Recently Reviewed

by Inlander Staff & r & Max at Mirabeau -- Fine dining shows up even in a hotel restaurant located next to the Sullivan Road/I-90 on-ramp. And you know the Mirabeau Park Hotel is dedicated to total service, because the more than 100 items on the menu here are available all the way from 6 am (every day) to 2 am (on the weekends). Try the basil crab cakes ($12), the hot spinach salad ($6), the caprese salad ($7, with mozzarella, basil and tomato), the New Zealand rack of lamb ($28, with pankoo peanut crust and passion fruit demiglace) or the seared sesame-crusted ahi tuna with yakisoba noodles ($24). Service was exemplary. Call 922-6252. (Reviewed 7/14/05, LM)





the Globe Bar and Grill -- The Globe's pub grub is a cut above with a menu featuring French, Jamaican, Greek, American, Spanish and Italian dishes along with a good selection of good ol' Northwest microbrews. It's dark inside with a long wooden bar, a scattering of tables and a row of booths. The menu has seven salads, from Caesar to Ginger Peach Shrimp. Four creamy pasta dishes. A page and a half of sandwiches (the French Dip, the Jamaican Jerk Pork) and burgers (the Whiskey Pepper Demi, the Black & amp; Bleu). The muffuletta sandwich ($9.25) was big, stacked thick with ham and spicy salami along with a little tomato and lettuce to wet the palate and slathered all over with an exquisite olive tapenade on thick, lightly toasted foccaccia. Divine. 204 N. Division. Call: 744-0438 (reviewed 4/14/05, JS)





Maggie's Grill -- Maggie's seat-yourself, order-at-the-counter style of dining adds a new twist to South Hill neighborhood dining. The menu includes a little bit of everything: sandwiches, wraps, salads and hot entrees like lasagna, chicken pot pie, flat iron steak, roasted honey ginger chicken and broiled lemon shrimp skewers. The Thai chicken noodle ($11) was quite pleasant and spicy with a rich, tangy peanut sauce, thick noodles, grilled chicken and crispy cabbage slaw that added texture and coolness. The pan-seared ahi tuna ($15) -- encrusted with black sesame seeds and served with wasabi aioli -- was also very tasty. The timing between salad and main entr & eacute;e course was off, but the owner made up for it with complimentary desserts. 2808 E. 29th Ave. Call 536-4745. (Reviewed 3/31/05, LM)





HuHot Mongolian Grill -- HuHot takes the Mongolian Grill concept to new heights, putting diners in charge of selecting ingredients. The centerpiece is a big circular grill where white-toqued grillmasters await your orders. Dinners ($11) include soup or salad and as many trips through the grill line as you care to make. Fill up a colorful bowl with uncooked ingredients (meats, veggies and noodles) and a myriad of sauces, and the chefs will cook up your creations. 11703 E. Sprague. Call: 891-871. (Reviewed 5/19/05, LM)





El Gallo Giro -- El Gallo Giro is fast food in the only way you want food to be fast -- that is, rapidly prepared. You sacrifice nothing in terms of quality or authenticity. Lots of choices and cheerful service, too. The Gallo Giro tacos (in a rice and beans combo for $6.50) are terrific: tender seasoned meat (your choice) in delicate white corn tortillas with a squirt of lime and a drizzle of freshly made hot sauce. The carne asada burrito ($4.50) is big, dusted with cheese and bathed in a rich red enchilada sauce. 305 S. Thor St. 535-0142 (Reviewed 4/21/05, MC)