Taste Cafe, Spokane, WA

One of my favorite things is food. Arguably this started from birth because of the fact my mom could wipe the floor with anyone currently on The Food Network.  I grew up rarely eating fast food, enjoying luxurious home-cooked meals, and trying anything and everything that came across my plate.

Since my childhood I have grown fond of eating at local places.  Reina and I made a pact a few months ago that whenever we travel we cannot eat at a chain restaurant (with the exception of Anthony's.. of course).  That way we're breaking outside of the culinary comfort zone, more often than not being healthier, all while stimulating the local economy.. or at least giving it our best.

Yesterday was no exception to the rule. While visiting Spokane we stopped in at the Taste Cafe located downtown on the corner of 2nd Ave and Howard St.  Performing on par the food from Taste was fantastic!

I ordered a Wild Salmon Wrap which consisted of a sort of Salmon Melt-esqe mixture (cold), lettuce, soba noodles, and tomatoes and a Spicy Garbanzo and Sausage Soup.  Both were excellent. The only issues I had with them was that the Salmon in the wrap was incredibly rich - to the point where by the end I was feeling very "ugh" and they were a little too liberal with the garbanzo beans in the soup (personal preference more than anything).\

Reina ordered a Salmon Melt Panini which was absolutely delightful as well as a cup of Roasted Red Pepper and Gouda soup.  It was interesting when Reina likened the soup to a taste similar to lasagna, only with a bit more kick to it.

What really caught my eye however was this:

Their cooler was chock-a-block (where did that saying come from???) full of delicious looking pasta salads, casseroles, quiches, and pastries - all of which were homemade.  I will definitely be returning more than once in order to try everything that was in the cooler.  One could easily have lunch there every day and not eat the same thing more than once.

In addition to amazing food, the atmosphere was very... hip?  I'm not really sure how to describe it other than it followed the lines of what is incredibly popular in terms of interior decorating for local cafes these days. It heavily utilized the original brick walls, accented with a local photographers work and these neat looking paper globes hanging from the ceiling. My initial thought was that the location would make for an excellent coffee shop (but they already do coffee there!)

We found out that you can hold private parties, rent the facilities, as well as order catering from them. It seemed like a perfect place to hold something like a casual rehearsal dinner or business lunch meeting.

Overall I'd give the Taste Cafe a 4.5/5 rating with the only downfall being a slight lack of space. The place was absolutely hopping when we arrived at the prime of lunch hour and every table was packed - which is awesome but they still had less than twenty tables. I'm not sure if they have an additional room for larger parties or if they somehow try and fit it all into the main room. Food and service were wonderful as was the location and atmosphere. If you're in the Spokane area, definitely check this joint out.

Blessings,

Connor