Restaurant columnists never took the finer points for granted

When the restaurateur’s daughter flew in for a special occasion recently, the pair decided to stop at one of our favorite spots, Anthony’s patio, to catch up while enjoying a glass of wine and an appetizer.

Had they arrived an hour earlier they would have witnessed the story they instead heard when the manager on duty stopped by their table to say hi.

Apparently a family was gathering at Anthony’s after a funeral. One car dropped off a couple of people at the door and then parked in a city lot nearby. There, someone attacked the driver as well as a bystander. It took three police officers to subdue the attacker and take him to the nearby jail, while the other two were taken to the hospital.

The visibly shaken manager told the story and added that she had comped the whole party’s food and drink, not a small expense for 12 people.

She didn’t have to do that; the assault was not on Anthony’s property.

That is the kind of decision you would expect from a small, local business. Anthony’s is a regional chain, but this is the latest example of how it has established itself as a community business. Although this incident is unusual and extreme, we’ve often lamented how corporate chains tie the hands of their employees when it comes to some of the small things that might make a customer happy.

We’ve always tried to drop hints in our stories about the way businesses should treat customers or how patrons should occasionally cut an establishment some slack, but this goes beyond everyday dining.

Talking about the menu, place settings or ambiance seems a little trivial when real life encroaches on an evening out.

On that note, we also want to say this column brings an end to three years of talking about the enjoyment of dining out.

You’ve never read from us about how the hint of saffron in a bouillabaisse was the perfect accent in the entree. We’re not even sure we know what that might mean. Taste is subjective, and who are we to say anyone can make a better meatloaf than your mom.

Cleanliness, service and price are far more tangible and on a consistent basis probably have more to do with your dining experience than the food, because – as we have discovered – there are countless outstanding people in our area turning out great food.

Our quest has provided a lot of enjoyment. We became much more aware of what we liked about going out to eat.

We discovered great views and comfortable venues, hardworking owners and dedicated employees. And, for us, there were all those additional date nights.

After our first review, a reader suggested we try the Italian restaurant at the Sundance Golf Course. We did and we loved it. We enjoy seeing Victoria and Walt, so we make several treks a year across town to treat friends and family to a cozy meal at Sundance Bistro.

We’ve found “holes in the wall” and history like the stromboli sandwich at the Royal Drive-In. We’ve been introduced to some unexpected fine dining and been surprised on numerous occasions. Overall, just a lot of places we’d like to go back to.

We’re recognized in Smacky’s on Broadway, a place we often meet friends for a weekday lunch. We have used Uncle LeRoy’s barbecue for its convenience (and great ribs and beans) while still stopping at Dave’s Bar and Grill or O’Doherty’s whenever we can, or Brother’s Office Pizza when we need a pie.

We’ve mostly eschewed those chains that pack their own advertising punch and focused more on mom-and-pop places that have a track record versus the newest guy in town.

And we’ve missed a lot of places.

Just a couple weeks back, after an exhausting weekend, one of us decided to go out but didn’t make it very far. We ended up at an Italian place called Ferraro’s that we hadn’t visited since who knows when. We liked the food and the waiter was very efficient with just the right touch, but what really stood out was the outstanding service from the busboy. That not only included keeping our water glasses full and clearing dishes, but how kind he was to patrons eating alone.

There are obviously many wonderful places to eat, and we encourage you to visit.

We have a few things we want to emphasize.

For the establishment, it’s the Anthony’s story above about taking care of customers even before they step through the front door. That level of customer appreciation sets the bar at a level all places aspire to and word of mouth is always the best advertising.

For the customer it’s to communicate and be understanding. If your experience is exceptional in any way, let them know – that’s what they strive for. If it is lacking for any reason, do the same. So much behind the scenes can affect your eating experience, from a botched delivery to a wait person having a bad day to a simple mistake, and the manager needs to know – not only to make it right to you but to ensure continued high quality.

As for our pet peeve, the line between just going out to eat and fine dining is blurred (depending on your pocketbook) but quite frankly, tank tops are never welcome (outside of a boating atmosphere), and hats should be removed when you sit down to eat (unless it’s a hot dog at the ballpark or a picnic table).

The one question we’ve always gotten from readers is what is our favorite place. As we look back over our three years of trekking around the area to find something to eat and write about, we realize we can’t answer that. In fact, we may have written about that early this summer when we wondered how you might direct a visitor when asked that question.

We asked our wives that question because they were with us when we went to the best places, like Milford’s.

Their answer? It depends, with them listing time, energy, money and mood all factoring in. Believe it. When a recent stressful situation was resolved, one of them chose the cozy atmosphere of Angelo’s in Coeur d’Alene for an intimate dinner.

Still, we’ll try to tackle that question for you with a whole bunch of answers.

Close to our home, fancy: Hay J’s, Ambrosia, the Max.

Close to our home, quick: O’Doherty’s, Dave’s Bar and Grill, Uncle LeRoy’s.

Favorite sandwich: Smacky’s.

Favorite burger: Wisconsinburger (Dave); Hudson’s (Dan).

Best stop when the beverage choice is even more important than the (good) food after a bad day (making close to home very important): Vintage Vines (Dave), Forza (Lori), Brothers Office Pizza (Beth), O’Doherty’s (Dan). (Truth be told, it’s really our patios, but we’re not giving addresses.)

Favorite Italian: Sundance Bistro (Dave), Italian Kitchen (Dan), Tony’s on the Lake (Lori), Italia Trattoria (Beth).

Favorite pizza: Embers (Beth), Bennidito’s (Dave, Dan), South Perry Pizza (Lori)

Favorite Mexican: Any of them, but Fiesta Grande is our go-to close to home.

Favorite Thai: Bangkok Thai (Dan); Mama’s Thaiway Lounge (Dave); Thai Bamboo (Beth); Thai Kitchen (Lori)

Setting the standard for a bar and grill: Jack & Dan’s.

Pretty far from us, but worth the drive, and if it’s close to you there are no excuses: The Harvester, the Bistro at WilliamsLake, Embers at Hauser Lake, Sundance Bistro, Tony’s on the Lake.

Great surprises: First Street Bar and Grill in Deer Park, Fleur de Sel in Post Falls, Clover, and the whole Stromboli story at the Royal Inn.

Great view: Patios at Anthony’s, Clinkerdagger, Central Food and Tony’s.

Too much great food (for our aging metabolism): Wolf Lodge.

The one and only, the institution: Milford’s Fish House.