Fresh approach
Seafood distributor now offers products at retail location
Lanzone and her husband, Phil Lanzone, are the owners of Airway Heights-based seafood distributor Northstar Seafoods and have been delivering seafood to Spokane and North Idaho restaurants and stores for eight years.
They opened their first retail store, Regal Street Seafood, at 2812 E. 30th Ave. earlier this month.
“This is a natural extension of our business,” Heather Lanzone said.
A selection of fish fillets, king crab legs and lobster tails fill the glass display cases. Clams, oysters and mussels are waiting on ice. Wines chosen to accompany seafood were just arriving last week.
“I want people to know they don’t have to go to Seattle to get their fresh fish anymore,” Lanzone said. “We’ll save them a trip.”
The Lanzones know when and where fish is caught and whether it is farmed, and can get most special orders overnight.
The Copper River salmon season began Monday, and Lanzone expected to have it in the case this week. They also have fresh seasonal halibut.
Lanzone said she loves to share recipes and cooking tips with customers.
They’re also serving to-go orders of fish and chips. They offer three different plates of fish, fries and coleslaw daily between 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Choose salmon ($11.99), halibut ($12.99) or the house special ($10.99), which changes according to what is in the case.
The fish is dipped and breaded with Panko crumbs and fried while you wait. The Panko gives the fish an extra-crispy exterior.
The fish is served with a house tartar sauce made with fresh herbs and a touch of Tabasco and cayenne. There’s also a traditional tartar for those who prefer it.
Regal Street Seafood is in the space last home to Adelo’s Take and Bake, in the plaza next to the 7-Eleven at Regal Street and 30th Avenue.
Lanzone said she hopes to add some outdoor seating in coming weeks.
Reach Regal Street Seafood at (509) 535-1966.
Spike brings Phillys to Spokane
This is as close to Philadelphia as you can get without hopping on a plane.
Owners Tom and Kim Guthrie are serving Philly cheesesteak sandwiches at the new Spike’s Phillys and More, 718 E. Francis Ave.
Tom Guthrie says they’re serious about authenticity, serving ribeye from Philadelphia and the original Philly roll from Amoroso’s Bakery.
Spike’s Classic Philly is one hearty sandwich, stacked with tender beef, grilled onions, mushrooms, green peppers and topped with Cheez Whiz or provolone ($9.89). It comes with crispy shoestring fries and choice of side, including a signature pea salad.
There are also chicken Phillys (starting at $8.99), sandwiches, burgers, wings, salads, soups and nachos stacked so high with tri-color chips, cheese, beans, beef, sausage, chicken, bacon, chili, sour cream, guacamole and salsa that they’re served on a trash can lid ($19.99).
There is an obscene number of flat-screen TVs for sports fans (UFC fight nights pack the house) and dog lovers will dig the décor.
Tom Guthrie was a former part owner of Flamin’ Joes, so he’s no stranger to the restaurant business.
Spike’s Phillys and More opened in March and is open daily starting at 11 a.m. Reach the restaurant at (509) 489-3647.
MoonDollars opens restaurant at Twin Lake Village Golf Club
Lovers of those MoonDollars signature burgers served on buns made from Rathdrum Prairie wheat, with hand-cut fries, now have a second outlet for their passion.
MoonDollars at Twin Lakes Village Golf Club opened May 1. The restaurant will offer year-round dining at the golf club, just north of Rathdrum.
Patio dining includes a view of the Twin Lakes Village Golf Course and the Bitterroot Mountains.
MoonDollars at TLV is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner in the former Bunkers location. Like the original MoonDollars, 609 N. Syringa St. in Post Falls, its sister restaurant offers rolls, buns and pizza crust made daily from locally grown and fresh ground Rathdrum Prairie hard red spring wheat.
Baker Rick Demmig grinds wheat daily for the restaurants’ baking. He does not use preservatives, sugar, milk or shortening in the baked goods.
MoonDollars is known for its omelets and hearty breakfast fare, hand-formed burgers on those fresh-baked rolls, salads, soups and pizza. They also have a daily dessert and baked goods offerings.
The restaurant is a partnership between JD and Tracy Dickinson, Walt and Valerie Meyer, Angie and Rick Demmig, and Randy and Harmony Oaks.
The wheat comes from the Meyer family farm on the Rathdrum Prairie.
MoonDollars is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday. There is more information on the restaurant website, www.moondollarsrestaurant.com.
Changes planned at Isabella’s, Zola and Geno’s restaurants
Isabella’s Restaurant and Gin Joint is closed.
Owner William Webster sold the restaurant, 21 W. Main Ave., and it is closed while the new owners make some changes.
Partners in the project are a chef and bartender at the downtown Onion. No word yet on their plans for the space.
Webster will be turning his attention to Zola across the street and a new project at the former Geno’s location, 1414 N. Hamilton St. He is collaborating with Zola partners Dan Spalding and Chris Lucas on what promises to be a funky new Italian-inspired pub in the Gonzaga University neighborhood.
He didn’t have to close Isabella’s, Webster says, but he liked the offer and was ready to expand the energy of Zola elsewhere.
“I’d rather use my time to focus on what I think has become our niche,” he says. “We’ve been itching to find a place to do another music venue.”
Think old-school Italian bar, one that you might find in Venice, he adds. They’re planning Italian appetizers, without all the bread and salads that have become the mainstay in many Italian-style restaurants.
They’ve already gutted the building and Webster is working on a tangle of interests that held up purchase of the land. He’s expecting to get everything worked out soon and plans a September opening.
In the meantime, they’ll begin serving lunch at Zola, 22 W. Main Ave., on June 1. Few things on the menu will be changing, he says, they’re just expanding the hours you can nosh on ZOLA Mac ($6), Mini Pigs in a Blanket (Zola Style, $8) and Kobe Burgers ($10) starting at 11 a.m. each day.
Happy hour is expanding, too. Get discounted prices from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“There’s no need to mess with anything that’s not broken,” Webster says.
Small bites
• Thai Bamboo has moved into its new palace.
Find an expanded menu with Thai, Chinese, Japanese and other Asian dishes at the new location, 5209 N. Division St. Owners Tom and Matavee Burgess also have locations on the South Hill, Spokane Valley and Coeur d’Alene.
They describe the new building as Las Vegas-style. Like the Coeur d’Alene restaurant, the new North Division location has a ceiling with an LED, fiber optic and laser light show.
The Coconut Lounge will offer pub-style food and a full bar. There are patios for both the bar and the restaurant.
Thai Bamboo is open at 11:30 a.m., Monday through Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, the restaurant opens at noon. It closes at 9 p.m. on weekdays and Sunday, and stays open until 9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
• Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory will open its second location on the main floor of River Park Square in downtown Spokane. The space was last home to Godiva chocolates.
Rachelle and Aaron Blackmer, owners of the Spokane Valley franchise, 506 N. Sullivan Road, are opening the new location, which will offer a variety of the 300-some different handmade chocolates that are made at the local store and by the company’s main office.
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is known for an array of caramel and chocolate-dipped apples, chocolate-dipped strawberries and other confections.
River Park Square is owned by the Cowles Co., which also owns The Spokesman-Review.