Recently Reviewed

The Inlander Staff & r & & r & OISHII & r & & r & Inventiveness is a hallmark of chef Junior Solis, who designed the hip space, with burnished raw steel, simulated black lacquer and pop-culture paintings of Japanese geisha and dragons. The updated menu features nearly a dozen new rolls, gyoza (fried pork potstickers) and Hawaiian poke, alongside sushi staples like nigiri (rice topped with fish/seafood) and sashimi (just the raw fish/seafood). Oishii's poke ($10) starred a fresh-tasting maguro (red-meat tuna known as bluefin), firm-textured with a zesty marinade of scallion, sesame oil, sesame seeds and sea salt. The John Denver roll ($13) -- tempura shrimp, cream cheese, scallion, avocado and celery with smoked salmon, tempura crunchies and a glaze made with Sriracha chili sauce and honey -- induced a "Rocky Mountain high" with its balance of textures (firm, crunchy, soft) and flavors (hot, sweet, savory). The Idaho saketini with huckleberry syrup was light and not-too-sweet, but the real taste-pleaser was Sex on the City Beach, which included sake, peach, cranberry, orange and a squeeze of lime. 116 N. First Ave., Sandpoint, Idaho, (208) 263-1406 (CS)





THREE GLASSES


This subterranean Sandpoint restaurant and wine bar exudes ambience with amber-colored walls, warm wood seating, and Bill Reid on the piano. Past visits yielded terrific meals like the charcuterie plate of bread, meat, both hard and soft cheeses, and olives ($18). The braised pork shank with huckleberry sauce ($24) was mouth-watering, tender and bright with flavor, and the handmade ravioli in sage and beef sauce 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, shrimp and rockfish. I'll be back for "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 Gruy & egrave;re, 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


Reflections 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. 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)





STILOS


Stilos is an architectural dream with Craftsman-style windows, wall-to-wall woodwork, a rock fireplace, and well-appointed design details like the geometric and floral motif on the ceiling. The sesame ginger tuna appetizer ($11) -- ahi tuna seared with sesame seeds and served with bok choy, peppers and sesame ginger cream over a mound of sticky rice -- is fragrant and abundantly proportioned, with a spicy peanut sauce that had just enough bite. Our server recommended the Gorgonzola salad -- hearty, with a crunchy-creamy texture accomplished with maple pecans, tomato, cucumber, red onion and Gorgonzola vinaigrette. The Steak Oscar ($22) tops medallions of beef with a sizeable chunk of Dungeness crab, with sweet roasted julienne vegetables over a garlicky mound of mashed potatoes smothered in B & eacute;arnaise sauce. In addition to numerous martinis, Stilos has a healthy wine list, as well as a selection of ports, both domestic and imported beer, and a full bar. 1400 N. Meadowwood Lane, Liberty Lake, Wash., 891-9192. (CS) n