From Farmers Markets to Football Weekends, Explore the Vibrant Food and Drink Scenes of Moscow, Idaho and Pullman, Washington

BY ADRIANA JANOVICH

Summers in the Moscow-Pullman area are a favorite.  

I relish the long, languid days when the population lessens by about a third in Moscow and more than half in Pullman, patio seating opens at restaurants and bars, and one of the biggest and longest-running farmers markets in the region reaches full swing.

But fall — with its hustle and bustle and homecomings — is a favorite, too. The return of students and alumni from Washington State University (Go Cougs!) and the University of Idaho (Throw the V!), just eight miles apart, reinvigorate the region with each new autumn, waiting in the wings.

Four years after moving from Spokane to the heart of the Palouse, it’s still difficult to decide which season — and seasonal delights — I enjoy more. In the heat of summer or a fun fall football weekend, there are plenty of delicious destinations — including a finalist for a James Beard Award for Outstanding Hospitality — to experience on both sides of the Washington-Idaho border.

The National Lentil Festival started in 1989, celebrates the hearty, humble, healthful legume — and unofficially markets the end of summer and start of fall on the Palouse. This year’s fest is Saturday, August 19, in Pullman’s Reaney Park. Classes start at WSU and UI two days later. Sample a bowl of lentil chili, listen to live music, have a cold one or two, and honor the farmlands and farmers of eastern Washington and northern Idaho who grow a quarter of the country’s lentil crop. For more information visit lentilfest.com

Moscow

Shop —

The award-winning Moscow Farmers Market is the place to be Saturday mornings from May through October. People come from all over the area for its extensive offerings — seasonal fruits and vegetables, breads and pastries, arts and crafts, street food, live music and more.

Founded in 1976, it’s not only the region’s oldest farmers market but one of the Inland Northwest’s largest, teeming with activity from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekly for six months of the year. Arrive early for farm-fresh eggs; they tend to sell out fast. Don’t miss the marinated labneh — a personal favorite — and other specialty cheeses such as Mountain Maple Brie and Orchard Blue from the Deary, Idaho-based Brush Creek Creamery. Woodland Honey is another of my market must-stops. So are the booths of local farms, such as Affinity, Deep Roots, Omache, and Remarkable, as well as out-of-town growers K and C Farms and Tonnemaker Hill Farm, both from Grant County, Washington.

Depending on how early or late it is in the season, expect to see fresh berries and cherries, sweet and hot peppers, tender or hardy greens, tomatoes, stone fruits, squash, apples, locally grown and raised meats, asparagus, herbs and more. Look, too, for plant starts, freshly cut flowers and hand-crafted wooden wares such as serving spoons and cheeseboards. 

Many downtown businesses are open during market hours. A couple of recommended stops: Ampersand Oil and Vinegar Tap House, a kitchen-and-gift shop selling premium olive oils and balsamic vinegars, seasonings, cookbooks, and kitchenware, and, now in its 50th year, the Moscow Food Co-op, which sells specialty cheeses, bulk foods, deli wraps and sandwiches, salads, and ingredients from Washington, Idaho or within 250 miles of the store.

Imbibe —

Consider a cappuccino at Café Artista, a corner coffee shop where it’s not unusual to find a line almost out the door on market mornings. In summer, opt for an iced chai or vanilla-lavender latté. Sip on Sweater Weather in autumn, a latté sweetened with caramel and spiced with cayenne.

For something stronger, grab a pint — a Hopnipotent Hazy IPA, perhaps — at Hunga Dunga Brewing, or pick up bottles and cans at Pour Company, a tap room and craft beer shop with a rotating selection of more than 200 specialty brews. Colter’s Creek Winery Moscow Tasting Room offers its varietals by the glass or bottle. Vine Wine Bar and Cellar, a retail shop with a tasting room, sells a selection of wines from around the world. Whiskey and scotch flights — and specialty cocktails featuring those spirits — are the specialties at Neat Whiskey Bar, an intimate, upscale lounge that opened last autumn on the second floor of a downtown building. 

Dine —

Start or finish a meal with a craft cocktail at Nectar Restaurant and Wine Bar, which features thoughtful, seasonal libations such as the scotch-based A Clever Rouge with lemon, honey, and beet juice served in a smoked glass, or the Secret Garden with indigo-colored Empress Gin, lemon, simple syrup, cucumber and wasabi. Bacon-wrapped meatloaf is a signature dish at this elegant but unfussy eatery, which also features an intimate patio and specials such as steelhead trout with heirloom black lentils, braised fennel, wild mushrooms, browned butter and lemon.

The pillowy potato gnocchi at Lodgepole is a personal favorite. The cloudlike dumplings are a staple at this sophisticated yet cozy restaurant, but the accompaniments — squash and hardy greens in the fall, for example — change with the seasons. Lodgepole features a spacious patio and contemporary plates spotlighting local and regional ingredients. In addition to its signature gnocchi, it’s known for its five-course chef’s dinner.

Maialina Pizzeria Napoletana also features an expansive patio. Its specialty: rustic, Italian-inspired, wood-fired cream- or tomato-based pizza. Try the Mela, topped with apple, caramelized onion, gorgonzola dolce, cow’s milk house ricotta, cream and sage. The Salsiccia features house fennel sausage made with local pork, seasonal greens, house mozzarella, fennel pollen, tomato sauce and house-smoked chili oil.

Indulge —

Salted Caramel Brown Butter Cookie is the most popular flavor at Panhandle Cone and Coffee, a modern scoop shop featuring creative and seasonal combinations such as sweet basil and pine nut praline, bourbon and honeycomb, and strawberries and mascarpone.

Pullman

Shop —

Stock up on student-grown onions, carrots, cucumbers, potatoes, tomatoes and more at WSU’s Eggert Family Organic Farm stand, open 3 to 6 p.m. Fridays from May through October. Mid-week, head to the Pullman Farmers Market, younger and smaller than its Moscow counterpart and open from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays mid-May to mid-October. It’s held at the Brelsford WSU Visitor Center, where — along with info for the area — folks can find Cougar-connected wines and WSU-made products such as honey, seasonings and cheese. This fall, Cougar Gold, WSU’s signature canned sharp white cheddar, celebrates 75 years. Cheese and wine are also available at Noshies, a small downtown shop that also sells specialty snacks that pair well with wine and cheese. Bring a closeable, refillable container or buy one at the zero-waste, downtown natural market Grander Goods, which specializes in bulk ingredients such as lentils, herbs, spices, olive oils, vinegars, tea and pasta.

Imbibe —

Refillable canisters and wines on tap are available at Merry Cellars, where guests can sip a refreshing rosé or white or red wine in the intimate tasting or barrel rooms or on the sunny patio. Enjoy a Huckleberry Sour, Postal Porter, Palouse Wit or rotating seasonal ale at Paradise Creek Brewery in Pullman’s old downtown post office or its Trailside Tap Room. Pullman’s premier nightclub and lounge, Etsi Bravo, takes its name from a Greek expression: "That’s the way, well done.” Located in an Art Deco-inspired, second-floor space downtown, Etsi Bravo offers craft and classic cocktails along with comedy nights, deejayed dance parties, and themed nights, including its popular Tiki Tuesday. For coffee, try Roost, which also serves breakfast and lunch — from avocado toast to grilled cheese sandwiches and loaded quesadillas.

Dine —

A finalist for the 2023 James Beard Award for Outstanding Hospitality, The Black Cypress offers one of the best dining experiences in the Inland Northwest. The casually elegant, Greek- and Italian-influenced restaurant is known for its signature appetizer: pork souvlakia with pita bread and a bright and creamy tzatziki sauce. The streamlined menu features a silky carbonara with generous chunks of house bacon, lamb chops with tzatziki, and clams with kale, garlic, house bacon, chili flakes, white wine and grilled bread. The roast chicken with kale, bread salad and fresh herb pan jus is also popular. Reservations are recommended. So are the craft cocktails.

The Foundry also offers craft cocktails — the smoky Cask and Iron with rye, sweet vermouth and maple syrup is a fave — along with salads, sandwiches and steak-cut fries. Mains at this contemporary, casual kitchen include a rib eye with blue cheese butter and rosemary lamb “lollipops,” which both come with mashed potatoes and grilled veggies. Dine al fresco on the patio anchored by a fire feature.

Tonkotsu (pork, pickled ginger, wood ear mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, a jammy egg and green onions) is the best-selling, belly-warming bowl at O-Ramen, where the long-simmered broth features a rich umami flavor, and the noodles are made in-house.

Miss Huddy’s Barbecue food truck preps its Central Texas-style smoked meats twice a month, and patrons from throughout the Palouse wait in line sometimes hours before service to be sure to get the brisket and Czech-style sausages made with natural casings and Cougar Gold. Look for their pulled pork and fun takes on traditional sides, such as a velvety, mousse-like banana pudding and slaw tossed with oil and vinegar and topped with crunchy ramen noodles.

For pub grub, draught beer and college vibes, The Coug, or more formally, The Cougar Cottage, has been a Greek Row institution since 1932. The no-frills, hole-in-the-wall where patrons write their names on almost everything — it’s tradition — features burgers that won’t break the bank and fries and tots by the pound. A terrace with room for one row of tables overlooks Colorado Street for prime people-watching on busy weekends. Rico’s, established downtown in 1909, is another mainstay for pub grub, ales and sidewalk seating. Play pool on the mezzanine, listen to live music on the lower level, or cozy up to the fireplace on the main floor.

Indulge —

WSU’s Ferdinand’s Ice Cream Shoppe is usually open Monday through Friday. But it makes special exceptions on home football game days. It’s worth the stop, not just for the ice cream — favorite flavors include Cougar Tracks, Huckleberry Ripple and Apple Cup Crisp — but for the chance to get Cougar Gold straight from the source and at its lowest price: $30 per can. Other flavors are sweet basil, smoky cheddar, dill garlic, Natural Viking and Crimson Fire! Both Ferdinand’s cheese and ice cream are made from milk from WSU’s own dairy herd. Demand is so high, though, the creamery buys additional milk from the UI.

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