Sandpoint, ID

My twenty fifth birthday had arrived again, for the fourth year in a row. To celebrate, my friends took me out for a Girls Night Out. The plan was dinner at Café Trinity, a martini at Café Ivano’s, watch a movie at the Bonner Mall Cinemas, and end the evening with a night cap at the A&P’s bar and grill. It was a full night of fun plans and I was excited to start the festivities.

We arrived at Café Trinity and we were greeted by the owner at the front door. He seated us on the back deck overlooking Sandcreek. It was a nice warm day, so outside seating was an excellent choice, however inside seating can be nice as well if you are looking for a more romantic location, or you can sit at a bar and watch the chef prepare your meal. I like Trinity because not only do they offer good food that is Cajun inspired, but also you can order from the Oishii Sushi bar that is connected next door. So I did just that, ordered my favorite salad at Trinity and my favorite sushi roll from Oishii which totaled about $28, including a beverage.

Once we had finished our dinner we stopped across the street at Café Ivano’s. Inside a martini bar is found, with some definitely interesting martini combinations, but I assure you, no matter how peculiar they sound they are delicious. My personal favorite is the Basil lemon drop, but all of them are delightful, for just $7 each. A handy note to know about this martini bar is that each table has a wooden block on it, painted red, white, and green, or the Italian flag colors. It is not just a patriotic block in the Italian inspired restaurant and café, but a signal to the bartender. Stand the block green side up means you are ready to order and red side up means no service is needed at that time.

We had finished our martinis and it was time to head to the movie that was showing at the Bonner Mall Cinemas in Ponderay, a small town located north of Sandpoint. The theater is a six-plex with stadium seating and surround sound, with tickets for $8.00 each for adults. The movie we saw had only been out in theaters for two days, where we went to a late showing and had plenty of seating to choose from.

After we had enjoyed our movie we headed downtown to A&P’s Bar and Grill. A&P’s is a classic local bar, however non-locals are always welcome. In my younger years I had spent a lot of time hanging out with my friends here, more than I would like to admit, but you are only young once. The bar has a lot of character, from the oddly placed John Wayne picture to the soft ball trophies that line the walls and entertainment only slot machines found near the restrooms. A&P’s has a full bar, several beers on tap and offers hamburgers and other bar type food, even a classic Taco Tuesday. Food is not served all night however, so it is best not to show up late with an empty stomach. My friends and I downloaded some of our favorite 80’s songs on the jukebox that for a small fee finds your song on the internet and plays it for you. I have stumped the jukebox a few times with obscure songs but for the most part it will find your favorite songs. You can search by song, artist or genre, which is awesome if you are the type who likes to DJ at the bar.
It was time to go home, since it was still a respectable hour, so my friends and I all exchanged hugs and headed home. It was a great night full of enjoyable activates. If you are interested in eating at Trinity they are located on 1^st avenue in between Starbucks and Oishii Sushi Bar, just after the first stoplight going north on 1^st avenue. Café Ivano’s is also located on 1^st avenue on the corner of 1^st and Pine street, just before the first stoplight. A&P’s Bar and Grill is found on 1^st avenue at 222 N, about two blocks from Ivano’s and Trinity. The Bonner Mall cinemas is located at the Bonner Mall in Ponderay just off of Highway 95.