Out for Inlander Restaurant Week 2021: Twigs Bistro & Martini Bar and Heritage Bar & Kitchen

You've got less than a week left to enjoy some of the delicious three-course menus that Inland Northwest restaurants are featuring for Inlander Restaurant Week!

If you need ideas for where to make reservations, check out your options here and make sure you remember to bring a face mask with you for the renewed indoor masking guidelines.

TWIGS ($33)
North Spokane: 401 E. Farwell Rd. 509-465-8794
South Spokane: 4320 S. Regal St. 509-443-8000
Downtown Spokane: 808 W. Main Ave. 509-232-3376
Spokane Valley: 14728 E. Indiana Ave. 509-290-5636
Menu served daily from 11 am-close

You won't leave Twigs hungry if you partake in their Inlander Restaurant Week three-course menu, even if you opt for one of the two cocktails offered in the dessert course instead of the donut. Ideally though, you can go with a friend so you can order both, since the donut was maybe the most memorable bite of the entire evening, offering the perfect balance of crisp, sugary dough and delicious caramel sauce. 

But that's skipping ahead. For starters, we both opted for the Twigs Mezza, a platter of four spreads to go with pieces of pita. The hummus, feta cheese and tomato confit were great to try individually or in combo, while the olive tapenade was unexpectedly spicy but great for people who are in love with garlic — like, so in love they want to marry it. (Nothing a Tito's Mule couldn't wash down.)

For our mains, the bistro chicken linguini had a nice buttery, comfort-food feel, while the black and blue coulotte steak came with a generous helping of gorgonzola fondue to complement the pepper crust. The seasonal veggies (yellow squash and red onion) were seasoned well and the potatoes gave a good break from the other delicious strong flavors on the plate. To round things out, an orange clove old fashioned and a bite of that tasty donut made for a great end to the evening.  (SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)

HERITAGE BAR & KITCHEN ($22)
122 S. Monroe St., 509-863-9235
Menu served daily from 4-9 pm

I've always left happy and full after enjoying a meal at Heritage Bar & Kitchen, the cozy, almost-basement pub tucked off of Monroe and Railroad Alley.  So when I saw Heritage's enticingly creative takes on classic pub food offered during Inlander Restaurant Week, I was in.

First up, for the appetizer course, the vegetarian Dr. Pepper chili, made with Impossible Foods' faux ground beef. I could hardly tell I was eating an all-veggie chili (I'm not a vegetarian, but try to go meatless often). The flavors were rich and complex, and save for an absence of large beefy chunks, it was just as delicious as any meat-filled chili. The bacon-jam loaded potato skins were also a hit, and my guest and I were glad both dishes were thoughtfully portioned ahead of two more courses.

For the main, I chose the Built Different Bagel Burger. For this concoction, Heritage's signature smash patty is served between a bun-like version of an Everything bagel, and in between those layers — which held up perfectly to that fat stack of toppings — is also a hash brown patty, a fried egg, bacon, lettuce, tomato, pickle and chive cream cheese.  We also ordered the Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich, and ended up splitting both sandwiches. The chicken sandwich was perfectly breaded, and the meat was juicy and tender. I would have liked a little bit more sauce, but it was still deliciously executed.

For dessert, since we'd already had some beer with our meal — any beer on tap is one of the third-course options, if you want another pint — we went for the sweet waffle sticks coated in cinnamon and sugar with a thick cream cheese spread to dip in, and the Mountain Berry Milkshake. Thankfully, Heritage's team knew its IRW guests would have scarfed down two courses by now, and both these treats, like the appetizers, were also ideal in size. No to-go boxes, and no food wasted on our part, but we had to change into stretchy pants as soon as we got home. (CHEY SCOTT)