Bradley’s In Sandpoint Follows Other Restaurants In Closing

What’s up with the Sandpoint dining scene?

It seems lately that one restaurant after another is permanently checking out.

Bradley’s, the city’s creative French bistro, recently closed. That was on the heels of Gregory’s going under and The Cupboard being shuttered.

Former owner Robert Bradley said his restaurant just wasn’t being supported.

“It’s indicative of what’s going on in Sandpoint,” he said. “The economy is not very good, so we had to look outside the community for business. And tourism is down 20 percent.”

When Bradley relocated from Seattle four years ago, things were definitely cooking. Adventurous eaters had a wealth of choices including the short-lived but inventive First Avenue Bistro. When that stylish spot went under, chef Greg Grass opened Gregory’s. It showed great promise early on and received national recognition for its outstanding wine selection. But lack of business forced it to close last spring.

The owner of the popular Cupboard traded the long hours required for running a restaurant for a career in the food wholesale business.

The problem might have been too much competition.

“During the time that I have been here, an old gas station became a restaurant. An old shoe store became a restaurant and an old furniture store became a restaurant,” said Bradley. “We had a proliferation of restaurants and only so many customers. The slices of the pie just got smaller.”

It’s unfortunate that diners will no longer have those innovative eateries, but Sandpoint hasn’t exactly dried up and blown away. There are still interesting places to eat.

The Thai Palace has opened this week in Bradley’s old spot. This is the second location for the popular ethnic restaurant that features a wide range of Asian dishes. (The first Thai Palace opened last year in Coeur d’Alene.)

Toro Viejo has opened its fourth restaurant in the former Gregory’s at 207 Cedar St. The menu is mostly mainstream Mexican but includes such traditional items as chicken mole. Sauces and salsas are made from scratch using family recipes.

The Pend Oreille Pasta Company offers a combination deli and upscale take out. First, there’s a small but mouthwatering lunch menu that ranges from a daily pasta special to a crusty French baguette stuffed with fresh mozzerella, pesto, sun-dried tomatos, fresh basil and garden greens.

The pasta purveyor, which opened last spring, also offers an array of made-from-scratch noodles in various shapes and flavors such as cracked black pepper, a fat-free basil, spinach and whole wheat. Sauces are also made fresh daily and include favorites such as a marinara, a meat sauce and a rich alfredo sauce, in addition to a spinach pesto, a spicy puntanesca and a creamy sauce with smoked salmon.

Pend Oreille Pasta also stocks deli items and an extensive selection of wine. It’s located at 2885 Highway 95 North, just across from the Bonner Mall.

Then, of course, there are the longtime fixtures in town. I continue to hear good things about Ivano’s and The Garden. And I also hear encouraging reports about Eichart’s and Swan’s Landing.

You can do your part to keep Sandpoint’s remaining restaurants in good shape. Get out there and support your favorite cook.

New phase for Luna

There will be a changing of the guard at Luna by the end of the month, with chef Brett Fontana leaving to devote his energies full time to his bread company.

“Friends and family and customers have been saying for some time that I could be successful with my own venture and I’ve decided to prove them right,” said the 37-year-old chef, who has been at the popular South Hill restaurant for 18 months.

Regina Sampieri will take over the top spot in the kitchen. She arrived last year after working at a number of small, authentic Italian and French restaurants in Southern California.

For the time being, anyway, diners shouldn’t be able to detect a difference because Fontana’s summer menu is still in place.

There’s no sub for Sparky’s

Hooray. Sparky’s Firehouse Subs has opened its third location, this one on the South Hill.

The minichain, owned by two Spokane firefighters, Vince Azzinnaro and Mike Sparke, distinguishes itself from the pack with its East Coast-style hoagies made from sliced-to-order meats, generous toppings and its own vinegar and oil dressing.

Try the Backdraft (ham, pastrami, bologna, two kinds of salami, pepperoni, turkey and Swiss) or, if you like to live dangerously, sample the Haz-Mat, a ham, pastrami, bologna, two kinds of salami, roast beef and pepper cheese.

Sparky’s south is located at 2926 South Regal. Call 536-7778 for takeout orders.

New grub at Jimmy D’s

Chef Chip Thomas recently launched his first new menu since taking over at Jimmy D’s more than a year ago.

Some of the customer favorites remain, but there’s a new flavor to the house specialities.

Thomas’ signature dishes include a a seafood stew seasoned with hints of orange and anise, baby back ribs poached in T.W. Fisher’s beer, then oven roasted with a bourbon-spiked barbecue sauce, and a garlic chicken dish that’s not for the heartburn prone. It’s a grilled, boneless breast served with feta cheese, roasted garlic and finished with a lemon-butter sauce.

Jimmy D’s is located in Coeur d’Alene at 320 Sherman Ave. For reservations, call (208) 664-9774.

, DataTimes