Peter Blatz Comes Full Circle at Cottonwood Grille...

There are some restaurants that so define our local culinary scene that you can’t seem to think of a time that they weren’t a part of it. Which is why it’s hard to believe that 2009 marked the 10th anniversary of the opening of Boise’s Cottonwood Grille. Only ten years? Really? It was, in fact, 1999 when Chef Peter Blatz and his sommelier spouse, Hilary, moved to Boise from Denver. Read...

Bake ‘n “Shark”!...

I grew up at a time, and in a place, where the term “fish sandwich” was synonymous with McDonald’s — and I suspect its presence on the menu at the Golden Arches was a concession to the Catholics or Lenten observers. Thank the Culinary Gods that we’ve evolved. But even in whilst stuck in the middle of Teenage Wasteland, there was a part of the world that had an entirely different concept of the fish sandwich. It was...

You Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Menu at Cucina di P...

It was during his sojourn in Italy that Paul Wegner realized that his perception of Italian cuisine as a boy from small town Idaho was a pale reflection of the genuine article. “The culture of food and wine is what Italy is all about, and I was in absolute shock and awe of the simplicity of Italian cuisine, and at the complexity it achieved by using the food for what it was meant to be, and not some grandiose production. It...

The Chocolat Bar: Can You Smell the Love?...

The Chocolat Bar’s mission can best be described has bringing the true experience of chocolate to its grateful customers. “Chocolate makes people happy, and when you have a high quality chocolate, you enjoy the experience even more. We use 100 percent chocolate with high cocoa content and all the cocoa butter that should be there to create a quality experience,” says owner Chris Preston. Read...

La Cantina Sociale...

The most immediate way to connect with the culinary possibilities that line the shelves of La Cantina Sociale is to simply come in with a dinner dilemma. In my case, it was to put on a meal that would resemble something Mama Veneziano might have set in front of me in Motta San Anastasia – in under 20 minutes! Under Giuseppe’s guidance, my shopping basket was full in a matter of minutes, and I had my marching orders. Read...

The Brick Oven Bistro: 25 Years…But Who’s Coun...

For 25 years, the Brick Oven Bistro has been a culinary fixture in the downtown Boise scene. And while its menu has evolved toward toward “new adventures in comfort food”, one thing has remained consistent: slow food served quickly using “from scratch” recipes, and served in an environment as unpretentious as the kitchen table at home. Read...

Bar Gernika Keeps Faith...

On January 1, 2008, Jeff and Stephanie May became the owners of a restaurant that is equal parts pub, cultural icon, and historical landmark: Bar Gernika. As its owners, Jeff and Stephanie have become the keepers of a flame that was kindled back in 1991, when Bar Gernika’s previous owner, Dan Ansotegui, first opened the restaurant in what would eventually become Boise’s Basque Block. Read...

Vive Le Cafe de Paris!...

Le Café de Paris follows the model of a French bistro rather than the more “hoity-toity” stereotype that Americans often have of a classic French restaurant. As owner Mathieu Choux explains, “What I’m trying to do is casual French food. What I do at Café de Paris is mix three things to fit in the same place – a bakery, bar, and a restaurant. We try to do a nice presentation with our food, but it’s not overdone....

Michael Mohica Brings the Islands to Boise...

Close your eyes and listen to the gentle sounds of the surf in the background as Michael Mohica whispers in your ear, “our kalua pig is just as you would find it in someone’s backyard, cooked for 12 to18 hours, seasoned only with salt and pepper. It’s the smokiness and steam that keeps it moist and flavorful; it falls off the bone.” Michael, you had us at “slow cooked”. Read...

Homestead Natural Foods Returns to Greener Pasture...

Homestead Natural Food’s approach to a more sustainable and healthy food supply is to begin with the soil itself. “We’re all of us grass farmers first, and beef and poultry is the by-product,” says 6th generation Idaho rancher Ed Wilsey. “My granddad always said, “take care of the land and it will take care of you. We’ve cut our soil erosion down to practically nothing – our animals don’t take anything out...