One of the newest additions to the bustling Papillon Building across from the Spokane Arena is Outsider, a contemporary American restaurant that seeks to provide diners with an experience they may not find frequently in the Spokane area.
"The kitchen has counter seating for people to sit up there and watch," says executive chef and owner Ian Wingate. "I designed it to be like if you went to somebody's house and you sat up at the counter. It's nice because the guests can come up and watch what we're doing, and we can interact with them and talk with them."
Wingate, who grew up in Hawaii, drew inspiration for Outsider's menu from Asian and Polynesian cuisine and his past culinary experiences, such as owning the restaurants Moxie, Agave and Blue Fish, as well as his time as the executive chef at the Davenport.
After taking a break from owning and managing restaurants, Wingate decided to return to the industry and open Outsider as a way to bring something unique to Spokane by drawing from all of his past endeavors.
"It's just very eclectic," he says. "I'm big about having simple, fresh ingredients and letting them be the star and not overcomplicated. It's fresh, clean, fun food."
Using the restaurant's wood-burning oven, Wingate cooks up pizzas, sandwiches and handhelds, as well as seasonal fare such as peaches and burrata.
As business grows and Outsider brings on more employees, Wingate plans to expand the menu and hours, which may include the addition of coffee and morning treats.
Creating a memorable atmosphere and dining experience was important to Wingate when designing Outsider, and he wanted to reconnect with diners from his past restaurants and draw in new guests as well.
"I think the atmosphere is super warm and inviting," he says. "People usually come in and they stay longer than anticipated."
MORE TO CHECK OUT
Summit Kitchen
1235 S. Grand Blvd.
Diners are once again settling in for a meal at the old Lindaman's building on Spokane's Grand Boulevard with the arrival last summer of Summit Kitchen and Canteen.
While Summit offers staples from its sister restaurant, Lost Boys' Bar and Grill, such as fried pickles and Karli's cluckers, their main emphasis is on comfort food in the form of soups, sandwiches and classic dishes like lasagna and steak.
"Our whole thing is to have incredibly scrumptious food with absolute top-notch service," says co-owner Jhon Goodwin.
Plus, their pastry chef's scratch-made desserts and pastries, including their signature chocolate cake and stuffed raspberry cheesecake, are served all day long and are the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Indigenous Eats
829 E. Boone Ave., Suite E
The widely anticipated opening of Indigenous Eats brings Native American comfort food to Spokane's culinary scene.
The menu features customizable Indian tacos, rice bowls, a taco salad, all with a choice of pinto, black or chili beans, and toppings sourced locally from Native American businesses. Their signature item is frybread, which can be enjoyed as a savory meal or with a sweet huckleberry sauce.
"Frybread obviously isn't a traditional Native American food, but what it really stands for is resilience and gathering and celebration," says owner Jenny Slagle.
Slagle hopes to expand the representation of Native American food and culture in the Spokane area, and may begin to add seasonal meals to the menu in the coming months.
Boiada Brazilian Grill
245 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.
Dining at a steakhouse doesn't often conjure the image of a skewer of meat that's carved at the table, but Boiada brings the traditional Brazilian steakhouse, or churrascaria, dining experience to Spokane.
The upscale, all-you-can-eat restaurant offers a variety of cuts of beef, as well as chicken, lamb and pork, plus a full salad buffet with over 40 items. Plus, they have an ample wine list and, of course, a variety of Brazilian inspired cocktails to pair with your meal.
Boiada originally opened its doors in Kennewick in 2019, and following the positive community response, owners Hélio Vieira and Josiane Ballin decided to open a second location in Spokane in 2022.
