I’d Move Heaven & Earth for Spokane Eatery’s Tater Tot Casserole

I am a sucker for comfort food. I know what I like and I have my favorites. Whenever I travel throughout Washington, I make a mental note of the places I know I want to eat at. Yeah, I'm all about making new favorites, sure, but I also like what I like. My favorite food is tater tot casserole, full stop.

I get that casserole can be a scary word, especially if you had church potlucks or similar gatherings in your upbringing. But for me, it simply means "find the nearest couch and get ready." We're making a food baby, people.

The Gilded Unicorn in Spokane has the best tater tot casserole I've ever had.

My wife and I used to take a lot of day trips before we had kids. We still go on trips with the kids but they're planned out a little bit more. I think it was my wife's 21st birthday when we went to Spokane that I encountered the Gilded Unicorn for the first time. It's got a wonderful aesthetic and vibe. You take a hole-in-the-wall door off the sidewalk and walk down the stairs into the Unicorn. The temperature drops and you're met with a scene right out of Game of Thrones. Seriously, like where's the mead? (I think they have mead.)

I'll never forget the first time I tried the tater tot casserole at the Gilded Unicorn. I'll admit that I wasn't expecting much so I was absolutely blown away when I first tasted it. The chunky beef was so good. You'll have to watch this video to get the full scope of this masterclass in culinary arts.

What other hidden gems in Washington are waiting for me to eat them?