The Porch reviewed by the Damianos

The Porch, 1658 E Miles Ave, Hayden, 772-7711

Leslie and Phil Damiano love living in Hayden Lake and having a favorite restaurant within golf cart driving distance. They both enjoy lunch or dinner in 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 Porch has a great variety of wine by the glass or by the bottle. "We were looking for a special red wine a friend of ours had introduced us to. The bartender, Josh checked with his suppliers and the next time we were there he had five bottles of Beaudreaux Cellars waiting for us!" said Leslie.

The Damianos praise the service along with the cuisine, singling out the "great" wait staff of Nicole, Elizabeth and Robin as very family friendly, an important feature since they often dine with their children. Phil’s menu favorite is the lamb sandwich and Leslie regularly orders the pan-seared salmon cakes with sour cream dill sauce.

The Fresh Sheet changes every few days and features a soup, sandwich and main entree’. Specials are indeed special... including portabella mushroom raviolis in a smoked tomato cream sauce or grilled rockfish and rosemary red potatoes. On the regular menu, the bacon-smoked cedar potato cakes are popular as is the roasted garlic and onion bread appetizer.

Phil and Leslie credit local owners, John Grollmus, Brad Fosseen and Jeff Meagher and their hands-on management style for creating a restaurant with outstanding service and exceptional culinary quality.

Leslie sums it up well, "We enjoy the ambiance of the friendly atmosphere...we always see friends and acquaintances there and you never feel like a stranger."

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.

Phil and Leslie Damiano

Who are Phil & Leslie Damiano?
Leslie and Phil are both lifelong Coeur d’Alene residents and graduates of Coeur d’Alene High School. Phil is GM of Coeur d’Alene Garbage/Post Falls Sanitation and homemaker-mother-of-five Leslie is the self-described CEO of "Damiano, Inc."

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.