Tasty Trek

Restaurant Updates and Changes

This website is our dining experiences at the restaurants listed here. Please be aware that since being blogged about on Tasty Trek, some of the restaurants have been known to have closed permanently, moved location or even changed names and ownership. Please, always check your own local listing on a particular restaurant to see if the information given on this blog is still up to date at the time of your visit.

Always consult the particular restaurant or establishment that you are interested in for all their current hours of operation, menus, specials and locations.

Thank you.

Delicious!

Geo and Lisa have set out on an adventure... to boldly venture forth to places we have never gone before... to unearth what had previously been to us, a hidden food culture in the city we call home, Spokane. Without a doubt, it is truly a pleasure to taste the many wonderful flavors of the world that lay hidden like treasure in the kitchens of small business owners in nearby neighborhoods until their presence upon the menu catches our eye. Our quest was not to to find the best or the worst... but to try something new, to make new friends and acquaintances and to discover for ourselves more of what life in Spokane is like and what our community has to offer in way of culinary experiences.

The inspiration to embark on such a journey came after several dinner outings where we realized that there were many ethnic foods and extremely nice people who owned restaurants in Spokane. Having found this to be quite remarkable, we simply decided to broaden our horizon, to boldly go where we had never gone before, and keep a log of where we had been, what we ate and what we experienced while we were there.

With time to spend together around the dinner hour and a little lunch money in our pockets that we could give to our community in a "support your local business" type fof way, we began our food trekking journey in and around the city, and even venture out from time to time. It has become our quest, our journey... perhaps even our weird obsession, but whatever it is, whatever you think it may be, it is done with a spirit of adventure, one that we now take with us, everywhere, and wherever we go...

This is Lisa's blog... and THIS is Tasty Trek. This is our story.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Buck's Pizza

I was planning for a pizza party gathering over in the valley and needed some gluten-free pizza. Bucks offered it, so off we went.... to 13221 East 32nd Ave. Gluten-free pizza is not on their menu, and they do not make it in house, but it's advertised on a reader board on the side of the road. It's certainly a great option when it comes to people sensitive to wheat, because pizza is such a social food.

Buck's is actually a large pizza chain, popular in the south eastern U.S. I would have never known unless I checked out their website. Tucked in a little strip mall in a rather obscure part of town, I was surprised how busy the place was... for the location. As we were going in to pick up our order, the delivery guy was heading out the door...

... with one of the largest pizza boxes I have ever seen. It was for a 24"" pizza pie. That is one big pizza!

It's not a sit down pizza place.... just take out. I failed to see any dining area.

Gluten-Free

As for our pizzas', they were pizzas. nothing out of the ordinary, excepting that one was gluten-free. Nice! We pretty much ate it all too. there were only a couple of pieces left, of which some lucky person can have pizza for breakfast. Yum!

Pizza is just plain like able and appreciated...

Hogans Cafe Deluxe

Personally, I love to go grocery shopping with friends. However, one must never go grocery shopping hungry. If you do not happen to eat before leaving home, one good option is to take the opportunity to grab a bite to eat before heading to the store. It was on one of these recent shopping events with a friend that we happened upon a "Fifties" kinda eating place, called Hogans Cafe, located at the shopping center at 29th and Regal on Spokane's South Hill. They are right next door to Trader Joe's.

Stepping into Hogans, located at 2977 E. 29th Ave, is a little bit like stepping into the past. The cooks with the tattoos kinda gave it away, that the year 2012 is a very different era, but if you dream of experiencing the look and feel of stepping back to the beginnings of burgers, shakes and fries... this place is definitively the place to try! We both loved it. My friend looked at her burger and declared, "Now THIS, is a hamburger!"

Indeed it was. My friend could resist the fries but not the shake, which, by the way, the kindly made a half a shake for the smaller appetite... and this for half the price.

Instead of fries she opted for the clam chowder. I ordered a more modern item.... the Veggie Wrap, and, in stead of fries, I ordered the tomato soup.

After having wondered what this place is like for so long, having driven past so many times, I now know, and I like it. I loved sitting at the counter watching the cooks make food for people, I loved watching them make humongous Hogan pancakes and fry eggs. One of these days, I just might have to drive to the South Hill in an older make/ model car, something like a Cherry Red 57 Chevy... hop out in a poodle skirt and order up a giant milkshake and some of them French fries!.