Beverly's reviewed by Jim Hail

Beverly's, 7th Floor, Coeur d'Alene Resort, 208.765.4000

Jim Hail doesn’t need to search the yellow pages for a favorite restaurant. He can even tell you the month and year his top choice opened. In May 1986, with the grand rebirth of The Coeur d’Alene Resort on the north shore of Lake Coeur d’Alene, Beverly’s debuted as the signature fine dining at the hotel.

"I love the ambiance and the picture-postcard setting overlooking magnificent Lake Coeur d’Alene," Jim states. Combined with a state-of-the-art display kitchen, the views in either direction are stellar.

Jim lunches there frequently for business while evening dinners are just the ticket for out-of-town guests, "Beverly’s has the "WOW" factor." He also enjoys romantic dinners with his wife, Joy.

When asked to name a favorite wine Jim answers with a question of his own, "Favorite? There are literally thousands of selections on the Beverly’s wine rack, who can decide?"

The menu changes seasonally but Jim recommends Beverly’s Caesar salad topped with firecracker prawns all year. His current favorite dinner selection is Spring Pea Salad and Prime Tenderloin of Beef served with horseradish mashed potatoes. While he declares every item on the Beverly’s desert cart as extraordinary, Jim’s favorites are beignets ( a dough square, deep-fried and covered with confectioners sugar) and Bananas Foster, served Beverly’s style.

Idaho potatoes, wild huckleberries and morel mushrooms are just a few of the Northwest reasons Beverly’s remains a favorite for guests from around the country, around the world and for locals like Jim Hail.

About Beverly's:
Located on the 7th floor of The Coeur d’Alene Resort, Beverly’s is named for hotel owner Duane Hagadone’s late mother. Since opening 21 years ago, Beverly’s has consistently been ranked as one of America’s top 5-Star restaurants.

Jim Hail

Who's Jim Hail?
Jim has lived in North Idaho since 1980. A former newspaper publisher and editor, Jim founded Hagadone Directories, Inc. in November 1987 and today serves as company president and co-owner.

The Porch reviewed by John Young

The Porch, 1658 E Miles Ave, Hayden, 208.772.7711

John Young loves living in Hayden Lake so having a favorite restaurant in the neighborhood is a treat. John and his wife, Connie both enjoy the casual surroundings of The Porch, which is tucked among the trees on the north side of Avondale golf course and features an outdoor dining deck that spans the seasons. The Youngs meet friends there for lunch and dinner, but equally as oft en take the family for dinner. "Lunch at The Porch is always great, but you can add a glass or bottle of wine with dinner, so it’s a toss-up for us," John says when asked which time of day he prefers to dine there. "Red wine is without a doubt my drink of choice with dinner. The Porch has a great variety of wine by the glass or by the bottle."

The fact that John doesn’t have a favorite dish at his favorite eatery is part of the charm of the place. "There isn’t any one item that I prefer, which is probably the main attraction of The Porch," explains the local builder. "Depending on what sounds good, I can order fish, pasta, a sandwich or one of their many specials." Recent specials were indeed special... portobello mushroom raviolis in a smoked tomato cream sauce or grilled rockfish and rosemary red potatoes. On the regular menu, pan-seared salmon cakes with sour cream dill sauce and bacon-smoked cedar potato cakes are popular as is the roasted garlic and onion bread appetizer. John credits local owners, John Grollmus, Brad Fosseen and Jeff Meagher and their hands-on management style for creating a North Idaho-style restaurant with outstanding service and exceptional culinary quality.

About The Porch: 
The business’ website address is www.wedonthaveone.com but they do, in fact, have a website. The Porch, 1658 E. Miles Avenue in Hayden Lake, posts weekly specials online. Grollmus, Fosseen and Meagher also own the popular Sherman Avenue pub, MoonTime.

John Young

Who's John Young?
John lives in Hayden Lake and is the "Young" of Polin-Young Construction. He’s active in Rotary Club of Coeur d’Alene, Concerned Businesses of North Idaho, the EXCEL Foundation and the North Idaho College Foundation Board.