Honestly, Wooden City really lives up to its hype. It's an upscale spot right in downtown Spokane,…read morebut still feels warm and lively instead of overly formal. Definitely one of the best-quality restaurants in the city, where every dish was thoughtfully made and packed with flavor.
What we ordered:
Starters:
- Spring Salad: Super fresh and well-balanced. The snap peas were crisp, with strawberries added for sweetness, and the goat cheese + pistachios gave it a creamy, nutty contrast. The lemon & tarragon vinaigrette tied everything together with a light, herby flavor.
- Jerk Cauliflower: Crunchy cauliflower with Caribbean spices with a creamy jerk sauce, good as a side
Appetizers:
- Peel 'n' Eat Shrimp: Really juicy and spicy from the Cajun spice. There's butter to dip in but I found it too greasy and prefer lemon instead.
- Blistered Hungarian Peppers: Smoky pepper with some sweetness and savory from the sausage and cheddar. Served with a toasted focaccia that soak up all the sauce.
Main dishes:
- Chicken Schnitzel: One of the must-orders. Crispy, golden breading, super tender inside. The lemon & caper butter sauce added acidity and richness that elevated the whole dish. Yoy have to order extra because it's never enough for the table. Yes, it's that good.
- Marbled Duroc Pork Chop: Another favorite . Juicy and tender, with 'nduja salsa brava bringing a spicy depth, while lemon tahini and marcona almonds added creaminess and crunch. I always missed tasting this dish like my first time
- Beet Ravioli: Earthy and slightly sweet flavor, nice texture but I hate goat cheese so I'm not really a fan of this dish
- Pesto Bacon Pizza: Delicious crunch, loved the combo of mozzarella and gorgonzola, kind of creamy with a bit of funk. Balsamic do help balance and gave it a sweet tangy flavor, or else it would be too heavy for me (yes, not a pizza fan)
Drinks & Dessert
- Not Mai Tai mocktail: very aesthetically looking drink, but a bit too sweet to my liking
- Apple crisp: cozy and warm, with baked apple & pecan crumble and served with vanilla ice cream on top. Delicious ice cream.
- Pumpkin cheesecake: My 3rd favorite of the night, I still dream about it!! Rich, smooth, and perfectly spiced, you shouldn't skip this!!!
That said, I do have to take away a couple points for timing. Our foods took 45 mins to come out even though I had reservations and note the menu items via the email, and the wait time between each dish was also... very confusing. It broke the flow of our meal. But once the food hit the table, it was hard to stay mad, so I forgave them.