Tamarack Public House, Spokane

Before opening the doors to Tamarack Public House, Leo and Teresa Gonder put a year's worth of work into reviving the gastropub's historic downtown location. Previously, the 1891 building had served as a grocery store, furniture shop, bakery, and even a tattoo parlor. But with the help of their own construction company, the Gonders effectively gave it a second life: they soda-blasted the red brick walls, custom designed two bars, and installed 19th-century glass doors and windows, instead of just asking visitors to imagine them.

Today, servers pour craft beers from behind the bars, one of which is located in a second-floor loft alongside flat-screen TVs. Guests consult the pub's farm-to-table menu for food to go with their drinks, browsing items such as sandwiches, entrees, and a popular forest mushroom focaccia pizza. Tamarack is also especially accommodating of vegan and gluten-free guests: the kitchen offers to prepare any dish on the menu to those specifications.