The Paragon

This entry refers to a departed business that has closed or left town. All information here is for historical reference only.

 

Before Froggy's, there was another bar at the corner called The Paragon. It had a superb wooden patio extending into the street; though looking back, it's surpising more people didn't get hurt since patrons used to sit on the rails. There was also a card room in the basement. It was a very popular bar and a good place to debate football with the bartenders. Their kitchen was where Sophia, of Sophia's Thai Kitchen fame, got her start. It was the first establishment to introduce Thai food to the general Davis populace.

From roughly the mid-80's to the mid-90's, The Paragon held a license for a single poker table, and spread games in its basement several nights per week. Initially the only games allowed were draw poker games like California Lowball, until community-card games like Texas Hold'em were legalized throughout California in the late-80's. A game called "Crazy Pineapple" became particularly popular among the local regulars.

On their patio, a UC Davis student named David Thornton was doing the birthday ritual 21 for 21 (consuming 21 drinks/shots). This contributed to his tragic death, and Paragon was given a lot of the blame for not properly supervising its patio area and for continuing to serve him alcohol beyond his ability to handle it. This is despite the fact that an autopsy and toxicology analysis found he had alcohol, cocaine, marijuana and Naproxen, an anti-inflammatory drug, in his system at the time he died. Nonetheless, David had a blood-alcohol level of .54 - lethally high. A level of .40 is considered the LD50, or median lethal dose.

Ultimately, The Paragon was forced to get rid of the patio and lost its liquor license. Criminal charges also were filed against a Paragon bartender and waitress, though a jury later acquitted both.

The property was sold to the owners of Froggy's.