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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Alpine offers family friendly menu, pub and banquet space

A building with a past that includes billiards and coffee beans is now a charming family restaurant.

The old Panama Jacks, which was once a Gloria Jean’s Coffee Bean, 11003 E. Sprague Ave., has been transformed.

The Alpine recently opened there, featuring a hint of Bavarian décor and a menu full of dishes that could appeal to picky eaters of all ages.

J.R. Haase, a 50-year-old Spokane Valley resident, opened the restaurant recently with his partner, Betty Lang, 36.

Lang said they developed the menu and its pricing based on their experiences taking a combined family of six out to dinner.

“For us to go out to a restaurant as a family, we were looking at spending at least $150. That’s why we wanted our restaurant to be affordable,” Lang said.

So, they created a menu of items priced from $4.95 to $16.95. It features foods such as wraps, burgers and sandwiches, steak and shrimp dishes, and home-style cooking with country fried steak and ribs.

Lang said the most popular items so far are veal, prime rib, seafood linguini and Southwestern wraps. Popular appetizers include teriyaki beef tips and homemade potato chips.

Down the hall from the dining room, a small pub serves beer, wine and spirits, and hosts karaoke on Friday and Saturday nights and Texas Hold ‘Em on Wednesdays. The card tournaments are played for points that can be used as qualifiers for a satellite poker game. For sports fans, the bar has games on a big screen.

“You’ll always find the Cougars or Zags here on TV in the pub,” Haase said.

The upstairs has a banquet room that seats about 25 and another room with a pool table and video console. Haase said kids under 18 can play if they’re accompanied by an adult.

The Alpine is open Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. and Sunday, noon to 10 p.m. For more information, call 921-7600.

Discount electronics in Spokane Valley

A store offering discounted furniture and electronics recently opened at 12604 E. Sprague Ave.

Spokane Discount Furniture and Home Electronics sells a mix of merchandise that has been discontinued by large retailers. The store carries big-screen televisions, home theater systems and even a few scratch and dent bargains. Brands carried include Panasonic, Sony, Toshiba, Samsung and others. It also has bedroom sets, sofa and love seat sets, bar stools and other furniture.

The store offers 60-day warranties on merchandise, said store owner Steve Waco, who operates two other Spokane Discount stores in the area. Waco estimates that prices typically range from 25 percent to 50 percent below average retail.

Spokane Discount Furniture and Home Electronics is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call 922-3336.

Recycling company leases space

Spokane Recycling Products Inc. has leased 28,000 square feet of space in Building 13 at Spokane Business and Industrial Park. The company recycles paper and plastic.

Office serving as drop-off for Toys for Tots

A Spokane Valley Edward Jones representative is opening his office for the Marine Corps Toys for Tots drive.

Scott Murock, an investment representative for the company that provides financial services for individual investors, is accepting donations at his office at 1301 N. Pines Road, Suite 202-B.

People are asked to donate new, unwrapped toys. For more information, call 921-0985.