Saturday, July 7, 2007

Chandlers Steakhouse (3.9 out of 5)

It's oh so fun to check out a brand new restaurant, especially before you've heard much of anything about it and especially with good friends. So off we went, all high-spirited for a night out with friends Lisa & Chris. We made early reservations so that we could even squeeze in a movie. Reservations at 5:30, movie not far down the street at 7:30.... (alas, the 7:30 movie wasn't to be--not nearly enough time to get through dinner.)

My first impression of Chandlers was adult, edgy and somewhat upscale. I think that's because of the cool blue lights surrounding the rows and rows of vodka bottles when you first come in the door. Many of the tables are deep booths, which is cozy but not necessarily as "edgy" of a look as the vodka bottles lend. Since our reservations were so early, we had no trouble getting immediate friendly service.

We started with drinks and a couple of appetizers. Chris had the mohito (good, not too sweet), Mark had a beer from many on-tap options and Lisa and I decided on wine--but which one? Our server wasn't sure either (pleasant server, but new) so she sent over Eric the wine captain to talk to us about Malbecs. Eric was knowledgable and fun to talk to about wine. We ended up with a great Malbec (Kaiken, $24) thanks to him. Chandlers appetizer list was ok, almost everything was seafood except for the grilled artichoke. We chose lobster cakes with avocado mousse and grilled artichoke with garlic aioli. Both were tasty. The lobster cakes were particularly good, the artichoke was ok, there was a bit of a burned flavor that I could have done without.

The dinner choices included many steak options (obviously) served ala carte, four "Idaho menus" that include side dishes and dessert, and a couple of seafood and pasta items. Chris opted for steak (the special of the evening was a cowboy steak 14oz prime rib, Mark went for the chicken on the Idaho menu and Lisa and I both chose the halibut...ah, what a choice it was! If I were only rating the halibut, it would get an absolute 5. It was outstanding--just the right amount of dill and garlic and perfectly cooked. Between the halibut and the Malbec, Lisa and I just kept making goofy eyes at each other across the table. Chris ordered a potato with his steak--he needn't have bothered with any other food for the night. It was truly the biggest potato any of us had ever seen in our lives, a bit overkill if you ask me. Mark's free-range chicken was decent but nothing to blog about (ha.) And it appears it was the chicken that spoiled our movie plans.

Granted we took our time with appetizers and drinks, but not overly so. We ordered our dinner at 6:25 and around 6:40 we thought it prudent to tell our server that we were trying to make a 7:30 movie. She said the chicken would take a while, did we want to order something else. What?? Many obvious jokes about catching and plucking the poor bird followed, but we couldn't quite understand how ordering something else after 15 minutes would help and none of us even considered it...it seemed like such a strange thing to say. So we waited. And we waited. And we sent the guys to the theater to exchange our pre-purchased tickets. Finally, about an hour and 15 minutes after we ordered our dinner, it arrived. Yes, the halibut was outstanding, but what the heck was going on in the kitchen? We never even heard back from the server about trying to get us our dinner before our show...it was truly odd. Luckily we had plenty to drink, great company and plenty to talk about besides plucking chickens.

Staying later than we planned allowed us to enjoy the jazz pianist & singer who came around 7:30pm. That was a great touch and very enjoyable. It also allowed us to order dessert and enjoy the one that came with Mark's dinner. Lisa & Chris had a fruit cobbler (rhubarb and blueberry) ala mode, and Mark & I split a grand marnier chocolate mousse. The fruit in the cobbler was a bit crunchy (ugh) and the small amount of ice cream melted on top didn't do much for the cobbler. The mousse was good, nothing fantastic. By this time we'd decided to try a late movie and were getting anxious once again that we wouldn't make it. It took a while to get the check, so even at 9:00pm we were rushing.

Overall, Chandlers will be a nice touch for Hotel 43 and another good alternative for the downtown dining scene. Perhaps the servers will be a bit more practiced and the kitchen will speed up a bit. Until then, go, enjoy and don't have anything planned for later. Oh, and plan to spend your money. We spent $215 for the 4 of us (including tip.) Who needs a movie?

Friday, June 1, 2007

The Chocolate Bar (5 out of 5)

Are you in the mood for some really good chocolate? (Are there really people out there who aren't?) If you haven't been to The Chocolate Bar on 9th street, then you're missing out. There are actually several chocolate shops around, even one in BODO not far from where The Chocolate Bar is. They don't compare.

The first time I had chocolate from here, a friend brought me a box as a thank you. There were chocolates I had never dreamed of before, including a ginger chocolate and a chocolate with sea salt sprinkled on top--phenomenal and nothing I had expected to really like. Since then I've been back many times tasting everything from their many delicious little truffles to their lavender bark (made with real lavender) to their orange slices in dark chocolate to, well, everything in between.

The shop is heavenly. It smells fantastic, as only a true make-it-yourself-on-the-premises chocolate shop will. It's a pretty small place, but you walk into to another world and I dare you to want only one thing. Everything is fresh and beautiful and the service is personal and pleasant. Frequently there are pieces of chocolate out to taste, or you can request a little bit of something if you're trying to decide on a purchase.

If you don't want a lot of chocolate yourself (?) then at least stop in and get a gift for a friend. It's a great place to get a little surprise for someone whose day needs brightening. My friend Lee buys boxes frequently and I am always pleased to be one of the lucky ones on the receiving end--how fun to open the box to the never ending surprises inside! They'll wrap up a pretty box with purple tissue and a bow and it makes it all seem worth the price (which isn't cheap in case you were wondering.) It doesn't matter, the price is worth it. Go. Treat yourself and enjoy!

P.S. This is so far, my only perfect rating for any foodie place in Boise. I suppose it's no coincidence that it's a chocolate shop.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Koi (4 out of 5?)

My friend, Diane and I branched out! We walked past our regular Grape Escape lunch haunt and headed to Koi for Sushi, just a couple of doors down on 8th street. To be frank, all this restaurant blogging is taking a toll on my weight, I had to think of something light for lunch. I'll diverge for a moment and say that just because a restaurant has "fresh" in it's name, don't expect it to be light or healthy (you know who you are, Baja.) So in search of something truly light, we decided to opt for sushi.

There's a calming waterfall wall in the dining area, I like a good water feature. It made things smell a bit damp though, which you might like or hate. It reminded me of the Paris hotel in Las Vegas where they take their illusions seriously and do a great job of mimicking a constant light spring shower dampness, same smell.

You know what? We had a great lunch. There are a mountain of items to choose from, so if you're not familiar with sushi, take your time or ask for help. Our server was reasonably helpful, although he did presume that we had some working knowledge of sushi. I may as well mention here that he did another strange thing. When I signed for my check, I inadvertently put the pen back into my purse, it was NOT intentional. He picked up the check and then came back to the table, looked me in the eye suspiciously and said, "do you have my pen?" This was weird. I was so surprised and quickly checked in my purse and handed over the pen. He didn't make a light joke about it or anything--it was a cheap bic ballpoint for goodness sake. That's when it's good to have a friend with you who can agree, yep, that was weird.

Koi has a number of specials going on, lunch specials, happy hours and even separate menus touting extra specials. To start, we had edamame in the shell for an appetizer. They were, well, edamame in the shell. Warm, sprinkled with sea salt and a nice light start. I don't know if you can blow edamame, but the presentation was nice and an extra bowl for spent shells was the right touch. It was a cold day (which seems almost impossible as I write this on a near record high for June 1), so Diane had the Jasmine tea which was tasty--lots of options for warm teas here.

Next we had miso soup. Here's where I started to really warm up to Koi. It was fabulous. I should have asked, so I don't know what their "secret" ingredient was, but somehow this was the best miso soup I've had. Make sure you have a cup to start.

Diane got a scallop entree which was beautifully presented. There were 4 large scallops each served on a small mound of mashed potatoes and swirled with a balsamic vinegar sauce around the plate. Diane said the mashed potatoes were a great option for those who are otherwise "chopstick challenged" and the scallops were fantastic. I had a couple of rolls--still sticking with my lighter fare--a spider roll and an L.A. roll (a small step up from the extremely basic California roll.) They were both delicious, fresh, tasty and pretty.

I've eaten at Koi on other occasions, but it would be fair for me to come back and retry a few things on their menu so that I could say more about the different sushi options. But if I keep putting it off, I won't get even this information out and that would be a shame, not to mention the fact that the whole experience would soon slip from my memory. (Is this due to giving birth or getting older?)

You'll notice a question mark in my rating of Koi though and it comes down to this. Do real Japanese restaurants serve mashed potatoes? Do real Japanese restaurants include mayonnaise in their sushi? Does it matter? To many out there, it will and Koi's Americanized Japanese would be offensive and annoying. To those who get to eat sushi and Japanese food all too rarely, it tasted great, it was beautiful and it made us happy--all good reasons for saying enjoy it and forget it. If you're looking for a pleasant night out with delicious, beautiful food, then definitely give Koi a try. But if you're looking for an authentic Japanese experience, this may not be the place.

Monday, April 30, 2007

Bungalow - 3.5 out of 5

Finally, another date night! This time with friends Steve and Jennifer Cox, I was so excited to be checking out Bungalow--the new incarnation of Richard’s in Hyde Park. We got reservations for the patio at 7:00pm on a perfect, warm spring evening.
I was planning on at least a score of 4 out of 5, maybe even better! Alas, it didn’t work out that way.

Our table was ready immediately (nice) and I even got to chat a bit with owner, Erik McLaughlin about the new name. From everything I’ve read, Erik believes in a true neighborhood place and naming his restaurant is no exception. He told me that “Bungalow” echoes the special north-end homes and décor, not to mention that the name seemed fun. I agree, but why do I have such a hard time remembering it?

We started the night with a bottle of Maysara Pinot Noir. Jennifer wanted her wine with dinner and our server gladly obliged, better yet, she actually remembered! The wine list is extensive and broken out as at 8th Street Wine Company into styles of wine (“supple and sexy” for example) and not just by red and white. This is quite helpful and lets you go right for the taste you enjoy as well as allowing just about anyone to pair the right drink with dinner. Our server was friendly and pleasant, but it did take quite some time before we initially met her. As we remarked later, our glasses were always filled, nothing was forgotten or ignored, but please don’t be in a hurry here. Luckily, we weren’t and it was just fine with me to sit and enjoy a 3 hour meal.

Our server recommended the calamari and the risotto for appetizers, so that’s what we tried. She steered us away from the pommes frites (French fries), saying they weren’t that special. The calamari truly was excellent, perfectly fried and exquisite seasonings. The garden risotto was ok, but for a recommended appetizer I would have preferred a little more interest. It’s hard to do a great risotto and it wasn’t happening here. The risotto was also an unfortunate choice because several of the dinners are served with the same risotto—it’s just plain boring to have an appetizer reappear on your plate for dinner.

Recommendations for dinner included the halibut and their hamburger—which did sound great. But no one at our table was interested in beef that night. Mark got the bow-tie pasta with chicken, I got the halibut, Steve & Jennifer both ordered salmon. (What’s that about becoming more and more alike after many years of marriage?)

The halibut was served with a risotto cake, leeks and tomatoes. The risotto cake was great—very creamy inside and deep fried and crispy outside. The halibut was a thick piece of firm beautiful fish, but it didn’t bowl me over. I could have cooked it at home, and I really want something better than what I can cook at home when I go out for dinner. The leeks were bland and the tomatoes looked like stewed tomatoes from a can—I’m sure they weren’t, but the presentation was not good.

Steve and Jennifer’s salmon was served with a mustard-y sauce on top of a bed of the now familiar garden risotto. The salmon was excellent—very tender, cooked to perfection, and a nice size piece at that. The drizzle of mustard sauce was the perfect accompaniment. Mark enjoyed his pasta with shredded dark-meat chicken. It had a tarragon-flavored sauce that seemed like it might be a bit too heavy on the tarragon, but Mark said he really liked it.

We shared a tart tartin (kind of an apple pie a la mode without the crust.) Everyone enjoyed it with melting cinnamon ice cream on top. We also enjoyed the “chocolate overload” although we almost didn’t get it. They were out of it at first and busily baking more, so we ordered the only other chocolate dessert—unfortunately that last one burned, but by then the chocolate overload was complete and we got what we wanted in the first place—along with apologies from the owner and our server. Not really a big deal and well handled. The chocolate overload was truly overload. It came with raspberries and crème anglaise—decadent. We oohed and ahhed, and it really was chocolate-y, but sigh, I’ve had better.

I like nothing more than to sit out on that patio on 13th street on a beautiful evening with good friends. Well ok, I might have liked it more if the food had been a little better. I’ll definitely be back checking out the menu again. After all, they’ve just opened with this menu and there are probably some kinks to work out. The menu is definitely more laid-back and less expensive than Richard’s was. But at this point, I don’t think that’s a good thing.

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Mazzah Mediterranean Grill - 3 out of 5

You know how when you become aware of something, all of a sudden you start hearing about it everywhere? That was the case with Mazzah for me, so I was very excited to check it out for myself. There are actually two Mazzahs, one on Parkcenter and one in the 17th & State strip mall area—those with kids will recognize the spot near The Learning Express toy store, runners will know The Athlete’s Foot.

The first time I went to the 17th street location was for a working lunch. Expect to order your meal inside at the counter and then you may choose among simple tables inside or several tables outside on the patio. You’ll help yourself to drinks and servers bring your meal to your table. The staff behind the counter was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. I asked for a suggestion and boom, the staffer told me exactly what I should have, no ifs, ands or butts. On a tight schedule at a new restaurant, it was exactly the direction I needed. It was a gorgeous, spring day so outside we went—things were looking very promising.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The gorgeous pita bread around my chicken shawarma sandwich was dry and kept falling apart. The sandwich itself was huge, so huge in fact that it was very hard and sloppy to eat. In some situations that would be ok (like if you’re at home by yourself!) but most of us like to think we can eat in public and have a conversation with some semblance of dignity…this was not the sandwich to have for that dignity. I also got a lentil soup, I thought a middle eastern restaurant would serve a killer lentil soup. Again, I was disappointed. The lentils were completely blended and the temperature was tepid. It would have been better with some whole lentils left unblended so that there was a bit of a bite to it, and I was unimpressed with the flavor. My sandwich, soup and bottled water were about $9, service was pleasant, we bussed our own tables and off we went.

I felt strongly that I should try again, so a few days later, my most effervescent friend, Linda & I checked it out. We went to the same 17th street location and again got to snag a table outside during the lunch hour on a sunny Friday afternoon. I had heard that their gyros were marvelous, so this time we both got gyro salads. Wow, what a difference from my last experience. The lamb was incredibly flavorful, a perfect blend of spices and tender meat piled all over romaine lettuce, a sprinkling of diced tomatoes and just enough feta cheese. A delectable yogurt dressing is served on the side, perfect for dipping or pouring over that delicious lamb. The salad is served with pocket pita bread as well, brushed with oil and grilled, simply delicious. The bread was so good, we asked for additional bread (and had to go inside to pay $1 more at the counter for it.) Unfortunately, the extra bread wasn’t brushed with oil and grilled, but it was still warm and tasty--I’d suggest you savor what you get the first time around. Once again, service was pleasant and timely.

You can get kabobs here as well that should be great if they’re as good as the strips of lamb. But be prepared to wait, they take an extra 15 minutes—probably a fine choice if you’re not in a hurry.

I think Mazzah is a promising place. I don’t know yet if they have up & down days or just some items that are better than others. For a great meal, check out the gyro or gyro sandwich, enjoy the pleasant folks inside and the great weather outside and stay away from the soup.

Saturday, April 14, 2007

La Vie En Rose Really is the Sweet Life (3 1/2 out of 5)

I met a friend for lunch on Friday and our plan was to go to River City Bagels for good soup. But on the way around the corner I passed the Idanha Building and noticed a chalkboard out front for La Vie En Rose. I hadn't heard of it before, so the temptation was too great to try something new. Luckily the lovely Lee is as spontaneous as she is fun, so we changed our plans and headed in.

La Vie En Rose is part bakery, part cafe and they've set up shop right in the front of the Idanha, in what probably used to be the hotel lobby. The front window has very European seating although Lee and I opted for the more Americanized tables and chairs further back. Next time I think I'll splurge and sit right in the window and people watch.

You place your order at the counter where the handwritten menu is up on the wall behind the cashier. That puts you smack in front of the windowed shelves of mouth-watering baked goods. I don't really like to make my dining decisions standing up, I feel pressured. Luckily there wasn't anyone behind us in line so the pressure was low. There were several employees behind the counter, all pleasant and all willing to chat with us about the various foods, although I wondered how it would be with more people in line. I tried to look at the printed menu, but the cashier told me that it had changed so much that it was better just to use the handwritten menu on the wall.

There is a nice selection of salads and sandwiches and a couple of daily soups. Almost all of the sandwiches and salads have a half or whole option. As is getting to be my habit, I asked for suggestions. I was told the spinach and artichoke soup was great and the cafe chicken sandwich was also a favorite. Done, I got a cup of soup with the sandwich. Lee ordered a tuna sandwich on multi-grain bread (there were 4 or 5 options for breads) and the corn chowder. We got a little teacup with a number on it, presumably to tell the server which order was ours. I chatted with the employees for a bit and found out that they opened in September, 2006. I hadn't seen anything in the Statesman, but she said they did have a little write-up. She said they make a fresh, homemade chocolate syrup, and that the reporter wrote they had "the best damn mocha in Boise."

Even with the numbered teacup, the server tried to deliver the wrong food. The whole service thing seemed a little unsettled. But the food did arrive quickly and just as we had requested. The soup was served with lovely little grilled pieces of bread that looked crunchy but turned out to be soft and fresh, yum! The amount of soup was perfect, but I wish it was served in a slightly larger cup, I felt like putting the spoon in the cup would cause it to overflow. The flavor was great though. There really were chunks of artichoke and the texture was smooth and creamy. My sandwich was excellent. The chicken was baked with a balsamic vinegar which played off the hint of mayonnaise on the sandwich really well. The bread was a french roll, very fresh and I presume baked daily. Lee's sandwich came toasted and brimming with albacore tuna. She said it was great and considered buying some of the bread to take home. It turns out that is an option, La Vie En Rose is a bakery after all.

It seemed a shame not to try their baked goods, but we were so full from lunch it wasn't really an option. So the next day I swung in for a mocha cookie. It was absolutely perfect. The cookie was a big fluffy looking thing that turned out to be just ever so slightly crisp on the outside and the perfect amount of almost gooey on the inside--that is it wasn't really gooey, but oh just shy of it. I don't know when they were baked, but mine was still warm. Wow. I didn't have the coffee so I can't say whether their mocha is the best in Boise, but I'd say their mocha cookie certainly is.

All in all I felt like there was a surprising variety of very good food. Once the menu gets settled and the service procedures are all figured out, this will be a place not to miss. For now, I think La Vie En Rose is a great addition to the downtown breakfast and lunch scene (they're open 7am-4pm M-F, 8am-4pm Sat, and 9am-4pm Sunday.) Check them out, I'd sure like to see them stay.

Friday, April 13, 2007

Smoky Mountain Pizza & Pasta - (2 1/2 out of 5)

Hmmm. Until now I've posted about new, exciting restaurants or places that I know & love. It was trickier for me to think about Smoky Mountain Pizza & Pasta, I don't mentally put it in the same category. Snobby? Well, maybe.

But the point is, this place was PACKED! Lots of folks eat there, so here's my take.

I arrived for a lunch meeting at noon. I had to put our name on a list--about a 10 minute wait was the guess. I was greeted right away though and waited in a reasonably comfortable spot for our table. It turned out to be 20 minutes and then we had to ask again, but the staff quickly cleared a just-vacated table and we were on our way. Service was friendly and timely. When I asked for suggestions from their large menu, our knowledgeable server offered several--nice. The menu is just what the name suggests--pizzas, pastas, salads and sandwiches. There are lunch specials available, and they do work hard to get diners in and out at a reasonable pace for a "work" lunch.

I had a primo personal pizza (you can choose your own pizza from many options) and a side salad. I chose the Margherita pizza with tomatoes and fresh basil per our server's suggestion. As for the salad, you have all the regular choices for a salad dressing along with some better than average options. The raspberry vinaigrette that I had was tasty, perhaps a bit too sweet. But it was good with my salad. The salad was iceberg lettuce (bland) with fresh pieces of mushrooms and tomatoes. Thankfully it had feta cheese that gave it a nice flavor and needed kick.

The pizza was not bad. It's a medium crust--not a big chewy crust, but not the paper thin crust either. There was plenty of fresh basil, very flavorful. The sauce was ok, tomatoe-y and some decent flavor.

My companions (thanks for joining me Dave & Kim!) also had a primo pizza with salad, and angel hair pasta with salad. Kim said the angel hair was good, but I didn't quiz her...we were there to work after all. Our intention was to sit on the patio and enjoy the sunshine, but unfortunately the spring weather turned a bit cold and windy and the patio was closed.

So, there it is. This post is a bit bland and that's about what I thought about the restaurant. Food was decent. Service was good. The place was clean and sitting outside would probably boost the pleasure factor up a notch. It is, by the way, a great place to bring the kids or obviously to enjoy a lunch with co-workers. Arrive before noon!

Thursday, April 5, 2007

Goody's Makes the Grade (4 out of 5)

A couple of days before report cards came out for the Boise School District's 3rd quarter, my son came home from school announcing that Goody's would give you something free from their menu if you brought in your report card with all A's. My oldest son doesn't really like sweets and he doesn't really like chocolate (is this my child??!) But he does like vanilla ice cream and vanilla shakes, so when he brought home his report card, we marched off after dinner to Goody's in Hyde Park.

To me, Goody's is synonymous with Hyde Park. But there is another one at the Edward's Theater complex and Goody's actually originated in Bend, OR, where they continue to make their handmade, preservative free chocolates. Thankfully they brought all that goodness to Boise.

Apparently, Goody's will dish out something special for just about any "good" report card, different items for different grades. My son got his choice of a banana split or a milkshake. My husband had the coffee bean ice cream on a classic sugar cone and my other son and I had a scoop of chocolate.

The ice cream at Goody's is phenomenal. You must trust me on this, if there's one thing I know, it's chocolate ice cream. Babysitters from days gone by were aghast at how much ice cream I could eat as a small child. I've never lost the taste for really good ice cream, it is truly one of my all time favorite foods. Sadly, over the years I've figured out how closely tied my weight is to how much ice cream I eat. I suppose there would be those who would choose to have frozen yogurt. It's just not the same. I much prefer the real, delicious deal just a bit more seldom. Goody's is the real, delicious deal. The chocolate is decadent tasting, a really dark flavor. The real cream coats your entire tongue. The coffee bean ice cream was delicious too. It tasted like real, dark coffee--much better than any of the ice creams you can buy in the frozen food section of the grocery store (Remember, I don't even LIKE coffee. But ice cream is a different thing.)

One of the other joys of Goody's is sitting on the large patio on a sunny early evening watching the people go by on 13th street. Kids can run around, pets can get free water outside, and the whole world slows down. It's a marvelous treat for all generations. The inside is pleasant too though, if you drop by on a less than sunny day. It's a classic soda fountain boutique feel with smells that make your mouth water.

Besides ice cream, Goody's offers many, many homemade chocolates, jars and jars of flavored jelly beans, flavored popcorns and assorted other well, goodies (including shelves of cute stuffed animals to tempt the kids while they wait.) The jar of malted Easter-style eggs was too beautiful and too reminiscent of Easters-gone-by for me to pass up. I had one. Marvelous! It was so fresh and malty-flavored, and simply so surpasses any mass-produced chocolate, I can hardly mention it in the same sentence.

Another thing you'll notice when you're there are all the huge thank you notes on the walls from classrooms who have visited Goody's to see how ice cream is made. I remember such a field trip myself when my son was in pre-school at The Children's School. I love Goody's connection with the schools, it's neighborly. Granted, it doesn't hurt business, but most kids around here know about it anyway. And Goody's certainly doesn't have to invite all these kids into their store on a regular basis to bustle about and ask questions until the cows come home, with free ice cream at the end. Goody for them.

The staff at Goody's tend to be on the young side, so at times you'll find the wait can be a bit long and the options not explained in as much detail as you might like. But heck, it's ice cream and chocolate, so the reward at the end makes it all worthwhile.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

The Grape Escape (4 out of 5)

I met my good friend Diane today for lunch at the same place we always meet for lunch, The Grape Escape downtown in the Mode Building at 8th and Idaho. I completely assumed I would have a decent meal, but not great and that I would be rating it a 3 out of 5. I was way wrong. Perhaps it was my new blogging bent (see post below about how to get the best restaurant meal ever.)

It started with our most excellent server, Stephanie. I thought I'd try something new and asked Stephanie for a recommendation. When I ask for a recommendation at a restaurant, I really like it when the server recommends one or two things without hesitation. I don't like wishy-washy answers. Stephanie said without a doubt I should try the Smoked Salmon salad, so I did. I also asked her for a wine recommendation to go with the salad. Right on, Stephanie! She recommended the '05 Craneford Viognier ($8/glass.) Unlike me, Diane always knows exactly what she comes to Grape Escape for--the Blackberry Waldorf salad and a glass of Pinot Noir (this one was '04 Ortman Family Vineyards for $10/glass.)

The menu has about 6 different salads and about as many different sandwiches, plus a soup of the day and a couple of drink specials of the day ($1 off 2 different kinds of wine.) The drinking options are pretty nice, since Grape Escape is also a retail wine store. There were about 10-12 different beers, cocktails, and 21 different wines by the glass (I counted.) 8th Street wine bar has a larger selection, no doubt, but this was definitely ample.

The service was so prompt, our glasses of wine arrived quickly and our salads almost immediately after. We never had to ask for more water (a pet peeve of mine) and Stephanie was pleasant and happy.

The smoked salmon salad was served with a pesto vinaigrette, mangoes, cooper smoked salmon (I'm thinking they had a typo on the menu, was that supposed to be "copper"?) and a dill remoulade. It was delicious. The salad came with huge pieces of smoked salmon, perfect smoky flavor. The remoulade was the perfect accompaniment. I loved the mango in the salad, but would have liked to have seen more than 2 pieces--and they were perhaps just a bit past their prime...still delicious, don't get me wrong, and very inspired with the remoulade and the salmon, but a few more chunks would have been better. The amount of vinaigrette was just right...(too much can really ruin the salad.) What's with the bread though? With all this great food, some crusty bread or maybe warm bread would have been great. This bread was pretty boring and there was no butter on the table had I wanted any (although I'm sure I could have asked for it.)

Diane loves the Blackberry Waldorf salad (I suppose that's why she would have to be strongly convinced to try something different.) I've had it before and it really is good. It's filled with dried fruit, candied walnuts and a wonderful blackberry vinaigrette. She said the Pinot Noir was perfect with it, and I think it definitely would be. Diane's comment about the restaurant as a whole is that they need more comfortable chairs...I concur. It's a small space inside (the patio is terrific in the sunny spring and summer), so perhaps they're limited. But unless I'm wrong, getting your guests to linger at a cozy table in a cozy chair with just one more glass of wine is a good thing.

We were perfectly satisfied, but when Stephanie offered tirimisu I couldn't resist. After all, I'd just had it at Cafe Vacinos and had found it to be one of the only things lacking...it was too tempting not to see what Grape Escape had to offer. We were brought a MASSIVE piece of tirimisu to share, don't even consider getting one without sharing. Even after sharing, I brought more than half home. As a special treat, Stephanie brought us coffee on the house, "since", she said, "it would taste so good with the tirimisu." Nice touch.

I have to admit something here, but I don't particularly like coffee. My husband has become quite particular about different coffees, but I continue to pass them up--just never gotten used to the taste. Luckily Diane is a coffee drinker and she said the coffee was really good--rich, medium roast. Not wanting to be rude, I drank about a 1/2 glass (with cream and sugar) and found it surprisingly good. Seriously, I do NOT like coffee, so that's saying something. But let's talk about the tirimisu. Tirimisu is one of those things that every restaurant (and cook) tends to make and serve completely differently. Grape Escape's was no exception. This huge square came with a drizzle of chocolate on the plate and one large layer of cake was completely chocolate. It was really good. But if you're a tirimisu purist, it might not be what you're expecting. The cream between the layers was flavorful and the cake layers were very moist. It really was good with the coffee.

Salads and sandwiches are about $8-$9, but with our dessert and glasses of wine, we ended up spending $50 (including tip) for lunch. If you skip wine and dessert, you could have a good lunch very reasonably, but then, why would you want to??? I'm thinking that perfect wine pairing is what made it so much better than good. All in all, excellent service, good food, nice wines and yummy dessert & coffee. Oh, and I almost forgot the marvelous downtown location. If you've been in Boise for a while, time to check this place out again. I'll be going back to see if perhaps the rating shouldn't be even higher.

How to get the best restaurant meal

I discovered something very Buddhist today about getting the best meal ever...write a blog about it. OK, you may all not want to write a blog about your meal, or even take notes about it while you're eating. But you might consider pretending that you will. I had lunch today with a good friend at the same place we always have lunch, but the food was so much better than before. I noticed all the dried fruit in her salad, had it always had that much fruit? The perfect taste of my wine with my salad, was it always that perfect? My friend was sure about the fruit, and I know she's right. I'm just really paying attention and, HOLY COW what a difference. (Now that I think about it, "holy cow" may be a purely midwestern thing to say, but you get my drift.) I'm still able to chat and totally enjoy the company, but I'm taking the time to taste every bite and notice all the textures and chat with the server. It's really a great experience and I hope I can convince you to give it a try. Do you suppose this applies to the rest of my life as well? Either way, I'm having a blast and never want it to end. Being 40-something isn't half bad. (With the possible exception of my distinct lack of eyelids.) Check out the details on lunch at The Grape Escape. We had a great meal!

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

8th Street Wine Bar (3 1/2 out of 5)

I met a friend and old (as in ex-) neighbor for lunch at 8th Street Wine bar today. The pros are: WOW, what a selection of wine and wine by the glass. You can even get "tastes" (1/4 ounce for a couple of bucks), perfect for trying all sorts of new things. I stuck with a Fleur Pinot Noir that I've had before and enjoyed. I also love the location in Bodo, a great spot to people-watch or to sit outside on the patio and enjoy the Boise sights and sounds. The food is good and the more wine you drink, the better everything is--including your own witty conversation, of course.

Our server told us that the menu has all been updated, although I recognized a portobello vegie sandwich that I'd had here before and enjoyed. This time I had a lobster salad with candied nuts and champaigne vinaigrette. The fresh lobster came in huge chunks, plain and delicious--really a treat. The salad was missing something though, and that kept it from being fantastic. Perhaps a little more gorgonzola cheese (tiny pieces far and few between) or maybe the apple pieces were too miniscule (hard to enjoy the flavor)--good ingredients, just lost in the huge bed of lettuce. The dressing was good and would have been even better with the right wine...I was expecting the server to provide more information about possible pairings, but that didn't happen. She did tell us about Monday night flights--which sounds like fun, all day Monday you can order flights of wine in addition to the "tastes." But I feel like a really knowledgable server or sommelier would be so helpful to make the food and pairings more fun and meaningful.

My friend had the house salad with chicken and a Three Saints Chardonnay. The chardonnay was good enough to merit a second glass and she enjoyed her very large house salad. It came with toasted walnuts and a blueberry dressing. Again, just a little something missing--she though perhaps some fresh blueberries to bring out the taste of the dressing might have been good. The chicken was very flavorful and went well with the chardonnay. All in all, a fun place to hang out, but kicking it up just a tad in the kitchen and having more fun with the fantastic wine list (via the server) would make this place even better.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Cafe Vicino (4 1/2 out of 5)

Delicious and worth the wait for a night out. What a fabulous new addition to the north end, and all tables full (only 13 of them) on a Tuesday evening. This is just a "soft" opening, so you'd better make your reservations now! This place will be hopping after a true grand opening. We had the quintessential waiter, Joel appearing and disappearing as if on cue...friends greeting friends...happy laughter and chatter....fabulous food and wine. It was a great experience and I highly recommend it. I can't wait for the weather to warm up, sitting outside enjoying the neighborhood as well as the food sounds like heaven.

The details: We tried 2 appetizers, one was a warm take on a traditional mozzarella & tomato dish with the addition of basil and roasted garlic to be smeared on crusty bread. But my personal favorite was grilled shrimp on risotto cakes in a bed of basil cream (maybe needing just a touch more flavor to the basil cream sauce?) The risotto cake was perfectly crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, decadent.

For dinner Joel recommended the fresh Alaskan halibut on cheese-filled ravioli in a cherry tomato-caper sauce topped with gremolata and the grilled NY steak with gorgonzola souffle and roasted potatoes--we of course took him up on both. The fresh halibut was cooked perfectly and melted in my mouth and the ravioli were light, flavorful and delicious. I didn't really know what a gremolata was. Joel explained it nicely, but I've forgotten enough to make my own explanation sound dumb. In general it's a light salsa--Wikipedia says it's also the traditional accompaniment to Osso Bucco, so there you are. I had a Pinot Noir by the glass and Mark had an ale--overall nice selection of wines by the bottle...in general only one selection of each major wine category by the glass, but it was fine for me. I love to check out wines and pair them if I have someone helping me along. By myself, I tend to forget all the names of specific wineries and heaven help me if I can remember a specific year!

The steak was served with a gorgonzola "souffle" used as a dipping sauce for both the steak and potatoes. The sauce was the perfect accompaniment to the dish, creamy, great flavor with a beautiful light brown top. It was outstanding. We tried the tiramisu and the berry cobbler for desserts. The tiramisu was the only slight disappointment of the evening--I think it needed to have been removed from the refrigerator sooner, it tasted too chilled--cream not as creamy as I like it and the cake just a bit too cold--which made it seem a little dry. The cobbler was great--a touch of cream on a warm cobbler oozing with berry flavor. Even though we packed some food to go, we'll have to learn to pace ourselves better to be able to taste enough to write about without gaining a LOT of weight! I'm willing to work on that.

Dinner for 2 with all the trimmings (we ordered the 2 most expensive entrees on the menu, drinks and desserts)cost us $106 including the tip...a pretty good deal for food this good. I can see Cafe Vicino's being a staple in the north end for a long time to come.


Monday, March 26, 2007

Cafe Vicino anticipation

It's been a long time between "date" nights, time for dinner out. On Saturday I swung by the brand new Cafe Vicino on Fort street where the Flipside cafe just closed shop. Chef Steve Rhodes greeted me warmly and squeezed me in at 8:30pm. He told me they haven't even done a grand opening yet and they've been packed. I'm obviously not the only one drawn in by him and Chef Richard Langston, not to mention the fantastic north end location. Unfortunately work got busy and I had to reschedule for Monday night (Cafe Vicino is not yet open on Sundays.) I had a successful weekend at work and I'm ready to celebrate. Monday morning, oldest son is sick. I get a courtesy call about my Monday reservation and switch it to Tuesday - 6:30pm. Let's hope everyone's well and a babysitter is available, I'm really looking forward to it. The menu posted on the window looked terrific. Perhaps a little anticipation is good.