Tomato Street ~ Coeur d'Alene

Where can I go on Friday night by myself for dinner and a drink and not have to wait? I was looking for somewhere with a warm ambience and good food. I pondered the possibilities and chose Tomato Street. I chose well. If you are looking for somewhere to go on a busy Friday night this is definitely the place. Tomato Street in Coeur d’Alene is an Italian restaurant and bar that has an upbeat and fun atmosphere and they are very kid friendly. The servers all wear some sort of funny hat and draw their names on the table with crayons when they greet you. Kids of all ages enjoy the paper table cloths for drawing on.

 It was shortly after 7:00pm when I arrived and the place was hoppin’. There were a couple of groups waiting for tables and since I was flying solo I decided to sit in the bar. The bartender was obviously very busy, but still immediately greeted me and asked if I would like to have dinner or just a cocktail. I smiled back and said, “Both please”.

I told her I was craving a fruity white wine so she suggested a Riesling or a Gewürztraminer and offered me a taste of each. She brought me samples of the wines she had suggested and both were very good, but I chose the Gewürztraminer. I decided to order an appetizer instead of dinner so I would have room for dessert, I love their Tiramisu. I was drawn to a new addition on the appetizer menu - homemade meatballs and mozzarella cheese wrapped in dough and baked to perfection in the brick oven. They serve it with their spicy marinara (my favorite), regular marinara and alfredo sauce for dipping. They have excellent pizza so I figured these would be good as well.

I enjoyed my wine while nibbling on this town’s best garlic bread and alternated between the NBA game on the big screen and people watching. I was amazed at how well the seemingly large staff worked together and how much food they were putting out in such a short amount of time. Customers were flowing in and out at a steady rate and no one had to wait more than a few minutes.

My appetizer was fantastic. I love meatballs but rarely order them in restaurants for fear of getting a “Costco” meatball. These meatball and cheese stuffed “pillows”are obviously made onsite by the Tomato Street crew. Unfortunately, I could only eat about a third of the plate and was forced to take my Tiramisu to go. I couldn’t bear to leave there without it.

Both the service and the food are amazing. You won’t have to wait forever, you will have a great time and feel comfortable no matter if you are dining alone, with your sweetheart or with your family and friends.

Freelance Writer ~ Amber Melom

Tomato Street Coeur d’ Alene

221 West Appleway Avenue
Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814-9306
(208) 667-5000