Dinner and a show

Dining out doesn’t have to be dull.

Instead of piped-in music and the roar of conversation, several local establishments offer a great deal.

They’ll sing to you, dance for you and put on a show for you.

Dinner for a song

When Shawn Nichols picks up the microphone and looks around at the crowd at Delaney’s Musicafe, he is serving up more than just a song.

Nichols and wife Ann Marie Byrd purchased the historic Corbet-Aspray house which sits across from the MaryCliff center on West Seventh Avenue, in 1999. After an extensive restoration, they opened Hannah’s Garden Inn, a bed and breakfast and event facility. Last December the couple expanded operations and opened Delaney’s Musicafe.

That’s where things get creative.

In addition to gourmet meals and elegantly prepared food, Delaney’s offers live musical entertainment. The performances are led by Nichols with local crooners Abbey Crawford, Annie Maloney and Noel Barbuto. Carolyn Jess is musical director.

“We had done themed parties and events for years,” Nichols said. “And whenever I could, I sang special songs for our guests and people who came in for events.”

Expanding into Delaney’s gave him the opportunity to bring more music into each meal. After enclosing a porch, adding a sunroom to expand the dining area, they launched Delaney’s.

“I knew that for this to be a successful venture it had to be good. I mean really good. Professional entertainment rather than an amateur offering,” Nichols said. “So I went through a rigorous interview and audition process.”

He was thrilled with the level of talent he found.

“Abbey Crawford is wonderful and she has a strong following in the area,” he said. “Annie Maloney just graduated from Gonzaga and she has this incredible Broadway-style, belting, voice. Noel is a gifted performer. A real leading man.”

And there is the host himself. “After performing every conceivable task of innkeeper and restaurant owner for years,” he said, “it’s nice to be performing for guests again.”

This summer Nichols and Byrd initiated “Hannah’s Garden Benefit Series” which features themed evenings which benefit local charities. The benefits are held in the garden surrounding Hannah’s Garden Inn.

“The benefits have been very well received,” Nichols said. “People are obviously enjoying themselves and they like being in such a beautiful place.”

Although the Inn, which overlooks downtown Spokane, has been open for business since 1999, Nichols said people are still amazed to stumble onto such a tranquil oasis so close to the city.

“Carolyn Jess said it reminded her of the way the movie ‘The Wizard of Oz’ changes from black and white to color,” Nichols said. “You walk through gray stone walls and suddenly you’re in the middle of a beautiful, colorful, world.”

Nichols said lunch attendance at Delaney’s is picking up steadily. Mostly through word-of-mouth referrals.

“People call for reservations and they tell us that a friend was here and told them about it,” Nichols said. “Our guest book is full of these wonderful, long, compliments from people who have discovered us.”

Mystery at the Mansion

In Browne’s Addition, in the rambling, restored, 1889 E.J. Roberts Mansion, guests can pretend they are seated at the table of one of Spokane’s early citizens.

Roberts was a successful engineer, and with his wife Mary Tracy Roberts raised five sons and a daughter in the elaborate Queen Anne-style home.

For the last 23 years, Mary Moeltke has lived in the home. She has completely restored it and operates a successful bed and breakfast there.

As part of the package, “Chadwick,” the resident English butler chats with diners as he bustles in and out of the room serving tea. As he sets out gleaming silver trays of elegant little sandwiches and savories, the not-so-proper manservant interacts with guests. The butler is available to be master of ceremonies for events and weddings held at the home. A uniformed maid assists him.

Beginning in the fall, the E.J. Roberts mansion will be the location for a series of “Mystery in the Mansion” dinners.

Deborah Cofield, business manager of the historic mansion, said the scripts are being written to reflect the mansion’s unique history.

“The mysteries will tie in the history of Spokane, and the unique history of this house,” she said. “You’ll get a wonderful meal, a fun evening and a history lesson while you relax in a beautiful place.”

Like Shawn Nichols at Hannah’s Garden Inn, Cofield said the menu for special events at the E.J. Roberts mansion will be built around the theme of the evening.

“We have wonderful caterers and we’re looking at bringing in a chef,” Cofield said. “We want the food to be as special as the entertainment.”