Park Bench Café:

Manito Park is easily one of my favorite places in the 509.  I love the houses, sounds, plants, people, dogs, trees, and general happiness and serenity it provides to its visitors.  I am always house hunting when I am up there.  As Chelsea and I were exploring South Hill, we decided to try out a new little place that had caught my attention many times, but I never had the opportunity to try.  Manito Park Bench Café is one of the cutest, peaceful restaurants in a setting that is perfect for a Sunday afternoon, or really any summer afternoon for that matter.   Henry James once said, “Summer afternoon… Summer afternoon… the two more perfect words in the English language”.  I couldn’t agree more.  Manito Park Bench Café let us enjoy our summer afternoon with fresh lemonade, pulled pork tacos with a spicy coleslaw, and a turkey sandwich that was a summery bite of Thanksgiving.  Many people opted for some ice cream as a mid day treat.  With babies, dogs, and adorable old couples around us, it was obvious that this is a place for everyone in the 509 to enjoy.   If you are looking for a good meal in an even better spot, venture to the South Hill and soak in the beauty of Manito Park. 

These may not be the best quality photos, but it’ll give you a taste of what our afternoon looked like:

Anthony’s Happy Hour:

Hoopfest weekend+ a best friend+ low priced beer+ delicious appetizers+ Spokane Falls+ sitting outside+ summer weather= Happy Hour at Anthony’s.  Chelsea and I had been enjoying a perfect and extremely random Spokane day.  We started off by going on a thrift store quest to find home décor and ended up at Costco, going to open houses in the South Hill, lunch at the Park Bench Cafe, buying a tomato plant, gardening, making a piñata, and ending it with Happy Hour at Anthony’s.  We got out $3 beers and 3 small plates to split.  For the food, we decided on the sliders, calamari, and crab and artichoke dip- YUM.  Yes, we were aware of the lack of nutritional value on the table, but at $5 apiece, nothing sounded quite as delicious.  My personal favorite was the artichoke dip, which came with delicious, warm bread. 

Anthony’s is normally somewhere I ask my parents to take me to when they are in town because it is a little more pricey, which also makes it delicious.   I love seafood, but have not found it too easy to find really, really good seafood in Spokane, but whenever I go to Anthony’s, I know I am going to get a quality dish that does not disappoint.  Now that I am 21 and the weather is perfect, I have found the best way to enjoy Anthony’s on a college student budget.  Thank you, Happy Hour, Thank you.

Here’s a look at what we sampled in a location that cannot be beat:

Until next time,

Molly