Dodos at the High Spot focuses on from-scratch, ‘out of the box’ menu
Joe Absolor discovered that you can indeed go home again, a fact that delights local food lovers.
On Dec. 5, the chef opened Dodos at the High Spot with lifelong friend Todd Zyph.
They’ve transformed the site of the former Stupid Cow Cafe in Spokane Valley into a fine dining destination.
“Todd and I grew up together,” Absolor said. “His brothers are my brothers – his parents are my second parents.”
In fact, Zyph’s mom pointed him to the pathway of his present career.
“I was a lost 20-year-old and didn’t know what I wanted to do,” he recalled. “Todd’s mom said, ‘You should go to culinary school.’”
Cooking is second nature to Absolor. He remembers peeling asparagus with his grandmother and said his mom is an excellent cook.
The friends moved to Arizona together.
“He went to the art institute, and I went to culinary school,” Absolor said. “Cooking changed my life. I didn’t know how much I’d love it until I was immersed in it.”
Zyph returned to Spokane Valley, but Absolor stayed in Arizona for 23 years, working in restaurants and eventually moving to the corporate cooking world.
While the corporate gig offered stability, the chef was constantly on the move, managing 20-plus restaurants around the country.
“I always wanted to move back to Spokane,” he said. “My family is here.”
He’s also always wanted to open a restaurant in Spokane Valley, and when he saw the Stupid Cow listed for sale, he told Zyph.
“Why don’t we go into business together?” his friend asked.
Absolor said 30 days later, he packed up his condo and was on the road to Spokane.
They gutted the rustic-looking café, removing walls and adding windows. The earth-tone color palette and cozy globe lights offer a welcoming ambience for hungry diners.
Absolor’s nephew prompted the name.
“My family calls me Jojo, but he couldn’t say it, so he calls me Dodo.”
The “High Spot” refers to a sign they found during the renovation. They plan to display it at some point.
He incorporated the restaurant name into a couple of pizzetas – the Dodoboogie and Dodobaba. The mini pizzas are perfect starters or a meal for those with lighter appetites. Last week, Absolor debuted a new version featuring burrata and prosciutto with pistachio-apricot pesto.
“All the dough is made in-house,” he said. “Everything in Dodos is made from scratch. Everything is fresh – nothing frozen except the fries.”
His favorite menu item changes often, but last week it was the chicken wings.
“It’s a little out of the box,” he said. “I make them with caramelized sugar and fish sauce and serve them with a side of wasabi ranch.”
The result is a sweet and savory bite with a bit of a kick when dipped in the dressing.
Another unusual appetizer had my husband, Derek, hooked from the first bite. The clam chowder pot pie features a chowder chock full of baby clams and scallops and topped with a buttery, flaky crust.
“This is what a cup of clam chowder should always be like,” Derek said.
Entrees include succulent scallops in Thai red curry. Each scallop was nestled on top of a slice of Japanese sweet potato.
Every bite was a revelation, but I minded my manners and didn’t lick the plate.
Those with a hearty appetite can’t go wrong with the chicken-fried pork chop. The tender breaded chop is served atop a bed of wild mushrooms and olive oil-smashed fingerling potatoes.
Veggie lovers have plenty to choose from, including crispy cauliflower, truffle fries and a beet salad with three styles of beets mingled with goat cheese and pistachios.
The full bar offers a variety of high-end cocktails, including “The Perfect Martini” served with plenty of blue cheese olives and a small shaker on the side.
Absolor calls his cuisine “modern American.”
“I want the freedom to do it all,” he said.
Just American Desserts provides a sweet finish to your meal, provided you saved room.
Dodos seats 55, and when patio season arrives, there will be seating for 24 outdoors. Weekend brunch will be added before Mother’s Day.
The chef enjoys the vibe of a full house.
“I want a loud rambunctious place – not stuffy and quiet,” he said. “When people are laughing and talking, they’re happy – that’s the most important thing.”
He’s glad to be home, using his creative cooking skills to feed the community.
“I love being back in Spokane with my family,” Absolor said. “I’ve been blessed with an outpouring of compliments. I don’t take that for granted – hopefully you can taste that in my food.”
Contact Cindy Hval at dchval@juno.com