Fine Dining in Spokane

Fresh & Tasty

by Susan Hamilton and Ann M. Colford

DINING Italian Tradition - lauri.commelliniestate@gmail.com

When Albert Commellini came to America from Italy in 1907, he worked as a steam boy on the railroad. His sister Leta arrived 15 years later, settling in Spokane, where the brother and sister team ran an Italian import company downtown. In 1941, they moved their restaurant business to north Spokane, where Commellini's became a popular dining spot known for its chicken cacciatore. It was also known as a gangster hideout, with members of the Chicago Mafia hiding in the guesthouses, and tales of underground tunnels used for bootlegging.

New owners Tammy Paulino and Frank Burger have brought back some of Leta Commellini's recipes to FRANCISCO'S AT COMMELLINI'S. They're also recreating some of the gangster style in the Speakeasy Lounge. The five dining rooms have been updated, especially the one overlooking the creek. The interior of the restaurant is rustic, with dark, knotty-pine paneling, reflecting its setting along the Little Spokane River, a few miles north of the city limits.

New chef Paul Harvey brings his experience working at the Glendale Country Club in Bellevue and the Beyond Hope Resort in north Idaho to Commellini's.

"He's taking a few old favorite Commellini's recipes and making his own sauces for them," Paulino says. She especially recommends the meat baked lasagna and the house-made potato gnocchi.

The traditional Italian chicken or veal cacciatore is flavored with wine, peppers, mushrooms and olives, while a seafood-stuffed portabella mushroom appetizer comes seasoned and baked. Favorite Commellini's dishes from the past include marsala scaloppini (veal, chicken or tilapia lightly breaded and browned in butter and lemon with a rich demi-glace) and pork osso bucco braised in a savory broth. Eggplant parmigiana, chicken or shrimp risotto, linguini with clams and tri-color tortellini fill out the Italian-themed menu. And don't forget cannoli for dessert: The deep-fried pastry shells are filled with sweetened ricotta cheese and chocolate.

Prices at Commellini's range from $9 to $23, making it a higher-class destination restaurant that is worth a drive in the country.

— SUSAN HAMILTON

Francisco's at Commellini's, 14100 N. Dartford Dr., is open Tues-Sat 5 pm-closing. Call 466-0667.