Spokane’s Best-Kept Culinary Secret

Just southwest of downtown Spokane, a small, peaceful creek winds through a picturesque valley before flowing into the Spokane River. The Spokane tribe, who inhabited the land before it was reached by white settlers, called the place "Latah," which translates to "a stream where little fish are caught." The area was slow to be populated at first, but in the last few decades, the population has exploded.

For the last 21 years, Latah Bistro has been the perfect neighborhood spot for the residents of Latah Valley to meet for dinner and drinks. The menu is seasonal, fresh, and imaginative, and the cocktails are sophisticated. The food is impressive, no doubt – it’s not uncommon to hear oohs and aahs when the plates reach the table – but the thing customers can’t stop raving about is the "vibe."

"This is a place I want to bring my friends. It’s a place I want to just hang out and chill," said one happy customer when the Washington Grown TV team visited Latah Bistro in Season 12. "The vibe is just friendly."

"Good vibes, for sure," agreed another customer. "Excellent vibes."

"You can actually relax and talk to people," agreed another. "It’s just very charming and kind of a little cozy spot. Spokane’s best secret."

Owner Susan Shelby has had a long time to fine-tune the space, the menu, and the ambiance for maximum vibes. For nearly 15 years, she had been a regular at the Latah Bistro, soaking it all in as a frequent customer. Then, when the previous owner decided he was ready to sell, she jumped at the chance to buy the restaurant and keep the neighborhood hotspot afloat.

"We’re really a neighborhood restaurant," she said. "We know a lot of our locals by name, and we have a lot of regulars that have been coming and dining with us since the restaurant’s inception. And I’m one of those – I used to come down here with the original chef."

The locals and regulars know that the menu changes seasonally, but Shelby and Chef Dylan Gilbert prioritize fresh, local ingredients in every season. Because so much high-quality produce is grown right here in Washington, the team has no shortage of options to swap in seasonally, keeping their customers anticipating what they’re going to do next.

"Using fresh ingredients makes our job easy, to put out a really delicious plate that people will remember," she said. "It’s been really inspiring to me, watching Dylan and the kitchen team source local, fresh ingredients. We really want to honor all the farmers who grow those."

In addition to their culinary creations, Latah Bistro is known for keeping a delicately curated wine list, many of which come from Eastern Washington.

"The food is great, the pizzas are phenomenal. And the wine – the wine is amazing," said one customer. "I like that they have a variety and a fresh wine sheet every week, where there are different wines to choose from. It kind of opens you up to trying new kinds. And everybody that works here is really knowledgeable about different types of wines."

Though they offer varieties from all over the world, Washington wines always have a place in their wine cellar and on their menu.

"Of course we like to have a lot of the local wines from Washington," said Shelby. "I’ve personally spent a lot of time in Walla Walla. It’s been really fun to have that personal relationship and connection with those vineyards. It just makes picking wine a little more fun."