’ll go for breakfast so I can size up their chicken-fried steak and eggs.

This sidebar appeared with the story: La Rue’s Rainbow Inn 7090 E. Hauser Lake Road (208) 773-5617

La Rue’s Rainbow Inn *** The tab, etc. Breakfast starts at $4 and tops out at $15 for a T-bone and eggs. For lunch, sandwiches run between $3 and $7, with the chicken-fried steak sand ringing in at $6.25. Most dinners are under $8, with a few of the steak and seafood items hitting the $15 range. There’s a kid’s menu, too, with everything under $5. They take Visa, MasterCard and personal checks. Smoking is allowed. Serving Breakfast, lunch and dinner every day of the year except Thanksgiving and Christmas. (On Turkey Day, they still open for breakfast.) The kitchen serves until 1 a.m. There’s a full bar, with several beers on tap. The wine list is short, but well-priced. There’s even a merlot from Sandpoint on the list, from Pend d’Oreille Winery.

What the ratings mean: **** Excellent *** Great ** Good * Fair