Wallace has always been known as an industrial little town, where people have gone to make — or break — their fortunes. In recent decades, the 138-year-old hub of North Idaho's silver mining industry has made the most of its history, from the filming of Dante's Peak in 1996 to its continued focus on tourism.
As a dining destination, Wallace is also a bright spot, with nearly 20 places to eat, drink and make merry packed into less than one square mile, from quick bites to sit-down meals, and from unlikely venues to traditional eateries and drinkeries.
Prepare for the chilly underground experience during the Sierra Silver Mine Tour (509 Cedar St.) with ice cream in the tour company's gift shop. Or, check out the sweet artwork at EurekaSally Gallery of Art & Chocolate (416 Fifth St.) and sample owner Sally Utley's no-sugar, vegan chocolates.
For larger meals, visit old favorites like City Limits Brew Pub (108 Nine Mile Rd.) adjacent to Wallace RV Park, or The Fainting Goat wine bar and restaurant (516 Bank St.), which in 2021 was purchased by Drew and Kristin Welch.
The Welch's added a brick oven, enabling them to turn out shareables like the brick oven pretzel ($13) with roasted red pepper queso and pizzas, including the cheesy Center of the Universe ($13), a nod to the town's tongue-in-cheek moniker. Also look for baked pasta dishes like lemon ricotta ziti ($14) with artichokes and the buffalo chicken mac and cheese ($17).
Fainting Goat has two large dining areas inside, an Enomatic wine distribution system for sampling by the ounce, and a large outdoor patio, making this a versatile, all-season spot.
New food discoveries should include Cogs Gastropub (424 Sixth St.) in the former Smokehouse BBQ. The 1905 building honors one of the earliest tenants: Cogswell's Cigar Factory, according to Cogs' co-owner Barbara Strother, who opened the eatery in 2019 with her husband, Stuart.
Cogs' rotating menu is humorous and peppered with local references like the Bank Street baked brie ($9) or Churched Up shrimp cocktail ($11). Try the warm Jezebel sandwich ($12) with pork tenderloin, apricot horseradish and cheddar cheese.
And as Cogs' menu notes, there is "free popcorn for nice people."
Traci Acireno took over Muchachos Tacos (517 Bank St.) in December 2020 from Rob and Luanne Wuerfel, when they took on a new project, creating Blackboard Marketplace (600 Cedar St.), which includes a cafe, bookstore and small gourmet foods store.
Acireno still serves many dishes created by the Wuerfels, like chicken tinga and beef adobada tacos ($6 each, $10 for two).
"Adobado refers to a specific marinade of red chilies, vinegar, oregano and spices," says Acireno, adding that "tinga is a Mexican dish with shredded chicken in a sauce made from tomatoes, chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, cumin and onions."
Her own creations include the Vaquero taco ($6 each, $10 for two), which is a spin on prime rib. It features salt and pepper steak, horseradish crema, pickled red onion, cilantro and cotija cheese.
Wallace has always been a dining destination for her, says Acireno, who lives in the Silver Valley but worked in the Coeur d'Alene area managing restaurants.
"So I did not get to spend a lot of time in Wallace; however, whenever we went out to eat, [Wallace] is where we would go," she says. ♦
