Barbacoa Grill

276 Bobwhite Ct.; www.barbacoa-boise.com

Go for the art, stay for the fabulous food, but arrive before sundown to catch the view from the windows.  Chef Enrique Martinez orchestrates dazzling cuisine in this artsy, eclectic, over-the-top gallery/dining room/museum of a restaurant. From the tableside-prepared guacamole to the sweet corn bisque to the Certified Angus Beef, you’ll think you won’t have room for the creations they call dessert, but force yourself!  It’s all good, and the evening will be way too short to take in the art (even in the bathrooms!) AND the gourmet dining experience.

Bardenay Restaurant & Distillery

610 Grove Street; www.bardenay.com

A distillery in a restaurant?  You got it!  On April 25, 2000, Bardenay’s served the first cocktail made in a U. S. restaurant with spirits distilled on site at its Historic Basque Block location — and still does!  Even the name Bardenay was a term loosely used by sailors for the word cocktail.  Watch distilling right near your table, and then sip away as you order from the creative menu with something for everyone.  Pair a chicken, beef, salmon, or shrimp satay (grilled skewer) with soup or salad, and with a Bardenay London Dry. Won’t find this dinner anywhere else.

Bar Gernika

202 S. Capitol Blvd.; www.bargernika.com

Standing on the corner of the Basque Block of downtown Boise, Bar Gernika has served authentic Basque food, wine, and desserts for almost 20 years.  In the tiny L-shaped space,  folks gather in tiny groups or power up computers or, like us, hang out at the bar and chat with the bartender. You can even watch ’em cook those legendary fries — crisp, flavorful hand-cut Idaho spuds — that you don’t want to pass up.  But then what do you do about the Basque food?  It’s what you came for.  So you order a Double Solomo Sandwich of piled-high marinated pork loin and pimientos and a side order of melt-in-your-mouth Croquetas,  (little balls of butter, chicken, onion, and milk) deep fried and golden.  And if it’s Saturday, you hope you get there before the beef tongue sells out so you can really get into that Basque thing in Boise.  Yep.  Boise.

Boise Fry Company

111 Broadway, Suite 111; www.boisefrycompany.com

We’ve written about this one, but what’s good bears repeating.  This fry place that serves burgers on the side takes Idaho’s best crops of the day, posts them on chalkboards, tells you how they’ll be prepared, and you choose.  If you want a side-order burger, they’ve got ’em:  free range, grass-fed beef or bison burgers or veggie burgers made with black beans and high protein quinoa.  Head over to the Seasoning Station for any combination of sea salts (flavored or unflavored), and then squirt some toppings like chipotle aioli or malt vinegar or seasoned sauce into little white cups and have at it.  It ain’t fancy — bar stools and shared spaces — but it is some good.  If you think a pile of fries can be a meal — and we do! — get there.  Burgers optional.

Cucina di Paolo

1504 Vista Avenue; www.cucinadipaolo.com

Look for the washer woman on Vista Avenue (Click here for more info.) as she scrub-a-dub-dubs, and you’ve found this intimate, seasonally decorated little gem of a shop owned by the gregarious and talented husband/wife team of Paul and Mary Jean Wegner.  Known for their take-out gourmet lasagnas (12 or more kinds) and chicken pot pies, the Wegners prepare on Sunday and Monday and then open for in-house dining or take-home orders Tuesday through Saturday.  Entrees and sides change daily, so check the board for what’s in, but you’ll definitely eat well on Chicken Fiori (chicken breast stuffed with proscuitto, spinach, and mozarella served over noodles) or Chipotle Meatloaf with Potatoes au Gratin or Chicken Penne Gorgonzola.  Whatever you do is really a don’t:  don’t skip dessert.  Get Paul to wax poetic on the virtues of peach pie made with hand-picked peaches from a farm in Emmett or peanut butter pie drizzled with chocolate or fresh rhubarb pie.  And that’s just shelf number one!

Goldy’s Breakfast Bistro

108 S. Capitol Blvd.; www.goldysbreakfastbistro.com

As you may have read in a previous post, finding Goldy’s was happenstance.  As we walked through snowy Boise in search of hot coffee and anything substantial one morning, we asked a well-dressed businessman where to find breakfast.  What ended up being a short recommendation (Goldy’s is the best breakfast in town!) became our morning home for three days of gluttonous start-the-day sustenance.  It’s hard to beat my first order of hash browns and basted eggs or my husband’s three-egg omelette, but when you get the chance to return, you also get to try the specials like a Cajun Omelette or the generously loaded blueberry pancakes.  Swift service, steaming mugs of coffee, and walls lined with awards from Boise Weekly make this restaurant a go-to for morning goodness.  Thanks, Randy and Wanda Martinat, for breakfasts that hold you ’til suppertime and hospitality Boise-style!

If you’ve got a favorite place to dine in Boise, Idaho, leave us a comment.  We hope to get back and try more great places to eat in the City of Trees!

For more on our travels in Idaho and Washington, check out the Page at the top of this post labeled Inland Northwest.

For more information:

Vista Washer Woman: http://ohtheplaceswesee.com/2013/12/04/weekly-photo-challenge-let-there-be-light/

Large keys like this one unlocked cell doors at Old Idaho Penitentiary

It was almost closing time at the Old Idaho Penitentiary when I arrived in Boise after working in Idaho City, but this landmark I’d seen from the Idaho Botanical Gardens next door was on my list of must-see destinations.  One of four Territorial Prisons open in the U. S. today and designated a National Historic Site, the Old Idaho Penitentiary (1870-1973), now opens its campus and buildings to visitors seven days a week.

Setting sun over Old Idaho Penitentiary

When I arrived an hour before closing time on a coldish, early-spring day, I was a lone visitor taking what became a sort of eerie self-guided tour around the campus and inside the buildings.  As I walked from place to place (looking over my shoulders, uneasy about fully exploring open cells), I found myself imagining how life inside these walls must have unfolded day after day.  And coupled with that feeling of loneliness, I also noted the impact of dwindling afternoon light on my mood as I walked among the buildings into open doorways. Slanted rays of afternoon sun formed long shadows, making me wonder what impact the lack of light — as well as the lack of freedom — had on the residents at Old Idaho Penitentiary. Take a walk with me and see for yourself.

Old Idaho Penitentiary — Outside

Old Idaho Penitentiary — Inside Rooms and Hallways

Women’s Ward — Old Idaho Penitentiary

In 1905, male inmates built the wall with its signature tornado-like brickwork on the corners around the old warden’s residence.  In 1920, according to the Walking Tour Guide, the permanent structure contained seven two-person cells, a central day room, kitchen and bathroom facilities. Was I glad I went to Old Idaho Penitentiary?  Yes.  But enjoyment may not be the operative word here.  The only other prison I’ve visited is Alcatraz, and I had the same empty feeling there as I did at Old Idaho Penitentiary.  Reading the displayed accounts of inmates and wardens helped me put real faces and names into place.  But seeing stone and iron-gated exteriors, scarcely-lit interiors, and small, tight rooms made me wonder how prisoners lived day-to-day with so little of what I take for granted.  It’s definitely a tour worth your time if you’re visiting Boise.

For more information and to check on visitation times:

Old Idaho Penitentiary State

2445 Old Penitentiary Road Boise, Idaho 83712 208.334.2844 http://history.idaho.gov/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Old-Idaho-Penitentiary/94920681668

To read more about our travels through Idaho and Washington, click on the Page at the top:  Inland Northwest.  Thanks!

A pile of fries from Boise Fry Company

Luckily, my husband Bert had lunch with a friend who lives in Boise while I was working — and then, as good husbands do, he took me to that same place the very next day:  Boise Fry Company!  Now you’ve heard of burger joints with fries on the side, right?  Well, not here.  Fries are the main attraction!

Be sure to check the daily menu for fries and how they’re prepared.

You line up at the counter and stand there reading the chalkboard.  (So many taters, so little time, if you ask me.) Available varieties for the day are listed along with suggested prep styles.  (Just pick one.  They’re probably all good.)

Order here!

In fact the website says, For too long restaurants have persecuted fries, treated them like second-class citizens, stuffed them with chemicals and preservatives and forced them to share fryers with hot wings and corn dogs. And why? Have not these beautiful, slender pieces of fried vegetable graciously accompanied entrées without condition or prejudice? Have not fries comforted, satiated, and delighted us? Are fries not entrée worthy? 

Burgers are on the side at Boise Fry Company!

And we think they are.  But burgers on the side at Boise Fry Company are special, too.  You have your choice of free-range, grass-fed beef or bison burgers.  Or you can try the vegan burger made with black beans and high protein quinoa.  All are served on homemade wholewheat potato buns baked fresh every day.

Burger options — from beef to bison to vegan!

Taylor and Zach walked us through the ordering part.  (Guess they’re used to “foreigners.”)

Taylor and Zach understood our order — Southern accents and all!

But that’s just a start.  You then take your fries to the bar where sauces await.

Sauce bar — Boise Fry Company. (Yes, they have plain ol’ ketchup, too!)

And you’re still not through.  A line of shakers a yard long multiplies the options, making the act of deciding almost impossible.  So do as we did: try a little of a lot of them.  No telling what you’ll end up with, but it’s bound to be good.

Choices, choices, choices — all lined up

Boise Fry Company — where fries are fresh and crisp (peanut oil, they say) — and big, juicy burgers sit on the sidelines. With three locations in Boise and a food truck, too, you have no excuse for missing out on this Idaho fave.  (Couldn’t they take a road trip to Tennessee?)

Boise Fry Company

http://www.boisefrycompany.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BoiseFryCo

Twitter: @BoiseFryCo

More to come on what to see and do in Boise — so check back with us at Oh, the Places We See.  For all our posts on Idaho and Washington, go to the Page at the top: Inland Northwest.

Pushing back from the table at Goldy’s in Boise, Idaho, where we devoured a bountiful breakfast on our snowy day off  wasn’t easy.  After all, the coffee was warm, and the server kept pouring!  (Read more about Goldy’s here.) But the urge to explore downtown Boise kicked in, and we found ourselves on Idaho Street intrigued by a sign that read The Original Ward Hooper Gallery & Vintage Swank.

If you’re in downtown Boise, head to 745 West Idaho Street to The Art of Ward Hooper Gallery.

Of all of Idaho’s artists, we were perhaps most familiar with Ward Hooper whose colorful graphic posters of national parks had struck our fancy at gift shops across America.  But an art gallery in downtown Boise?  What luck!

Interesting mix of vintage suitcases, postcards, and old metal lighting greet you at the entrance to The Art Gallery of Ward Hooper

The gallery itself exuded vintage vibes.  Filled with carefully arranged vignettes of collections — softballs, suitcases, old metal toys, fish camp stuff, and you-name-it — the shop forms a most appropriate backdrop for the stylized drawings we admire from Hooper.

Collections fill the walls of The Art of Ward Hooper Gallery

Camping memorabilia from fishing creels to mounted deer and clothing fill a side room in Ward Hooper’s Gallery.

Collections of metal toys and old boxes fill a bookcase.

In fact, the gallery itself could be a stand-alone antiques shop if it weren’t for the main attraction — Hooper’s art.

Dark green walls showcase the art of Ward Hooper displayed alongside found objects

Against a backdrop of a vintage bicycle, Ward Hooper’s prints stand ready for review.

Ward Hooper himself was in that morning (more good fortune!), busy wrapping a canvas for shipping.  We talked to him briefly, sharing our appreciation for his creativity and productive volume of work, and he replied with comments about the Idaho he loves. We picked up on one of his favorite subjects for art:  McCall, Idaho, a resort on the Payette Lake, known for its Winter Carnival and ice sculptures, a place we had recently visited.

Ward Hooper takes time out from preparing a canvas for shipping to talk about his art and gallery.

A collection of canine art hangs next to two vintage leather jackets — an interesting mix of art and antiques!

But a closer look at his collections revealed his vast repertoire.  We even found artwork celebrating events in Tennessee — Moon Pie festival in Bell Buckle and Mule Day in Columbia.

Art commemorating two Tennessee festivals: the Moon Pie Festival and Mule Days.

It was hard for two lovers of vintage collections and tasteful displays to get out of there before wearing out our welcome, so we took one last look.

A collection of baseballs in a glass cylinder stands atop a vintage bookcase

A central eye stares out from this shadowbox collage

And loved what we saw. It’s safe to say this is one of our favorite all-time art galleries — colorful, approachable, and reminiscent of simpler times.  Not only that, there’s something in every price range from magnets, postcards, stationery, and giclee prints to full-size canvases.

A collection of magnets reveal Hooper’s love of dogs and cats

On the website, artwork for sale is grouped by collections:  Across America, Dogs & Cats, Collegiate, Personality and Portraits, McCall, and Boise.  In fact, if you’re a fan of either the Boise State Broncos or the University of Idaho Vandals, Ward has you covered! Don’t see what you’re looking for?  The artist works on commission, too.

Cards with the art of national parks by Ward Hooper

Before we left, we asked Ward about his current projects.  I’m working on a piece for the local Red Cross chapter, he said.  And we wondered if this, too, might become something with national connections.  Remains to be seen.

Don’t wait ’til you get stranded by a snowstorm in Boise.  Just head to Idaho Street and check out The Art of Ward Hooper Gallery.  We dare you to leave empty-handed!

The Art of Ward Hooper Gallery

745 West Idaho Street

Boise, Idaho

208.287.8150

Website: www.wardhooper.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artofwardhooper

For more on what we’ve stumbled upon in Idaho and Washington, click on the Inland Northwest page at the top of this blog.  Thanks!

Snowy day in downtown Boise

Some people would hate to be snowed in, especially if they’re staying in a hotel in an unfamiliar city. But for us, it was part of the dream we shared on our About page:  We’d love to spend a month downtown in various cities and be tourists all day every day!  (We can dream, right?)

So, when an unexpected snowstorm covered Boise, Idaho, closing schools (where I work) and some businesses, we just looked at each other and grinned.  It was our chance! Donning all the warm clothing we’d packed, we went in search of adventure.  First up, breakfast.

Sculptures in the snow, downtown Boise

A gentleman dressed in business attire braving the elements to get to the office answered our query about where locals would eat: Oh, you’ve got to go to Goldy’s.  It’s the best breakfast anywhere downtown.  Little did we know how right he was.

On this snowy day, Goldy’s was packed!  Owner Wanda Martinat, who with her husband Randy opened the restaurant in 1999, spread open the draperies blocking the cold from the front door and welcomed us to the warmth, comfort, and eclectic close-knit interior of Goldy’s Breakfast Bistro.

Goldy’s warm, welcoming interior. Check out that chandelier!

After a brief wait, we were directed upstairs to the balcony section where our table for two offered us a front-row seat to the action downstairs.

Balcony view: Goldy’s Breakfast Bistro

We have no idea what the ratio of waiters to customers is, but it seemed two to one. Coffee flowed, menus arrived, and orders were taken in record time.

“Been workin’ at Goldy’s for 13 years,” our waiter told us!

And then the food rushed in!  Bountiful breakfasts any way you like it.  In fact, the Create Your Own Breakfast page offers three columns of choices: Meat, Potatoes, and Bread. Eggs, too, any way you like ’em:  Soft Boiled, Poached, or Basted.  And meats we’d never heard of — Basque Chorizo (large Basque community in Boise), Turkey Apple Sausage, and Maple Sausage — and specials like PEPS (Goldy’s cheese, peppers, and onions) and Bread Pudding Muffins filled the menu.  Another whole page offered Hollandaise Specialties like this new-to-us item: Spicy Chicken Benny with English muffin, chicken, spicy Hollandaise sauce, and bacon!!! Round all this out with entrees like Spinach and Italian Cheese Frittata or Smoked Salmon Hash, and you have a diner unparalleled in all of Boise — not just downtown!

Bert couldn’t resist the three-egg omelet with hash browns and sausage.

Goldy’s three-egg omelet with sausage and hash browns

And I dug into a huge stack of Blueberry Pancakes with blueberries all the way through.

Big blueberry pancakes with syrup

We even returned the next day and ordered the special:  Cajun Sausage Omelet . . .

Cajun sausage omelet at Goldy’s

And Corned Beef Hash with Basted Eggs.

Goldy’s corned beef hash with basted eggs

Awards pour in for Goldy’s (Click here to read awards/reviews), and it’s no wonder.  With great service and unique menu, Goldy’s is a hit with locals and tourists like us.

Stumbling onto Goldy’s was our good luck. And now we say If Guy Fieri returns to Boise, he’d want to share the place on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives! In fact, Goldy’s can make anyone’s day.

Goldy’s Breakfast Bistro

108 S. Capitol Blvd.

Boise, ID 83702

208.345.4100

http://www.goldysbreakfastbistro.com/

To see all the food places in Boise featured in Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, click here.

For more posts on our travels in Idaho and Washington, click on the Inland Northwest page at the top of this blog.

Or you can look up at circles, windows, and light in the signature dome.

Or you can peer downward and watch as people take center stage under and on carefully laid geometrics in the otherwise all-white interior.

But no matter your perspective, you’ll probably be in awe of the beautiful Idaho Capitol Building, the Capitol of Light.

For more entries in the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Perspective, click here.

Idaho Capitol Building

700 West Jefferson Street

Boise, Idaho 83720

http://www.capitolcommission.idaho.gov/

For more posts on the Inland Northwest, click on the Inland Northwest page at the top of this blog.

My favorite breakfast item came from two hard-working guys from The Creperie spreading delicate crepe batter on a hot griddle, filling it with anything from Nutella and strawberries (my choice) to asparagus and cheese, and then rolling the whole shebang in paper cones.  Portable. Tasty. Warm.  A treat on the street!

Fabulous French confections from the The Creperie

In the spirit of drinking local, I lined up for a cup of Bear Basin Roast from a cheerful, albeit chilly, vendor from Long Valley Coffee based in McCall. Mmmm.  Rich, full-bodied, and my first cup of coffee with the word bear in the title!

Serving Long Valley Coffee at the Boise Farmers Market

Finally, I spied this happy, tattooed guy talking on his cellphone.  When I asked if I could take a picture, he gave me a thumbs up.  And then said, Have a good morning.  He smiled.  I smiled.  And we bridged the generation gap if only for a few seconds.  Made my day with a good morning start!

Nothing like a great smile to start your day!

P. S.  Want to see more pics of the Boise Farmers Market?  Come back for my next post.  There’s everything from gourd vendors to a balloon man and who knows what else!  You gotta get up on a Saturday and head to a farmers’ market near you.  I can almost guarantee a Good Morning.

For more information:

The Boise Farmers Market on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBoiseFarmersMarket

The Creperie on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCreperieMobile