THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 17, 1995 TAG: 9508150123
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: On The Town
SOURCE: Sam Martinette
LENGTH: Medium: 89 lines
AS I SAT EATING my first ribeye steak of the evening at The Banque, the thin line of people kicking their way through line dance lessons reminded me of a country chorus line. Julie and I had ringside seats as dance instructor Sara Pierce put the group through their paces.
It was a sultry Wednesday night, part of The Banque's ``Dog Days of Summer'' promotion, which will culminate in the first-ever ``Bow Wow Ball'' on Aug. 30 to benefit the Norfolk SPCA.
Belle from The Banque (``No last names, please. One name's good enough for Cher and Garth''), who owns the big country-western nightclub and Belle's Dry Goods - where urban cowboys can find everything from straw hats with an attitude to western belts, buckles, T-shirts, and jewelry - explained the ``Bow Wow Ball.''
``All this month customers are bringing in kitty litter, dry and canned cat and dog food, cash donations - anything the SPCA can use - and we're buying it from them with our own `Bow Wow Bucks' and `Meow Money,' '' she said. ``On Wednesday, when you order food, Bow Wow Bucks come with it.
``Our building is filled with honky tonk angels,'' Belle added. ``Two-legged animals who want to help the real animals. It takes a lot of money to run the SPCA. We wanted to find an excuse to have a costume party during the summer. This way we can do something that will be fun and feel good about it.''
A cowboy looking for Miss Kitty should be in high chaparral that night. Customers are invited to attend dressed as their favorite animal, domestic or otherwise. The Bow Wow Bucks and Meow Money that regulars have been gathering every Wednesday will be redeemable for food all evening, or for beverages prior to 9 p.m. In keeping with the dog and cat theme, there will be a hot dog buffet from 6:30 to 8 p.m. To enter you should be in costume or bear an invitation.
The 500-seat nightclub opened in 1973 as the Fifth National Banque, so named because it took visits to five banks to secure a loan to open the doors. The music venue changed in 1980, and now The Banque hosts live country and western bands six nights a week. Voted Country Music Club of the Year by the Virginia Country Music Association (1991-94), The Banque's clientele ranges from young cowpunchers to the very mature. And most of them dance.
As for my ``first'' steak of the night, it was an 8-ounce ribeye, with fries, salad and a homemade bun. Wednesday night is steak night at The Banque, and the ribeye special works this way: eat your first at $5 and you can order a second for $4, a third for $3, the fourth for $2, and - uurp - the fifth is free. That's 40 ounces of steak (no sharing) for $14, and if you don't believe it's possible, there is a photo display of survivors.
Other steaks include a 12-ounce New York Strip ($12.95), a 16-ounce ``Texas T-bone'' ($14.95) and chicken-fried steak (breaded, fried, and smothered with cream-style white gravy, with mashed potatoes and vegetables - $7.95). Prime rib comes in 12-ounce ($14.95) and 8-ounce servings ($12.95), while other menu offerings include 10 jumbo fried shrimp ($12.95), the Waco Taco salad of greens and vegetables under cheese, onions, chili and guacamole served with chips ($8.95); the ``Quicksilver Quesadilla,'' ($6.95); nachos, burgers, barbecue, even a cowboy club sandwich ($5.95 each).
My sidekick ordered a pound of shrimp steamed in beer and spices ($13.95), big juicy jumbos with melted butter and cocktail sauce, and branded them Grade A, while I wrestled with a second ribeye - but I knew that I wouldn't make the display of happy carnivores pictured in the lobby.
The Banque offers so many promotions, such as free Texas two-step dance lessons on Tuesday and Sunday and line dancing lessons on Wednesday, that I haven't room to detail them all. There is a slight cover charge when the band plays, but those having dinner don't pay it.
Speaking of the line dancers, by the time the band began to play, the chorus line had been honed to a precision platoon (well, almost) that would have made my old sergeant proud, whirling nearly as one to the honky tonk beat. ILLUSTRATION: Belle is owner and manager of The Banque, a country-western
nightclub on Little Creek Road.
AT A GLANCE
The Banque: 1849 E. Little Creek Road, 480-3600.
Food: Steaks, shrimp, sandwiches, nachos; full ABC.
Prices: sandwiches and lighter meals $5.95 to $8.95; menu entrees
$10.95 to $14.95, with reduced prices and special offers nightly; no
cover for diners.
Hours: 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
Special events: Wednesday nights are the ``Dog Days of Summer''
promotion, which ends with a ``Bow Wow Ball'' on Aug. 30 to benefit
the Norfolk SPCA.
by CNB