Tucked away just northwest of downtown Spokane in the Audubon neighborhood, Downriver Grill (3315 W Northwest Blvd) offers up a handful of fine dining quality gluten-free options in a comfortable atmosphere.
Gluten Free Options
Being a bit more in the mood for a drink than normal, we’d hoped for a better gluten-free beverage selection than the Spire cider and Red Bridge beer bottles they had to offer. But on the bright side it turned into a nice conversation with the server about all the great new gluten-free drink options out there these days, and he seemed authentically interested in trying to track down a better gf beverage selection at the end of it all.
Once we’d tipped them off that we were gluten free customers, the server asked immediately if we were Celiac or intolerant (a good sign). We explained our situation, Shallan having Celiac and myself with no diagnosed or noticeable gluten allergies, and that we’d be ordering everything gluten free so we could share it. Since our options were rather limited, steak and salmon were the only gf mains on the menu and only a couple salads and no appetizers were gf, we didn’t spend a lot of time pouring over all they had to offer. We picked a medium rare steak, stir-fried veggies, spinach salad, and two soups and dreamed of Omission pale ale while we waited. They also noted that they are willing to make other items on the regular menu gluten free that aren’t marked if you’re more adventuresome than we were.
The shrimp bisque came first and was so good I would go back just for that. It was so good I caught myself wishing it was Kosher to suck up the unreachable remants in my bowl with my water straw. All fantasises of making my own bisque at home were vanqished when Chef Ryan stopped by our table to check on our gluten-free meal. He informed me that it takes 3 hours to prepare this particular reduced shrimp bisque versus the wheat flour thickened versions many establishments rely on. Bummer, but great to know that there are places that are still willing to take the time to not only make such a superb dish right but also gluten free. We split the bisque along with the sweet potato curry soup, which didn’t have a fair chance against its running mate, but, was nevertheless thick and comforting with a mellow coconut curry taste packed into a hearty sweet potato base.
Sweet Potato Curry and Shrimp Bisque
Soup finished, our meal arrived. Since the starches were off limits because of some gluten ingredient in the potatoes that normally come with the steak, we opted for stir fried vegetables that were deliciously seasoned, perfectly cooked, and awesome. The spinach salad, with pine nuts, bacon, and a vinegrette, was equally flavorful yet somehow still fresh and light.
Fresh Salad
Referring to that beautiful piece of meat on our plate as a mere steak also seemed kind of a crass after we cut into its pink interior and tasted the first bite. It was an amazing sauce-topped piece of melt-in-your mouth beef and nothing less. The sauce, a balsalmic, peppercorn veal juice conconction known as jus-de-veau, was incredibly complimentary without overpowering the beef.
Perfectly seasoned and grilled steak.
By the end of it all, we were satisfied and on our way to feeling full but couldn’t pass up the gluten-free Pot de Crème, a chocolate moose-like dessert with amaretto, that would also be impossible to ignore on any future visits to Down River Grill.
Check them out and let us know about your experiences and what other gluten-free options you discover on the regular menu.
By Derrick Knowles
