Faces of the INW: Sue Reidt

BY ALYSSA AGEE

Sue lives on the South Hill with her husband and has two daughters. She currently serves as the Board President for Feast World Kitchen, a nonprofit restaurant whose mission is to help their chef partners learn career skills and earn a great income–all while sharing the food, flavor, and culture of their home countries. When she’s not enjoying the international cuisine at Feast you can find Sue out walking her yellow lab, Oskar,  in the parks or baking chocolate goodies at home.

Name:

Sue Reidt

How long have you lived in Spokane?

I’ve lived in Spokane since 1999. We lived for a short stint in Pullman but then came right back to Spokane. My husband is a Spokane native.

Current Neighborhood:

South Hill

How do you pay the bills?

I work at First Presbyterian Church of Spokane. My job is to help newcomers feel welcome in our congregation and help them connect into the life of the church. I also manage the church calendar and the other programs that utilize our space.

What is your role with Feast World Kitchen?

I just recently became the Board President, and prior to that I was working as the Volunteer Coordinator and helping Feast build their volunteer base. I ensured volunteers had a food handlers card and that helping at the restaurant was a good fit for them.

What are some ways that Feast is living out its mission to empower immigrants in our community?

Table Time is an integral part of Feast where staff will lend a helping hand connecting members of Spokane’s Immigrant communities with resources and practical support. Our goal is to meet our community where they are and offer a lending hand to help make their life in Spokane successful.

How does food contribute to community building?

I think food is an easy “in'' for folks. Food is not intimidating, and everybody loves food and wants to eat. Those preparing the meals have an opportunity to share their own culture and their stories, and it is a beautiful experience for everyone at the table.

Where do you take out-of-towners when they come to visit?

Feast World Kitchen is definitely an eatery that we enjoy taking people to because you get tastes from around the world. Spokane has the most gorgeous parks so we always have to take guests to Manito, Cannon Hill…even Comstock and of course Riverfront Park.

Favorite local restaurant(s)?

I love bacon cheeseburgers, so I have scoured Spokane for the best burgers and tater tots. I really enjoy the tater tots at Bruncheonette and HopsnDrops. My absolute favorite place to get a burger is Downriver Grill because they have a great weekly rotating option for only $13!

How have you seen Spokane grow over the 25 years you have lived here?

The food industry in Spokane has been on the rise now for a number of years. We love and appreciate all the small business owners and chefs who have opened their own restaurants. We love all of Tony Brown’s restaurants. He is a genius in the kitchen…in my opinion. The downtown area has also seen some great improvements with new additions to the park.

Is there anything that gets you a little nostalgic that we no longer have in Spokane?

I miss The Bartlett. It was my favorite music venue in large part because it was all ages and we were able to take our girls to a lot of concerts there. I love Lucky You Lounge, but there was just something really special about The Bartlett.

What do you hope for Spokane in the future?

I would like our city to have better bike lanes and more of them. We are starting to experience traffic congestion as the city grows and if we want to encourage residents to take alternate modes of transportation, we have to have the infrastructure to support it. Biking is easy and environmentally friendly and even for us fair-weather riders the biking season in our city is months long.

What’s your go-to summer refreshment?

I do love ice cream, and we don’t live very far from The Scoop on W 25th Avenue. I love a good cocktail on any of the Kendall Yards restaurant patios.

Favorite summer fruits and vegetables and how do you enjoy them?

Garden strawberries and tomatoes are the best. It’s hard to go back to store-bought after you’ve tasted one picked fresh.

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