Celluloid slippers

EVENT Thrillin’ Grillin’
Few sandwiches recall the flavors of childhood better than a grilled cheese sandwich. The basic formula is simple: sliced bread, the right kind of cheese, and butter for grilling.
But as adults, we crave more. Vegetables, perhaps? More than one cheese? Seasonings? A creative chef could come with any number of variations on the theme. And that’s the challenge of the first-ever GROWN-UP GRILLED CHEESE GRILL-OFF, set for Saturday at Taste Café downtown. Six of Spokane’s chefs — Chana Hershberger of Taste, David Blaine of Latah Bistro, Jason Rex from Scratch, Jeremy Hansen of Santé, Jonathan Sweatt from the Downriver Grill and Mike Dodd of the newly opened Vintages at 611 — will go head to head in the event. They’ll serve up the sandwiches to a panel of five judges, who’ll pronounce their decision on whose grilled cheese is tops. We hear a rumor that there will be samples…
— ANN M. COLFORD

The chefs will grill their cheeses at Taste Café, 180 S. Howard St., on Saturday, April 11, starting at 9 am. Visit www.tastecafespokane.com or call 468-2929.
If the stars align, the faithful second-run theater-goers of Spokane will soon have the privilege of drinking a nice, cold brewsky while watching a flick at the GARLAND THEATRE. (And you know here in the newsroom we’re doing everything in our power to align said stars, including hiring an army of astrologers.) Yes, the Garland is gearing up to become a theater pub.

In late March, the theater applied for a snack bar liquor license, which if approved will allow the theater to serve beer in its original container (bottles and cans and such). Owner Katherine Fritchie says they’ll provide both domestic beer and microbrews, pleasing all palates.

“But it’s not for sure yet,” Fritchie says. “It’s hard for theaters to get licenses because of the lighting issue.” Fritchie is currently trying to find the sweetest of spots: bright enough to see who’s drinking and check IDs, but dark enough so as not to bother people watching the movie. Anne Radford, with the state liquor control board, says it has to be bright enough for enforcement officers to read 8-point type (like on your driver’s license).

That’s complicated. We’ve got an idea: Just designate some movie times for the over-21 set and check ID when the beer is sold. Voila. Astrologers no longer needed.

— NICHOLAS DESHAIS