Grandma, what a manly voice you have

It sounds twisted when she says it.

“Grandma’s actually my dad,” she says, loud and clear.

No, Erica Schuster isn’t reciting lines from a rare 45 rpm single from Johnny Cash’s really, extremely lost years. She’s talking about Stan Hancock, her father, owner of the new Grandma’s Backyard Style BBQ, 1901 Sherman Ave. in Coeur d’Alene.

“My 2-year-old actually gave him the nickname of grandma,” Schuster says. “She’s just adamant that he’s her grandma. Oh yeah, grandma’s a man.”

That’s right – little Chandra Schuster’s grandma is a 52-year-old man who likes to serve barbecue. According to Erica Schuster, the Coeur d’Alene native has been wowing friends and family with his homemade sauces for quite some time. After a lot of pressure from the gang, he decided to go commercial. The restaurant opened July 12.

Grandma’s serves barbecue pork, beef brisket and chicken, all with a choice of mild or hot barbecue sauces, made fresh daily. One of the specialties, Schuster says, is the pineapple coleslaw. It’s an old family recipe.

Speaking of family – this may be Hancock’s first shot at opening a restaurant, but his daughter says he’s already discovered the most easily accessible workforce around.

“It’s a family-run business,” Schuster says. “Kind of like slave labor, just different.”

Hmm … a slave-driving, business-savvy manly granny. That has a nice ring to it.

Grandma’s Backyard Style BBQ is open Mondays – Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. For more information, call (208) 664-4491.

John Michael’s corner

John Siock had big plans when he bought Solicitor’s Corner last October.

He loved the location of the restaurant, at the busy intersection of Francis Avenue and North Division Street. But he didn’t think the Corner had a memorable flavor. So he decided to change that.

First, he changed the name to something more personal, John Michael’s Restaurant and Bar. Second, he went after the menu.

“(Solicitor’s Corner) had never really established itself,” he said. “So I set out to revamp the menu, to add a lot of creativity and, to be frank, quality to the menu.”

“We wanted, when people would come to John Michael’s, for them to know why they were coming here.”

Siock believes John Michael’s has done just that. The restaurant’s huckleberry-infused sauces are a specialty and in dishes such as Stuffed Pork Chop with Huckleberry Demi Glace and Huckleberry Glazed Salmon. Other dishes range from gourmet entrees, such as Roast Duck Breast with Portobello and Steak Oscar, to more casual fare, such as Halibut Fish and Chips and the Peppercorn and Bleu Cheese Burger.

John Michael’s is open Sundays – Thursdays from 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. For reservations, call 465-9554.

Music in the alley

Ahh, Europe. We’d all love to be there, wouldn’t we? Dining al fresco under the stars in some cobblestone back alley, listening to flamenco guitar, letting the Chianti breathe.

But what can we do? We’re here in Spokane, land of Chinese restaurants and many, many strip malls.

Well, Sylvia Wilson at Mizuna has taken care of that problem. In a manner of speaking.

For the first time, Mizuna, 214 N. Howard St., has opened its alley for al fresco summer seating. So everyone can enjoy a Pear Gorgonzola Salad or Seared Ahi (or tofu) while being transported – mentally, at least – far, far away from Spokane.

And Wilson’s even tossed in soothing music. Local music acts – including flamenco guitarist (and bassist for death-metal band Pathos) Abe Kenney – will fill the alley with sounds on Fridays and Saturdays. Music generally starts at 8 p.m.

To reserve a table, call 747-2004.