Fresh Sheet: Restaurant Week, Indaba downtown, Girl Scout cookie recipe contest

Restaurant Week

The third annual Inlander Restaurant Week kicks off Friday with a record 97 participating eateries. That’s up from 74 last year and 53 in 2013, the event’s inaugural year.

The 10-day promotional event runs through March 1 in Spokane and North Idaho. Reservations are recommended. Participating restaurants will be offering special three-course menus – appetizer, entrée and dessert – at either $18 or $28, excluding tax and tip.

For a list of participating restaurants, visit inlanderrestaurantweek.com.

Indaba downtown

To help start its second location, Indaba Coffee Bar and Roastery has launched a fundraising campaign on the crowd-funding site Indiegogo.com.

In all, Indaba is seeking $30,000. Donors can sponsor an intern at the new downtown location for $5,000. For the entire amount, someone could receive coffee for life, or one cup per day when the shop’s open.

Owner Bobby Enslow opened his coffee-with-a-conscience shop in Spokane’s West Central neighborhood in 2009. For each bag of coffee sold, Indaba donates a meal through Second Harvest Food Bank.

For more information, visit www.indiegogo.com/projects/ indaba-downtown.

Cookie contest

Girl Scouts of the USA and Taste of Home magazine are hosting their first national Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Contest.

Chefs of all levels are invited to submit original dessert recipes starring Girl Scout cookies for $250 to $500 in prize money – and a feature in the magazine. March 2 is the deadline.

Finalists will be voted on in April at www.girlscouts.org/recipecontest. Find rules and more info there, too.

Meanwhile, Girl Scouts are taking pre-orders for their 98th annual cookie sale. Customers can sign up to buy classic flavors like Thin Mints (now vegan), Tagalongs and Samoas, which are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year.

A new oatmeal cookie – Rah-Rah Raisins – is available this year. For more information, visit www.gsewni.org.