Cafe Neo is the latest addition to the fine dining scene
from Scott and Kara Cook, the owners of Ambrosia in the Valley.
This latest and greatest is nestled into a Northside strip mall and
once you step inside, it’s a completely different world. Contemporary
to the teeth with shades of blue grey, hip art work, sleek
wooden tables as well as the chairs and killer lighting. Nothing
is over done and it has the feel of a larger metropolitan area.
Together with Executive Chef Jeremiah Timmons, the Cooks
have another winner on their hands!
The evening my uber fine dining partner and I went in,
we were headed out for some camping (no roughing it for us, no
sirree...) and stopped on the way out of town. We were seated
promptly and our very attentive server got things rolling with
a few selections from the wine list. Ranging from Mt. Dome
NV Brut, Moet White Star, Thurston Wolfe PGV, La Crema
Chardonnay, Maryhill Viognier to Fidelitas Merlot, Duckhorn
Merlot, Amavi Cabernet, Reininger Helix Syrah, L’Ecole
Cabernet, Allegrini Palazzo della Torre, Barrister Cabernet
Franc, Tamarack Firehouse Red, Spring Valley Uriah and beyond.
It’s a solid selection and will expand in time (Ambrosia
has recently gotten kudos on their list from Wine Spectator).
One of the ideals that I appreciate in Cafe Neo is that
the portions are not mondo huge, they are actually very reasonable.
I’m not a fan of “more is better” and much prefer the quality
over quantity. Having said that, one can then try more tasty
tidbits and not come away feeling stuffed. Our starter for the
night was the delicious Ahi Poke served in a square tower with
the Ahi being Hoi-sin marinated with green onions, sesame
seeds, sliced cucumber and a mild wasabi aioli on the side. The
Chef d’Cuisine, Branden Moreau, did a fine job with every last
item, down to the great presentation (oh yes, and he’s a former
yo-yo champ, ask him to come out and show you his moves if
he has time...). Other starters to savor are the Dungeness Crab
Cakes, Proscuitto wrapped Scallops, Point Reyes Blue Cheese
with toasted pecans, spiced honey and toasted French baguette or a Bruschetta with arugula-pecan pesto. Soups are all home made and lush, and the salads are a must, coming in 1/2 or whole sizes. The Caesar is a classic with all the components in perfect balance (loved the parmesan-rye croutons) while the Cafe Salad was brimming with mixed greens, goat cheese, toasted pumpkin seeds and a great tart cherry-brandy vinaigrette. Also available, a Spinach Salad or Ahi Salad and you can add chicken or salmon to any of the salads to make it an entree. Sandwiches listed in their own little section are served with either Caesar salad or a cup of the soup and you can choose from a Crab Cake Po’Boy, Grilled Chicken, Steak Sandwich or a Grilled Portabella. Once you move to the Entree list, it gets tougher to make a decision. Add to that a Special for the night and good luck... Having said that, I can at least attest to the wonderfulness (yes, that is a word) of the Roast Chicken with its oven crisp exterior paired with a textured wild rice risotto, honey stone ground mustard cream sauce and broccolini, which I adore when cooked right, and it was. The Porcini Scallops pan seared and served atop of a Boursin cheese grit cake, wilted spinach, lobster sauce and fried leeks exuded exotic flavors and textures, nicely done. Others that are high on my list are the Prawns and Risotto, Mushroom Ravioli (great vegetarian fare), Spicy Prawn Pasta with red peppers, mushrooms, sweet onions and penne pasta in a zippy, spicy cream sauce, Rack of Lamb and more. Save a bit of space for the desserts here, they’re all made in house and the killer hit for me was the Grilled Angel Food Cake with honey mascarpone, blueberries, strawberries and a balsamic reduction. It wasn’t that sweet but reminded one of a toasted marshmallow. And the sorbet is very Asian in style, sweet and loaded with flavor, such as the Lychee Ginger. Very, very well thought out selections, flavor components and presentation, a big thumbs up to the chefs, staff and owners!
The readers say...
Yes :-) Jenny's review (Aug 14th 2008)
Cafe Neo has everything going for them: snazzy ambiance, delicious salads and entrees, appetizers like creamy crab cakes and arugula-pecan bruschetta, and a fine wine list. They have a nice outdoor patio and helpful wait staff. . I’ve enjoyed every meal I’ve had there, and I’ve taken full advantage of their happy hour (every day 4-6), but it’s usually not as full as I’d like to see it. Come try it! I bet you love the crab cakes. :)
Review: Café Neo more than just a trendy dinner
Sophie Sestero, Staff Writer
Issue date: 11/25/08 Last Updated: 12/3/08
Media Credit: Brandon Hemming
Café Neo owner Scott Cook delivers the first dish to the Englund family and friends Chrissy Schrader and Leslie and Miya Eckel.
Café Neo opened June 2008 while many were away from their Whitworth homes. It is piquing many people’s interest though as the year goes on. Owner Scott Cook said they decided to call the café Neo because it means new.
“It’s our take on a new café,” Cook said. Well, it is new, it’s unique and it’s delicious.
Café Neo is a great place for students to get away from campus to relax or do homework in peace. Its location on North Division makes it close enough to walk to. Happy hour is every day from 4 to 6 p.m. and offers enticing $5 appetizers, –prices students can sink their teeth into.
While it screams trendy, it is also an ideal place to study or read. However, it can double as a date location, dinner spot before heading downtown or even a fun place for a hall activity.
It is unique for north Spokane. While Twigs has a positive reputation, they don’t compare. Café Neo is more focused on its food, not on a huge crowd.
Scott Cook started his consistent reputation for quality food in a high-class atmosphere with his other restaurant, Ambrosia. He decided to open a restaurant in north Spokane by popular demand when his frequent Ambrosia guests said they’d love something a little closer than the valley location.
“We wanted something more contemporary and modern than Ambrosia’s European bistro feel,” Cook said.
Ambrosia has lots of reds, yellows and greens. For Café Neo, they wanted a calming feel. They achieved this with the cool blues and chocolate browns found throughout as well as modern simplistic décor that keeps with the contemporary clean line design.
One thing that did stay the same though from Ambrosia to Café Neo was the quality of the food. Ambrosia literally means ‘food of the gods,’ and there is nothing but miraculous ingenuity behind every dish at Café Neo.
Business has been picking up Cook said. He acknowledged the difficulties of opening an upper-end restaurant during hard times for the economy.
Recently seniors Calvin Jurich, Allison Spencer and Porsha Fosse from Professor of business and economics Brad Sago’s integrated marketing communications class began working with Cook.
“The assignment is to develop an IMC plan for a local business,” Jurich said. This includes a detailed marketing plan and offering suggestions for the business.
“Our three main objectives are to increase brand awareness, increase foot traffic and build brand relationship with the community,” Jurich said.
The three seniors had the idea of Whitworth Wednesdays: an opportunity for students to visit Neo and receive a 10 percent discount.
“This was our idea to incorporate the Whitworth community with Café Neo,” Jurich said. “We proposed the idea to Scott [Cook] and he was willing and excited to implement a discount.”
Hopefully the student base will continue to grow and evolve as the menu does. Cook says his chef loves coming up with new recipes. This helps with their specials and their promise of a new soup every day to go along with their seasonal constants.
Currently that constant is Italian sausage and lentil soup. The perfect meal or appetizer on a cold November afternoon, it has a tart broth made from mustard seeds, a slight kick from the sausage and a boost of flavor from the lentils.
There are no bad menu choices. Their hummus or bruschetta appetizers are affordable and delicious. For lunch the grilled chicken sandwich will cause your senses to go wild from the havarti cheese, juicy chicken on a soft, fresh roll and apple wood smoked bacon. Make sure to get it with the house chips, served fresh and warm from the oven.
For an entrée option they have everything from their popular spicy prawn pasta served with penne pasta in a spicy cream sauce, red peppers, mushrooms and sweet onions. The menu is versatile and can satisfy restricted eating, like for vegetarians.
“I have good chefs that can accommodate most anything,” Cook said.
Prices for Café Neo range from $5 to $28.
Contact Sophie Sestero at sophie.sestero@whitworthian.com.
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“It’s our take on a new café,” Cook said. Well, it is new, it’s unique and it’s delicious.
Café Neo is a great place for students to get away from campus to relax or do homework in peace. Its location on North Division makes it close enough to walk to. Happy hour is every day from 4 to 6 p.m. and offers enticing $5 appetizers, –prices students can sink their teeth into.
While it screams trendy, it is also an ideal place to study or read. However, it can double as a date location, dinner spot before heading downtown or even a fun place for a hall activity.
It is unique for north Spokane. While Twigs has a positive reputation, they don’t compare. Café Neo is more focused on its food, not on a huge crowd.
Scott Cook started his consistent reputation for quality food in a high-class atmosphere with his other restaurant, Ambrosia. He decided to open a restaurant in north Spokane by popular demand when his frequent Ambrosia guests said they’d love something a little closer than the valley location.
“We wanted something more contemporary and modern than Ambrosia’s European bistro feel,” Cook said.
Ambrosia has lots of reds, yellows and greens. For Café Neo, they wanted a calming feel. They achieved this with the cool blues and chocolate browns found throughout as well as modern simplistic décor that keeps with the contemporary clean line design.
One thing that did stay the same though from Ambrosia to Café Neo was the quality of the food. Ambrosia literally means ‘food of the gods,’ and there is nothing but miraculous ingenuity behind every dish at Café Neo.
Business has been picking up Cook said. He acknowledged the difficulties of opening an upper-end restaurant during hard times for the economy.
Recently seniors Calvin Jurich, Allison Spencer and Porsha Fosse from Professor of business and economics Brad Sago’s integrated marketing communications class began working with Cook.
“The assignment is to develop an IMC plan for a local business,” Jurich said. This includes a detailed marketing plan and offering suggestions for the business.
“Our three main objectives are to increase brand awareness, increase foot traffic and build brand relationship with the community,” Jurich said.
The three seniors had the idea of Whitworth Wednesdays: an opportunity for students to visit Neo and receive a 10 percent discount.
“This was our idea to incorporate the Whitworth community with Café Neo,” Jurich said. “We proposed the idea to Scott [Cook] and he was willing and excited to implement a discount.”
Hopefully the student base will continue to grow and evolve as the menu does. Cook says his chef loves coming up with new recipes. This helps with their specials and their promise of a new soup every day to go along with their seasonal constants.
Currently that constant is Italian sausage and lentil soup. The perfect meal or appetizer on a cold November afternoon, it has a tart broth made from mustard seeds, a slight kick from the sausage and a boost of flavor from the lentils.
There are no bad menu choices. Their hummus or bruschetta appetizers are affordable and delicious. For lunch the grilled chicken sandwich will cause your senses to go wild from the havarti cheese, juicy chicken on a soft, fresh roll and apple wood smoked bacon. Make sure to get it with the house chips, served fresh and warm from the oven.
For an entrée option they have everything from their popular spicy prawn pasta served with penne pasta in a spicy cream sauce, red peppers, mushrooms and sweet onions. The menu is versatile and can satisfy restricted eating, like for vegetarians.
“I have good chefs that can accommodate most anything,” Cook said.
Prices for Café Neo range from $5 to $28.
Contact Sophie Sestero at sophie.sestero@whitworthian.com.
