Spokane’s Italia Trattoria and Liberty Lake’s Edith Hansen Loop

When in Spokane, accept only the best.

I will maintain to my final breath that Spokane’s restaurant scene can go up against any Northwest destination. It may be a smaller city with less of a reach than Seattle and Portland, but the quality of Spokane’s eateries sits high. Perhaps most illustrative of that is Italia Trattoria.

Like with most places, Spokane’s restaurants come and go, but Italia Trattoria has remained a stalwart since 2010. Chef Anna Vogel was a James Beard semifinalist in 2018, which goes a long way in demonstrating the spot’s quality. The Browne’s Addition restaurant has stuck around for good reasons.

At its core, it’s all about the clean flavors. Commonly, baked eggs tend to be a dumping ground for all ingredients known to humanity – not so at Italia. Here, the braised ragu provides a suitable base that allows the red wine to shine through. Paired with fontina cheese, the flavors are pungent but not aggressive. It’s a fine line, one that Italia walks the right side of.

The omelette follows the same philosophy, with fluffy eggs and ricotta doing most of the talking. The peas add a fresh pinch of summer. Rarely would I recommend an omelette, but this is an honorable exception.

Props, too, to whoever designed the welcoming and just slightly moody interiors. Italia has a great vibe.

Most mainstream attention in the Northwest falls on Seattle and Portland – often deservedly so – but I always have a soft spot for an underdog. Tacoma. Olympia. Spokane. These are cities any seeker of good eats should explore. And, if the place you start with is Spokane’s Italia Trattoria, then know you kick it off with a winner.

Find Italia Trattoria at 144 S Cannon St in Browne’s Addition and on the web.

---

Take a Hike: “Liberty Creek and Edith Hansen Loop“

Located roughly twenty-five minutes east of Spokane is Liberty Lake, a town that hosts one of my favorite hiking trails, the Edith Hansen Loop.

At 8.6 miles – the first few of which are steep – it’s a fairly challenging trek, but well worth it. There are some lovely views along the way. Find more information at AllTrails.

---

And Props to Atticus Coffee & Gifts

Not only do they feature a lot of Spokane-centric memorabilia, but their coffee shop also uses these coffee sleeves.

Much respect.

---

---

Not a source as such, but three out of the four Italia Trattoria photos were provided by the Digest’s photography studio of choice, Erick Doxey Photography.