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It burned down about 30 years ago and was rebuilt. I don't remember now what the specifics were on that fire, or even if they ever figured out what caused it.
This fire originated inside the wall at the back of the kitchen. It appears to be a very basic flaw in the design of the building. On the other hand... due to proper design in other ways the building was not an entire loss. Heat and water damaged virtually the entire interior, but there was no structural damage at all.
The inside will be remodeled and will hopefully be back in operation by June or so.
Effects of closing down Sam&Lee's have been reverberating around town. First, they pushed more food out the door than anyone else, and for the first 3-4 weeks all the other restaurants were really being annoyed with people asking for things only on the Sam&Lee's menu. It made for lots of jokes.
But another odd one has popped up. The same people own a cab company... and Mrs. Kim (who works 18 hours a day) can't sit still, so she is driving a cab. She knows almost everyone in town by name and already knew where almost everyone lived. So her best way to keep in contact with everyone is to drive a cab. Except, she's doing it for fun (most cab drivers are pretty hard up for money). And anyone who looks like they need the money more than she does gets a free ride!
I loved Sam and Lees in Barrow. Once I was at the fire station for training and we went over there for lunch and we were all eating some sushi off the buffet and looked over at the goldfish tank and there were several orange floaters matching the orange sushi but that's the kind of Barrow experience you just have to laugh about. The owners were so nice though. I loved their beautiful family photos and really hope they didn't lose those in the fire.
Before I get an irritating comment, I have to say of course I know they weren't using the goldfish- it's just one of those odd barrow dining memories which is why I have to say I still miss Barrow. I remember eating at Osaka's (best sushi in town) after the restaurant had been hit by a car and wondering if the ceiling was going to fall down and sitting next to plastic flapping in the wind. All you have to do at Pepe's to give yourself a good shock is to see in the kitchen or use the bathroom but Fran Tate also gave me a baby outfit when we went there with the new baby and how many restaurant owners not only remember you but give you baby gifts. When friends and I got our car stuck and my Texan friend thought she'd had a near death experience of nearly being eaten by a polar bear, we went to Northern Lights to celebrate having lived through it. She was so shaken by the experience that she went into a true confessions mode and talked for 2 hours about every sin she had ever committed in her life. See those are the memories that make Barrow special.
Before I get an irritating comment, I have to say of course I know they weren't using the goldfish- it's just one of those odd barrow dining memories which is why I have to say I still miss Barrow. I remember eating at Osaka's (best sushi in town) after the restaurant had been hit by a car and wondering if the ceiling was going to fall down and sitting next to plastic flapping in the wind. All you have to do at Pepe's to give yourself a good shock is to see in the kitchen or use the bathroom but Fran Tate also gave me a baby outfit when we went there with the new baby and how many restaurant owners not only remember you but give you baby gifts. When friends and I got our car stuck and my Texan friend thought she'd had a near death experience of nearly being eaten by a polar bear, we went to Northern Lights to celebrate having lived through it. She was so shaken by the experience that she went into a true confessions mode and talked for 2 hours about every sin she had ever committed in her life. See those are the memories that make Barrow special.
now...I loved the goldfish part but this one confuses me a bit.....you've of had to work like heck to get me unstuck from under the vehicle where I wedged myself and when you got me out.....I'd have to go change me undies first!!! holy crap I can see why she babbled on with confessions!!
now...I loved the goldfish part but this one confuses me a bit.....you've of had to work like heck to get me unstuck from under the vehicle where I wedged myself and when you got me out.....I'd have to go change me undies first!!! holy crap I can see why she babbled on with confessions!!
I loved Sam and Lees in Barrow. Once I was at the fire station for training and we went over there for lunch and we were all eating some sushi off the buffet and looked over at the goldfish tank and there were several orange floaters matching the orange sushi but that's the kind of Barrow experience you just have to laugh about. The owners were so nice though. I loved their beautiful family photos and really hope they didn't lose those in the fire.
None of the goldfish survived. We should note that the fish belonged to John Falk, not to Sam&Lee's. If there were floaters it must have been immediately after the tank was first installed. John is pretty good at fish. He also happens to be a baker, and works for Fran Tate at Pepe's (ever see one of their cakes?).
John doesn't understand copyright laws... :-) A number of those images belong to someone else. The owl picture is mine, he does have a license to use it but it is supposed to be attributed too.
The huge image of the Kim family in traditional dress, that was behind the counter at the cash register was destroyed. There is another one that is even larger which is safe at home. I'm not sure but believe the two paintings hanging in the stair well cannot be restored. Maybe half of the smaller photographs were destroyed.
Those were all my photography, and can and will be reproduced. Once they are rebuilt and we can look at them I'll just sort of start printing two or three at a time and we can go through the same sequence of joy that we did when they were originally made.
Mr & Mrs Kim have always been very tied to the restaurant, and were never able to attend a lot of things the kids did, such as sports (all are very active in school sports) and other odd things such as school field trips, Christmas programs, etc. So for a few years when the two youngest children were just starting school, I photographed those events and the lives of the children extensively. I babysat with them every day, and more or less operated as a surrogate parent and attended almost everything they did including parent-teacher conferences. I took photographs to let Mom and Dad "be there" when they couldn't be. The pictures on the wall were just some that we especially liked, and of course I still have the original digital files. Actually, we have probably 50,000 images of them!
My favorite of the photographs that were on display was a color version of this image:
Grannysroost...in reference to the polar bear encounter..not the gold fish!! hahahaha should re-read my responses 'cuz that one is confusing!!
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And Pilot Bread!
So sad
