Posted by Brent Finnegan on August 19th, 2008
WSVA is reporting that owners of Taste of Thai have purchased the old Spanky’s building.
[Eddie] Bumbaugh says they closed on the building last Thursday and plan to open a new restaurant.
The new owners say the restaurant, expected to open Summer 2009, will be totally different from Taste of Thai, which will remain open.
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I came so close to posting this earlier today, but I hadn’t asked my boss if he was cool with it.
I’m excited about this restaurant and I can’t wait to see what they do with the place.
I wonder if they will push the total number of Thai restaurants to 4. We’ll soon become a Thai food mecca! :)
I’m under the impression that it will not really be a Thai restaurant.
Maybe Taste of Laos? Or Laosy Food?
Maybe if Harrisonburg becomes oversaturated with Thai restaurants we could get one here in Staunton. Hmm, maybe? Please?
Laosy Food hahaha!
They did a great job with renovating Taste of Thai, and they do great food, so I bet this place will be a great addition to downtown. And it’ll be nice for that spot to be a restaurant again. Will they let us write on the walls like at Spanky’s?
The menu isn’t going to be Thai…from what Eddie said on WSVA tonight, they’ve said it will not be Thai food, but they’ve not settled on their business plan, to include their menu, as of today.
I’m excited about one more choice for lunch downtown no matter what they serve! Emmy and I were in hopes for another Spankys. I miss them. I worked for them when I was in nursing school and pregnant with my first son. Pregnant women make great tips!
Please tell me it’s sushi… Please.
Aw yeah, sushi, Brent. Genious.
Maybe they could catch their sushi from the beautiful Black’s Run which runs beneath them. lol ;)
Meh, we already have sushi places. How about a Brazilian steakhouse, North African couscous, a French bistro, a Mongolian grill, Iranian kebobs, or something from specific Latin American cuisines other than Mexican? With so many Russian and Kurdish immigrants in the area, I’m surprised we don’t have their national favorites available locally either.
Those are all good suggestions Jeremy. I love Kurdish and French food. I was at a family owned Cuban Bistro in North Carolina a couple weeks ago and I was so impressed with the food. I have never actually asked to speak with the chef at a restaurant before, but I did that night. Unbelievable food.
PLEASE let it be an Olive Garden!
*ducks*
(Kidding! I’m kidding!)
cool. thanks for posting this, i could tell something was going to happen soon with that place.
Whatever they open there, I just hope they serve serve chicken fryz!
I hope it’s an asian version of Clemantine’s. It’s nice to see nice restaurants around here. Something other than Shoneys, Appleby’s, Chick-fillet, McDonald’s, traditions, Jess’s, BBQ Ranch and Ever’s….which the uncultured locals think are 4 star.
Just so’s ya know. Its not real nice to come to a blog of at least partial (or in my case entirely) locals and call us names.
Oh and Jess’s and BBQ Ranch is fine cuisine and to suggest otherwise is blasphemous.
I take it back!! I take it back!! :-) But I should tell you that, as someone whose jobs have taken him around this country and the world over the past 20 years, I must be honest and say……calling Jess’s Lunch and the BBQ Ranch “fine cuisine” is like comparing an outhouse to an HGTV bathroom….a biplane to the space shuttle….a model T to a Ferrari……a cube steak to a Ruth Chris’s fillet…..Macy’s to Wal-Mart…well, you get the picture!
I’ll have to agree with Emmy. Jess’s and BBQ Ranch should be required attendance for all new Students and Citizens living in Harrisonburg. =o) They’re food certainly isn’t 4 star, but it a great example of local fare.
Ok, OK, I cry uncle. I will say though, that when I went to the Jess’s on 33, I sort of lost my appetite when I saw some hairy guy pull his chili-covered arm out of a pot. It wouldn’t have offended me so accept a local had told me to SPECIFICALLY try the chili dog.
Well I’m sure there is food out there that is far finer. But, when you live somewhere your whole life, certain places just taste like home.
LOL, yeah that sounds about right. You aren’t supposed to look around when you eat at either Jess’. Ideally you should get it to go!
Comment from Emmy
Time: August 22, 2008, 10:30 pm
Well I’m sure there is food out there that is far finer. But, when you live somewhere your whole life, certain places just taste like home.
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Right on. It’s comfort food in our own town(s). I’ll take it a step further…you say that “I’m sure there is food out there that is far finer,” I’ll argue that maybe there are places more flavorful and nutritious, but not finer. :-) Peace.
Comment from Emmy
Time: August 22, 2008, 10:32 pm
LOL, yeah that sounds about right. You aren’t supposed to look around when you eat at either Jess’. Ideally you should get it to go!
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The funny thing is that I Did!!! My view was from the drive-thru!
LOL! Yeah, don’t look in the window when you walk by the one downtown. Just keep your head down and hand them the money.
I will say that the one downtown has some of the nicest people working in it and you cannot get food faster anywhere else!
Comment from Emmy
Time: August 22, 2008, 10:48 pm
LOL! Yeah, don’t look in the window when you walk by the one downtown. Just keep your head down and hand them the money.
I will say that the one downtown has some of the nicest people working in it and you cannot get food faster anywhere else!
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Now I know….to be truthful, I learned a long time ago that the “locals” know where to eat. The touristy places are usually overpriced and under-satisfying.
I would love someplace that good and fast food…I work right up from that building and would love to be able to walk down half a block and grab some lunch (anything around $6-8) so that I wouldn’t always have to drive to get something fast at a good price. I usually don’t give myself enough time to pack and hate always using up gas to get lunch. Give me some good lunch choices…oh…and definitely bring back writing everywhere…loved me some spanky’s writing when I was a kid!!!
For cheap, quick lunch downtown, I usually grab a wrap at Midtowne Market.
Judging by the decor in Taste of Thai, something tells me they won’t be encouraging people to write on the walls.
Judging by them saying “totally different,” I don’t think the decor of Taste of Thai matters much when trying to project what will and won’t be allowed at the new joint. With that said, the proposed fare doesn’t really seem to jive with writing on walls.
The real question is…what happened to the stuff that was on the walls in there? There was some history among the junk with signs from long gone establishments like The Elbow Room.
I believe the previous owner took all of that with him. Not 100% sure on that though.
Drew: Isn’t there a new restaurant coming downtown called Penny-something that’s supposed to fill the $6-8/Spanky’s/sandwich void?
Pennybackers was supposed to go in where Laughing Dog used to be. I remember hearing about it about the same time Clementine’s first came up. Haven’t heard anything since. They are doing a lot of work to that building though.
It does seem like a long time since we heard about Pennybackers.
One of the owners recently made an appearance at a Planning Commission meeting to speak in favor of an comprehensive plan change regarding downtown. It’s taking a long time for them to open up, but I remember them needing permission to build a fire escape and stuff like that. I’m sure they hope the opening happens soon as much as anyone.
Back to the Spanky’s issue. Anyone like Tapas?