Restaurants in Hayden

The chefs at Pizza Oven hand toss fresh dough to create specialty pizzas available by the slice or whole pie. In addition to creative pies like the Bangkok Bombshell, slathered in thai peanut sauce, chicken, cilantro, and mozzarella, they also make classic bread sticks and garlic bread sticks.

The Grille from Ipanema, which takes its name from a beach along Rio de Janeiro's picturesque coastline, also draws inspiration from the Brazilian churrasco experience. This type of dining stems from the gaucho tradition of gathering around a fire pit and roasting skewers of meat over the flames.

The eatery’s chefs re-create this experience by searing skewers of more than 18 different meats—including top sirloin, pork shoulder, and bacon-wrapped chicken—over a mesquite-filled grill. They then hand the large meat skewers off to servers, who drift throughout the dining room looking for green coasters, which signal that the diner requires more meat. After they’re called tableside, the servers carve the meat into individually sized portions with their industrial-strength laser pointers. By flipping their coasters from green to red, guests tell servers to temporarily stop the never-ending meat deliveries, buying themselves time to visit the salad bar and load plates with hot and cold side dishes.

Natural light floods in through the walls of windows, illuminating the dining room's blond-wood finishes and draped fabrics. The Pacific Northwest Inlander praised the restaurant's scenic vantage point in 2011, saying, "you won’t get a view of the Rio de Janeiro beachfront but you will get an eyeful of still-impressive Lake Coeur d’Alene."

The calligraphy on the cover of Red Dragon Spokane’s menu holds a special place in the hearts of the restaurant’s owners. It was painted by their grandfather John Chan, who founded restaurants in Seattle, Yakima, and Ellensburg in the 1930s and ’40s. John’s crown jewel was Chinese Gardens, a Spokane institution that opened in 1946 and eventually spawned Red Dragon. Chinese Gardens introduced many Spokaners to specialties such as almond chicken, which Chef Bojun Locke and his wife, June, now prepare in Red Dragon’s kitchen. Here, the couple builds appetizer trays, family-style meals, and banquet dinners featuring traditional Chinese fare, such as crab wontons and chow mein. To accommodate patrons with dietary restrictions, they also prepare vegan, low-sodium, and gluten-free dishes. On the second Saturday of each month, the East Diamond location hosts belly-dancing shows that charm and rivet, like a fairy-tale prince turned real-life handyman.

Forty-One South crafts its menu of upscale American cuisine using many locally sourced ingredients. As diners nestle into the scenic lakefront lodge, servers ferry plates of pan-seared duck confit and mesquite-smoked filet mignon to linen-clad tables. Herbs picked from the eatery's onsite garden bolster the flavors of locally sourced game, and the eatery also stocks local coffee and honey procured from the region's wild Pooh bears. A panoramic view of Lake Pend Oreille calms observant diners. On Saturday nights, romantic music fills the dining area, and live music lights up the lounge on Thursday evenings.

Sala Thai’s aversion to commercial advertising may seem strange at first, but one step inside the restaurant’s bustling dining room shows that its word-of-mouth reputation for piquant curries, stir-fried noodle dishes, and artistic presentations has already spread. Aromatic plates of Thai cuisine arrive at tables still steaming from the heat of the kitchen, where a single chef remains hard at work through lunch and dinner, eschewing pre-packaged ingredients for fresh meats, veggies, and spices. Verdant basil leaves and piquant peppers add their colors to imaginative presentations of meat nestled in pineapple half-shells and tofu encased in the mouths of live dragons. Domestic and Thai beers and locally cultivated wines complement meals and douse the flames of accidental fire-breath.

Chan Bistro owners Katia Chan and Meo Goldstein sojourn to local markets each morning to gather fresh ingredients for the meals their patrons will order that day, according to the Pacific Northwest Inlander's feature on the eatery. The married couple's emphasis on freshness carries over to the recipes they serve, and they prepare all of their rich sauces in-house. Though adept at all manner of culinary styles, Katia and Meo primarily dole out variations on traditional Asian dishes, such as the fuji sweet-and-sour chicken breaded with panko and topped with grilled pineapple. Vegetarian entrees, such as Sichuan-style steamed Silken tofu with fresh garlic and scallions, allow diners of different dietary persuasions to sup together and compare chewing techniques. Diners dig into Katia and Meo’s recipes beside a photographic backdrop of Hong Kong’s gleaming skyline, a nod to Katia's hometown, which she describes as “the heaven of food.”