Recently Reviewed

by Inlander Staff & lt;BR & Empyrean Coffee Shop and Caf & eacute; -- Featuring Shop coffee, Fery's food and Sweetwater breads Empyrean (in the old Luminaria space) serves quick foods and beverages in a sophisticated yet warm and inviting atmosphere. The sandwiches are $5.50, salads, $3.95. There are mini pizza bagels (with pepperoni, sausage or veggie) for $2.50 and a selection of amazing-looking desserts. The sausage-and-cheese-stuffed bagel pocket was heated panini-style and served with Fery's famous chicken and spinach pasta salad. The pocket was a little on the bread-y side but the pasta salad was excellent, with ziti and rotini cooked to absolute al dente perfection and mixed with tasty little chunks of white chicken meat and tender leaves of fresh spinach with a lightly applied creamy dressing with a parmesan-y, lemony zing. 154 S. Madison St. Call: 456-3676 (Reviewed 6/23/05, MC)





Fiesta Charra -- This place offers great service and authentic, tasty Mexican food in an unpretentious, out-of-the-way location (on top of the Sunset Hill next to the Motel 6). The lunch menu is good until 3 pm and features a variety of dishes from the main menu at bargain prices. The large chicken enchilada is filled with a generous amount of very high-quality shredded chicken breast. 1520 S. Rustle Rd. Call 835-5606. Also at 505 Second Ave in Cheney. Call 235-5679 (Reviewed 5/26/05, MC)





Rocky Rococo -- Rocky Rococo has been serving Spokane's pizza needs for 18 years, and here's why: The location and atmosphere are great, the pies are uniquely tasty deep-dish numbers, the staff is cheerful and the salad bar is probably the best you'll find downtown. For lunch, the unlimited salad bar for $6 is a good option, but so is the #3 special (a regular slice of your choice with a trip to the salad bar and a medium soda) at $6.39. A "slice" here is a sturdy rectangular slab of crunchy-chewy crust topped with a sweet and tangy sauce, melted cheese, and your choice of toppings. 520 W. Main Ave. Call 747-1000. (Reviewed 3/10/05, MC)





The Globe Bar and Grill -- The Globe's pub grub is a cut above, with a menu featuring French, Jamaican, Greek, American, Spanish and Italian dishes along with a good selection of good ol' Northwest microbrews. It's dark inside with a long wooden bar, a scattering of tables and a row of booths. The menu has seven salads and a page and a half of sandwiches. The muffuletta sandwich ($9.25) was big, stacked thick with ham and spicy salami along with a little tomato and lettuce to wet the palate and slathered all over with an exquisite olive tapenade on thick, lightly toasted foccaccia. Divine. 204 N. Division. Call: 744-0438 (Reviewed 4/14/05, JS)





Maggie's Grill -- Maggie's seat-yourself, order-at-the-counter style of dining adds a new twist to South Hill neighborhood dining. The menu includes sandwiches, wraps, salads and hot entrees like lasagna, chicken pot pie, flat iron steak, roasted honey ginger chicken and broiled lemon shrimp skewers. The Thai chicken noodle ($11) was quite pleasant and spicy with a rich, tangy peanut sauce, thick noodles, grilled chicken and crispy cabbage slaw that added texture and coolness. The pan-seared ahi tuna ($15) -- encrusted with black sesame seeds and served with wasabi aioli -- was also very tasty. 2808 E. 29th Ave. Call 536-4745. (Reviewed 3/31/05, LM)