The 2012-2013 annual issue of the Spokane Sizzle Dining and Entertainment Guide has hit the streets, and so have our Fork-in-Cork Awards! The unique Fork-in-Cork Award recognizes the special talents of the brightest shining stars of the culinary world right here in Spokane. These winners present to you fine cuisine, best pizza, great place to take the kids, the spot to make that great business deal, the ideal setting to meet a friend for lunch, martini bar, the must-try new place, and so much more!

Get to know your neighborhood restaurants, bars and caterers, and where to find local wineries, breweries and distilleries. Find our Fork-In-Cork award winners and try a new place somewhere around town.

Find your FREE copy at a restaurant or winery near you; just ask for the Spokane Sizzle Restaurant Guide.

Coeur d’Alene Casino’s new hotel, spa and restaurant are in the heart of one of the Inland Northwest’s most popular destinations. If you tend to think of our local tribe’s casino as your destination for entertainment and a little gaming fun, it’s time to start thinking of it for many other reasons as well. My recent experience at the Spa Ssakwa’q’n [SOCK-wah-kin], the new hotel and restaurant, I was witness to beautiful tribal expressions of art and the integration of nature and modern amenities that will woo any world traveler and cause the locals to become very fond of their retreat time spent here.

Courtesy of Sweet Lou's -- This Friday, February 4th, 2012, Sweet Lou’s Restaurant and Bar will be offering its lunch and dinner specials seven days a week from a new location on Highway 95 in Ponderay, Idaho, just north of the Kootenai Bay Cutoff Road.

Husband-and-wife team Chad and Meggie Foust opened the first Sweet Lou’s last April in the Holiday Shores Marina in Hope. An American-fare family restaurant, Sweet Lou’s offers specialties including a crowd favorite chicken fried steak, smoked prime rib, bison ribs and grilled PB&J sandwiches (we dare you to try it with bacon).

It seems that French food has gotten my attention lately. Maybe it was back when Bittersweet Bistro’s Gina Garcia offered those deliciously creative and savory crepes on Spokane’s South Hill. Maybe it was when Madeleine’s Café and Pâtisserie opened in Downtown Spokane with those beautiful melt-in-your-mouth French pastries, and then Jeremy Hansen of Sante introduced Spokane to the taste sensations of charcuterie. Or, maybe it was when Fleur de Sel came to Post Falls all the way from Billings, Mont., bringing all points of France they know so well and take their inspiration from? French country or city sidewalk food, the French have got my attention.

Summer is FINALLY here in Spokane and Coeur d'Alene, and everywhere else in between, and it's about time we all get out and enjoy it. And what better way to enjoy summer than with good company and great food, all while dining outdoors. Join us in this five-part series exploring your neighborhood outdoor dining scene: sidewalks, patios, decks, and more.

Summer is FINALLY here in Spokane and Coeur d'Alene, and everywhere else in between, and it’s about time we all get out and enjoy it.  And what better way to enjoy summer than with good company and great food, all while dining outdoors.  Join us in this five-part series exploring your neighborhoods outdoor dining scene: sidewalks, patios, decks and more.