Exploring Spokane to find local favorites and flavors from Ukraine

BY JEFF FIJOLEK
PHOTOS BY MADDISON FOLEY

Anastasia Shchukina celebrated the arrival of 2022 in Kiev with friends. She was planning to move to the Ukrainian capital from her hometown of Melitopol, situated north of the Sea of Azov, an extension of the Black Sea bound by the Crimean Peninsula.

The 25 year-old says she was working and saving up money, even as more and more Russian troops positioned themselves on the border, some 150 miles to the east.

Shchukina says she experienced a lot of new thoughts and unknown feelings as those troops took the city in the last days of February. She and her family stayed in Melitopol for that first month, mainly because fighting in the area made it too dangerous to leave. Communication with friends in other areas became tough as mobile networks and the internet were turned off in the occupied territory. And even when her family and those around her thought the fighting and occupation would likely end in a week or two, Shchukina understood that her life wasn’t entirely in her control anymore and the only thing she wanted was freedom.

Once April rolled around, she and her immediate family made the decision to relocate to Lviv in Western Ukraine, leaving behind several relatives who were older and didn’t want to move away from Melitopol. Anastasia used the move as an opportunity to visit friends who themselves had settled in Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic before arriving in Germany with plans to fly to the United States.

She and her family arrived in Spokane last June to join her aunt who has lived here for some time.

Shchukina says that her first impressions of Spokane were that it’s pretty quiet and everyone is isolated in their cars, wishing that there were more people out and about on the streets.

“I like to be around people with whom I can share my ideas. I love to brainstorm,” she says.

In January, the Edible Inland Northwest team spent the day with Anastasia, taking her around town to share some American classics while also tracking down some Slavic staples she had missed since coming to the US.

Follow @edibleinlandnw on Instagram over the next few months as Anastasia continues to explore Spokane and share some new favorites.

Ferguson’s Fountain Cafe

Our morning started with a trip to this Garland Avenue institution for a breakfast peanut butter milkshake with Cap’n Crunch, Sonnenberg’s sausage, and Chicken-Fried Steak with eggs over a chat about Benny & Joon, the 1993 film shot in and around Spokane.

The milkshake was a little too sweet for Anastasia’s liking, but she loved the hashbrowns and gravy and said it was nice going somewhere with character and not a place like Denny’s or Wendy’s.

804 W Garland
Spokane, WA 99205

Euro Cafe Vkusniashka

Next, we headed to Spokane Valley to let Anastasia lead the way and make some decisions about what we should eat. Larisa Nazar is the owner of Euro Café Vkusniashka where Anastasia was instantly drawn to the oreshki, walnut-shaped cookies filled with caramel.

Nazar also served us some of her borscht, featured on the cover, and other Slavic treats that Anastasia remembers from growing up.

4902 E Sprague
Spokane Valley, WA 99212
Vkusniashkacafe.com

Yummy Snamy European Dood & Deli

Full from our first two stops, we decided to visit Yummy Snamy to stock up on some snacks for later. Anastasia picked out some items for us including Olivye salad, halva and some gingerbread cookies that she says go well with tea. Like Anastasia, Inna Mayorov, the owner of Yummy Snamy, is originally from Eastern Ukraine.

3329 E Sprague
Spokane, WA 99202
facebook.com/YummySnamy/

Drunky’s Junkyard BBQ

For lunch, we ventured out to Drunky’s Junkyard BBQ which opened in Spokane Valley in the early fall months. Anastasia told us that she would like to visit all 50 United States, so this was a little taste of Texas without having to travel too far.

Brisket, ribs and chili were all on the menu, but it was their wedge salad with pulled pork that ended up being Anastasia’s favorite. She even tried her first Ranier after some of the local brews on tapped proved to be too hoppy.

6412 E Trent
Spokane Valley, WA 99212
twoshoebbq.net/

No-Li Brewhouse

A staple of every exhaustive tour of Spokane, we capped off our day at No-Li. Sitting by one of the firetables alongside the Spokane River, we recapped the day, shared a giant prezel and learned more about what Anastasia would like to do now that she is here in the States.

Before calling it a day­ we played a few games of Skee-Ball. After a rocky start, Anastasia managed to sink a couple of 100-pointers—and hasn’t let us forget it since.

1003 E Trent
Spokane, WA 99202
Nolibrewhouse.com

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