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.