Comfortable and homey
Kathy Dickson and James Catalano had a vision: serving comfort food and gourmet fare in a friendly, homey atmosphere. Folks would come as they were – to a place “down the street.”
Ultimately, the two had double vision. Today, the couple own two restaurants, both aptly named, Down the Street. And customers are pleased with what’s dished out.
“Eighty-five percent of our business is return customers,” says the fresh-faced, blonde Dickson. “Once we get customers, we keep them.”
Dickson, with years of restaurant experience, longed for her own restaurant. Catalano, also in the business before his venture with Dickson, felt the same longing.
Together, the entrepreneurial duo realized their dreams when, 15 years ago, they opened their Coeur d’Alene restaurant, operating from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Success there led to the additional location in Post Falls, seven years ago, with the same business hours, plus dinner hours from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Both restaurants serve the same, fresh, made-to-order meals that are a hit with customers. For breakfast, served all day, favorites include biscuits and gravy, omelets and corned beef hash. Lunch includes burger steaks, country fried chicken, meatloaf, sandwiches and fresh soups. Popular dinners are liver and onions, pan-fried chicken, tender prime rib and Parmesan-encrusted halibut with mango salsa.
Delectable, hard-to-resist desserts include warm, drizzled-with-caramel apple pie and Irish crème pie, the restaurant’s signature dessert, made of homemade ice cream flavored with Irish crème in a chocolate cookie crust. Fresh bread is served hot to the table, with a smile.
And all meals are economically priced.
The mood in both restaurants is comfortable and homey, and the décor is similar to that of a diner. Soft oldies hum in the background. Seated in the comfortable, large booths, one can find families, couples and solo diners enjoying meals.
Dickson notes that although there are two Down the Streets, the restaurants bear no similarity to chain restaurants. All food is homemade; the establishment utilizes microwave ovens only for softening butter, or perhaps heating up a slice of fresh pie.
Dickson says, “We cook here. It’s not about heating up a frozen plate of food. Even our Alfredo sauce is made in the pan when ordered.”
Dickson shares that the restaurant uses only the best and freshest ingredients, some of which are organic. The pork used is all-natural, and all meat is sliced right in the restaurant.
“We cut all our own meat portions, and use some of it for our special homemade soups. We also make our own spaghetti sauce,” she says.
Brandi and Nick Sand, frequent customers at the Post Falls location, are seated nearby, with two of their four children. The Sand family appears to enjoy themselves, and is on friendly terms with restaurant personnel.
“We come in several times a week,” Brandi says. “Down the Street has good prices, excellent food, and very friendly service.”
At an online site, www.insiderpages.com, Down the Street in Post Falls received five stars from a poster, designating it as “world-class.”
When Dickson is asked what she credits for the restaurants’ success, she smiles and waves an arm towards her customers.
“Jim and I enjoy the people we come across, and we love to give them good food. We wanted to offer the types of food that worked; not something we had to force on people.”
If the business the restaurants do is any indication, it’s evident no forcing was in order. Both restaurants are a favorite for breakfast and lunch, and in Post Falls, dinner.
For the future, Dickson says she and Catalano plan to serve more of the same.
“We’ll keep doing what works, always striving to improve. We wanted a place where everyone could come and feel comfortable, a place where they could enjoy a freshly cooked meal at a reasonable price with fast, friendly service.”