One of the best things about the old place was the fact that they were open 24 hours a day and provided a fantastic spot for late-night post-bar folks to go and soak up their twelve shots of Rumple Minze with a tall stack of pancakes or a bacon burger. Since reopening as Kootenai Cafe last fall, the place has had very limited hours, breakfast and lunch only. Thankfully, they've seen the same success and Mike said that they are almost ready to once again stay open 24 hours a day and will also be introducing a dinner menu full of 'comfort foods” such as pot roast, meat loaf, and country fried chicken. Personally, I cannot wait to have one of their killer Monte Cristo sandwiches (the best in North Idaho) after a wild night out on the town/OrangeTV, Get Out! North Idaho. More here (scroll down).

Question: When did you last eat in a restaurant in the wee hours of the morning?

“I know exactly what I did wrong and how not to do it again,” Hanes told me on my recent visit to the newly re-opened diner which he rechristened the Kootenai Café, perhaps in an attempt to shake off any lingering bad juju. A reduction in operating hours and staff, along with a strong sense of perspective should hopefully keep the doors open this time. Otherwise, not a lot of changes have taken place, other than the addition of a salad bar area in the back corner and some shuffling around of booths and tables to allow for a bit more seating. For the time being, Kootenai Café will be a breakfast and lunch only sort of situation, with plans to expand back into a 24-hour diner at some point later on/Patrick Jacobs, Get Out! North Idaho. More here.

Question: Were you a fan of Michael Hanes’ 4th Street Pantry? Do you plan to check out his new Kootenai Cafe in the same location?

We’ve had a little break from the HBO Grub Club since the Nosworthy Hall of Fame review. So it’s time to get back in the game. At Blogfest 2010, Meme13 suggested the 24-hour downtown restaurtant, 4th Street Pantry. OrangeTV did a review of it in late December. He wrote: “The new 4th Street Pantry in downtown Coeur d’Alene is set to corner the 24-hour restaurant market, and since Denny’s is still basically the only other place to stuff one’s face during the wee hours, they have a very good chance of success. Owners Michael Hanes and Tanya Dalton have created a warm, comfortable environment that feels like you’ve arrived at a friend’s cozy home for a nice little visit and a satisfying homemade meal.” I won’t post the rest of the review because I don’t want to influence you. So get out there and eat. Then, come back here and review. (Courtesy photo: Patrick Jacobs)

“I spent many hours at 24-hour diners in my late teens and early twenties, drinking oceans of coffee, chain smoking and filling notebooks with pretentious poetry. At the time, they were pretty much the only places for the under-21 crowd to meet and socialize without pesky parental units leering over their shoulders.

Our circle of friends started out at Perkins, where we regularly annoyed the waitresses by acting like it was our living room and never buying anything more than a bottomless cup of joe and a large order of fries with a side of ranch dressing. When the management finally got fed up and threw us out for good, we relocated to Denny’s, where they seemed much more receptive to our chaos and where we would see a preview of our future selves; hungry post-bar drunks not quite ready to let the night come to a graceful end.” More here.

When is the last time you tried to find a place to eat after 9 p.m.? Where did you end up?