Following a two-hour top-of-the-line trail ride at Western Pleasure Guest Ranch, Frank and I head out of the ranch, into downtown Sandpoint to taste some wines at Pend d’Oreille Winery. The French connection of Pond Oreille (pronounced “ponderey” and spelled differently for various businesses) is utilized throughout Sandpoint, where expedition-bound Lewis and Clark began their trek through Indian country in 1804. Pend Oreille was the name of the area’s Indian tribe, the bartender informs us as he pours wine made from Idaho grapes. This 2009 chardonnay proves to be delicious, with beautiful floral notes and butterscotch taste, oaked to perfection. Feeling like the 21st-century version of Lewis and Clark, we begin our own exploration, through conversation, to learn that Pend d’Oreille winery has been running for 16 years, making wine with grapes from South Idaho and trucked from Washington State and Oregon. The 2008 Primitivo, with Washington grapes, is delightfully different. This primitivo grape is parent to zinfandel. Unique to this winery is the spigot at the bar, part of a recycling program the winery has set up to fill bottles of either Bistro Blanc or Bistro Rouge wines.
But it is the menu at Pend d’Oreille Winery that has caught my eye more than anything else. The newly opened Bistro Rouge is the talk of the town, offering tapas of pork belly, oysters, charcuterie, grilled porchetta, white bean and kale salad and pizza with prosciutto and cheese. Sandpoint is a hot spot for food, as it turns out, and Trinity at City Beach is our stop for dinner.
Seated at the outdoor deck, the view is spectacular. If you weren’t aware you were in Idaho, or if you didn’t hear the 40-50 cargo trains ride by each day, you’d think you were somewhere in the Caribbean. The beach scene is filled with dogs from a nearby “Yappy Hour,” and the view beyond is one of Lake Pond Oreille, 65-miles long, and where sailboats glide alongside the Cabinet Mountains, which are part of the Rocky Mountains. Just behind Cabinet Mountains is Montana, a 45-minute drive away from where we dine on halibut stuffed with Dungeness crab, and the freshest salmon. A seagull soars past us, posing us to question our whereabouts, but, yes, there are seagulls among the lake, apparently introduced to the area and loving it, as we are.
Another top spot for an outdoor dining experience, lakeside/mountainside, is 41 South across the Long Bridge on Lakeshore Drive. We relish in the scenery as we sip on huckleberry martinis; this berry is indigenous to the area, and we’ve been warned to stay away from picking, as these berries are the bears’ favorite snack. Because we’re in Idaho, we start with a cup of Idaho potato chowder that gives good name to the southern end of the state, where these potatoes grow. Avocado frites dipped in lime jalapeno aioli sauce are a must-order item for those who want something unique with a bit of spice. But what really catches my taste buds’ attention is the filet mignon, local beef cooked to perfection, topped with Dungeness crab meat and béarnaise sauce. Just as you think things couldn’t get better, there’s dessert. All homemade, we decide to split a bread pudding that has since become an all-time favorite. If we weren’t so full from dinner, we would have ordered another.
Wine and food are not the only specialties of Sandpoint, however. Mick Duff’s is the place to go for special in-house brewed beer. This brewery began with brothers who came in to a small inheritance, with the stipulation to use it as a source to “follow a dream,” not for education or housing. For lunch, after my husband devoured his Kobe burger topped with roast beef, with a side of waffle fries topped with gorgonzola cheese, washed down with two specialty brews, the dream was realized. Although we knew we must part Sandpoint, we had to return to this magical land before time, a land that contradicts its slow pace with its upscale food/wine/beer offerings.
Alas, we had to leave, and as Frank drove away from Western Pleasure Guest Ranch, I watched his eyes well with tears, and I knew he, too, realized the hidden gem that is Sandpoint.
This is part 3 of a series about Sandpoint, North Idaho. Click here to start from the beginning, or click here to continue.
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