the iconic bar from the popular television show of the same name. Lake Alice also is one of Riverside’s premier places to enjoy live music, with bands performing Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights. Michele Whitham, the daytime manager for the past 17 years, books mostly local or Southern California bands that play rock, classic rock, reggae, pop and 1980s music. The genres generally appeal to adults of all ages, she says. Popular local bands include Gravity Guild, Inhale, The Heymakers and Pac Men. On occasion, an act with a national following will stop by. John Corbett, the actor who spun records as DJ Chris Stevens on TV’s “Northern Exposure,” performed on the Lake Alice stage earlier this year during a tour that included the SXSW Music and Media Conference. Live music isn’t the only diversion at Lake Alice. There are pinball machines, pool tables, dart boards, shuffleboard and several large plasma TV screens that are perfect for sports viewing. On Thursday nights, there’s karaoke. “It’s casual and comfortable in here,” Whitham said. “People love that it’s big
because they can bring large parties and move tables around. Every morning when I come in, I just reset the room.” While the dining area holds up to 300 patrons, what preceded Lake Alice was considerably more intimate: a sandwich shop called Dagwoods, which occupied only a corner at the rear of today’s restaurant. The only way to enter was via an alley behind the Roosevelt Building. Debra Madore Strange and Eddie Gent purchased Dagwoods from Sam and Pat Pirkey in 1988, and then renamed it Lake Alice Trading Company after a lake in Wisconsin where Gent’s family vacationed. They also expanded the restaurant to its current size. Nine years later, Gent went out on his own and Madore Strange continued to operate the establishment until 2004 when Jeff and Jenny McKee purchased it. Since then, the McKees have invested in several improvements that include a re-do of the entire wall behind the 50-foot-long downstairs bar, the addition of a second bar upstairs with new TVs, stage lighting for concerts, and new carpets and flooring. Now it’s ready to welcome even more family members during the next 25 years.
Concerts Aug. 9 – The Groove (classic rock) Aug. 10 – Band of Brothers (classic rock) Aug. 14 – Arity (metal) Aug. 16 – Gravity Guild (rock/ alternative) Aug. 17, Sept. 14 – Pac Men (formerly ’80s Rewind) Aug. 23 – The Heymakers (rock/dance) Aug. 24 – Driven (rock/classic rock) Aug. 28 – Mojo Aug. 30 – Factory Tuned Band (classic rock) Aug. 31 – All In (rock/alternative/funk) Sept. 6-7 – Eclipse (rock/dance) Sept. 13 – Crosstown (classic rock/ modern/dance) Sept. 20 – Sultan of Rock (classic, hard and dance rock) Sept. 21 – Killer Shades (classic rock) Sept. 27 – Disciples of Sabbath (rock) Sept. 28 – Trainwreck (classic rock) Lake Alice Trading Company 3616 University Ave., Riverside 951-686-7343 www.lakealicetradingco.com
Spicy Shrimp Spring Rolls, served with bacon, jalapeños, bleu cheese and green onions
Bartender Stacia Wapniarski makes a margarita.
Cuban Sandwich, served with hot chips
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