Sandra Good's Son, Chef Ivan Pugh,
all grown up at the Alligator Cafe'
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| Photo by Kevin Hunter Marple |
Ivan’s back, and so are the Alligators...
Ivan opened The Alligator Café (May 2004) in the
long-closed KFC location on Live Oak at Carroll. The building has been
completely repainted, has a new flower bed in the front, and renovated from top
to bottom inside. Ivan’s hired two crews of employees, putting money back into
the East Dallas community on a regular basis.
Lunches are
jammed up with folks from Baylor Medical Center, downtown Dallas and Lower
Greenville who appreciate really good Cajun/Creole cooking made from
scratch.
Here's a great review of Ivan's restaurant:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dmagazine.com/Home/2006/09/01/Review_The_Alligator_Cafe.aspx
I watched the video. Now I'm hungry!
ReplyDeleteIvan seems like a real nice guy. And has a socially useful skill...nice cooking!
ReplyDeleteLooks like he's made something good of his life, one of the best outcomes of any of the ex-Spahnsters perhaps. Good for him.
Just me I guess, but he has the same smile & eyes as Bobby. Could explain why he has some talent, and is not nutty as a fruitcake.
he looks very similar to the picture of him with sandy, just his cheeks are fuller. i'm glad he's doing well and thank goodness he wasn't raised by cuckoo birth mother.
ReplyDeleteSandy and BOBBY"S son. He definatley has his mommy's looks, lol
ReplyDeleteLook at the sign, a full catfish dinner for $5????!!!! I'm on my way!
ReplyDeleteIvan is really cool.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad, he's doing so well.
His restaurant is insanely popular, and he's been featured on a truckload of cooking shows.
The internet is teaming with positive reviews of his restaurant and cooking.
His is a success story, if there ever was one.
The guy started out as a victim in infancy, but has made a great life for himself.
He's also very active with community service.
During "Hurricane Katrina" in 2005, he served thousands of people a free meal.
Read below...
==================================
10:31 PM CDT on Monday, September 19, 2005
By FRANK TREJO / The Dallas Morning News
There's a sign showing Ivan Pugh's commitment to helping Hurricane Katrina evacuees. It's right outside his East Dallas restaurant, The Alligator Cafe, offering free beans and rice and gumbo to the displaced.
Ever since Louisiana residents fled the destruction of the hurricane and arrived in Dallas, Mr. Pugh has been providing free food – good Cajun food – to evacuees both at his restaurant and at area churches.
"Being from Baton Rouge, this has really hit close to home for me," Mr. Pugh said. "They're all homesick, so whatever I can do to help, I'm doing."
For Mr. Pugh, that means dishing out countless orders of red beans and rice, along with gallons of gumbo.
"I really don't know how much food I've given out. I'm just a small business, and I can't track that kind of stuff right now," he said. "I just know it's the right thing to do. I know that if I was in that predicament, it would be nice if someone did that for me."
He said he started the food offer after meeting a man at a gas station across the street.
"This man had worked for 17 years, and now he was without a job and a home. He was looking for the food-stamp office," Mr. Pugh said. "As he left, I thought that I should have offered him some food. After all, the restaurant is just across the street. But I didn't."
He said he even drove around trying to find the man but couldn't.
"I still want to find that guy," he said.
=================================
Some of his accomplishments:
“It’s an honor to have such a well-known chef join us for one of the premier racing events in North Texas,” Texas Motorplex General Manager Gabrielle Stevenson said.
“Chef Pugh has cooked for some of the biggest names in Dallas Cowboys history like Emmitt Smith and Troy Aikman. He’s made his rounds on several TV shows. He’s been working in Texas for years and has honed his craft with his homemade specialties.
I found his facebook. It seems he considers Bobby as his father, as he lists Bobbys daughter Jene as his sister.
ReplyDeleteDayum Lauren! ...LOL!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the blog!!!
Lauren Webster said...
ReplyDeleteI found his facebook. It seems he considers Bobby as his father, as he lists Bobbys daughter Jene as his sister.(end quote)
Poirot replies;
Fine but dn't you think Ivan put too much garlic on those string beans?
Poirot please...
ReplyDeleteDon't tease the new bloggers.
I need one quiet evening.
Thanks...
Sorry Lynyrd, it must have been the garlic. Lynyrd did you know that garlic is more hallucinogenic than belladonna?
ReplyDeleteLOL
ReplyDeleteI never heard that one Poirot... but the old-school Italian Mom's would string a sprig of garlic around their children's neck (like a necklace), to ward-off colds and flu.
Leo Buscaglia (Italian) once joked that it worked, because no one would ever get close enough to him (while he was wearing garlic) to ever transmit germs. LOL!
I do (personally) believe that consuming garlic and onions bolsters the immune system... but of course, I have no proof.
I also believe that acidic foods like tomatoes, grapefruit and vinegar, will keep you very healthy, and put hair on your chest (sorta speak).
I think Americans are WAY too caught-up with sweet foods.
Just my opinion...
Remind me not to invite you over for some pie or cake! LOL
ReplyDeleteIt was the excessive amount of garlic Sandra put in the salad that caused the Big Freakout at Spahn's. The LSD and the garlic kicked in at the same time.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this Lynyrd, trying to cover up my bout of dementia? LOL.....
ReplyDeleteWelcome Lauren, that's a good find!
Hi Beauders, Carol, Cease, Mr P and good to see you here again PVM....
Texas has the best deep fried catfish I've ever had...I also love the deep fried dill pickles....mmmmmmm
Ok, back to my crossword puzzles and learning the mandolin. (Inside joke)....lol
I'm sorry, I said carol, I meant Venus!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Mr. P., Cease 2., Beauders, Venus.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the blog Lauren. You're probably tired of hearing that 3 times. LOL.
********PAULINA*********!!!!
Obama was re-elected tonight. I'm disappointed, as many of you may have been.
ReplyDeleteBut I prayed today that God would elect a leader that he wanted.
I will go with God's choice. I'll stick with God.
Nough said.
Night.
I don't think even God can save America now.
ReplyDeleteLauren Webster said...
ReplyDeleteI found his facebook. It seems he considers Bobby as his father, as he lists Bobbys daughter Jene as his sister.
Nice catch. Those sleepy eyelids while he smiles on the video are the giveaway...a dead ringer for Bobby's IMO.
Hi Kimchi, Katie, MrP, Beauders, Venus, Lauren, PVM, Lynyrd, John Boy, Mary Ellen :)
MrPoirot said...
I don't think even God can save America now.
Even God! LOLOL
Garlic is a hallucinogen? That explains my wife.
ReplyDeletePretty hypocritical for a "blog" that's bitched about others "outing" people, to themselves "out" the children, who are wonderful people who've formed strong bonds and made successes of themselves, both as incredibly decent human beings and in their positive contributions to society. It really sucks that you've felt the need to expose the lives of the children AND their Facebook accounts. They haven't done a damn thing to warrant it. But at least you won't be able to sit on your sanctimonious high horses and insult other blogs that are run with a sense of ethical standards and scruples. And Poirot, you very well be the biggest idiot ever to appear in HTLBS blogdom. But at least you aren't a psychotic alcoholic (my bad for assuming, though.).
ReplyDeleteFour more years.
ReplyDeleteI'm starting to wish Massachusetts had passed ballot question two... the assisted suicide law... or, as it was officailly titled... the "death with dignity" law.
How appropriate.
Now, I can't even kill myself.
Thanks for your input Trilby.
ReplyDeleteThis information regarding Ivan has already been discussed on just about every Manson-related forum in cyberspace.
I was aware of Ivan's identity, before I even opened this blog.
If this is the first time you've ever seen this information, than you've been living under a rock.
Trilby said:
ReplyDelete"It really sucks that you've felt the need to expose the lives of the children AND their Facebook accounts".
Facebook accounts?
I explained that Bobby was Ivan's father back on the John Friedman thread in July.
Again... old news.
I don't know Lauren.
If she wants to visit facebook, that's her business.
>>>Trilby said: But at least you won't be able to sit on your sanctimonious high horses and insult other blogs that are run with a sense of ethical standards and scruples.>>>
ReplyDeleteAnd who would that be?
It's not like Ivan changed his name and went into hiding. He's happily advertising his restaurant. This is free advertising for him. He may get more business because of it.
Nobody "exposed" his facebook account. I haven't even seen it, but if he's saying that Bobby is his father, he must not be hiding that fact.
Trilby, I understand your input and I appreciate it. But ALL I was doing was simple research. I am not nosy enough to CONTACT Ivan as some try to do, I didn't even add the man as my damn friend!!!! Nor have I publicly given the link to his facebook. Those who want to look, or even have the balls to contact him are free to do so themselves.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you all, I love this blog! So much great information!
ReplyDeleteAnd very funny Mr.Poirot, I enjoy your sense of humor!
ReplyDeleteI'm starting to really like this Lauren lady! LOL!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lauren. I like Mr. P's sense of humor too. And he's certainly not an idiot.
ReplyDeleteI don't know, Katie. Don't sell Mr. P short.
ReplyDeleteStarship! HA HA HA....
ReplyDelete