The Scoop on Scratch

Stumbling out of Far West on Friday night Justin, Yelena and I stumbled into the man behind the long chef’s table at hot spot du jour – Scratch. For those not in the Spokane-foodie-know, that’s the eagerly awaited restaurant under the Montvale and located just two blocks from my apartment. Chef Jason Rex, clad in a bright red kitchen coat, was kind enough to give us a snappy tour and to let me use the bathroom.

The first thing that was noticeable was the intense smell of reducing stock. It may be the umami base of pretty much every dish at every restaurant but odds are the stock used in the valoute you had last weekend wasn’t made in house. Scratch – hence the name – aims to change that. After personally making a massive pot of chicken broth last weekend (all stock isn’t broth) I can tell you there’s a BIG difference between the can and what you make yourself. Continued…

It’s hard to judge a restaurant without tasting the food, so I’ll reserve judgment for later, but there’s the standard Spokane fare – apparently Ahi is mandated by some regional code – and some genuine surprises like beef tongue and a veal saltimboca which just might break my no red meat ban. The physical space is compact and intimate and Yelena immediately noted that it would have been in good company on 23rd in Portland. There’s also a nice private back room that seems perfect for a party. Time will tell.

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