1100 North Sullivan Road
Spokane Valley, WA 99037
Spokane County
Phone: (509) 924-9000
Fax: unknownWebsite: Visit our websiteEmail: no email on fileHours: unknown
Maribeau Park Hotel - About Us
No Description Available for Maribeau Park Hotel.
Website Description and Information
No Website Description Available for Maribeau Park Hotel.
by Owen Vanderkooi on Last year, when I lived in West Hollywood, I often passed by the newly opened XIV, and couldn't help being intrigued... the exterior, with its French Louis XIV/Versailles themed mural and the lack of windows allowing a glimpse in from the outside made this place seem pretty special. When winter DineLA week rolled around last month, the prix fixe menu also looked pretty special, so I figured it was time to try it out. Unfortunately, XIV is more about the scene than it is about the food. I suppose I should've guessed... knowing that it's yet another SBE venture, and more "famously" the place where Heidi Montag got wasted at the opening and got "fired" from her "job". Oy. While I'm sure the restaurant week prix fixe brought in a slightly more normal crowd, there was an abundance of what I imagine to be the typical clientele: skinny ladies in bandage tight mini-dresses with absurd extensions. The menu options sounded interesting and innovative on paper(especially the desserts), but the dishes really didn't deliver in flavor in real life. Here, a blow by blow of my meal, along with some stream-of-consciousness thoughts that ran through my mind while eating: First course: Parsnip Soup, Heirloom Apple, Horseradish, Maple Foam. Ok the soup is pleasing enough... mmm apple chunk! That's unexpected. Not sure if it totally works, but I like apples.. so ok, I'll go with it. Wait... there's horseradish in this? Where? I don't taste that horseradishy kick... do I need to file a missing spice report?? And what is this foam? Ugh.. stupid foams. Second course: Jidori Chicken, Truffled Macaroni & Cheese, Broccoli, Caramelized Onion Jus. Hmm... normally I don't order chicken from fine dining places, because it's so... well... boring. But truffled mac 'n' cheese, how you sway my usual dining habits! I must have you! Oh.. wait... you're not really as good as I thought you'd be. If only you were the mushroom risotto.... Third course: Nutella Custard, Popcorn Ice Cream, Toast Streusel, Passion Fruit Foam. More stupid foam... ack.... ok let's eat through this FLAVORED AIR and get to the real stuff.... arggh, stupid pomegranate foam, you totally overwhelmed the flavor of the ice cream. Does that ice cream even taste like popcorn? I don't know! Phew.... nutella custard... finally a flavor that cuts through that pomegranate. Mmmm... you're actually really good! And these little toast streusel bits are fun and crunchy and remind me of the topping on coffee cake. OK.... so this dessert is 50% good, 50% disaster. On the plus side, each table is started off with delicious wedges of flat bread served with some kind of spread/dip/thing! that I can only describe as dill-infused cream cheese... that's what I tasted. It may be something else entirely, but we were never told what it was. Our server was very friendly so thumbs up for that, but we had to wait a good 20 minutes at the bar for our table even though we had a reservation so... thumbs back down. If I happen to make another trip to XIV, it will be for happy hour (definitely not dinner). Even though dinner wasn't awful, it just isn't worth the price you're going to pay (especially the regular non-dineLA prices). The happy hour menu, on the other hand, seems reasonably priced with $6 drinks and $6 snacks.
