Recently Reviewed

by Inlander Staff


The Beachouse -- Located just a mile or two from downtown Coeur d'Alene, the Beachouse makes the most of its faux nautical d & eacute;cor. The menu consists of basic pub fare, glammed up for an upscale crowd. There's a Cashew Chicken Salad ($8), a Crab Salad Sandwich ($9) and a Bacon Brie Buffalo Burger ($10). The Beachouse Tacos ($8) -- & ordm;marinated mini-shrimp and whitefish in lightly fried corn tortillas -- were oily but delicious and served with perfect garlic mash potatoes. The Beyond the Reuben ($9) -- with stone-ground mustard and shredded cabbage in place of the usual Thousand Island dressing and sauerkraut -- was tasty but not the Reuben experience our tasters were looking for. Service was polite, if not terribly speedy or competent. 3204 N. Coeur d'Alene Lake Dr., CdA. Call: (208) 664-6464 (7/1/04, SB)





Coffee House -- Coffee House (across the street from the Rock Pointe office complex) has an informal-but-inviting groove: not too cozy or too edgy, but somewhere in between. There are about a dozen tables, plus overstuffed chairs and plenty of windows for traffic- and people-watching. The coffee was excellent. They don't bake their own goods, but instead offer a selection from a handful of local bakeries. Ready-made sandwiches are available courtesy of the Viking. Soups have just been introduced. The scones ($1.70) are enormous and fresh with a homemade taste. The banana bread ($1.60) delivered a strong banana presence. The bacon and cheddar quiche ($2.95) was just okay. 1231 N. Washington. Call 326-4005 (SB)





Lenny's -- Lenny's is not fancy -- in fact, in a former life it was a drive-in burger joint-- and the tiny dining room makes for tight quarters. Service is brisk, the menu is vast and dinner entrees include your choice of soup or salad. (The homemade minestrone is a real treat.) The requisite spaghetti with meatballs or Italian sausage ($10.50) is here along with more interesting fare such as the Halibut Lenny ($16) stuffed with shrimp, crab, mussels, and clams. The zesty pollo arabiata ($12.50) had spaghetti tossed with sliced chicken breast, prosciutto, fresh Italian parsley, artichoke hearts and lots of freshly sliced mushrooms. The shrimp scampi pesto ($14) featured saut & eacute;ed shrimp, fresh basil, olive oil, garlic and Parmesan in a very bland light cream sauce. 1204 First St., Cheney. Call:235-6126. (LM)





The Bite Me Caf & eacute; -- The diverse and value-packed menu here has a noticeable south-of-the-border influence with breakfasts (served all day), burgers, sandwiches, fish and chicken baskets, burritos, tacos, sides and appetizers. The breakfast burrito ($4) was bursting with quality, tasty ingredients and was rendered even better with the addition of the homemade medium salsa. The #2 biscuits and gravy meal (with one biscuit, hash browns and two eggs for $4) was flavorful and quite filling, with eggs that were actually "over medium" as requested. The two-egg breakfast sans meat (with hash browns and toast only) at $3.75 is a home run deal. Service is conscientious and courteous. 113 W. Indiana Ave. Call 326-0359. (MC)





Capsules are written by Lauren McAllister (LM), Mike Corrigan (MC), Sheri Boggs (SB) or Marty Demarest (MD), unless otherwise noted.





Publication date: 07/15/04