“We don’t want it to be just a bar, just a restaurant, or just an arcade. We want to do something that’s legendary.”
-Yogi, House of TARG co-founder
House of TARG is located right between a picture frame shop and a food truck, just south of the Rideau Canal on Bank Street. The only indication it’s even there is a skinny sign above a narrow door you’d probably miss if you didn’t know it was there. Once you enter it’s hard to know what to expect as you descend the brightly lit staircase. You’ve probably been to one of Ottawa’s sub-level bars like The Lieutenant’s Pump or The Manx Pub, but this one feels, and sounds, different. You can hear the bells and buzzers of the classic pinball machines from the staircase and the smell of delicious, handmade perogies wafts up from the kitchen at the back. Add to these things a regular line up of live music and three guys passionate about what they do, and you have one special place. House of TARG is celebrating its two year anniversary today, and The Nerd Is the Word recently met up with Paul, Kevin, and Mark to ask them how it all started.
In today’s world, their story may sound more like a tall tale than the narrative of a successful business venture. It’s the kind of story that draws a crowd over beers or around the campfire. Before founding this pinball and perogi empire, Paul (Yogi), operated a recording studio in the Ottawa area. When a client didn’t have the funds to cover their rehearsal time and offered an old arcade machine as payment, Paul accepted. That machine was called TARG. Word got out that Paul was willing to trade rehearsal time for machines, and he soon acquired a broken “Diner” pinball machine from another band. With help and instruction from the machine’s former owner, it was soon back in working condition. Things grew from there.
Soon Paul was having parties at his studio, then dubbed the House of TARG, on a regular basis. Bands, including future TARG partner Mark’s, would come to jam and play pinball. Paul continued acquiring new arcade games and pinball machines, and it became clear they’d need a bigger space. He enlisted his friend Kevin, another musician, to help them find a suitable place. Eventually, they came across a storage area for a row of shops on Bank Street and instantly fell in love. Mark quit his stable government job to join Paul and Kevin in their venture, and House of TARG as we know and love it was born.
The low ceilings and lack of natural light may inspire thoughts of dungeons and other dark spaces, but the guys have turned House of TARG into one of Ottawa’s premier nerd hotspots. They continued to add new machines and used their connections in the local music scene to equip the venue with a stage and sound system to turn House of TARG into a great place to catch a live show as well. Now, Paul mostly handles the bookings and works the bar, while Kevin and Mark handle the food.
There are over a dozen pinball machines and even more arcade cabinets, but the space doesn’t feel cramped. There’s plenty of room around the stage area if you want to enjoy the music up close. Their collection of pinball machines includes classics like “Tales from the Crypt,” Kevin’s preferred game, “Tommy,” Mark’s machine of choice, and “Dr. Who,” Paul’s favourite. I tried my hand at a few machines, but couldn’t quite get the hang of them. I moved over to the arcade games and got into a groove playing Marvel vs. Capcom and Raiden DX. For a full list of the games, check out their website: http://www.houseoftarg.com/pinball-classic-arcade-game/.
Now, you may be wondering, why perogies? Why not just nachos and wings like every other bar on Bank? Well, Paul is half Ukrainian, not to mention that perogies don’t require as much expensive kitchen equipment as most of your standard. These tasty pillows of dough stuffed with a variety of hearty fillings and fried to perfection can be made in large batches and don’t require special training to cook since they’re done in a pan. Both Kevin and Mark prefer “Le champignon,” a mix of mushrooms and shallots, but Paul isn’t so sure he can pick a favourite. As for me, I enjoy “Kale ‘Em All,” a blend of potato, smoked gouda, and kale. The beet salad and sour cream on the side perfectly complete the plate. Also, perogies are delicious. If you’ve never had them, drop what you’re doing, go to House of TARG, and get yourself a plate ASAP!
TARG also serves up cold beer and mixed drinks at very reasonable prices, and Paul is more than happy to exchange your bills for quarters and loonies to go play pinball while you wait for your meals. Don’t be worried about hearing your order being called over the bells and buzzers of the machines; the guys use a mic and come up with unique phrases to let people know their perogies are ready.
House of TARG has become a go to place for a lot of folks wanting good food and good entertainment. The guys crank out over 5000 perogies a week, and bands now contact them to schedule gigs well in advance. To celebrate their two year anniversary, a new perogi flavour is being introduced today with spinach, cream cheese, and artichoke hearts. Yum! The guys are still looking for a name for this new culinary creation, so be sure to check out their Facebook page to learn how you can help them out! Along with the new dish, the guys have unveiled some awesome new TARG merchandise and a bunch of contests and new events. You can check all that out here: http://www.houseoftarg.com/yeartwo.
We had a great time talking with Paul, Kevin, and Mark, who all took time out of the dinner rush to talk with us. If you’re craving some awesome food and have an itch to play classic arcade and pinball machines, there’s no better place in Ottawa than House of TARG!
Don’t forget to follow them on Twitter at @HouseofTarg
And Facebook https://www.facebook.com/houseoftarghouseoftarg/?fref=ts
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