New York Peppercorn Steak MAX at Mirabeau 1100 N. Sullivan Road
A 12-ounce USDA Prime Peppercorn Steak with a four-pepper crust and brandy demi-glace, served with herb roasted potato and vegetables.
Why you’ll love it
This steak is one of the original items from the first MAX menu for a reason. One of the most popular dishes at the award-winning restaurant, it has stood the test of time. The chefs use a blend of four peppercorns and spice, then caramelizes and sears this USDA Prime grade steak to the guest’s specifications. The finish is a French cream demi-glace reduction.
The whole nature of the dish is created by a three-day simmering process of roasting veal bones in-house to create an intense, flavorful stock, which gives the base for the finalization of the sauce and the tantalizing overall flavor. And as a bonus, the dish is gluten free! Paired with a MAX house wine and complimented with a full menu of appetizers, entrees and desserts at one of the region’s premier dining establishments, this dish is a can’t-miss culinary experience.
Have you or someone you love ever sat down at a favorite restaurant, perused the menu and made a selection not based upon taste, but chewability?
Dr. Tim Casey with Liberty Lake Smile Source sees patients like this often, people who have inspired him to take part in research to offer even better fixed-denture technology.
“Implants are truly life-changing for people who cannot chew well,” Dr. Casey said.
While he offers the latest in traditional denture and implant technology out of his state-of-the-art new office at 22011 E. Country Vista Drive, Suite 201, Dr. Casey was motivated to participate in FDA research based out of Spokane that recently approved a new system called Trefoil that is already revolutionizing the implant process for patients around the world.
“We’ve had All-On-4 for over a decade now,” Dr. Casey said of previous technology that provided a full, fixed dental implant. “But with Trefoil, what used to take four months to get a final fixed denture we can now do in 24 hours with amazing aesthetics. It is also a more affordable answer to the All-On-4 system.”
The Trefoil technology helps patients with periodontal disease or tooth loss. The lower teeth are extracted, and three implants are installed in its place. The process begins with a consultation in Dr. Casey’s Liberty Lake office and continues in coordination with an oral surgeon.
“Patient feedback has been amazing,” he said. “Usually, the barriers to this type of treatment have been fear of pain, cost and the length of time from start to finish, up to four months. The Trefoil system answers all those concerns, meaning patients have their final beautiful smile within 24 hours. Personally, I’m always amazed at how the patients say they really don’t experience any pain, either mild discomfort or surprisingly — even to me — no pain whatsoever.”
By participating in the Trefoil research and approval process, Liberty Lake Smile Source is on the front edge of offering this technology to patients. Dr. Casey said it has allowed people for whom the All-On-4 option was too expensive to afford a permanent, fixed solution. Getting started is easy.
“Schedule a consultation to see if you are a candidate, especially if you are a patient who has considered All-On-4 in the past and are looking for a more affordable — and much more immediate — option,” he said.
Dr. Casey said the Trefoil technology isn’t for every patient, but it adds an affordable fixed denture option to his list of implant services.
Frannie’s Kitchen at Chevron 1109 N. Liberty Lake Road, Liberty Lake
Featuring sausage, eggs, peppers, onions, hashbrowns and cheese, this breakfast burrito is freshly made in Frannie’s Kitchen inside Liberty Lake Chevron. Full-pound burrito option also available.
Why you’ll love it
When you think of food prepared fresh by a trained chef with years of experience, you probably aren’t thinking about gas station fare. Yet that’s exactly what’s offered in the northwest corner of Liberty Lake Chevron through Frannie’s Kitchen.
People walking in for the first time often expect prepackaged items that have been sitting in a food warmer for who-knows-how-long.
“That’s not what this is,” said Fran Stevens, the 10-year Chevron employee and longtime Liberty Lake resident behind Frannie’s Kitchen. “It’s not been sitting there for hours. You always have people who are prejudiced against gas station food, and we just have to fight the stigma.”
For someone with culinary training and experience working in catering and for resorts, Fran might seem overqualified for the job, but she loves the community environment, repeat customers and ability to surprise people with what they can find inside their local convenience store.
“Once they come in, they come back, and they tell their friends,” she said. “I just have to get them in the door.”
After establishing a loyal lunch crowd with gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Liberty Lake Chevron expanded this past year to provide breakfast offerings from 7 to 10 a.m. The combination of fresh-made food with grab-and-go convenience was already a hit, and a crowd of breakfast regulars formed quickly.
Owner Don Douglas said credit goes to Fran, who works behind the register for Chevron when she’s not behind the grill a few paces away. Fran makes the burritos and sandwiches to order, usually while visiting with the customer. She uses hearty meats, real cheese and fresh, store-bought ingredients she hand-selects. Customers also love her homemade cookies.
In addition to the Southwest Breakfast Burrito, Fran said morning commuters love grabbing the Three Little Pigs — a ham, bacon and sausage burrito — and the Southern Style, highlighted by sausage and gravy.
Lunch standouts include grilled-to-order specialty sandwiches from the Pulled Pork and Cheddar, to the Italian, to the ever-changing Specialty Sandwich of the Week.
“It’s not what you would expect from a gas station,” Don said of Frannie’s Kitchen. “We don’t know what’s next in her fresh kitchen, but we know it will taste great!”
