Local "Eatertainery" is on Cue!

Local “Eatertainery” is On Cue!

By: Erin Hemme Froslie

It’s Thursday night at Fargo Billiards and Gastropub, and John Flores watches his opponent start the game by breaking the eightball rack. One ball slips into a pocket, and Flores settles back to wait for the other player to miss a shot, which isn’t likely. Thursdays are master league night at the south Fargo pool hall and Flores is playing against Rory Hendrickson, a national-level player.

“The only chance I have against a guy like him is if he makes a mistake,” Flores says.

Indeed, Hendrickson makes a quick run of his balls, tapping them efficiently into side pockets. And then, Flores gets a break. A tiedup 8-ball stymies Hendrickson’s progress. Flores gets a chance to control the table.

This tale of friendly competition plays out several times a week at the pool parlor tucked behind 32 nd Avenue South in Fargo. Understated from the outside, Fargo Billiards and Gastropub is the largest pool hall in North America. It hosts tournaments that draw players from throughout the U.S. and Canada and supports two nights of league play.

It also boasts its share of homegrown talent. Hendrickson, the house pro and general manager, placed second in the 2016 U.S. Open Championship to Shane Van Boening, the top ranked player in the U.S. Hendrickson and Van Boening, who lives in South Dakota, are close friends who play pool and fish together. Hendrickson insists he is the better fisherman.

Gastropub has built its reputation on pool and good food, but the business has much more to offer in the “eatertainery” field.

This spring, Gastropub hosted its first ping-pong tournament where 32 players battled for honors. Around the same time, the business hosted its first foosball tournament, which drew 28 competitors.

A weekly dart league recently was formed. And when the snow piles melt, players flock to the Gastropub’s patio, which features sand volleyball courts, cornhole and bocce ball courts.

“We pride ourselves on being a place where people of all ages and all skill levels can come and have fun,” says Amanda Kaloustian, associate general manager.

Indeed, the Gastropub is a favorite get-away for family reunions, wedding receptions and company gatherings. The spacious complex has 48 pool tables, dining and lounge areas, plus rooms for private events. It also stresses community service by hosting fundraisers for Sanford Health Foundation, breast cancer awareness and more.

Owners Mike and Adele Page opened the Gastropub a decade ago, wanting a place that attracted both professional-level competition and fun-seeking families who wanted to do something together. Even as Gastropubl’s games and activities have become more diverse, pool is still king.

Original artwork by Kim Bromley, a professor at North Dakota State University and an avid pool player, is displayed throughout the buildings. The 16 paintings form the rack of billiard balls typically found on a pool table: 1-8 solids, 9-15 stripes, and the cue ball.

The private rooms give a nod to the sport. (The Twain room received its moniker from the author and humorist who was a self-professed billiards addict. The Fisher room is named after one of the best female pool players.)

And, for those who aren’t diehard billiard players but want to impress their friends, there are opportunities to gain skills through private or group lessons. While league play is held on one side of the hall, less serious enthusiasts can rent tables by the hour – giving them a chance to practice and hang out in a laid-back setting with friends.

Good pool players tend to call the upper Midwest home, probably because long winters tend to keep people inside, Hendrickson muses. He started playing in his family basement when he was about 4. He stood on a milk crate so that he could reach the table. By the time Hendrickson was 10, he was winning small-town bar pool tournaments.

He still regularly competes in tournaments, but on Thursday nights he joins a team of four for league play. It’s an excuse to hang out with friends, many of whom he’s known for half a lifetime or longer. And, he’s always up for the challenge.

“The game is different every time,” he says. “Mathematically, it’s impossible to play the same game twice.”

When he instructs others on play, Hendrickson often compares pool to chess. The player is always thinking ahead, hitting the cue ball strategically so it drops a ball into the pocket and sets up the next shot. The best players learn how to play patterns, gaining control of the table before their opponent even has a chance to play.

League play at Gastropub uses a global rating system (similar to a handicap in golf) that was developed at the Fargo pool hall. FargoRate assigns each player a score; the higher the score, the better the player. Each team has a total score cap, meaning that teams with a highly scored player need to recruit someone lower on the scale.

This makes the teams more balanced.

“As a team, you can win or lose anytime,” Hendrickson says. “It makes it more fun.”

And that is what it’s all about.