The Onion

Tonight I tried out a local Spokane establishment, The Onionrestaurant. I checked out the menu online, and it looked very tasty, so off I went. Metered parking was plentiful, and I walked across the street to the restaurant. As I approached, a couple w/kids in tow was leaving. They were commenting that it was very good, "like a Red Robin". Hmmm - that made me a bit apprehensive; I like Red Robin, but it's a fairly ordinary burger chain. I was hoping for something more.

Inside, the decor includes a historic bar and a 1937 Harley Davidson motorcycle, along with comfy booths and TV sets all around. The host seated me, and I glanced through the menu. When I had perused it online, the ham and gouda sandwich with apple chutney had caught my eye, and it was available as a half sandwich (yeah! portion contriol!). It came with fries, but the waitress was more than happy to substitute a side salad for them for about $1 extra.

While I waited for my food to arrive, I opened up my book "This Is Your Brain On Music" by Daniel J. Levitin. I'd been saving it for a time when I could enjoy it at my leisure. I never eat out by myself, but I love to read while I eat, so I relished the idea of a good read with some good food. I got through most of the introduction when my food was served.

Mmmm - delicious! The Gouda cheese paired with the apple chutney and ham on rye was an unbelievably great combination. I am definitely going to have to make this at home sometime. The crunchy pickle that came with the sandwich was a great touch. The side salad was tasty, but nothing special; it did beat the calories of french fries. Oh, but the sandwich... I am still thinking about it hours later.

The Onion has an intriguing dessert menu - they have several options to share, along with three "mini" desserts. I opted for the mud pie mini dessert, and was not disappointed. Yummy, creamy, coffee ice cream was smothered in little chocolate cookie crumbles and topped with chocolate syrup and whipped cream. The best part was that it really was small! It was the perfect ending for my meal.

The bill? $9.96 total (I got water instead of soda or alcohol). Wow! I would love to eat there again.