boise for foodlovers

[aaustin]

I'm heading to Boise for the first time over memorial day weekend and would love some help in deciding where to eat and other highlights of trips you might've taken....there don't seem to be many boise locals on this board, so anyone in the PNW who's been, please let me know your favorite things to do or eat.

So far we've got the Basque Market on the list, with perhaps a visit to Gernika for Spanish food? is this a good idea?

Kandor kitchen shop---worth a visit?

We also might go to the penitentiary. Anyone been?

thanks

[pamjsa]

I'm originally from Boise--though I'm living Texas now, I head back to the homestead about once a year to visit family. Kandor kitchen shop is worth a look, if you're in the neighborhood.

As for food: Gernika, definitely. Bardenay is also great (try the trout, if you like fish). If you're in the mood for something casual, Moon's Kitchen (*huge* sandwiches) or Le Poulet Rouge. Louie's for Italian, Chapala for Mexican. Goldy's for breakfast.

These are all downtown, which is easy to navigate.

[aaustin]

Le Poulet Rouge---why do I feel like I've heard about this place?

Louie's---what kind of Italian? meatball and spaghetti or ?

Thanks so much for your help so far.

[pamjsa]

Louie's has the basics--pasta, calzones, etc. It's not fancy or adventurous, but it's good food at a reasonable price.

I should also have mentioned The Atomic Taco as a lunch spot--fresh and delicious.

[aaustin]

It seems like Main Street and the area around it and maybe 8th street is the heart of downtown...is this right? We're planning on hitting the farmer's market sat morning.

Any other suggestions? Cute neighborhoods on the outskirts worth finind? we'll have a car and our bikes...

[pamjsa]

Yes, Main Street is the heart of downtown--and the farmer's market is worth checking out. Lots of businesses along 8th Street, as well.

If you follow 13th Street north, you'll discover Camelback Park (an actual park, with good hiking/biking trails) and Hyde Park--a funky old neighborhood with an ever-changing assortment of interesting shops. There used to be an excellent ice cream place in Hyde Park, Goody's, which may or may not be there still.

I think the Boise Co-op is also on 13th Street now, though I could be wrong about that--I know it moved from Hill Road closer to the downtown area. And I hear there's an interesting restaurant, Flipside, across the parking lot from the Co-op. Haven't been there, though, so I can't vouch for the quality.

Oh--and if you're in the mood for a movie, the Egyptian Theater is really cool. It's worth going to a movie just to check out the inside.

Sheesh, this is making me homesick! I'll be in Boise myself, late in July, so please post when you get back and let me know how you enjoyed your visit.

[aaustin]

I definitely will. There is a surprising lack of Boise folk on this board! I looked at the Boise Weekly's list of best places and have good ideas. Hyde Park is def. on the list--there's a place called Lucky 13 there that apparently has a great patio and is dog-friendly, so that's a huge bonus. I'll let you know where we end up!

[pamjsa]

I don't know how I failed to mention Lucky 13. Excellent pizza, and a great patio--definitely worth a visit. Pretty much everything in Hyde Park is dog-friendly.

Also, I think I failed to confirm that the old penitentiary/botannical gardens is worth a visit as well. If you're out that way, you're pretty close to the Greenbelt and could take a very nice bike ride along the river.

Have fun!

[aaustin]

We're back! We both really enjoyed our visit to Boise. Here's what we ate:

First night we got in early and went to a pub on 8th street. I am sad that I can't remember the name, because I had an amazing hamburger and my husband had the best steak sandwich either of us has ever tasted, bar none. It was a special---a ribeye sandwich---and there was none of the yanking you usually get when you take a bite out of a steak sandwich, just perfectly tender beef and blue cheese melting on top. Awesome.

We decided to head out to Hyde Park to see what it was like and had a beer at Lucky 13, which is a fun place in an old gas station. A great way to end the night.

The next day we started our day at Flying M coffeehouse. I'm from Seattle, so perfectly steamed milk in a latte is priceless to me. Outstanding coffee, and they also have great sticky buns they'll gladly heat up. YUM.

Then we were off to the farmers market, which was 3 blocks long! One plant stand had 7 or 8 types of basil---I'd never even heard of most of them. It was great. We got wild strawberries--those tiny sweet ones that taste like freezer jam--and some local asparagus to bring home.

From there we were off to the Basque area. We were imagining a "basque market" as sort of this big place with arts, crafts....nope. Just a specialty grocer. So we went to Gernika and sat at the bar for lunch. VERY happy we did! I had a lamb grinder that blew me away! So lamby. I loved it. Also, the cheese croquettes were fried heaven. My husband had a tortilla, which means an omelette to those not from the Basque region. It was also quite good.

After a nap and some down-time, we went to Asiago. Had horrible crab cakes (someone overmixed them and they were horribly gummy and overpowered by the sauce they were served with). But it was uphill from there! GREAT caesar salads and outstanding pastas. I had the Balzano, which is mixed veggies and homemade fettucini in a hot chili-garlic oil with sausage. Excellent. My husband had the same pasta with clams, mussels and shrimp in a very light and spicy sauce. Another hit. We really liked this place.

We wanted to go to Goldy's for breakfast but we were both full from the night before, so we went back to Flying M and just kind of snacked our way through breakfast. We took a drive around that morning and hit a burrito/wrap place in Hyde Park which was fine. Pretty good burritos. Maybe we ordered wrong. Spent the afternoon biking the greenbelt, which was nice. Had dinner at a Thai place on the outskirts (thinking it'd be more authentic than the stylish places in town) but it was bad. Nothing special.

And that's our trip.

Overall, would go back to Flying M, Gernika, Asiago, Lucky 13 and the pub on 8th street (near main st...I'll see if I can track down a name) in a heartbeat! Pretty good batting average!

[pamjsa]

Glad you enjoyed your trip. I think Boise benefits from low expectations--no one expects to find much there, so the cool things are exceptionally cool.

Any chance that was the Piper Pub you visited?

[aaustin]

I don't think it was Piper Pub, I think it was Bitter Creek (piper pub has a patio upstairs, and this place was on ground level).

It was really great and a very nice beer selection.

[John DePaula]

A friend of mine recently ate at The Bistro @ BoDo in Boise. He had the Seared Elk Medallions and said that it was one of the best meals he's had in a long time.

Have you eaten there?

Are there any new recommendations for Boise?