Your Bulldog Tavern

[TexasZagFan]

The "Student Stuffer" at Paki's was a culinary treat...especially when you had a big case of the munchies caused by inhaling the acrid smoke emanating from neighboring rooms.

Second hand smoke was just a fact of life in those days.

[77Zag]

Three words that have served me well over the years ...... "I don't remember".

Then there are the four words that have the same effect .... "I'll take the 5th".

+1

[gamagin]

freejoe

Everybody else: Didn't you used to be able to walk from the Bulldog into Pete's without going outside? And does anybody else here remember Van Gorp Place, the one-block long street near Colonial Bowl? And Pagan Pink? 77 cents. Enough said.

(1) Trick question, perhaps ? Pete's started out as a pizza shell business (selling frozen, rolled out, dough, to other pizza parlors) inside the sw corner of the Bulldog. There was an outside and an inside entrance from the BD.

Pete's later on moved next door, the BD expanded the old Pete's space in to a hamburger joint, and Pete's kept making shells but expanded to serving calzone's and pizza.

If you want to go back even further, & you are not too confused, the original bulldog Tavern was in what is now the Pete's Pizza building. The present Bulldog is made up of old WW II surplus sections of barracks or buildings of that vintage and shape, that once stood behind Webster grade school, across the street from der Bingle's house. Webster later became the GU Law School & is now a full block of student housing in the 600 block between sharp and sinto.

(2) Yes, I remember Van Gorp.

(3) Pagan Pink ? Nope. I'm guessing it was a drink in one of those holes in the wall pubs along the west side of division somewhere, or else at Mary Glass' Bubble Inn. But just guessing. Further it would probably involve wine and a soft drink, since hard drinks were not in the pubs. Close ?

[freejoe69]

I am confused!

Man, I hope I wasn't peeing in the freezer on my trip to Pete's. I just thought it was a bit drafty in the hallway. And Pagan Pink was a particularly fruity flavor of Ripple. Even tried finding a vintage bottle on Ebay last year, to no avail. There's no accounting for taste, or lack of it! And I'm happy to hear that I didn't make Van Gorp up in my head. Like an imaginary friend.

[Vizagra]

Steve

Few others:

Steve. If you have to ask who Steve is, you don't know Steve. Does he still work there?

The "retired" architect who always sat on the corner, drank white zinfendel, and chatted up the coeds at every possible moment.

"That girl is no good for you. -Mom" graffiti'd on the fence behind the bar. There was a picture circulating once of a couple doing the horizontal handshake on the grass underneath the graffiti.

Steve DOES still work there!

[gamagin]

well,

Man, I hope I wasn't peeing in the freezer on my trip to Pete's. I just thought it was a bit drafty in the hallway. And Pagan Pink was a particularly fruity flavor of Ripple. Even tried finding a vintage bottle on Ebay last year, to no avail. There's no accounting for taste, or lack of it! And I'm happy to hear that I didn't make Van Gorp up in my head. Like an imaginary friend.

there was a door on the w/side of the BD, west of the bar about midway between sharp and the alley. I believe it is still there. Deliveries were taken in that way. It was a seldom-used (probably a fire) exit for patrons, however. it led towards sharp (south), where one could take a quick right and go in to Pete's.

Most BD patrons went out the south (sharp ave.) door, past the pool table(s) and the bathrooms of the BD, walked a few feet west and entered Pete's, directly next door.

I do not think there was a door/passageway linking the BD & Pete's but I am not positive. I just never saw it.

Btw, there used to be a small barber shop in the BD building, between where the restaurant section (original Pete's) and the bathrooms are now. Facing Sharp.

[Angelo Roncalli]

there was a door on the w/side of the BD, west of the bar about midway between sharp and the alley. I believe it is still there. Deliveries were taken in that way. It was a seldom-used (probably a fire) exit for patrons, however. it led towards sharp (south), where one could take a quick right and go in to Pete's.

Most BD patrons went out the south (sharp ave.) door, past the pool table(s) and the bathrooms of the BD, walked a few feet west and entered Pete's, directly next door.

I do not think there was a door/passageway linking the BD & Pete's but I am not positive. I just never saw it.

Btw, there used to be a small barber shop in the BD building, between where the restaurant section (original Pete's) and the bathrooms are now. Facing Sharp.

I do recall for a while in the late '70's, there was a speakeasy type window on the south wall of the BD where you could place an order for Pete's--they'd call you back when it was ready and you would have to pick it up at the window. The ill-tempered barmaids (Gerry) wouldn't bring it to your table...

One night when a law student intramural team was celebrating a victory in the BD, a compadre of mine stuffed a couple bucks in quarters into the juke box and punched it to play the Oak Ridge Boys' "Elvira" about 20 times in a row.

[gamagin]

+1

I do recall for a while in the late '70's, there was a speakeasy type window on the south wall of the BD where you could place an order for Pete's--they'd call you back when it was ready and you would have to pick it up at the window. The ill-tempered barmaids (Gerry) wouldn't bring it to your table...

One night when a law student intramural team was celebrating a victory in the BD, a compadre of mine stuffed a couple bucks in quarters into the juke box and punched it to play the Oak Ridge Boys' "Elvira" about 20 times in a row.

You are right. that would be inside the BD building. SE corner of the building right on the corner of Hamilton & Sharp. That is where the bbq is now being served and where the "restaurant" has been for a long time.

Not to be confused with the separate building west of the BD, on sharp, which now houses Pete's Pizza and Calzone's.

Re Gerry. She was a real peach. Besides her trademark bad service and attitude, she busted several generations worth of (grateful male) cherries from her power post at the BD. None of them her own. allegedly.

[cjm720]

"she busted several generations worth of cherries"

No comment

[Angelo Roncalli]

It being Bloomsday season, I am reminded of how my roommate trained for Bloomsday #2 in '78.

At about 8:00 PM every evening, he'd don his sweatpants and running shoes to to go "jogging."

He'd stuff all the change he could find (or mooch) into his pockets.

He'd then "jog" from Roncalli to the Bulldog, where the change would be converted to a few schooners, or a pitcher if he could round up enough coin.

When the change and the beer were gone, he'd walk back home to Roncalli. Then he'd go to bed, exhausted from his training regimen.

[gamagin]

some friends dined at chez bulldog

Thursday and said the owner was very nice but the service was a little slow (they weren't ready for the business uptick due to the newspaper article), but the food was very good. Smoked turkey sandwiches, bbq ribs and samplings of pulled pork were consumed.

One gourmand said the ribs were as good as he'd had anywhere in spokane, if not the best. High marks, too, for the French fries, the corn pasta salad, the slaw and the sweet potato fries. All 4 agreed they would return, fwiw.

[willandi]

Haven't been to the BD in 23 years, but am sure that I would feel right at home!
There is a woman, here in Spokane (at least I hope she's still here) that has a food trailer. It is cleverly disguised as a log cabin, and it has a smoker on the back. She does the best ribs and brisket BBQ that I have had outside of Kansas. She moves the rig around. I first saw her on the 5000 block of N Division, Then around 800-1000 E Francis.
Haven't made it to Texas or Carolina and not meaning to step on any toes, just haven't tried theirs.
There also was a guy that opened a BBQ place here in Deer Park 4 or 5 years ago, closed within a few months, he wasn't legal to have a liquor license, and I think he has a small stand on Hwy 2, N of Riverside.

[stevet75]

So, Sam's Pit doesn't exist anymore? Sam's had pretty good BBQ and a well deserved, very seedy, reputation.

[gamagin]

sam's just closed . .

So, Sam's Pit doesn't exist anymore? Sam's had pretty good BBQ and a well deserved, very seedy, reputation.

about 20 years ago. maybe longer.

[Angelo Roncalli]

Sam's...

Probably had 3 stars from Michelin?

Al Morse's, maybe only 2 stars...

http://books.google.com/books?id=ss4UWqEx0w0C&pg=PA171&lpg=PA171&dq=sam's+barbecue+pit+spokane&source=bl&ots=RtFLbeHqcr&sig=FkdA84fSk1T83Fm-KcFZ80Os8xw&hl=en&ei=6Pm6Tc3TN6XX0QH304TfBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=sam's%20barbecue%20pit%20spokane&f=false