Four years ago, Darin Talotti left Spokane.
The experienced restaurateur, whose family owned the Red Lion Pub and Barbecue for almost two decades, had co-owned or renovated plenty of other local icons like The Viking, Pacific Avenue Pizza, North Hill on Garland, and the tiny downtown whiskey bar Whisk.
But then, Talotti headed south to do his thing in sunny San Diego. Why would he leave his hometown?
"Have you ever been to San Diego?" he asks.
It's 70 degrees every day. It's near the ocean. It's got a killer food scene. What more explanation do you need?
Talotti's not the only Spokanite who feels this way. San Diego streets are full of Coug hats, says Kelly Brown, a local who was recently working there. Brown and his wife, Frances, bumped into Talotti last year while exploring the city's exciting cocktail culture.
The three already knew one another from the Spokane restaurant scene — Frances had been a host, server or bookkeeper for most of the 23 years she'd lived here. She'd been secretly dreaming of owning her own bar for years.
Talotti, it so happened, had recently gotten a call from Red Lion's landlord. After his family sold the pub, the new owner wasn't paying the bills. The landlord wanted Talotti to come back and salvage the place.
The three Spokanites started brainstorming. They looped in friend and bartender Scott Hooper.
Talotti eventually agreed to come back to the Northwest when the four friends decided to redesign the classic pub with some of their favorite San Diego details — beautiful cocktails, sophisticated atmosphere, and tasty, trendy bites — but with a decidedly local feel.
Together, they've created Pure Northwest, an homage to home sweet Washington that opened this past June where Red Lion used to be. The big antique bar and built-in booths are still there, but gone are the darkened windows, the bison head, and the Sam Adams banners. Instead, a cascading wall of ivy and hanging planters give the space a refreshing, welcoming vibe.
Not only is the new spot clean and comforting with a cozy new patio, but it's open for lunch in addition to dinner — a food-centric option on a corner that's typically dominated by drinks and nightlife. For daytime downtown employees, convention attendees, or teachers from nearby campuses, an elevated hangout space with affordable sandwiches, shareables, and spritzes might just hit the spot.
What's more, Pure Northwest launches its brunch menu this Saturday, just in time for the NFL season kickoff. It's not a sports bar anymore, but the TVs will still have the games on for anyone trying to keep tabs on their fantasy league between mimosas.
The biggest thing at Pure Northwest that's decidedly not inspired by San Diego are its prices.
"We're trying to do something that's affordable and approachable, so you can actually go out and enjoy your time out," Talotti says. "Your money goes further, so you feel like that was a good time and it's worth it."
All the cocktails are specially curated by Talotti and Ryan Kuntz, another San Diego frequenter, and are either $11 or $12. Except for the Low Life Spritz — you can get the Miller High Life, Aperol and lemon spritzer for just $8.
Snack on a smash burger for $9 or a smoked salmon sando for $14. There are also vegetarian or vegan options, like an Impossible smashburger ($11) or a tofu banh mi ($14).
Shareables like fried pickles and sausage ($12), crab cakes ($14) or the Red Lion's famous fried bread ($5) are definitely a large size. Other group-friendly plates like the Mediterranean platter ($17), tuna tostadas ($14) or poutine ($12) are $4 off during happy hour, which runs daily from 3 to 6 pm.
"We call it 'happiest of hours,'" Talotti says. "It's not just one hour."
Red Lion frequenters might recognize the Combo Bits in the shareables column — Pure Northwest is not only keeping the pile of tri tip, ribs, blackened chicken and sausage on the menu, but the kitchen is also using their beloved, old-time barbecue sauce recipe on the ribs. It's good to be home.
For their brand-new brunch menu, the team is planning fun spins on morning classics, like an eggs Benedict flight and creative breakfast boards. Frances is making sure there will be plenty of different breakfast boozes to try, too.
"I always do the espresso martini, but I do that with tequila as well," she says.
The booze behind the bar at Pure Northwest is worth more attention than a quick shot. It's geared toward sippers who want to savor their drink and their evening.
"We're trying to give the not-so-party crowd a fun environment to hang out, relax and enjoy their time," Talotti says. "We want you to enjoy cocktails, talk to friends and be able to actually enjoy each other's company."
It's the kind of thoughtfulness that might help you discover things about yourself you never knew before.
"When we first started this, I thought I was a vodka person," Frances says. "But then we started having all the good tequilas. So I am now absolutely a tequila person."
Special touches on the menu mirror special touches around the restaurant, too.
The art deco wallpaper in the second room has hidden martini glasses if you look closely enough, and the adventure-themed wallpaper in the back game room has humorous scenes of campers getting beamed up by UFOs.
Outside on the patio, there's a hand-painted mural by Talotti's daughter that also riffs on alien abduction, but in a cutesy photo-op way. Even though the patio is hemmed in by two busy streets, the asymmetrical, Pinterest-inspired fence built by Kelly and Talotti keeps the noise to a minimum. Wicker egg chairs and fire tables finalize the perfect ambience for an autumnal catch up with friends.
For the four friends running Pure Northwest, it's been a long journey to opening day. It's going to take even more time and effort and community support to turn it back into the watering hole it once was. But it's a rewarding process, they say — and a lot of the reward comes from giving back to the place they'll always call home.
"Really, truly, it is service," Frances says. "If you're not in it for that, then you shouldn't be part of this industry." ♦
Pure Northwest • 126 N. Division St. • Open Mon-Thu 11 am-10 pm; Fri-Sat 11 am-12 am (brunch hours to come) • purepacificnorthwest.com
