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NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
October 14, 1999
Tom Isern, Professor of History
North Dakota State University
©1999 Plains Folk
"I ought to write a book," muses Pat Duffy, proprietor of the Chateau--"and sell it to them who don't want to see it published." From which I gather that in her 37 years of running Fort Pierre's most distinguished watering hole, she has seen a few things.
The Chateau, on Deadwood Avenue in Pierre's twin city west of the Missouri, is a combination steak house, bar and grill, and sale barn cafe. The decor is unintentionally retro--exposed brick walls that are exposed not because someone decided to expose them but because they never were covered, black drop ceilings sparkling with glitter, vinyl booths, mature waitresses. Man, this is comfort.
You get a relish plate with the salad--pretty classy--the steaks are perfect, and the onion rings are homemade. Consistency counts here: Pat says, "Our menu is like Hebrews 13:18--the same yesterday, today and forever."
A girl from Kampeska, she married former Navy electrician Ed Duffy when he was running Duffy's cafe, next door. They added the Chateau addition on the north side of Duffy's and put a hole in the wall so they could pass food through and thus serve liquor in the bar an hour later. Of course the Chateau also benefitted from Mountain Time, which made closing time an hour later than for counterparts east of the river.
Ed's health isn't so good right now, but Pat keeps the place running the way it should. "I used to do all the floor work myself," she recalls. "Now I kind of do it in shifts--a few hours at a time." She keeps an eye on things, I can tell you.
During September and October there are sales at the Fort Pierre sale barn three or four times a week, which is great for business. Besides the sale barn crowd, the Chateau has customers who are "ranchers, cowboys, statehouse workers, construction workers, retired people, goose and pheasant hunters," Pat tics off with satisfaction, adding, "Some of them for 37 years, and we're cooking for their grandchildren."
I really like the crowd here. It's about 80 percent working people and 20 percent broken-down old working people who would like to be working but now just chew the fat with those who do. Some of them do bring in their grandkids. The Chateau used to sponsor sports teams, but now, says Pat, "Our crowd's got older."
The night life on Deadwood Avenue peaked in the 1970s when the Turkey Races came to town. In those days, too, the highway ran right up Deadwood. All the businesses threw in to promote the Turkey Races. The Duffys had turkey bowling contests (frozen turkeys, wet bananas, and plastic pop bottles); they organized mud wrestling matches, set up an outdoor beer garden and did a great business during the street dance.
"It was solid people from the Hopscotch to the Silver Dollar," Pat remembers.
Still, 37 years is ancient in the restaurant business. I asked Pat what has kept her going. She replies, "You wouldn't be in it if you didn't like it. I like people."
Now she fetches the coffee pot to warm me up. Dripping the cream into my cup, I notice how it curls up and explodes into flowerets just under the surface. Pretty rich cream, I remark to Pat. She explains, "That's the kind they like for White Russians."
Now that's consideration.
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Source: Tom Isern (701) 231-8339
Editor: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136
Click here to download a photo of Tom Isern suitable
for printing.
(isern.tif - 512KB b&w photo)
Click here to download a photo of Tom Isern suitable for printing.
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