The Inlander Staff & r & & r & THE WINE CELLAR & r & & r & Under new ownership, the restaurant has added sidewalk dining with a Spanish flair; downstairs the menu emphasizes Italy with pan-European accents, including paella. The three-course Italia menu includes a first course of pasta (linguine with a red or garlic sauce or gnocchi), an entr & eacute;e, and choice of salad, apple slices and cheese, or dessert -- your choice from the tray overladen with in-house delights including Italian spice cake with coconut and cream topping, cr & egrave;me brulee, two kinds of cheesecake and the decadent cocoa cake. The availability of great wines by the glass for $6 to $10, or even smaller bottles (375 ml) for less than $20, means a good meal at a very affordable price. (CS)
THE TWO-SEVEN PUBLIC HOUSE
A new entrance, combined with rustic corrugated metal siding and stained wood timbers, gives the place the feel of a modern mountain lodge with a perfectly serviceable al fresco dining area. The Two-Seven features hearty, unpretentious food in a casual setting, like its siblings (the Elk in Spokane, Coeur d'Alene's Moon Time and the Porch in Hayden). The Manila clams ($13), in a fragrant beer-based broth with garlic, butter and fresh ginger, were tender and delicious, with a clean finish. The creamy curry salad was a perfect salad for a warm summer evening, with crisp red grape halves, crunchy candied walnuts and celery. The Two-Seven is a happy addition to the growing community of locally owned neighborhood restaurants on Spokane's South Hill. 2727 S. Mount Vernon St., 473-9766 (LM)
LITTLE GARDEN CAF & Eacute;
We were pleased when the Little Garden Caf & eacute; across the street from Spokane's Audubon Park opened its doors because the neighborhood needed a gathering place within walking distance. On a rainy afternoon, we ordered two sandwiches and a salad and headed for a window seat to play a game. The server soon came with a plate of Tuscan salad ($6.75) -- spring greens, black and Kalamata olives, chunks of chicken, artichoke hearts and feta cheese, topped with vinaigrette. The artichoke hearts and the Kalamatas really stood out. Little Garden is open mainly for breakfast and lunch, with the addition of "late-night" Thursdays in the summer. But it has a fully equipped playroom for kids, and it's a great place to relax. 2901 W. Northwest Blvd., 328-5500 (DN)
THREE GLASSES
This subterranean Sandpoint restaurant and wine bar exudes ambience with amber-colored walls, warm wood seating, and Bill Reid on the piano playing "As Time Goes By." Owners John and Darcy Peters have labored with love since last summer's opening, and past visits have yielded terrific meals like the charcuterie plate of bread, meat, both hard and soft cheeses, and olives ($18), a perfect complement to a full-bodied red, and reasonably priced to share among friends. The braised pork shank with huckleberry sauce ($24) also was mouth-watering, tender and bright with flavor, and I've had a handmade ravioli in sage and beef sauce that melted in my mouth ($18). Our maltagliati pasta ($21) -- it means badly cut and implies an assortment of shapes and sizes -- had that telltale homemade-pasta softness, light and moist, topped with a subtly smoky mixed seafood ragout of salmon, mahi mahi, a meager helping of shrimp, and rockfish. Try the "apertivo" or Happy Hour (Tue-Sat 4:30-6 pm), with $3 dishes like timbale of roasted eggplant, tomatoes and fresh mozzarella or asparagus rolled with ham and gruyere, and $1 off bar drinks and wine by the glass. 202-1/2 N. First St., Sandpoint, Idaho, (208) 265-0230 (CS)
REFLECTIONS KAFFEE HAUS AND EATERY
Though Reflections occupies part of an almost-new building, it has some of the feel of an old deli, with its big glass display cases showing off sandwiches and sweets from Just American Desserts and the Sweetwater Bakery. There's even a game shelf from which you can grab a board game and play while you eat. My favorite sandwich is the Italian hero panini ($6.45) with ham, salami, pork, Gruy & egrave;re cheese, fire-roasted red peppers, red onion, tomato, baby arugula and a chipotle sauce. We're also fond of the pesto chicken panini ($6.45), which has many of the same non-meat ingredients as the Italian, with thinly sliced chicken breast in place of the other meats. You can order a bratwurst sandwich with sauerkraut ($6) or a schnitzel sandwich ($8). Reflections also has a breakfast menu, offering pancakes, scrambled eggs, breakfast burritos, bagels and panini. 618 W. Riverside Ave., Skywalk Level, 456-2323 (DN)