TWISTED AND TASTY The Gilded Unicorn puts a new spin on traditional pub fare BY DAN NAILEN
T
he first indication there’s something new happening in the basement of the Montvale Hotel might be a large mural not far from the entry, one of the leftovers from the departed Catacombs restaurant that chef/ owner Adam Hegsted decided to keep when he took over the space. But Hegsted wasn’t going to preserve the painting as-is. He wanted to give it a new twist — a common theme for his latest venture, the Gilded Unicorn, where the menu is dominated by modernized pub grub and classic cocktail updates. The twist on that mural? Hegsted had someone replace the heads of the three drinking buddies from the original with the heads of the mythical beast that helped give his new spot its name. Plenty busy with the burgeoning culinary empire he’s built over the past few years, including Yards Bruncheon and The Wandering Table in Spokane and The Cellar in Coeur d’Alene, Hegsted wasn’t necessarily looking to open another place just yet. But his memories of the soaring ceilings, rock walls and prominent wood accents on past visits to Catacombs for pizza allowed him to ignore the “For Rent” sign in the window for only so long. “The timing here was not ideal. It wasn’t what I was planning, but it’s such a fantastic spot, so it was really hard to pass it up,” Hegsted says, noting that his team has worked together for years, and was excited to brainstorm ideas for the one-of-a-kind Spokane space. The subterranean location fueled the direction of that brainstorm into what Gilded Unicorn became. It had a soft opening last week, and officially opens Friday. ...continued on next page
YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
DECEMBER 10, 2015 INLANDER 51