Beverly's has all the physical markings of a traditional fine dining experience: fancy cutlery, a robust wine collection, a menu that's actually a digital tablet and a stunning view. The restaurant is perched on the seventh floor of the Coeur d'Alene Resort, overlooking the northernmost parts of Lake Coeur d'Alene.
Even with all that the restaurant has going for it, Beverly's General Manager Jordan Hallstrom says the fine dining experience its guests have come to expect truly comes from the hospitality he and his staff provide.
"I mean, it starts with 'Hello,'" he says. "It starts with how anyone who's in that front lobby is greeted and interacted with and continues through the entire visit."
Though Hallstrom has more than a decade of experience in fine dining management, he's only been in charge of Beverly's for three months. But in that time, he's made customer service one of his top priorities.
"When you are touting yourself as having a fine dining atmosphere, you need to make sure that the expectation is met upon the very first moment that [guests] step into the restaurant," he says. "In the culture that I'm trying to bring about, it really is anticipating a guest's needs before a guest may even realize that they have that desire or that need."
Providing anticipatory service removes a lot of the intimidating decorum found in many traditionally fancy restaurants, Hallstrom argues. This includes the smallest details, such as the silverware.
In many fine dining settings, guests may sit down at the table only to find that there are around 10 pieces of cutlery — half of which are usually forks that hardly differ from one another. There's also the dessert spoon and the soup spoon, and God forbid you use the soup spoon for your dessert.
At Beverly's, Hallstrom has taken that stressful process out of the mix, providing guests with only the utensils they need for whatever dish they've chosen.
"This allows a guest to not have to overly think about what it is they're doing on the table, and really get to enjoy things like a view, their environment, their friends or even the interactions with the servers," he says.
The only requirement for those dining at Beverly's, he says, is to be open-minded and willing to allow your server to take you on a journey.
"A lot of my team has knowledge and loves to share it," Hallstrom explains. "What I can say sets us apart from other restaurants is the desire for us to share our knowledge with our guests, so we can empower them the next time they come in to learn something new and still be comfortable."
Recently, Beverly's made itself even more comfortable for guests with a decor refresh to reflect its modern interpretation of fine dining. The space is much brighter now, reflected in details like the booth upholstery that's been changed from a dark brown design to a lighter-toned beige floral.
Another perk of focusing on the guest experience, rather than some long-forgotten rules of etiquette, is that the restaurant becomes more accessible to those who don't frequent fine dining restaurants.
"Beverly's is fine dining with a dose of casual," Hallstrom says. "We don't expect you to wear slacks and a button-down shirt every time you walk in. There's still that ability to come in from off the street of downtown on a whim, enjoy a nice dinner."
As the seasons change, so too does Beverly's menu. The restaurant switched from its summer offerings in mid-September, bringing in heartier sides, such as mushrooms, potatoes, carrots and squash.
115 S, Second St., Coeur d’Alene.
Open daily from 4-10 pm
beverlyscda.com, 208-765-4000
"The fun part when it comes to cuisine, is that I feel like the colors in cuisine actually follow the seasons," Hallstrom says. "So your summers, you get the really bright, bright and approachable colors, and then in the fall you get all those muted, softer tones."
While many of the menu's main proteins stay the same, those fresh fall favorites create a unique menu offering, Hallstrom says. One of the dishes that Hallstrom considers a Beverly's staple is the Hot Rock filet mignon ($65).
The center-cut of prime angus filet is cooked to a guest's preference and paired with broccolini, mushrooms from local producer Panhandle Gourmet, fingerling potatoes and baby carrots. The tender steak is then flambéed (set on fire) at the table to create a finishing sear and an exciting guest experience.
"Not everything with fine dining has to be stiff and boring," Hallstrom says. "It's so enjoyable to watch someone's face light up when they see something like this, and you can hear the audible gasp in the dining room." ♦
