Perry pizza spot draws kudos

A new pizzeria in the South Perry business district has neighbors swooning.

Owners Pat and Sue Kautzmann and their daughter, Krista Kautzmann, opened South Perry Pizza earlier this month at 1011 S. Perry St.

So far, the food has elicited rounds of virtual sighs from satisfied customers on the restaurant’s Facebook page.

The Kautzmanns outfitted a building on the east side of Perry Street with a pizza oven, a long bar for seating and tall and short tables for diners. Two big garage doors await summertime weather.

The menu features 12-inch pies that can serve one hearty appetite or two smaller ones. The thin-crust offerings range from a simple mozzarella cheese pizza with olive oil ($9) or margherita with fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil ($10), to the house specialty featuring sausage, pepperoni, mushroom and caramelized onions ($13) or prosciutto with mascarpone, mozzarella, arugula and cherry tomato ($12). Diners can also create their own pizzas.

Beer in bottles and on tap and wines by the glass are available. Locally made Brain Freeze ice cream is featured for dessert. The complete menu is available at www.southperrypizzaspokane.com.

South Perry Pizza is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 4 to 9 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m.; and Sunday from 4 to 9 p.m. Check with the restaurant for holiday hours at (509) 290-6047.

Ferguson’s Café closes

The historic Garland café that has served as a set for three movies filmed in Spokane is closed.

In a note to customers posted on the door, owner Jim Adolfson wrote, “Thank you for all of your support over the last 9 1/2 years. We truly enjoyed serving you and we’ll miss all of you and your families. Good luck to you and have a Merry Christmas.”

The café, 804 W. Garland Ave., opened in the 1930s as Saunder’s Café and became Ferguson’s when it was purchased by the Ferguson family in the 1940s. Three movies – “Vision Quest,” “Benny & Joon” and “Why Would I Lie?”– used Ferguson’s as part of their sets.

Next to the handwritten note on the door is a notice from the Washington State Department of Revenue detailing tax warrants for unpaid taxes.

Samurai Sam’s closes

Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Grill, 909 S. Grand Blvd., also is closed.

A posting on the door said the closure was part of a corporate restructuring. Owner Marianne Guenther opened the franchise in June.