Is it weird to choose where you're eating this Restaurant Week based solely on the dessert choices? Definitely not! Since some of us don't often order something sweet due to feeling too stuffed after drinks, apps and entrees, Restaurant Week may be one of few times a sweet finale is included. So choose wisely, and consider the following suggestions.
One of the most visually stunning dishes among this year's dessert courses is SAFARI ROOM FRESH GRILL & BAR's strawberry fig entremet — fittingly described as "whimsical" — with its ombre pink and red triangles of encased mousse under a fluffy "cloud" of cotton candy. HERITAGE BAR & KITCHEN also embraces nostalgic whimsy with its Pop-Tart pancakes, topped with maple syrup and strawberries.
We were also struck by the sheer size of the slice of jaffa cake from OUTSIDER, a Genoise sponge cake with orange and chocolate (we don't blame anyone for not sharing).
Huckleberry-themed desserts also abound this year, among them a classic huckleberry ice cream sundae at CEDARS in Coeur d'Alene, plus with DRY FLY DISTILLING's smoked chocolate brownie topped with a Triticale whiskey huckleberry sauce. Mmmm.... TABLE 13 has a huckleberry river cake of cream cheese mousse, lemon sponge, white chocolate and a huckleberry Chambourd sauce.
For more sweets with an old fashioned inspiration, HOGWASH WHISKEY DEN has a beer bread pudding; meanwhile, PURGATORY CRAFT BEER & WHISKEY BAR has a strawberry pound cake to rival your grandma's. At SWEET LOU'S in Post Falls, the chocolate chip cookie skillet, baked fresh to order, is a simple classic, topped with Tillamook vanilla bean ice cream that immediately melts into the creamy, gooey treat.
There's nothing weird about enjoying ice cream in winter, so don't sleep on graham cracker gelato at INLAND PACIFIC KITCHEN, nor a trio of flavors — cherry, stracciatella and whiskey cream — from the local Gelato by the Lake served at VICINO PIZZA.
Finally, chocolate lovers can rejoice over many decadent options, including the CENTENNIAL RESTAURANT's coffee cup tiramisu, which is served in an edible chocolate coffee cup. Whoa. And at 1898 PUBLIC HOUSE, relish in the best of both worlds via its chocolate peanut butter cake, topped with Reese's cups and a chocolate drizzle.
