[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 130 (Wednesday, August 3, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3912-S3913]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOGNIZING RUDY'S A COOK'S PARADISE

 Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, as a member and former chairman of 
the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each month 
I recognize and celebrate the American entrepreneurial spirit by 
highlighting the success of a small business in my home State of Idaho. 
Today, I am pleased to honor Rudy's A Cook's Paradise as the Idaho 
Small Business of the Month for August 2022.
  Constructed in 1904, the oldest continually operating retail store in 
Twin Falls first housed Price Hardware. Rudy Ashenbrener purchased the 
store after returning from his time as a fighter pilot instructor in 
World War II. It remained a hardware store until 2002, when Rudy's son 
Tom and his wife Megan took over the business, renamed it Rudy's A 
Cook's Paradise, and turned it into a world of gourmet cooking.
  Today, Rudy's offers one of the largest selections of kitchen gadgets 
in the northwest, including cooking utensils and cookware, wine, beer, 
and more. The store features a test kitchen where they offer classes on 
food techniques, artisanal bread baking, and how to throw a dinner 
party. The 118-year-old building also boasts a vast collection of wine 
and beer in its lava rock cellar. Rudy's beloved staff goes beyond 
serving aspiring chefs, providing southern Idaho with opportunities to 
experience new products, tastes, and techniques. From its home on Main 
Avenue, Rudy's has found its way into the hearts of many Idahoans.
  Congratulations to Tom and Megan Ashenbrener and all of the employees

[[Page S3913]]

at Rudy's A Cook's Paradise for being selected as the Idaho Small 
Business of the Month for August 2022. Thank you for serving Idaho as 
small business owners and entrepreneurs. You make our great State 
proud, and I look forward to your continued growth and success.

                          ____________________