Gittels return to Midtown pub

COEUR d'ALENE - The latest change in Midtown brings back a face familiar to one of the most popular neighborhood hangouts in the city.

After more than three years, Kim and Rick Gittel returned on Sept. 15 as the owners of what is now Bo Jack's Pub & Grill, formerly The Office Tavern, at 816 N. Fourth St.

"We felt it needed the change to let people know it's different," said Kim, who with brother Rick repurchased the tavern Kim owned for five years before selling it in 2007 to Dwight Hill and Laurie Schafer. Gittel subsequently opened Rusty's Sports Bar and Grill in Hayden, and this summer purchased the Buttonhook Inn in Bayview, renaming it Rusty's Buttonhook Steakhouse. The Gittels also own the Zip Stop gas and convenience stores on Government Way and Sherman Avenue.

When Hill and Schafer decided to move on to other ventures, they offered Kim the chance to buy the business back at a good price, and he jumped at the chance. With business at the Hayden and Bayview establishments being somewhat seasonal, "It gave us the opportunity to bring in the Bayview staff to work year-round," Kim said. Bo Jack's will employ five in the pub and kitchen.

The couple who ran the tavern for the past few years did a great job, he said, but "the timing was right" for him to resume ownership.

A light remodeling that included some new sports memorabilia and a week of scrubbing preceded one of the biggest changes at Bo Jack's, where smoking is no longer permitted.

Many mainstays of the kitchen remain, including the finger steaks, jalapeno poppers and onion rings. With a little help from the chef at Bayview the menu was revamped, adding a selection of gourmet burgers.

The midtown burger adds ham and cheese, the rod burger Monterey jack cheese, and the hot burger is topped with ham, bacon and cheese. Makin' Bacon includes double bacon and cheese, the CdA BBQ burger has ham, barbecue sauce and an onion ring, and the Bo Jack burger is "slathered with sauteed mushrooms."

All are available in quarter-pound or half-pound versions priced from $6.50 to $9 and are served with fries or potato nuggets.

Also added are 12-inch pizzas in several styles, topped with fresh tomato.

The menu is rounded out by sandwiches and pub baskets of fish, shrimp or chicken strips, all with fries. There are always daily lunch specials, and in the future dinner specials may be offered.

With TVs in a variety of sizes strategically placed throughout Bo Jack's, football games and other sports events will be one of the highlights at the new pub, with food and beverage specials offered during games. A grand reopening will be scheduled in the near future.

Since Gittel sold the tavern, a lot has changed on Fourth Street. Renovations added a wide sidewalk out front, and several tables are now set up for outside dining when weather permits. Next summer, a garage-style door will be installed, opening the front up for customers who prefer fresh air and sunshine or need a smoke break.

On Wednesday, visitors to Bo Jack's were treated to the sight of the new black Chevrolet HHR panel parked on the street with the tavern's logo on the side, right behind the gray HHR with the Rusty's logo on its side.

Bo Jack's opens at 11 a.m. every day, and stays open until at least 10 p.m. Live music will be presented from time to time. Major credit cards are accepted, but no checks.

Information: 664-9957