DB's getting makeover, new name

Here's the scene at DB's one night in 2014. With the remodel, the wood paneling is gone, the stage is bigger and the drum riser is higher.

A fixture on First Street for more than 30 years, DB's Steakhouse is getting a makeover and a new name.

Shawn Barry, who is leasing the property, said he plans to rename the establishment The Falls and give it more of a nightclub atmosphere. The stage has been expanded and remodeled, with a taller drum riser. The walls have been painted black, and there will be less of a rustic feel overall.

Barry won't be presenting acts himself, but working instead with outfits like Metal Shield Promotions, which is putting on a show Oct. 3. The bill features Doyle, the guitarist from the horror punk band The Misfits, as well as The Family Run, Hatchet and Gutter and the Onslaught. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door, and available in Idaho Falls at Shadow Domain. Online, they can be bought at www.metalshieldpromotions.com.

Old-timers know DB's was originally called Debbie's Brother, and owned by Wes and Roxanne Smith (who now run, respectively, The Blue Wave and the North Hi-Way Cafe). These were the legendary days of "Power Hour." An expansion took place in the '90, with a stage and dance floor added.

Although the grill will remain front-and-center at the bar, Barry said he is unsure what he wants to do about food at the new establishment. To check on events that are coming up, follow this link: DB's events.

Rush's Kitchen Supply has new manager

Ashley Hargrove

Going from a corporate atmosphere to small business has required Ashley Hargrove to make some adjustments, but the new manager of 105-year-old Rush’s Kitchen Supply is coming around — and learning a lot about cooking in the bargain.

A merchandising manager for Old Navy in Seattle for six years, Hargrove moved to Idaho Falls in May to manage the Lindsay Boulevard business. At Old Navy, any observation or comment went up the chain of command. At Rush’s, she answers directly to the owner, Alex Constantino, who is married to her aunt Mary Constantino.

She has had to learn about a whole new line of products, including hand-held juicers in three sizes: orange, lemon and lime. “Anything you might need to do in the kitchen, there’s a gadget for it,” she said. “I never realized there was something you could use to pit a jalapeño instead of using a knife.”

Rush’s carries such well-known brands as Kitchenaid, Le Creuset and All Clad, and in many cases there is a difference between commercial grade cookware and what is found in retail stores. While the store’s customer base has been more tilted toward commercial customers, Hargrove said they hope to see more of a 50-50 split between that and everyday cooks.

Then there are the classes. “Think Like a Chef 1,” focusing on sautéing, knife skills and stovetop sauces, began Sept. 12. Part 2, , which covers making chicken stock (“We will teach you to debone a chicken …”) begins Sept. 26 at 10 a.m. For more information, call 523-4818 or visit the Web page, rushskitchen.com.

A “military brat” before she settled in Seattle, Hargrove said she has been getting used to Idaho Falls. “I’m enjoying the weather, and the people are very nice,” she said.

Distinguished Under 40 luncheon set Sept. 29

Jeanette Bennett of Salt Lake City will be the keynote speaker at the Distinguished Under 40 luncheon Sept. 29 at the Residence Inn.

The Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce’s Young Professionals Network is holding its 2015 Distinguished Under 40 luncheon Sept. 29.

Ten recipients will be presented with awards. The keynote speaker will be Jeanette Bennett, an Idaho Falls native and owner of Bennett Communications of Salt Lake City.

The event will begin at noon at the Residence Inn.

Individual tickets ($20 for chamber members, $25 for non-members) and full table registrations are available for purchase under the events tab at idahofallschamber.com. The registration deadline is Sept. 25.

This year’s honorees include:

Andy Crossman, program director, Royal Journeys LLC
Eric Liester, loan officer, Bank of Idaho
Brandi Newton, executive director, Idaho Falls Arts Council
Brian D. Turville, counselor, Free Spirit Counseling and Consulting, LLC
Jared Duncan, branch manager, Idaho Falls/BMG Rentals
Nick Burrows, senior services director, EICAP and Hospice of Eastern Idaho
Shawn William Allred, mechanical engineer, Idaho National Laboratory
Aaron D. Wilson, research scientist, Idaho National Laboratory
Dakri Bernard-Gilstrap, owner/realtor, Dakri Bernard Realty Group
Travis Snowder, president/CEO, Qal-Tek Associates

The event is sponsored by East Idaho Business, Willowtree Gallery, Residence Inn, and IF Signature Party Rental.

Utah Avenue being extended to Pioneer Road

Here's a map to explain what's going on south of Pancheri Drive.

You may have noticed a lot of road construction south of Pancheri Drive on Utah Avenue. That is because the city of Idaho Falls is building a road connecting Utah Avenue to Pioneer Road and “T” intersection that will connect those two roads to Snake River Parkway.

The intersection will be right where Utah Avenue (formerly Crane Drive, which is no more) jogs left to become Snake River Parkway. City Planner Brad Cramer said they plan to have the asphalt laid before the hot mix plants shut down for the winter. Curb and gutter work will go on during the winter and landscaping will take place in the spring.

All this work is taking place on land in urban renewal districts, which means the money collected from taxes on new building can be put back into the local infrastructure. The city established the 55-acre Eagle Ridge Urban Renewal District last December after the $3.5 million Guns and Gear opened its doors. Owners Dixie and Shane Murphy and their partner, Ryan Later, spent $2.8 million on the two-story, 15,000-square-foot building, which overlooks the Snake River Landing development, and this provided the impetus for the city to establish a district that allows is tax increment financing through the Idaho Falls Redevelopment Agency.

Put simply, while taxes are collected on the land the way they always have been, money collected on improvements to the land goes to the Redevelopment Agency to be spent on roads, water, sewer and power lines in the district. Most of the development we’ve seen along the river since the Shilo Inn was built in 1988 — Snake River Landing, Taylor Crossing on the River, Candlewood Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, etc. — has been made possible by tax increment financing. The land would be too expensive to improve otherwise.

Hart’s Tux and Gown moving to West Broadway

That's me on the left, next to Local News 8's Karole Honas, at the Symphony concert Saturday evening. 

I would like to thank Hart’s Tux and Gown for the use of a white dinner jacket Saturday night, when I was the narrator for the Idaho Falls Symphony’s concert in Freeman Park. This was an IF 150 event and fun for everyone involved — City Councilman Ed Marohn, who played the triangle during the “William Tell Overture” and KIFI’s Karole Honas, who guest-conducted John Phillip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever.” Maestro Thomas Heuser wrote the narration based on my book, “Legendary Locals of Idaho Falls.” It was both a pleasure and honor to be involved.

I actually own a tuxedo, inherited from my late father, David Menser, and my paisley suspenders came courtesy of my late grandfather Henry Evans. But a white dinner jacket is still something lack, and Hart’s was gracious enough to let me have one for the evening at no charge. How civic-minded is that?

Speaking of Hart’s Tux and Gown, once the September rush of rentals is over, the shop will be moving to 630 W. Broadway, where the Candy Junction store was. Some remodeling needs to be done and this would not have been a good month to move anyway, said store manager Diane Chiles. Skyline and Hillcrest had their homecoming dances this past weekend, Shelley and Firth’s are next weekend and Idaho Falls and Bonneville’s are at the end of the month, so Chiles and her crew have their hands full.

Once October comes, they will be moving to a location with a lot more space and better parking. “We’re very excited about this and want to get the word out,” Chiles said.