Lamb and pork albondigas are part of chef Chad White’s new vision on Arbor Crest’s menu.
YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
WINE
MEDITERRANEAN
MOOD
Arbor Crest Wine Cellars debuts a new menu created via a collaboration with chef Chad White BY CHEY SCOTT
A
n escape to the scenic and historic grounds of Arbor Crest Wine Cellars in northeast Spokane is now even more akin to a transcontinental trek to Italy’s iconic Tuscany region. Earlier this summer, the winery debuted a new Mediterranean-inspired menu created by award-winning Spokane chef Chad White, featuring scratch-made hummus and charcuterie platters alongside colorful, fresh salads and entrees like a whole-roasted Idaho trout. The new selections, prepared in a remodeled kitchen on Arbor Crest’s historic estate grounds, fully replace the winery’s previous onsite food offerings, which consisted of some similar but mostly premade dishes, says winery
general manager Shelby Enevold. Renovation of the new kitchen in the winery’s main tasting room finished in late May, and the new dining options debuted July 2. The complete new menu is currently available to guests age 21 and over by reservation only, with seatings offered Wednesday through Saturday from 5 to 8 pm unless the estate is hosting a private event. At times when the full dinner menu is not available, guests can still order hummus, charcuterie and fruit platters from the tasting room. “This property has a Mediterranean vibe to it, and I wanted to touch on flavors extending from Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria all the way to Italy and Spain, so I wrote a
menu that I thought would fit,” White says. Included on the new menu are suggested wine pairings for each dish. The hummus and fungus, a housemade spread with local mushrooms ($8), for example, complements Arbor Crest’s pinot noir. For the bone marrow ($16) entree with herbs, roasted potatoes and beets, try the Avansino red blend. The apricot salad ($9), meanwhile, is elevated by the winery’s rosé or Sangiovese. “We spent a lot of time really going over the menu and what pairs well, and how to communicate that to guests,” White says. ...continued on page 29
AUGUST 6, 2020 INLANDER 27
