PLAY BALL

For believers in the church of baseball, the holy season is here again after a painfully long layoff

BY DAN NAILEN

Baseball is a game rife with rituals and superstitions.

Never talk to a pitcher throwing a no-hitter. Never step on the chalk lines when you’re running on or off the diamond. Eat the same meal every game day. I’m just a baseball fan, and I start every season with a Bull Durham viewing and reading a new (to me) baseball book, just to get in the spirit of a new season.

For the Spokane Indians, all the joy of life at the ballpark went on pause last year thanks to COVID-19. It doesn’t take the team’s senior vice president, Otto Klein, more than a couple seconds to recall the last time fans were allowed in Avista Stadium to take in America’s pastime: Sept. 4, 2019.

Now the Indians organization is preparing to welcome fans back for a new season, and the world has changed both inside and outside the baselines for the Spokane squad and its fans. Some of the changes are obviously COVID-related, but not all of them. In fact, the biggest is purely about baseball.

Last year, in the midst of the pandemic, major league baseball and its minor leagues underwent a major restructuring. In some markets, that meant the loss of their minor-league club. In Spokane, the Indians changed from being a “Short-Season A” affiliate of the Texas Rangers to a “High-A” affiliate of the Colorado Rockies.

What does that mean? Basically, the team moved up a couple levels in competition in the minor-league hierarchy, and they’re going to play full-season baseball, meaning a first pitch for a home game on May 4 this season instead of mid June as it’s been for decades. They’ll be playing twice as many games at Avista Stadium each season than they used to.

“It means that we’re going to be seeing a better brand of baseball here, with older, bigger, better, faster, stronger players,” Klein says. “We’re going to see players more developed in their skills in baseball, and they will not be first-year professionals like we’ve seen in the past. It will probably be more of the seasoned players who have a year or two under their belt in professional baseball.”

The Indians have long been successful at grooming young players to eventually make the big-time of the major leagues; now players will be just a couple steps away from the majors when they arrive in Spokane.

“With the Texas Rangers, we graduated, if you will, over 75 players to the major leagues, and that was from a lower level,” Klein says. “You’re going to see a lot of guys play in a Spokane uniform that are eventually going to make it to the big leagues.”

The Indians’ opponents will look familiar, as several foes from the old Northwest League made the jump up alongside the Indians, including squads from the Tri-Cities, Everett and Vancouver, B.C. They’ll open the season with a six-game series against the Eugene Emeralds.

Actually taking in a game in person will feel a little different for a while, thanks to COVID-19. Mostly, the changes are safety-related and temporary while the community continues trying to bat down the pandemic.

The team will open to crowds at just 25 percent of capacity at Avista Stadium, which Klein says pencils out to about 1,750 fans each game. Masks will be required for all fans throughout the season, tickets will be all electronic, and some concessions will be available for ordering through fans’ phones. All the on-field promotions are on pause to keep players and fans safely distanced, and while there will be fireworks on opening night, there’s likely going to be less of those themed promotional nights until at least July.

In many ways, though, the experience will feel familiar, just with a bit more space between fans. You’ll be able to grab a hot dog and a beer and sit in the bleachers while the sun sets. You’ll sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh-inning stretch as you root, root, root for the home team, of course.

Even with the challenges of being shut down for a year and doubling the number of home games during a pandemic, Klein is confident the team will be able to create the “culture” of going to an Indians game so many locals have enjoyed in some form or another for 119 years. It’s a “huge amount of work” to get the stadium up and running and the field prepared for pro baseball, but it’s well worth it for everyone involved.

“We feel like we’re opening up summer for the community. We want to be the safe entertainment choice that opens up summer every year, and especially this year, and there’s nothing like going to the ballpark,” Klein says. “We understand what that means for the community. We understand what that means for households, and in entertainment and a distraction from work, life and everything else. We’re going to do everything in our power to provide that escape.

“That’s a really powerful thing, and we’re going to be ready. We can’t wait to get started, because we missed doing our jobs last year.” n

Spokane has many more nights at the ballpark in store in 2021 after a year away from Avista Stadium. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

The Spokane Indians open their season Tuesday, May 4 at 6:30 pm against the Eugene Emeralds at Avista Stadium. Visit spokaneindians.com for tickets and more information.

OPENING

Rose Martin, a cook and one of the restaurant managers, stirs greens at the Soul Lounge. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

GOING OLD SCHOOL

The Soul Lounge brings some traditional Southern culinary flair to East Spokane

Most cities, especially those on the smaller side, have some gaps in their food community. And as much as Spokane and the Inland Northwest’s scene has diversified over the years, there are still some types of cuisine underrepresented in our neck of the woods.

Thankfully, there’s also some entrepreneurial spirits who see that not as a barrier, but as a challenge to introduce food lovers to their kind of cooking. Such is the case with Cassie Williams and D Johnson, partners in life and business who recently opened the Soul Lounge Bar & Grill on the corner of Sprague Avenue and Altamont Street.

“We have a few soul food locations, but it’s not something that’s offered a whole lot,” Williams says from behind the diminutive bar currently also serving as the spot to pick up to-go orders.

“Both of us grew up eating that, and it’s what we eat every holiday. When we go out of town … it just seems like it’s offered way more than here. We just wanted to provide something that we love, that we know a lot of people in our community love, and do it good.”

So far, so good on that front. The Soul Lounge menu isn’t huge, but Williams and Johnson plan on adding dishes as the months pass. And what is on the menu is consistently delicious.

Entrees include shrimp and grits ($17), chicken and waffles ($17), catfish ($17, or smothered with a shrimp sauce plus two sides for $25), and fried chicken dinner ($17, includes two sides). Anyone who’s into Southern cooking knows the importance of those side dishes to the meal. The Soul Lounge has some seriously great ones, from collard greens (seasoned with smoked turkey instead of pork, a sneaky-delicious switch) to candied yams to mac and cheese. And I don’t think I’d ever had fried cabbage before, and if I did, I don’t remember it. I haven’t stopped thinking about the Soul Lounge version for a good month.

BY DAN NAILEN

Now on Inlander.com: National and international stories from the New York Times to go with the fresh, local news we deliver every day

The Soul Lounge’s fried chicken with greens and macaroni and cheese. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

“GOING OLD SCHOOL,” CONTINUED...

The kitchen’s flavors come from the experienced minds of three women who Williams says everyone knows by just their first names. Rose, who Williams has known since she was 12, seasons all the chicken. Blondie packed a slew of recipes from her Florida upbringing, and Rose brought her on board. And dessert master Kiki stopped by when she saw Williams and Johnson prepping the old Flame building for its new life as the Soul Lounge, and introduced them to a velvet cake and a strawberry cake that both appear on the menu now and then, along with peach cobbler.

Just a couple months in, the crew has already tried some new things and tossed out others. They had breakfast going daily for a while, but now it’s just Saturdays and Sundays (although former breakfast specialties like the shrimp and grits are now on their all-day menu). They’ve done special barbecue days, and as Spokane moved to Phase 3 of its COVID recovery, they started hosting DJs in a part of the building where a stage and dance floor are the last remnants of what the place looked like as the Flame nightclub.

Overhauling the building was a big part of getting the Soul Lounge open, Williams says. She and Johnson signed the lease in August, in the midst of the pandemic. That turned out to be a blessing considering what they had to do to turn the Flame into a more familyfriendly spot, albeit still one that can host 21+ dance parties and live music on occasion. They recently hosted a hip-hop show featuring Compton Av and Guerilla Black.

“This building needed a lot of work,” Williams says. “It actually kind of worked out because we had time to get it together before opening up. We’re coming in at a time when people are wanting to get back out. It’s been a year now, and they’re looking for good food and somewhere to come hang out and have fun. I think the timing actually worked out well.”

The Soul Lounge space is huge, with different rooms dedicated to an entryway, family dining areas, that dance floor, some pool tables, and a bar. They’re thinking about creating an outdoor dining space in back as well, but want to get some momentum going first, as well as the ability to be fully open when Spokane hits Phase 4. They tore out the old carpet, put in new floors and painted most of the building inside as well.

“It looks brighter and newer in here, more modern I guess. More welcoming,” Williams says. “And there’s still a lot to be done.”

People have certainly responded, from the soul food lovers who came across the Soul Lounge’s active social media pages on Facebook and Instagram (@TheSoulLounge509), to the folks who live in the neighborhood excited for a new dining option. Williams figures they’ve had some regulars since the first week they opened.

“The thing about the east side is that people are loyal to things in this area of town, for sure,” Williams says. “The fact that this was such a known place [as the Flame] to a lot of the neighborhood here, they’re going to come support just because they’re happy it’s open again. Before we were even open there were people stopping by constantly, wondering when we were going to open. The loyalty in this area is real, and it wasn’t something we were looking for specifically, but once we were here, then we definitely noticed and appreciated it.”

And the Soul Lounge is showing that appreciation by delivering some damn fine food, joining Soul Fresh and Chicken-N-Mo in bringing some much needed flavor to Spokane.

“I just love how people love the food, really enjoy it,” Williams says. “In the past, this has been a bar, and you can come here to drink or go to bars right down the road. What sets us apart is the food. I like how happy it makes Blondie and Rose when they hear people love what they’re making. This makes me real proud.” n

The Soul Lounge • Open Mon-Wed noon-9 pm, Thu-Fri noon-midnight, Sat 9 am-midnight, Sun 9 am-7 pm • 2401 E. Sprague Ave. • thesoullounge509.com • 509-443-3852

FOOD | TO GO BOX Brunch with Mom

Make your Mother’s Day brunch reservations now; plus other food updates

BY CHEY SCOTT

The Board’s Mother’s Day brunch box.

Last year most people celebrated Mother’s Day in quarantine, which meant many weren’t able to embrace their mothers at all. This year, the pandemic’s status has improved, and many families will be gathering in person to honor their matriarchal figures, at area restaurants and in their homes. Here’s a brief roundup of some options out there. Mother’s Day 2021 is Sunday, May 9.

THE BOARD, a locally owned snack board purveyor, is offering several options for Mother’s Day preorders. In partnership with local doughnut shop Hello Sugar, the brunch box ($70) comes with cheese, fresh fruit, honey, pastries, cured meats and more, while the Mother’s Day gift box ($30) is a smaller-portioned treat for one or two. Preorder at theboardspokane.com for delivery May 8.

RIND & WHEAT bakery is also offering a takehome option in the form of its Mother’s Day afternoon tea kit ($150). The English-style tea kit comes with assorted pastries — scones, French macarons, lemon tartlets and more — ingredients to make tea sandwiches and a selection of tea from local Revival Tea Co. Ala carte options are also available, including a ricotta toast kit ($52), cheese and meat boards ($32), and a roasted tomato quiche ($38). Preorder at rindandwheat.com/mothersday.

In-person brunch is offered at many area restaurants. If you do plan to take mom and the fam out for a midday meal, however, do note that making reservations is a must, and you should do so as early as possible to guarantee a seat at the table since restaurant capacity remains limited.

Last week we shared the news that CASPER FRY restaurant in South Perry has reopened after being closed due to the pandemic for almost a year. The Southernstyle neighborhood eatery is adding brunch back into its service rotation, with upcoming seatings on Mother’s Day from 9 am to 2 pm. Call 509-315-4153 for reservations.

Another option is to bring the family to one of the four TWIGS BISTRO AND MARTINI BAR locations around the region. The bistro’s annual Mother’s Day brunch offers a fixed price menu: Brunch with champagne is $44, an adult meal without is $37, kids ages 6-12 can eat for $14, and those ages 5 and under are free. Call to make a reservation between 9 am and 2 pm.

There’s plenty more in store to treat mom or the inspiring female role models in your life, including the Coeur d’Alene Resort, 1898 Public House, Baba, Historic Davenport Hotel, Italia Trattoria and Prohibition Gastropub.

LITTLE NOODLE’S NEW SUMMER HOME

Little Noodle, the seasonal ramen and pho spot that opened in the Garland District last fall during Honey Pig BBQ’s off-season, had to vacate the building last week. Fans of chef Kadra Evans’ delicious take on Asian cuisine will be glad to hear, however, that she and co-owner Ryan Stretch have found another temporary “summer vacation home” at the Hidden Mother Brewery in north central Spokane, at 1013 N. Washington St. Little Noodle is set to take over the brewery’s food truck, operating there four days a week for three weeks each month, and then on the move for the fourth week. Follow along on Facebook for updates on Little Noodle’s summer operations, and hopefully an announcement about a permanent location come fall 2021.

NO-LI BREWHOUSE LAUNCHES CANNED COCKTAIL

Adding to its ever-growing, award-winning lineup, No-Li this week is launching its first-ever canned cocktail, the No-Li Moscow Mule. Made with natural ginger, lime and huckleberry, the on-the-go-friendly cocktail is sold in six packs and features an eye-catching rose gold label. The beverage is the first in the brewery’s Riverside Drinkworks canned cocktail division and clocks in at 7 percent alcohol by volume, with three carbs and 140 calories.

In addition, No-Li’s newest Day Fade hard seltzer flavor — Huckleberry Lemonade — is also hitting local shelves soon, just in time for summer. n

APRIL 29, 2021 INLANDER 27