Coeur D'Alene's Place to Bee
As you walk into Honey Eatery and Social Club in Coeur d’Alene, the light from the doorway splits through a stained glass honeycomb, casting gold and red spotlights across the dining room. That may be the first thing you notice, or perhaps your eye is drawn toward the gigantic honeybee head mounted on the wall behind the bar. Or you glimpse the dozens of jars of preserved fruits and vegetables that give the restaurant a homey touch. Regardless of what you see first, the decor of Honey Eatery will surely lure you in before you even have a chance to glance at a menu.
Why the bee theme? Owner and chef Adam Hegsted takes inspiration from the close-knit community of a beehive, desiring a place where people can step in to eat, drink and socialize after buzzing around town all day. Hegsted also values the natural wildness of honeybees and their conversion of nature’s purest ingredients (pollen, nectar, water) into a warm, comforting delicacy. The honeybee symbolizes Hegsted’s commitment to the same recipe: natural, seasonal ingredients skillfully combined into gourmet comfort food.
“A lot of the time, we are trying to take a common comfort food or drink and look at it in a new way,” says Hegsted. “Or see how we can elevate it to a more delicious level.”
Honey Eatery and Social Club splits itself in two for different experiences. The first floor Eatery provides a warm atmosphere for enjoying classic American cuisine, from Idaho potato doughnuts doused in huckleberries for breakfast, to fried chicken and waffles dripping in honey butter for dinner. The Social Club gives off a 1950s vibe as you descend into the basement, where live music and comedy shows entertain as you sip a house-crafted cocktail and snack on Korean honey butter chips or dig into a honey-brined pork chop.
Honey Eatery and Social Club extends beyond the restaurant doors into the Coeur d’Alene community. You may find their outdoor kitchen at several events a year, including Taste of Coeur d’Alene and Crave Northwest.
Honey Eatery and Social Club
Adam Hegsted | @adamhegsted
Taste of Coeur d’Alene
Crave Northwest | @cravenorthwest
