Dining: two unforgettable experiences

Above : Scallops dish at Beverly’s.

I don’t usually write about my dining-out experiences on this blog. But recently I’ve enjoyed two excellent dinners, and I thought I’d write about them.

The first was at Beverly’s , the restaurant at the Coeur d’Alene Resort. My wife and I joined a pair of friends, one of whom was celebrating her birthday, and we all stayed over night (hint: ask for rooms with a lake view).

Before out dinner reservation, which was for 8:30, we spent a couple of hours at the resort’s Lakeside Infinity Pool (free shuttle service to and from is included). At dinner, we ordered a range of dishes, from salmon and Filet Mignon to scallops and simply a salad and stuffed baked potato. And not only was the service terrific — informative, friendly and yet not pushy — but our server brought our birthday celebrant a special dish of ice cream embedded in a mass of cotton candy.

Then this past Friday night, we met up with an old friend at Eyvind , the new downtown eatery of Spokane chef Tony Brown . Again, the service was great — friendly and willing to let us sit and talk long after we’d finished eating (no one was waiting to get a table, so we didn’t feel pushed).

And the food was perfect: just the right amount at just the right price (unlike massive amounts at hefty prices). Monkfish, salmon and Dan Dan noodles (spinach noodles with mushrooms, which I couldn’t resist) and dessert (basil-flavored ice cream and, believe it or not, parsnip cake).

Spokane diners have a lot of great options, in pretty much every kind of cuisine possible. Beverly’s and Eyvind are among the best.

Next time I go to Eyvind, though, I hope they don’t sell out the Brussels sprouts starter dish before I can get my hands on some.