Author Q&A with Adriana Janovich

Adriana Janovich is the author of “Unique Eats and Eateries of Spokane,” published April 1 by Reedy Press. Part bucket list, part travel guide, the book spotlights the people and stories behind restaurants, bars and other food-related businesses in Spokane.

Here, she answers a few questions from our team.

EINW: Tell us a bit about yourself. How’d you find your way into the culinary world? What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

AJ: I’ve been interested in food, cooking, restaurants and hospitality for as long as I can remember. As a longtime newspaper reporter, I often sought stories that featured food, such as making tamales at Christmastime or preparing for Sunday soul food dinners in the church basement. It wasn’t until I became the food editor at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane that I really got the opportunity to delve into the culinary world full-time. Though I’m no longer in that role — I held that particular position from 2013 to 2019 — I still enjoy writing about food and all things restaurant related. I also enjoy cooking, entertaining, and, of course, going out to eat.

EINW: What excites you about Spokane eateries?

AJ: One of the things that makes Spokane’s restaurant scene so special is the city itself. Many historical buildings house restaurants or food-related businesses, and that adds to the ambiance of those establishments. Some also offer spectacular views. You can enjoy dinner or drinks on the back deck or patio of a restaurant while watching the Spokane River — complete with waterfalls — run right through downtown. The scenery, combined with the city’s supportive culture and strong sense of pride and place, adds to Spokane’s vibrant culinary scene. “Unique Eats and Eateries of Spokane” offers a snapshot of it.

EINW: What inspired the book?

AJ: I was approached with the idea in 2022, and it seemed like a perfect fit. I felt uniquely positioned to write this book after spending nearly six years as the food editor at Spokane’s daily newspaper, meeting and interviewing chefs and restaurant owners, writing about menu changes, covering restaurant openings, and getting to know the Spokane food scene from the inside out. There are some 500 restaurants in Spokane, and this book highlights 84 establishments, or not quite 20 percent, of the city’s most interesting and iconic eateries and watering holes.

EINW: What are your personal favorite iconic eateries from our region?

AJ: I enjoy and recommend lots of Spokane restaurants, many of which are in the book. They range from Gander and Ryegrass, with its multi-coursed, marathon dinners, to Neato Burrito and its tiny, Twin Peaks-themed Baby Bar, cheap eats, and Greyhounds featuring freshly squeezed grapefruit juice — and everything in between. Look for Luna, Wild Sage Bistro, Mizuna Restaurant and Wine Bar, Chaps Diner and Bakery, Kismet, Durkin’s Liquor Bar, and the Grain Shed. Frank’s Diner, located in a vintage train car, is a fun experience. The nonprofit Feast World Kitchen uplifts local immigrants and refugees while spotlighting dishes from their home countries. Of course, restaurants from Spokane’s James Beard Award semifinalists are in the book, too. Among them are: Zona Blanca, Ruins, Italia Trattoria, and Française.

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