Food trucks curry favor
LOREN BENOIT/Press Rob Donegan serves up curry for a customer at the Curry Shack Friday at the Prairie Pavilion food truck court.
LOREN BENOIT/Press A variety of flavors can be found in the Prairie Pavilion, which includes options such as Messy’s Burgers, Las Brasas Mexican Grill, Meyer’s Gourmet Sandwiches and Rustic Pizza.
Guests are welcome to enjoy their Prairie Pavilion food truck dining experience on site in a covered picnic seating area. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
Coeur d'Alene's first dessert truck is Big Daddy's Sweets is where patrons can indulge in homemade cheesecake, bread pudding, chocolate mousse and other scrumptious delights. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
Customers order at Taco Works during a rainy Friday afternoon at the Prairie Food Pavilion. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
Construction continues on the new Jitterz Espresso stand at the Prairie Pavilion food truck area. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
LOREN BENOIT/Press A customer orders from Casey’s Smoke Shack BBQ food truck at Prairie Pavilion on Friday.
By DEVIN WEEKS
Staff Writer
COEUR d’ALENE — Every morning, Rob Donegan brews a nice pot of Japanese curry to greet the day.
"My mother is Japanese," Donegan said. "We’re eating Japanese curry weekly. It’s probably Japan’s most popular dish, not sushi or ramen."
At the Curry Shack, patrons of the Prairie Pavilion who are feeling curry-ous can treat their palates to a new experience when they order this mildly exotic dish.
"It's an awesome feeling when you can convert someone that’s not used to having this type of food,” Donegan said. "I've probably converted maybe around 10 people that weren’t curry fanatics. They've tried Indian curry, they've tried Thai curry and it just didn’t match their palate. It’s not for everyone, but Japanese curry is really mild. It’s a good way to ease into Thai and Indian curry."
It's been about three weeks since the Prairie Pavilion opened at 7777 N. Heartland Drive in Coeur d'Alene, just south of Prairie Avenue and west of U.S. 95.
So far, so deliciously good.
"There's been a wonderful response," co-owner Kym Nagel said. "People love the variety, especially me. I have five kids; it's nice to go to a place and say, 'OK, go get what you want.' It seems like it pleases the masses. There’s something for everybody."
The assortment of flavors found in the pavilion includes options such as Messy's Burgers, Las Brasas Mexican Grill, Meyer's Gourmet Sandwiches and Rustic Pizza. Guests are welcome to enjoy their dining experience on site in a covered picnic area.
“I love it. I love the variety of different options here," said Leslie Hamilton of Anchorage, who is renting a house nearby. "There’s even a dessert truck."
Coeur d'Alene's first dessert truck is Big Daddy's Sweets, where patrons can indulge in homemade cheesecake, bread pudding, chocolate mousse and other scrumptious delights.
"By far the cheesecake is the best seller," Big Daddy's owner Mike Towan said. "I'm having trouble keeping it in stock. I baked five today. Those will sell tomorrow — we’ll sell 40 slices of cheesecake tomorrow and end up selling out.
The last member to complete the Prairie Pavilion dozen is a Korean barbecue truck that was expected to move in recently. Nagel said once that spot is filled, the lot will be full and the pavilion complete.
The Prairie Pavilion is a venture of Kym and Nate Nagel, owners of Premier Auction Center in Post Falls, and business partners Jason and Laura Quast, who own the Jitterz Espresso stands.
Hours are Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.