John Young loves living in Hayden Lake so having a favorite restaurant in the neighborhood is a treat. John and his wife, Connie both enjoy the casual surroundings of The Porch, which is tucked among the trees on the north side of Avondale golf course and features an outdoor dining deck that spans the seasons. The Youngs meet friends there for lunch and dinner, but equally as oft en take the family for dinner. "Lunch at The Porch is always great, but you can add a glass or bottle of wine with dinner, so it’s a toss-up for us," John says when asked which time of day he prefers to dine there. "Red wine is without a doubt my drink of choice with dinner. The Porch has a great variety of wine by the glass or by the bottle."

The fact that John doesn’t have a favorite dish at his favorite eatery is part of the charm of the place. "There isn’t any one item that I prefer, which is probably the main attraction of The Porch," explains the local builder. "Depending on what sounds good, I can order fish, pasta, a sandwich or one of their many specials." Recent specials were indeed special... portabella mushroom raviolis in a smoked tomato cream sauce or grilled rockfish and rosemary red potatoes. On the regular menu, pan-seared salmon cakes with sour cream dill sauce and bacon-smoked cedar potato cakes are popular as is the roasted garlic and onion bread appetizer. John credits local owners, John Grollmus, Brad Fosseen and Jeff Meagher and their hands-on management style for creating a North Idaho-style restaurant with outstanding service and exceptional culinary quality.