New Coeur D’Alene Dining Establishment To Feature ‘Dinner Socks’

A tasty portion of hearty, ethnic cuisine is coming to Coeur d’Alene when Pasty Depot opens next month at 601 Northwest Boulevard (near Memorial Field).

The new business features meat and vegetarian pasties (pronounced PAST-eez), which are main-dish stew items baked in a folded dough shell. Pasties originated in Cornwall, Wales, in the U.K., and are historical mainstays of American mining communities.

Owners David and Carol Voelker have leased the 1,000-square-foot building from Burlington Northern and will offer their products in two sizes with gravies, drinks, chips and ice cream. They’ll sell for take-out only, although their store will have an ample patio for dining with views of the lake, the skateboard park and Memorial field, and easy access to North Idaho College, the city park and downtown Coeur d’Alene.

The Voelkers were raised with pasties as a common “meal-in-one” in Marquette on Michigan’s upper peninsula. They moved from Denver to North Idaho because of its similarities to northern Michigan (but a less severe winter). The pasties, called Dinner Socks by North Idaho miners, feature potatoes and onions with options of fresh-ground meat, carrots and rutabagas. A large pastie (about a pound before cooking) will be under $3.

David’s sister, Barbara Snyder, who also grew up in Michigan, will move from Pensacola, Fla., to help with the family-run business when it opens in early March.

Coeur d’Alene restaurant owner Dean Boever, who operates Sea of Subs and Figaro (Italian Kitchen) restaurants, said he has co-branded the two name-brand restaurants into adjacent spots at the same location.

The co-branding practice is becoming more common because the same set of employees and the same space can offer two popular sets of items.

The well-known signs outside the business can draw twice the traffic. Customers have twice the choices or can get two things accomplished with one stop.

Boever’s complimentary combo is going into the 2,800-square-foot corner location in the northeast corner of Ironwood Square at Ironwood Drive and Government Way in Coeur d’Alene.

Planning a mid-March opening, Boever and Manager Tammy Russo will have 18 employees for the 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. business. They’ll feature sandwiches and soups from the Sea of Subs side (with seating for about 20) and take-out pizza, calzone and lasagna. Pizza will have the option of on- or off-premises cooking, while calzone and lasagna will be for off-premises cooking.

Boever is moving Sea of Subs from the west side of Ironwood Square, where he has been for seven years and is now looking for a sub-lessee. He also is looking for a site near the Prairie Shopping Center to replace a site he has owned at Highway 95 and Honeysuckle Avenue in Hayden.

A native of Drummond, Mont., Boever raced stock cars for many years and came to North Idaho from Yakima. He owns Sea of Subs, which will feature a (nautical) submarine decorating theme. With its headquarters in Salem, Ore., Figaro’s has 87 outlets.

A form of co-branding, or co-locating, also is the strategy for the new B.P. (British Petroleum) gas station-convenience store and Taco Bell building in Bonners Ferry.

Owners Allen and Dayle Sandaker probably can’t lose, especially on the Taco Bell portion, because their 2,800-square-foot building is directly in front of the high school. Students run over at lunchtime, of course, and even between classes.

“We pulled in $1,000 in one hour yesterday (Monday),” Dayle said. “Taco Bell offers good food and it’s reasonably priced. Kids can afford it.” And when school isn’t operating, it’s tourist season.

The Sandakers, natives of Wolf Point, Mont., came to Bonners Ferry in 1989, and Allen also has Allen’s Electric. About 200 people applied for the 29 jobs in the new business. Gas and convenience store hours are 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Taco Bell opens at 10 a.m.

Michael Boge, a Sandpoint city councilman, has purchased Zips Drive-In on Sherman Avenue in downtown Coeur d’Alene. The 14-year-old business, with about 20 employees, features burgers, fish and chips and soft ice cream options.

Boge is a fourth-generation Spokanite of the family that started Boge’s Bakery. Boge’s became part of Snyder’s Bakery in 1985.

Zips’ sellers are Garry and Karen (Minor) Fowler, who retain ownership of the property and the neighboring convenience store. The Ed and Kelly Minor families retain ownership of the Zips Drive-Ins in Spokane and on Government Way in Coeur d’Alene.

Boge also owns Mountain Fever Production Co., which promotes live concerts and specialty films, primarily in the Sandpoint area.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Nils Rosdahl The Spokesman-Review