Italian, wing spots on menu for CdA
Two restaurants will offer new North Idaho options as they open in Coeur d’Alene in the next week.
Specialty pizzas and many other organic options will be offered for lunch and dinner at Bambino’s Pizza & Gelato at 726 Fourth St. The unveiling is Friday, with hours from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
A full menu comprises 16 pan (thin-crust) pizzas, antipastos (appetizers), zuppas (soups), several flat-bread dishes, a variety of insalatas (side and full salads), panini (grilled sandwiches at lunch), pastas and gnocchi (dumplings with sauces) at dinner, gelato (a soft ice cream) and an extensive list of wines and beers. Many items are gluten-free and vegetarian.
Bambino’s 15 employees will seat about 50 customers at white-clothed tables. It features an exhibition kitchen and will have seasonal outdoor seating. Owner Angelo Martini Brunson, originally from Seattle, also owns Angelo’s Ristorante a few blocks north on Fourth Street.
Phone (208) 765-0100.
Wingstop to open
Families and take-out will be the focus as Wingstop opens Wednesday at 2630 Government Way in the northeast corner of its intersection with Best Avenue/Appleway. The eatery is in one of a possible 10 business sites in the building that several years ago was the home of Montgomery Ward.
Decorated in a pre-jet aeronautical theme, the restaurant (with inside seating for 38 customers and a take-out counter) offers nine flavors of made-to-order chicken wings (with or without bones), several homemade side dishes and many beverages, including beer and wine coolers.
The wing flavors are original hot, Cajun, mild, hickory-smoked, lemon pepper, garlic parmesan, Hawaiian, teriyaki and atomic. The side dishes are seasoned fries, potato salad, coleslaw, vegetable sticks, baked beans, dinner rolls and several sauces and dips. Items may be ordered from individual meals ($5.69) to several sizes and types of family packs to bulk orders (up to 1,000 wings for $503.99).
Hours will be 11 a.m. to midnight daily. Owners Ray and Johnsye Doyle will have 16 employees. The Doyles came to North Idaho from San Antonio, Texas, in 1995. The restaurant has two large TVs showing sports. Although Coeur d’Alene will be its first outlet in the Northwest, Wingstop has 250 restaurants, primarily in the South. Check www.wingstop.com.
Watch for the 25-foot Wingstop balloon next week. Phone (208) 765-9464.
Fireworks Photography
With holiday photos as its seasonal specialty, Fireworks Photography is in the Red Oak store in Silver Lake Mall through December. The regular business is at 1523 Second St., Coeur d’Alene.
The business uses portraits for an interesting variety of gift items, calendars, T-shirts, puzzles, mugs, greeting cards, stickers, playing cards, mouse pads, screen savers, DVD slideshows and traditional prints.
Originally from Coeur d’Alene, owner Anne Knoll graduated from Gonzaga University and was a camera operator for KXLY-TV news. She worked for other film and production companies and shot freelance photos at sporting events. Her specialty is now “helping people capture their beautiful moments at affordable prices.”
Check www.fireworks photostudio.com. Phone (208) 640-0260.
Tidbits
•The antique store with several vendor spaces next to LouLou’s Sporting Goods on Kathleen Avenue in Coeur d’Alene has closed.
•Precision Fitness in the former YMCA building at Lincoln Way and River Avenue (near North Idaho College) is adding a 1,800-square-foot training and exercise area. The expansion with additional workout equipment will allow the business to expand from personal training to include memberships. Phone (208) 664-7728. Building owners have withdrawn the plan to develop condominiums on the property.