Spud's welcomes Executive Chef Colin Cox

SANDPOINT — Spud's Rotisserie and Grill in downtown Sandpoint recently added a new position, hiring Colin Cox, who has 13 years of professional chef experience, to be the executive chef and continue expanding the popular restaurant's menu featuring American regional cuisine.

Peter Mico has been the chef and owner of Spud's since he and his wife, Gail, established the restaurant in 1995. He says he will continue to focus on soups, dressings and salads during lunch as well as expanding their take-home dinner program. Meantime, Cox will direct the dinner menu. "Colin is excited about our style of food — fresh, American regional fare — and that motivates him," Mico says.

Cox agreed, saying: "This is the kind of food I cook at home — lighter, fresher, low on fat and high on flavor. Peter has the vision for what he wants, and we have the same tastes in food. We knock around new ideas, and I execute his vision."

Cox, 38, graduated in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in culinary arts from the San Francisco Culinary Academy, considered the second best school in the country. His restaurant experience began at age 15 in an Italian restaurant in Oregon. Hired to be a dishwasher, Cox was thrown onto the cook's line the first night on the job and never washed dishes again. In his early 20s, he decided to pursue a formal education and become a professional chef.

Following graduation, Cox landed his first real chef's job at the Oregon Electric Station in Eugene, Ore., where he worked for three years. Then he spent a year in Portsmouth, England working at the Bistro Montparnasse, a French restaurant on the southern coast. Later, he took sous-chef positions in a hotel in Flagstaff, Ariz., and a country club in Oregon. His first head chef job was in Ashland, Ore., in a little restaurant similar to Spud's, with an emphasis on fresh, local food.

Cox had heard about Sandpoint from friends and decided to move here in 2002, after considering four towns. "I settled on Sandpoint," he says. This area offered the types of recreation he enjoys, cycling and backcountry skiing, and is a good place to raise his family. He and his wife, Monique, have two sons — Christopher, age 7, and Ethan, 7 months.

When the opportunity to work for Mico at Spud's came up, he jumped at it, he says. "To be hired in an already successful restaurant is a treat," Cox said. "I plan to increase the level of food and work on presentation and some new ideas."

Mico said, "Colin fits in so well around here with his personality and his demeanor."

Spud's has been in its current location, on the waterfront at 102 N. First Ave., since 1999. Overlooking Sand Creek, Spud's features outdoor dining on the deck and indoor bistro-style dining. Mico says his culinary philosophy is to present food that is totally fresh, healthy, light, regional, seasonal and uses the highest quality of ingredients to enrich the dish. Examples of fresh offerings are the ahi tuna with an Oriental pesto, fresh halibut with mango ginger salsa and a ribeye steak with whole-grain mustard butter.

"Colin has the spirit and the skills to create these specialties with depth and gives them flair in the presentation," Mico said. "We have a motivated, enthusiastic staff that loves to work in the kitchen."

To celebrate autumn and the addition of Executive Chef Colin Cox to the staff, Spud's is offering a fall special. Using coupons published in the Daily Bee or on Spud's Web site, spudsdelivers.com, customers can receive two dinner entrees for the price of one, any night of the week through Dec. 23. Just buy one and get another of equal or lesser value free, with the coupon.

Spud's is open six days a week for dinner (exception is Monday) and seven days a week for lunch. Lunch begins at 11 a.m., and dinner is served starting at 4:30 p.m.

For more information, check out Spud's on the Web at spudsdelivers.com or call 208-265-4311.