JUNE 20, 1990
It’s busy, busy, busy. And the new Players Sports Grill & Bar on South Washington Street is the talk of the town. I had planned to let things shake down there for a couple more weeks before going out to describe it in Eatbeat. But in almost every place I’ve been since it opened, I have heard people talking about Players.
So, what the heck. We stopped in Thursday for lunch, and we were delighted with what we saw and what we ate. Not just pleased. I mean delighted. This is a most attractive, upbeat, light and bright place to go. It has had an extensive renovation since the days it was known as CB’s and then sat empty. The restaurant opened originally in the early 1970s as the Cape Codder. Then it became Captain’s Cove, and later, the Mainstreet.
Generally speaking, it’s lighter and brighter now. Specifically, there are more windows. Large screens showing sporting events can be seen from every seat in the grill. The decor is complete with sports pennants and tones of blue, white and green. These are the colors used in uniforms worn by the serving staff. Right now, it’s softball jerseys. Later on, the servers will wear uniforms corresponding to the sports in season.
The whole idea of the place is to have fun. But it’s the homemade pasta that is drawing the most raves. Players has a pasta-making machine, imported from Italy. Into it each day go the eggs and flour and other ingredients for homemade pasta.
I ordered Italian lasagna ($5.95). It’s served with a choice of minestrone soup or salad and soft, warm bread sticks, which are lightly flavored with garlic. The lasagna, served on a large platter, was a most generous serving. It was topped with freshly shredded parmesan cheese and surrounded by a classic red sauce, which rates an A-plus in my book. This is a light sauce with a distinctive tomato taste and seasoned with fresh herbs. I learned later that it was developed for Players by chef Kim Holmes, who operates Sanders Restaurant in downtown Grand Forks.
While I ate lasagna, Constant Companion was working his way through a Cajun chicken sandwich and a spinach salad ($5.25). He considered the sandwich very good and said, “The chicken is well cooked.” He also enjoyed the Cajun sauce, because it had personality. In other words, fire.
Most salads and sandwiches on the menu are in the $4 to $5 range. Dinners are $6 to $7, but you can go as high as $8.95 for a ribeye steak dinner.
There is one menu at Players, and all the items are served from 11 A.M. until closing time.
Patrons talk about the ample servings.
“No one leaves here hungry, and we send home a lot of doggie bags,” owner Jon Borman says. He’s been hovering around greeting people, checking the kitchen, reminding busboys to keep the clatter down and not annoy the patrons. Borman constantly studies restaurant and trade magazines and makes frequent checks of the eating scene in Minneapolis. He says the sports grill concept is hot throughout the country. “I wanted to bring it to Grand Forks,” he said.