Boise, ID 83705
(208) 336-9300
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Fresh Off the Hook
507 N. Milwaukee
Boise, ID 83704
208.322.9224
Mahi Mahi Fish 'n Chips
Salmon Fish 'n Chips
Boise, ID 83704
208.322.9224
Eddie's Wood Fired Dog
2325 Apple St
Boise, ID 83706
(208) 331-3647
Bring on the fuzzy cam!!! Once again, I forgot my camera so today's edition will feature my Ericsson which I really haven't played with much.
Boise, ID 83706
(208) 331-3647
Bring on the fuzzy cam!!! Once again, I forgot my camera so today's edition will feature my Ericsson which I really haven't played with much.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Big Juds
Big Juds
1289 Protest Road
Boise, ID 83706
208) 343-443
Spur of the moment decision brought us to this hole in the wall burger joint. It's been around Boise for a while now and we both been there before, but since we never went there together and we had a list of requirements that had to be met in the hurry this is where we ended up.
List of requirements:
-fast
-inexpensive
-family friendly (fussy baby must be welcomed)
-food to go option in case we needed to leave in a hurry
Hurry for Big Juds!!
On a early Friday evening, we arrived to a nearly full parking lot and nearly full joint. It might be because there was the high school graduation taking place all over the city so there were extra visitors, but I'm sure it's actually the great food and great staff that attracted to people to return.
We were able to find a booth fairy quickly, was promptly greeted by a staff member who was cleaning up a table near by who said she would be right with us (and she was), gave us the menu and the time to look it over. At this small cafe you would think that they'd want a high table turn over, but never once did we feel rushed to finish and be on our way.
I was tempted to order the 1 pound burger which they were so famous for. They have a wall of fame for customers who actually finished it. While it was impressive in size I guess my stomach was doing the thinking instead of the brain, I saw it and I WANTED IT! Luckily my friend was with me and she has a good firm grasp on reality. I downsized to the double. The menu was fairly simple but offers quite a lot, thus the horrors of ordering was eliminated.
Don't let the word "small" fool you, there is PLENTY to go around in a small order. I overheard the staff explain that a large order of fries is about 1 pound. Everything here is "hearty", even the plastic ware that our soda came in was larger than usual.
Pictures being better than words when it comes to food of this sort. I now present you some fuzzy photos of our trip! (I was in a hurry and didn't spend the time to properly study how to use the point-and-shoot camera my friend loaned me on the spot so a lot of photos came out blurry)
I'll let my friend comment about her thoughts on her spicy mushroom chicken. For my Hickory Burger, it didn't begin to fall apart until towards the end where the sauce/size/parts became too much for the bread to hold. I enjoyed the way the make this burger because they didn't try to smother the meat with BBQ sauce. Instead, they just barely dabbled it so the flavor is still there without you dripping all over yourself. This also allowed the bacon to stay nice and crispy all the way to the end.
The onion rings were nice and crunchy on the outside without the batter being overwhelmingly thick. Just the way I like it. I can't say much for the tater tots, they remind me of all the tater tots I've had throughout my secondary school years except much crispier which was nice. I wonder if there is a cafe somewhere who serves tater tots of a different variety, that would be fun to try.
So, our thoughts:
Family friendly: Check
Friendly staff: Check
Clean tables/table ware: Check
Stroller room: doable, but I don't recommend it on a busy night
High chairs: Check
Fair price-to-quantity ratio: Check!
Yummy: Check Check CHECK!!!! (Even the toddler liked the burger meat)
1289 Protest Road
Boise, ID 83706
208) 343-443
Spur of the moment decision brought us to this hole in the wall burger joint. It's been around Boise for a while now and we both been there before, but since we never went there together and we had a list of requirements that had to be met in the hurry this is where we ended up.
List of requirements:
-fast
-inexpensive
-family friendly (fussy baby must be welcomed)
-food to go option in case we needed to leave in a hurry
Hurry for Big Juds!!
On a early Friday evening, we arrived to a nearly full parking lot and nearly full joint. It might be because there was the high school graduation taking place all over the city so there were extra visitors, but I'm sure it's actually the great food and great staff that attracted to people to return.
We were able to find a booth fairy quickly, was promptly greeted by a staff member who was cleaning up a table near by who said she would be right with us (and she was), gave us the menu and the time to look it over. At this small cafe you would think that they'd want a high table turn over, but never once did we feel rushed to finish and be on our way.
I was tempted to order the 1 pound burger which they were so famous for. They have a wall of fame for customers who actually finished it. While it was impressive in size I guess my stomach was doing the thinking instead of the brain, I saw it and I WANTED IT! Luckily my friend was with me and she has a good firm grasp on reality. I downsized to the double. The menu was fairly simple but offers quite a lot, thus the horrors of ordering was eliminated.
The Order:
Mushroom Chicken - spicy,
Hickory Burger - double,
Small tater tots,
small onion ring,
2 Diet Soda
The Bill: $21 and change
Don't let the word "small" fool you, there is PLENTY to go around in a small order. I overheard the staff explain that a large order of fries is about 1 pound. Everything here is "hearty", even the plastic ware that our soda came in was larger than usual.
Pictures being better than words when it comes to food of this sort. I now present you some fuzzy photos of our trip! (I was in a hurry and didn't spend the time to properly study how to use the point-and-shoot camera my friend loaned me on the spot so a lot of photos came out blurry)
I was so stunned by how tall my burger was that I immediately tried to squish it down to jaw-opening size before was reminded to take photos. Notice the finger marks. heh.
A closer look into my burger
an array of ice cream to finish off the meal (if you had the room) which we hadn't, too bad. I'll come back next time just to order their ice cream.
I'll let my friend comment about her thoughts on her spicy mushroom chicken. For my Hickory Burger, it didn't begin to fall apart until towards the end where the sauce/size/parts became too much for the bread to hold. I enjoyed the way the make this burger because they didn't try to smother the meat with BBQ sauce. Instead, they just barely dabbled it so the flavor is still there without you dripping all over yourself. This also allowed the bacon to stay nice and crispy all the way to the end.
The onion rings were nice and crunchy on the outside without the batter being overwhelmingly thick. Just the way I like it. I can't say much for the tater tots, they remind me of all the tater tots I've had throughout my secondary school years except much crispier which was nice. I wonder if there is a cafe somewhere who serves tater tots of a different variety, that would be fun to try.
So, our thoughts:
Family friendly: Check
Friendly staff: Check
Clean tables/table ware: Check
Stroller room: doable, but I don't recommend it on a busy night
High chairs: Check
Fair price-to-quantity ratio: Check!
Yummy: Check Check CHECK!!!! (Even the toddler liked the burger meat)
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Boise Fry Company
111 Broadway Avenue
Boise, ID 83702
(208) 495-3858
Daily: 11am - 9pm
We arrived at this fry shop just a little before noon on a Sunday not knowing really what to expect. It was on the news quite a bit when this place first opened a year or so ago. It had to undergo a name change because of brand name issue, you'd be surprised how many variations of the word "Idaho" "Potato" or "Fry" cannot be used in the same title because it's already owned.
Anyhow, the instant we walked in we were met by a small walled counter that sectioned off the open fryer/kitchen from the dining area which was a bit small but somehow fit the vibe of the restaurant. There was a back door opened to more shaded outdoor area, that place had 2 or 3 tables.
The instant we arrived we were greeted by a helpful staff member who's first question was "Have you been here before?". A simple "no" got us the guided tour of their menu selection, which at first glance was a bit like being back in math class and trying to build a Venn diagram of fries.
The staff quickly explained how the menu works, the types of potatoes with the different cuts that are offered, the burgers, and his personal recommendations on types of seasoning and sauce to go with what type of fries. The staff recommendations can be found on the handy pictures of what the different types of potato looks like.
This establishment seem to be very conscious about where their product arrives from. Carefully marking the fact certain potatoes came from Idaho and others from California, which were organic, and their Bison meat was local.
Everything was made after ordering. The burgers were made by hand, which is in keeping with the theme of the place. The buns of the burger were lightly toasted, and it wasn't that sesame bun that comes by the dozen, this was a nice roll kind. It came with lettuce, nice thick slices of tomato, red onion gastrique, and a garlic aioli.
Okay, so at the time I order my burger I didn't look real closely at what the toppings were so it was a surprise when I flipped the top bun over and saw this pink-ish stuff sitting right on top of the tomato. Label me puzzled, I quickly looked up to the menu board and through a process of elimination figured this was the "red onion gastrique" which prompted the question: what the heck is gastrique?
Of course, at the time I didn't have that definition but being that it's a regular item on their burgers it must be good right? So I decided not to pick it off, too much (I did remove some of it because it looked like there was a lot of it). It was really good! Just like how the process of how it is made describes it, it was sweet and tangy at the same time.
The fries arrived unsalted, that's because just to the right of the soda fountain there is a collection of seasoning that ranged from Smoked salt to rosemary to vanilla salt. And another collection of dips that had everything from Spicy fry sauce to garlic sauce to Blueberry fry sauce.
Our Sweet fry was recommended by the staff to be seasoned with vanilla salt, they knew what they were talkin' about. It gave the otherwise nice sweet potato fry an added depth that kicked it into really good. Our Red Lady was rather unimpressive, the curly cut was rather thin and made me feel like it was a burger topper rather than the main event. The recommendation board says to season it with Tomato Salt and dip it with garlic sauce. Hoping to help boost the rating of this order of fries I went in search of the seasonings. Alas, the poor tomato salt was MIA. I asked the staff and was informed that they regularly change out the seasoning and dips. No tomato salt today (bummer, I was really curious about the salt, maybe next time). However, the garlic sauce was present and off I went - dip dip dip. YUM! A creamy sauce with the hint of garlic after taste, the fry was salvaged!
So here's the thoughts on the sauces:
Garlic Sauce: thick 'n creamy, mild garlic taste that won't blow your senses, I like!
Blueberry Fry Sauce: the blueberry flavoring is strong and not unpleasant but somehow it didn't really go well with either the sweet nor savory fry in my opinion. Not bad, just out of place.
Chipotle: I really don't have an opinion on this one because I couldn't find a flavor on this, it had a ketchup consistency.
Spicy Fry Sauce: This had more than just your average ketchup and mayo, it was made spicy with something that tasted like Tabasco without making the sauce into a runny soup. I like!
There are many more sauces to try, but these 4 were the ones we chose for the day.
So by the end of the hour here's what we came up with:
While the restaurant does offer high chairs for the younger crowd, it is highly doubtful that a stroller could be easily maneuvered so if you're going to bring the stroller, I'd recommend to try one of the two outdoor dining areas. The menu offerings were minimal but chosen with careful though.
My friend noticed and commented that it's great that they offer vegetarian burger, that still severely limits the choices to red meat or veggie. The lack of poultry or fish makes it puzzling. And where's the Kid's menu? Ordering a $6 burger for a toddler is a bit much, no?
Final thoughts: It's worth coming back for more, even though it's just a tad on the pricey side for burgers and fries.
Boise, ID 83702
(208) 495-3858
Daily: 11am - 9pm
We arrived at this fry shop just a little before noon on a Sunday not knowing really what to expect. It was on the news quite a bit when this place first opened a year or so ago. It had to undergo a name change because of brand name issue, you'd be surprised how many variations of the word "Idaho" "Potato" or "Fry" cannot be used in the same title because it's already owned.
Anyhow, the instant we walked in we were met by a small walled counter that sectioned off the open fryer/kitchen from the dining area which was a bit small but somehow fit the vibe of the restaurant. There was a back door opened to more shaded outdoor area, that place had 2 or 3 tables.
The instant we arrived we were greeted by a helpful staff member who's first question was "Have you been here before?". A simple "no" got us the guided tour of their menu selection, which at first glance was a bit like being back in math class and trying to build a Venn diagram of fries.
The staff quickly explained how the menu works, the types of potatoes with the different cuts that are offered, the burgers, and his personal recommendations on types of seasoning and sauce to go with what type of fries. The staff recommendations can be found on the handy pictures of what the different types of potato looks like.
This establishment seem to be very conscious about where their product arrives from. Carefully marking the fact certain potatoes came from Idaho and others from California, which were organic, and their Bison meat was local.
ORDER: 1 small Red Lady - Curly, 1 small Sweet - Home Style, 1 regular bison burger, 1 beef and cheese, and 2 fountain sodas.
COST: $23
Everything was made after ordering. The burgers were made by hand, which is in keeping with the theme of the place. The buns of the burger were lightly toasted, and it wasn't that sesame bun that comes by the dozen, this was a nice roll kind. It came with lettuce, nice thick slices of tomato, red onion gastrique, and a garlic aioli.
Okay, so at the time I order my burger I didn't look real closely at what the toppings were so it was a surprise when I flipped the top bun over and saw this pink-ish stuff sitting right on top of the tomato. Label me puzzled, I quickly looked up to the menu board and through a process of elimination figured this was the "red onion gastrique" which prompted the question: what the heck is gastrique?
"Gastrique is a thick sauce produced by a reduction of vinegar or wine, sugar, and usually fruit. It is often served over meat or seafood to add a fruit flavor to the dish. It is made in its simplest form by caramelizing sugar and then adding vinegar." -Wikipedia
Of course, at the time I didn't have that definition but being that it's a regular item on their burgers it must be good right? So I decided not to pick it off, too much (I did remove some of it because it looked like there was a lot of it). It was really good! Just like how the process of how it is made describes it, it was sweet and tangy at the same time.
The fries arrived unsalted, that's because just to the right of the soda fountain there is a collection of seasoning that ranged from Smoked salt to rosemary to vanilla salt. And another collection of dips that had everything from Spicy fry sauce to garlic sauce to Blueberry fry sauce.
Our Sweet fry was recommended by the staff to be seasoned with vanilla salt, they knew what they were talkin' about. It gave the otherwise nice sweet potato fry an added depth that kicked it into really good. Our Red Lady was rather unimpressive, the curly cut was rather thin and made me feel like it was a burger topper rather than the main event. The recommendation board says to season it with Tomato Salt and dip it with garlic sauce. Hoping to help boost the rating of this order of fries I went in search of the seasonings. Alas, the poor tomato salt was MIA. I asked the staff and was informed that they regularly change out the seasoning and dips. No tomato salt today (bummer, I was really curious about the salt, maybe next time). However, the garlic sauce was present and off I went - dip dip dip. YUM! A creamy sauce with the hint of garlic after taste, the fry was salvaged!
So here's the thoughts on the sauces:
Garlic Sauce: thick 'n creamy, mild garlic taste that won't blow your senses, I like!
Blueberry Fry Sauce: the blueberry flavoring is strong and not unpleasant but somehow it didn't really go well with either the sweet nor savory fry in my opinion. Not bad, just out of place.
Chipotle: I really don't have an opinion on this one because I couldn't find a flavor on this, it had a ketchup consistency.
Spicy Fry Sauce: This had more than just your average ketchup and mayo, it was made spicy with something that tasted like Tabasco without making the sauce into a runny soup. I like!
There are many more sauces to try, but these 4 were the ones we chose for the day.
So by the end of the hour here's what we came up with:
The burgers - DELICIOUS! Love the fact that it wasn't the round frozen patties sold by the millions. The red onion was a delicious discovery.
The fries - Average, nothing that made it stand out extra ordinary. While the quantity was sufficient, the cuts of the fries were a little on the small side.
The spices/seasoning - FUN! Lets go back and try some more.
While the restaurant does offer high chairs for the younger crowd, it is highly doubtful that a stroller could be easily maneuvered so if you're going to bring the stroller, I'd recommend to try one of the two outdoor dining areas. The menu offerings were minimal but chosen with careful though.
My friend noticed and commented that it's great that they offer vegetarian burger, that still severely limits the choices to red meat or veggie. The lack of poultry or fish makes it puzzling. And where's the Kid's menu? Ordering a $6 burger for a toddler is a bit much, no?
Final thoughts: It's worth coming back for more, even though it's just a tad on the pricey side for burgers and fries.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Corona Village - Broadway
2137 Broadway Ave.
Boise, Idaho 83703
208-336-6711
This Mexican restaurant is a tale in 2 parts.
Part I
On a very popular street, I drove by this location several times a day. The location has gone through 2-3 change of restaurants but it always seem to be Mexican themed. Corona Village is what it currently is and has been that way for a year (maybe more, I don't remember since I've just moved back to Boise a year ago).
After a hard working morning, I was craving Mexican food. We hit the place around lunch time on Friday. The instant that door opened, the smell of marinating meat, refried beans and salsa rice hit me. I was HUNGRY! We were quickly seated (seeing as were was only 1 set of customers in the place) by a friendly waiter in a booth.
There were tables but booth was okay.
Clean restaurant - check!
Sunny windows for a bright cheery feel - check!
Friendly and neat staff - check!
Clean silverware - check!
Napkins - check!
Drool worthy scent coming from kitchen - check!
Let's eat!
Alas! A menu was set in front of me. Crap, again with the choosing!? I'll have whatever I was smelling!
Ah, along came the chips, salsa, and bean dip to make the decision process go a little less stressful. Did I mention I was a slow order-er and that we were under a slight time crunch that day? My friend's husband had join us that day, he was on his way to work. A cool customer, he seems to always know what he wants quickly but never pressures me to make my decisions as fast as him. It is the fact that I knew he was on a time schedule made me nervous, which of course causes my mind to start to fray a little and when it frays its like I have the attention span of 2 year old. I can't focus! Ooo, more chips and bean dip.
I have a bad bad bad habit of eating lot of chips and bean dip before the meal even arrives, it's a yummy habit though. You can park me in a booth with chips and warm bean dip and a glass of water and I'd be happy, but since that's already free I thought I'd at least have to order something they can charge me for. It was a little early in the day to order strawberry margarita so I had to order regular food.
Decision time: beef burrito. Not the gut-bursting sized one, but the regular burrito with the side of rice and refried beans.
Yum! The food was good, I didn't even have leftovers (which thoroughly impressed my friends, 80% of the time I have leftovers to take home whenever we go out to eat. I'm getting better about it though, I try to finish all my meal in one sitting these days).
It was about $7 for enough food to send me into a mini nap attack.
Quick service, good food, inexpensive, plus all that checklist up above Corona Village was marked as a place we would come back.
PART II
After our initial judgement, my friend brought her family to Corona Village for another lunch a few weeks after our initial visit.
As you can tell by the fact that I'm writing a part 2, this trip did not end on such a delightful note.
While the restaurant visit went without a glitch, it was the after-effects that was a deal breaker.
Most members of the dining party ended up with a less than happy tummy for the rest of the evening. The water bill might have been higher than usual for the households that day.
FINAL JUDGEMENT: Return at your own risk.
Boise, Idaho 83703
208-336-6711
This Mexican restaurant is a tale in 2 parts.
Part I
On a very popular street, I drove by this location several times a day. The location has gone through 2-3 change of restaurants but it always seem to be Mexican themed. Corona Village is what it currently is and has been that way for a year (maybe more, I don't remember since I've just moved back to Boise a year ago).
After a hard working morning, I was craving Mexican food. We hit the place around lunch time on Friday. The instant that door opened, the smell of marinating meat, refried beans and salsa rice hit me. I was HUNGRY! We were quickly seated (seeing as were was only 1 set of customers in the place) by a friendly waiter in a booth.
There were tables but booth was okay.
Clean restaurant - check!
Sunny windows for a bright cheery feel - check!
Friendly and neat staff - check!
Clean silverware - check!
Napkins - check!
Drool worthy scent coming from kitchen - check!
Let's eat!
Alas! A menu was set in front of me. Crap, again with the choosing!? I'll have whatever I was smelling!
Ah, along came the chips, salsa, and bean dip to make the decision process go a little less stressful. Did I mention I was a slow order-er and that we were under a slight time crunch that day? My friend's husband had join us that day, he was on his way to work. A cool customer, he seems to always know what he wants quickly but never pressures me to make my decisions as fast as him. It is the fact that I knew he was on a time schedule made me nervous, which of course causes my mind to start to fray a little and when it frays its like I have the attention span of 2 year old. I can't focus! Ooo, more chips and bean dip.
I have a bad bad bad habit of eating lot of chips and bean dip before the meal even arrives, it's a yummy habit though. You can park me in a booth with chips and warm bean dip and a glass of water and I'd be happy, but since that's already free I thought I'd at least have to order something they can charge me for. It was a little early in the day to order strawberry margarita so I had to order regular food.
Decision time: beef burrito. Not the gut-bursting sized one, but the regular burrito with the side of rice and refried beans.
Yum! The food was good, I didn't even have leftovers (which thoroughly impressed my friends, 80% of the time I have leftovers to take home whenever we go out to eat. I'm getting better about it though, I try to finish all my meal in one sitting these days).
It was about $7 for enough food to send me into a mini nap attack.
Quick service, good food, inexpensive, plus all that checklist up above Corona Village was marked as a place we would come back.
PART II
After our initial judgement, my friend brought her family to Corona Village for another lunch a few weeks after our initial visit.
As you can tell by the fact that I'm writing a part 2, this trip did not end on such a delightful note.
While the restaurant visit went without a glitch, it was the after-effects that was a deal breaker.
Most members of the dining party ended up with a less than happy tummy for the rest of the evening. The water bill might have been higher than usual for the households that day.
FINAL JUDGEMENT: Return at your own risk.
Chef Roland's
1221 W. Boise Ave.
Boise, ID 83706
208-344-4387
Cajun
catfish
hushpuppies
jambalya soup
(soon to fill-in)
Boise, ID 83706
208-344-4387
Cajun
catfish
hushpuppies
jambalya soup
(soon to fill-in)
Casanova Pizzeria
1204 S. Vista Ave.
Boise, ID 83705
208-331-3535
Hours: Mon-Sat 11:00am-10:00pm
Oh my PIZZA! Not being much of a pizza fanatic, pizza is one of those food I rarely get a craving for but a craving is not unheard of.
One winter day we decided to hit this pizzeria that we've both been driving by too often. Located at the corner of a well travel intersection, the outside of the restaurant doesn't speak much for the place. It's really a rather plain looking building with a small parking lot. But the moment you open that door and walk in, oh the smells of fresh ingredients, dough baking, cheese melting... drool starts forming.
A small bar off to one side of the building, the main dining area only boasted a handful of tables and even less booths. But we still had enough room for a stroller without tripping anyone up!
The menu is full of traditional and very non-traditional creations (when was the last time you ordered clam on your pizza?). The experience in ordering what to try was a daunting task, so many possibilities without even touching the 'create your own'. Do we go vegetarian? If we do, which ones? What's the difference in taste between smoked mozzarella and regular mozzarella?? How does eggplant taste with cheese?? AHHH!!! (yes, my eyes glazed over while the possibilities were giving me a mini meltdown)
I've mentioned this before and I'll repeat again: I'm a slow order-er, I'm almost famous for my indecision, the more choices there are the slower I go. It was not a good day for me, I stared at the menu for 10 minutes BEFORE my friend arrived and it still took me another 15 minutes to decide after she arrived. The only thing I was certain of before she arrived was the we should go with the "small" size. Which was 10-12".
Final decision: 1 small Eggplant (tomato sauce, mozzarella, roasted eggplant, fresh basil), 1 small Verde (Pesto, smoked mozzarella, tomato, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, pine nuts), 1 small Caesar Salad.
Don't let the word "small" fool you here, the "small" order of salad could be considered as regular meal sized salad in other restaurants. Think of it as 2 orders of side salads. It was really perfect for splitting, the waitress was real nice and brought out 2 extra plates without even being asked.
The eggplant was a nice ingredient, I was afraid it would "leak" all over the pizza causing it to be soggy but it was almost the opposite, instead the eggplant soaked up the flavors it was baked with and the pizza a nice soft texture on top of the crunchy crust.
The Verde was just like it's name, it was a "green" pizza. The pesto was strong enough to be the driving flavor of this pizza but the underlying "smoked" flavor, must have been the mozzarella, could not be out-shined. The artichoke hearts gave the pizza a nice soft crunch, it's a different kind of crunch from the crust. However, the pine nuts was lost on me. . . It's an ingredient I forgot that was in there until I found myself staring at a piece that was on my plate.
$9.00 Eggplant
$9.25 Verde
$4.50 Caesar Salad
Yes, the food was yummy and filling - we still had leftovers. Yes, there was room for the baby stroller (just barely). Yes, the staff was quick and kind and efficient.
A note: the place fills up fast, we happen to have room to park the stroller because we arrived at 11am (just as they opened) on a Weekday. But as we were leaving around 12:00pm the place was already full and more was coming in, we parked in the designated area but once all the cars were parked it becomes a little more tricky to back out of our spot. Non-compact car drivers, pray that the person parking behind you is a compact car. The spots are easy to get into, but really hard to get out of.
We're going to come back again!
Boise, ID 83705
208-331-3535
Hours: Mon-Sat 11:00am-10:00pm
Oh my PIZZA! Not being much of a pizza fanatic, pizza is one of those food I rarely get a craving for but a craving is not unheard of.
One winter day we decided to hit this pizzeria that we've both been driving by too often. Located at the corner of a well travel intersection, the outside of the restaurant doesn't speak much for the place. It's really a rather plain looking building with a small parking lot. But the moment you open that door and walk in, oh the smells of fresh ingredients, dough baking, cheese melting... drool starts forming.
A small bar off to one side of the building, the main dining area only boasted a handful of tables and even less booths. But we still had enough room for a stroller without tripping anyone up!
The menu is full of traditional and very non-traditional creations (when was the last time you ordered clam on your pizza?). The experience in ordering what to try was a daunting task, so many possibilities without even touching the 'create your own'. Do we go vegetarian? If we do, which ones? What's the difference in taste between smoked mozzarella and regular mozzarella?? How does eggplant taste with cheese?? AHHH!!! (yes, my eyes glazed over while the possibilities were giving me a mini meltdown)
I've mentioned this before and I'll repeat again: I'm a slow order-er, I'm almost famous for my indecision, the more choices there are the slower I go. It was not a good day for me, I stared at the menu for 10 minutes BEFORE my friend arrived and it still took me another 15 minutes to decide after she arrived. The only thing I was certain of before she arrived was the we should go with the "small" size. Which was 10-12".
Final decision: 1 small Eggplant (tomato sauce, mozzarella, roasted eggplant, fresh basil), 1 small Verde (Pesto, smoked mozzarella, tomato, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, pine nuts), 1 small Caesar Salad.
Don't let the word "small" fool you here, the "small" order of salad could be considered as regular meal sized salad in other restaurants. Think of it as 2 orders of side salads. It was really perfect for splitting, the waitress was real nice and brought out 2 extra plates without even being asked.
The eggplant was a nice ingredient, I was afraid it would "leak" all over the pizza causing it to be soggy but it was almost the opposite, instead the eggplant soaked up the flavors it was baked with and the pizza a nice soft texture on top of the crunchy crust.
The Verde was just like it's name, it was a "green" pizza. The pesto was strong enough to be the driving flavor of this pizza but the underlying "smoked" flavor, must have been the mozzarella, could not be out-shined. The artichoke hearts gave the pizza a nice soft crunch, it's a different kind of crunch from the crust. However, the pine nuts was lost on me. . . It's an ingredient I forgot that was in there until I found myself staring at a piece that was on my plate.
$9.00 Eggplant
$9.25 Verde
$4.50 Caesar Salad
Yes, the food was yummy and filling - we still had leftovers. Yes, there was room for the baby stroller (just barely). Yes, the staff was quick and kind and efficient.
A note: the place fills up fast, we happen to have room to park the stroller because we arrived at 11am (just as they opened) on a Weekday. But as we were leaving around 12:00pm the place was already full and more was coming in, we parked in the designated area but once all the cars were parked it becomes a little more tricky to back out of our spot. Non-compact car drivers, pray that the person parking behind you is a compact car. The spots are easy to get into, but really hard to get out of.
We're going to come back again!
Mazzah - Mediterranean Grill of Boise
PARKCENTER Location (River Quarry)
404 E ParkCenter Blvd
Boise, Idaho 83706
(208) 333-2223
Like the name states, it's a Mediterranean Grill. This restaurant has 2 locations in Boise, we chose to go to the one on Parkcenter.
Very casual setting. It has booth-table combo along one wall and regular tables on the rest of the floor, able to accommodate all party sizes since all table can be combined or separated, a very stroller friendly environment. This time we opted for the high chair.
You walk in, you stare-gawk-ponder at the menu which is available on paper or in colour on the giant chalk board that's behind the cashier. The staff was efficient, friendly, and ready to answer any questions you have about it's many offerings. The closest I ever had of Mediterranean food of any regular basis was baklava so my understanding of their culture or food is VERY limited. But the cashier was patient as we (mostly me, I'm a very slow order-er) asked her about the food even though the description was written right NEXT to the menu item, I'm the type that can't seem to comprehend the written description I guess. I always like to ask what the staff recommends, they know best right?
My final decision was the Gyro Platter. Which was gyro (pronounce like "euro") strips on top of Basmati rice, a gyro sandwich (gyro pita really), and 2 small sides which I chose the Mujaddara (don't ask me how to pronounce this, I let my fingers do the pointing) which was rice and lentils cooked together with spices and extra virgin olive oil. topped with glazed onions and sumac. The other side was Za'atr bread, which is an oregano mixed with toasted sesame on pita. With bottomless fountain drink this came to about $10. I took advantage of being a local university student and got a small discount.
Gyro was nicely done which by my definition means, it wasn't like eating lamb jerky. And, yeah it really did taste like lamb. The rice and lentil was a very nice surprise. Because rice and lentil itself is rather plain in flavoring but mixed together with the flavor packed onions and sumac it was just the perfect amount of seasoning that I totally bypassed the salt I was about to reach for after my first taste of just plain rice and lentil. The Za'atr was very, herb-y. There's no other way for me to describe this pita, it was like eating pita bread that was coated with a fine dusting of dried oregano. Not bad, but nothing awe inspiring, that is until my pita found its way into my friend's Tzakziki sauce.
Her platter order of, Kabob came with Basmati rice, and 2 small sides also. She chose the Hummus and Pita, and the Tzakziki and Pita. Never having had tzakziki before she found it a delightful experience and found a new favorite dip.
Their staff is one of the best I've ever seen. An incident happened while we were there, a child with upset tummy happens to have made a mess after his meal. The parents were apologetic if somewhat frazzled by the experience but the staff was totally cool about it. Without a word of complaint, grimace nor pause one of the staff members brought out the mop and cleaning supplies and went about cleaning up the area and sanitizing the effected area. He cleaned the area up quickly but thoroughly with an casual professionalism. His professionalism at the upsetting task shows how much the staff is dedicated to this restaurant's reputation.
The portions was filling, I had so much food that I actually had to take the Gyro sandwich home. Roomy, plenty of parking areas in front, good food. Definitely worth coming back to explore more of its menu offerings.
404 E ParkCenter Blvd
Boise, Idaho 83706
(208) 333-2223
Like the name states, it's a Mediterranean Grill. This restaurant has 2 locations in Boise, we chose to go to the one on Parkcenter.
Very casual setting. It has booth-table combo along one wall and regular tables on the rest of the floor, able to accommodate all party sizes since all table can be combined or separated, a very stroller friendly environment. This time we opted for the high chair.
You walk in, you stare-gawk-ponder at the menu which is available on paper or in colour on the giant chalk board that's behind the cashier. The staff was efficient, friendly, and ready to answer any questions you have about it's many offerings. The closest I ever had of Mediterranean food of any regular basis was baklava so my understanding of their culture or food is VERY limited. But the cashier was patient as we (mostly me, I'm a very slow order-er) asked her about the food even though the description was written right NEXT to the menu item, I'm the type that can't seem to comprehend the written description I guess. I always like to ask what the staff recommends, they know best right?
My final decision was the Gyro Platter. Which was gyro (pronounce like "euro") strips on top of Basmati rice, a gyro sandwich (gyro pita really), and 2 small sides which I chose the Mujaddara (don't ask me how to pronounce this, I let my fingers do the pointing) which was rice and lentils cooked together with spices and extra virgin olive oil. topped with glazed onions and sumac. The other side was Za'atr bread, which is an oregano mixed with toasted sesame on pita. With bottomless fountain drink this came to about $10. I took advantage of being a local university student and got a small discount.
Gyro was nicely done which by my definition means, it wasn't like eating lamb jerky. And, yeah it really did taste like lamb. The rice and lentil was a very nice surprise. Because rice and lentil itself is rather plain in flavoring but mixed together with the flavor packed onions and sumac it was just the perfect amount of seasoning that I totally bypassed the salt I was about to reach for after my first taste of just plain rice and lentil. The Za'atr was very, herb-y. There's no other way for me to describe this pita, it was like eating pita bread that was coated with a fine dusting of dried oregano. Not bad, but nothing awe inspiring, that is until my pita found its way into my friend's Tzakziki sauce.
Her platter order of, Kabob came with Basmati rice, and 2 small sides also. She chose the Hummus and Pita, and the Tzakziki and Pita. Never having had tzakziki before she found it a delightful experience and found a new favorite dip.
Their staff is one of the best I've ever seen. An incident happened while we were there, a child with upset tummy happens to have made a mess after his meal. The parents were apologetic if somewhat frazzled by the experience but the staff was totally cool about it. Without a word of complaint, grimace nor pause one of the staff members brought out the mop and cleaning supplies and went about cleaning up the area and sanitizing the effected area. He cleaned the area up quickly but thoroughly with an casual professionalism. His professionalism at the upsetting task shows how much the staff is dedicated to this restaurant's reputation.
The portions was filling, I had so much food that I actually had to take the Gyro sandwich home. Roomy, plenty of parking areas in front, good food. Definitely worth coming back to explore more of its menu offerings.
Moon's Kitchen Cafe
712 West Idaho Street
Boise, ID 83702-5811
(208) 385-0472
Hours: M-Sat 6:30am-3:00pm, Sun 7:00am-3:00pm (as of this post)
Located at the heart of downtown Boise, we arrived around mid-day Friday in late summer or was that early fall? Open table seating so there was room for a stroller. The cafe's large window pane allows for the sun to light the room up nicely. The waitress was friendly and help find us a table where the stroller wouldn't be in the way of others.
The menu boasted your average American cafe fare. The breakfast style food of eggs, bacon, toast to the heartier lunch items of burger, fried chicken, salad, fries, etc. Breakfast food is served all day so if eggs and bacon if you're craving eggs and bacon at 2 in the afternoon, go for it!
The fish was calling out to us that day, we ordered the fish sandwich and the fish 'n Chips. The Fish Sandwich was a fillet of fish served on a roll with American cheese with tarter sauce and a pickle on the side and an order of a side item, she chose the fries. The Fish and Chips was a beer batter fish and fries, which while should have been a no brainer, turned out to be an on-spot multiple choice quiz on the many different ways a potato could be cut, fried, and served.
Fries could be found in Hand-Cut, Crinkle or Smiley. This puzzled me to no end at the time. Hand-cut and crinkle I could build a mental image of, but what the heck was "smiley"? Was Mr. Potato Head about to be served up on my plate? How can I eat something that's smiling at me and how do you cut a smile on a fry? I think the waitress must be asked this question alot because she answered without hesitation and her description precise and left without a doubt that this is a cafe that embraces their younger patrons. (I went with the Hand-cut).
The fish was does well. They did not try to skimp on the cut of fish, it was a nice portion and the batter was not too heavy nor too light. The fish flakes off in pieces when bitten into but held together by the batter, all an indication to me that it is done just right! None of that overdone rubbery fish stuff to be found in either orders.
The price was under $10 each order. It was enough to fill us both up, the atmosphere was friendly and bright. Located across from public parking (first hour free), a nice area to stroll around before or after dining. It meets our approval for future visits.
Boise, ID 83702-5811
(208) 385-0472
Hours: M-Sat 6:30am-3:00pm, Sun 7:00am-3:00pm (as of this post)
Located at the heart of downtown Boise, we arrived around mid-day Friday in late summer or was that early fall? Open table seating so there was room for a stroller. The cafe's large window pane allows for the sun to light the room up nicely. The waitress was friendly and help find us a table where the stroller wouldn't be in the way of others.
The menu boasted your average American cafe fare. The breakfast style food of eggs, bacon, toast to the heartier lunch items of burger, fried chicken, salad, fries, etc. Breakfast food is served all day so if eggs and bacon if you're craving eggs and bacon at 2 in the afternoon, go for it!
The fish was calling out to us that day, we ordered the fish sandwich and the fish 'n Chips. The Fish Sandwich was a fillet of fish served on a roll with American cheese with tarter sauce and a pickle on the side and an order of a side item, she chose the fries. The Fish and Chips was a beer batter fish and fries, which while should have been a no brainer, turned out to be an on-spot multiple choice quiz on the many different ways a potato could be cut, fried, and served.
Fries could be found in Hand-Cut, Crinkle or Smiley. This puzzled me to no end at the time. Hand-cut and crinkle I could build a mental image of, but what the heck was "smiley"? Was Mr. Potato Head about to be served up on my plate? How can I eat something that's smiling at me and how do you cut a smile on a fry? I think the waitress must be asked this question alot because she answered without hesitation and her description precise and left without a doubt that this is a cafe that embraces their younger patrons. (I went with the Hand-cut).
The fish was does well. They did not try to skimp on the cut of fish, it was a nice portion and the batter was not too heavy nor too light. The fish flakes off in pieces when bitten into but held together by the batter, all an indication to me that it is done just right! None of that overdone rubbery fish stuff to be found in either orders.
The price was under $10 each order. It was enough to fill us both up, the atmosphere was friendly and bright. Located across from public parking (first hour free), a nice area to stroll around before or after dining. It meets our approval for future visits.
List of Potentials
Siam Thai Restaurant - 590 East Boise Avenue, Boise, ID
La Tapatia Restaurant - 401 West Parkcenter Boulevard, Boise, ID
Ono Hawaiian Cafe - 170 Broadway Avenue, Boise, ID
Deli George - 5602 West Fairview Avenue, Boise, ID
Tango's Subs & Empanadas - 701 North Orchard Street, Boise, ID
Rooster's Eatery - 930 South Vista Avenue, Boise, ID
La Tapatia Restaurant - 401 West Parkcenter Boulevard, Boise, ID
Ono Hawaiian Cafe - 170 Broadway Avenue, Boise, ID
Deli George - 5602 West Fairview Avenue, Boise, ID
Tango's Subs & Empanadas - 701 North Orchard Street, Boise, ID
Rooster's Eatery - 930 South Vista Avenue, Boise, ID
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