I have only seen three blue pumpkins this year. Maybe we’ll start a trend!
Happy Halloween!
It Must Be Halloween In The Bronco Nation!
28 Friday Oct 2011
Monthly Archives: October 2011
This Fall at the Buzz
27 Thursday Oct 2011
Posted in Bistro, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?
Here is the latest from Cristi and Tommy at the Buzz. Hope to see you at these events!
Hope the leaves turning and the cool brisk air is finding everyone ready for the upcoming holiday season. This Saturday night we will be celebrating Halloween at the Buzz. Join us from 7 to 10 for treats and maybe some tricks. Come in costume to recieve your treat, otherwise treats will be available for purchase. We will have the wii set up for the Wii Halloween Bowling tournament. Prizes to be awarded after the tournament.
Take and Bake
With this crazy time of year, Buzz Coffee and Wine is launching our new Take and Bake program. We have individual and family size meals prepared and frozen and ready to go home to be heated by you and your family to enjoy for dinner. These have no added preservatives and are much healthier than TV dinners or Fast Food. We are adding a new option every day so be our friend on facebook to keep up with the newest choices in healthier options for eating quickly. Call or email with any questions or suggestions. (208) 344-4321 or buzzwine@cableone.net.
Mark Your Calendars
November 8 and 9th Wine Club Dinner at 6:30 each night (reservations required cost is $15.00 per person)November 17th is Beaujolais Nouveau night. Join us from 6 PM until close for the first tastes of the 2011 vintage.
December 11 is White Christmas Quarterly Dinner at 6:30. (reservations required cost is $30.00 per person 5 courses and 10 wines).
December 13 and 14th Wine Club Dinner at 6:30 each night (reservations required cost is $15.00 per person).
For questions or reservations call (208) 344-4321 or email to buzzwine@cableone.net. Hope to see everyone soon. Enjoy your Halloween.
Sincerely,
Cristi and Tommy Takeda
Buzz Coffee and Wine
2999 N Lakeharbor Lane
Boise, Idaho 83703
So there you have the schedule for his Fall. Hope to see you there for some fantastic food, great wines and a friendly smile. Don’t miss the special events that are listed, but remember: Reservations Are Required! for the Wine Dinners. Cheers!
Gameday Reubens
25 Tuesday Oct 2011
Posted in BSU, Gameday, Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?
On Saturday, October 22, BSU had their first home game in the new conference, the Mountain West. They played Air Force and won. We needed to come up with something new, so here is what we did. We both like a good Reuben sandwich. But we didn’t want beef. So we used lean ground turkey and grilled these burgers. We made our own sauerkraut and Russian dressing. Put that all on an Onion roll with local lettuce and a slice of local tomato and you’ve got one awesome Tailgate Sandwich! Add a good IPA, and sit back and enjoy the game.
Sofia’s Greek Bistro, Boise
23 Sunday Oct 2011
Robin and I both grew up with the Greek culture, albeit, somewhat small. But the food …. We always did like the food. We were so happy to hear of the opening of Boise’s newest Greek restaurant, Sofia’s Greek Bistro in the Plantation Shopping Center at State and Glenwood Streets. Really good Greek food! Out of 5, we’ll rate this a 4. A solid 4! The serving sizes are quite large; the service very good and the ambiance interesting. Probably my only “bad” comment was that I think the food was salty. The olives and the fete cheese in the salad made that salty, but even more, was the fish dish. That was very salty. Besides that, the taste was excellent. Here are some photos of our experience. Enjoy!
The ambiance is simple, but interesting. I do like the paintings. There is room for about 30 people with an area that could be used for expansion. Very Greek music in the background. The owner and all of her staff were extremely friendly.
Vin De Crete
A dry red wine that went very well with the dinner.
Greek Salad with Greek Beer
ripe olives, fete cheese, onion, lettuce, tomato, olive oil dressing, Greek herbs
Gyro Plate
lamb, French fries, feta cheese, pita bread, dressings, Greek olives
Sunday Special: Plaki
market fresh fish baked in a thick tomato and onion sauce with Greek seasonings, rice
If you get the chance, and I urge to to do so, try this new Boise business. I think you will be surprised at how good it is. If you like the Greek Festival every June on Bannock Street in Boise, you will definitely like this. And when you visit Sofia’s Greek Bistro, tell them that you saw this review. Cheers and let us know what you think. And remember: Opa!
The Buzz New Breakfast Dishes
22 Saturday Oct 2011
Posted in Breakfast, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young
Robin and I went to the opening of the New Breakfast Menu at the Buzz, this morning. This was an extremely good breakfast and well worth the trip to the Buzz. Great coffee, too. When you go, say “HI” to Tommy and Cristie for use. Enjoy!
Eggs Benedict
two poached eggs with Canadian Bacon serve on an English Muffin with Hollandaise sauce
$7.00
Home-style Skillet
three eggs with sausage, mushrooms, green pepper and onion served over a bed of home-style potatoes with a biscuit and gravy
$7.50
(This is a HUGE dish! The gravy is made on-site. Good price on this selection!)
The New Breakfast Menu
The Buzz Coffee and Café NEW breakfast Menu!
20 Thursday Oct 2011
Posted in Food, Party Time, What's For Dinner?
I was riding along the Greenbelt this morning and it was cold. About 42 degrees F. I needed a warm cup of coffee and the Buzz was close. So I went in, got some great coffee and talked to Tommy for a while. He told me the NEW breakfast menu was due to start this weekend – Saturday, October 22 – and run during the week after that. For more information, you can always check their web page at The Buzz Coffee and Café.
In the meantime, here is the Brand New Breakfast Menu. Left-Click the graphic for a full screen view and one you can print out. From their webpage – link above – the following information is available:
BUZZ coffee and cafe is Boise’s finest coffeehouse. We are a WiFi (free Internet) hot spot and serve only fair trade certified, organic certified and shade grown coffee as well as excellent food and a great selection of beer and wine. We also have wired (Ethernet) access to the Internet.BUZZ is open from 6 am to 9 pm Monday thru Thursday, 6am to 10pm Friday, 8am to 10pm Saturday and 8 am to 3 pm on Sunday (Breakfast Served All Day on Sunday). We are located at 2999 Lakeharbor Blvd (State Street at Lake Harbor in the Idaho Athletic Club).
(208)344-4321 Café
(208)473-7147 FAX
Email us at: BuzzCoffee@cableone.net or BuzzWine@cableone.net
I think Robin and I will be there on Saturday morning to try the new menu. Oh, one other thing! Tommy said that yes, indeed, Tommy’s Meatloaf will be on the menu, too! This is a wonderful meatloaf. Come and try the all new menu. We have never had a bad meal there – some better than others, but nothing bad. To rate the meals out of 5, definitely a 5! Cheers and hope to see you there.
Cucina Gemelli in Twin Falls Has Moved!
18 Tuesday Oct 2011
I read his on Facebook about Cucina Gemelli in Twin Falls. Thanks to Owner/Chef Lynn Sheehan for this information. It is an excellent restaurant and well worth the trip to eat here. (The address on the graphic is incorrect! The correct address is in the article.) Cheers!
CUCINA GEMELLI HAS MOVED!!
Yesterday, with the help of our great staff and many friends, we completed moving to our new location in the Historic Warehouse District of Twin Falls (233 5th Ave. South). The new digs are part of an old 1920s brick building that once upon a time was the food distribution depot for Magic Valley markets. High ceilings, big sunny windows, and a wide covered patio (the former “loading dock”) make the space warm and inviting.
For the coming few weeks, we’ll be hard at work remodeling, restoring, and coming up with delicious new menu items! Stay tuned for an update about our Grand Opening Party in the first week of November – it’s going to be a doozy… you won’t want to miss it!
Oh… for any of our customers who have Times-News Gift Certificates: don’t worry! We’ll be extending the expiration dates for a whole month – til the end of November.
Oktoberfest Brats and Onions
16 Sunday Oct 2011
Posted in Brats, Oktoberfest, Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe By: Robin Young
I am sure glad that BSU got their running game back and their passing game improved against Colorado State. BSU had 724 offence yards – a school record. Final score: BSU – 63, Colorado State – 13.
And while watching the game, Robin came up with this Bratwurst with Onions, Apples and Sauerkraut
Oktoberfest / Football and what a great dish it was. Here is her recipe. Enjoy it with a Deschutes Inversion IPA or a Stella Artois. Or maybe one of each. Enjoy!
Bratwurst with Onions, Apples and Sauerkraut:
Oktoberfest and Football
Oktoberfest and Football
Ingredients:
1 t Caraway seeds
1 t Fennel seeds
1 T Wondra flour
½ t ground Black Pepper
4 c Sauerkraut (preferably fresh), rinsed, drained, squeezed dry.
1 large Onion (about 1 pound), halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
3 large Golden Delicious Apples (about 1½ pounds total), peeled, cored, thinly sliced [2 GrannySmiths amd 1 Macintosh]
6 whole smoked Bratwurst (about 1 pound), pierced all over with skewer
4 Bay Leaves
1 c Beef broth [stock]
2 T Dry Vermouth [Pernod]
2 T Ketchup
1½ T Butter, melted with 1½ T
Pumpernickel bread or whole grain
Preparation:
Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 400°F.
Place flour, pepper, caraway seeds and fennel seeds in spice grinder to blend.
Spread sauerkraut over bottom of 13x9x2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Sprinkle 1/3 of flour mixture over. Arrange onion slices over; sprinkle with half of remaining flour mixture. Spread apple slices over, then sprinkle with remaining flour mixture. Place bratwurst over apples, then arrange remaining apple slices around bratwurst. Tuck in bay leaves. Mix broth, vermouth, and ketchup in measuring cup. Pour broth mixture evenly over. Cover tightly with foil.
Roast bratwurst 45 minutes. Uncover; brush with melted butter. Roast uncovered until edges of apples and sausages begin to brown, about 25 minutes longer. Serve with bread and some great beer!
Mont Gras Winery (Chile) At The Buzz
12 Wednesday Oct 2011
A wonderful evening at the Buzz exploring the wines of the Colchagua Valley of Chile and the Mont Gras Winery. Overall, a high scoring wine dinner and wines. There are not many times I give a wine a score of [20] out of [20], but the wine pictured to the left is one of those. A rich, deep purple cab and wonderful bouquet of spice, pepper and huge cherry. Long lasting without the “barbs” of some cabs. This was an awesome wine. Enjoy the photos and our dinner. Especially look at the Tommy’s Meatloaf below and my comments.
Runza Pockets
(Originally an old German dish that was adopted by the settlers in the Mid-West, Nebraska. It is a meat and cabbage filled yeast roll.)
2007 Mont Gras Quatro
14.5% alc, [18], $18.00
A good wine that went very well with the cabbage of the Runza Pocket.
Ice Berg Salad
ice berg lettuce, cucumber, grape tomato, carrots, ranch dressing
2010 Mont Gras Reserva Sauvignon Blanc
13.5% alc, [15] [19], $14.00
Interesting thing about this wine. Look at the double score! In my opinion, don’t even think of drinking this without food, the [15] score. This wine went superbly with the Ranch Dressing of the salad and the raw onion, the [19] score. Just goes to show you: Drink wine with food!!!
Wild Rice Soup
2009 Mont Gras Reserva Carmenere
14.5% alc, [17], $14.00
Sorry but a carmenere is not one of my favorite wines. But still a good score.
Tommy’s Meatloaf
Scalloped Potatoes
Green Beans
Herb Biscuit
(This meatloaf, Tommy’s Meatloaf, is awesome. Joe Swan, Swan Vineyards, Forrestville, CA., once made the comment that you can not get a good meatloaf at any restaurant. I am sorry he did not get this one. Usually one compares the meatloaf that Mom made with one made in a restaurant. Tommy’s Meatloaf is very close and I suggested that they put it on the menu along with the Scalloped Potatoes. An awesome plate and it went extremely well with the wine!!!)
2009 Mont Gras Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon
14.5% alc, [20], $14.00
This wine is superb! See the description above. Think about having it with a meatloaf, beef or lamb, or a Rib-Eye or standing rib roast. Wow!
Apple Pie Ala Mode
2009 Mont Gras Bicentennial 200
14.5% alc, [19], $18.00
Another superb job of pairing a wine with the food. Cristi has done an excellent job and we look forward to the next Wine Dinner at the Buzz! You should also! See you at the next Buzz Wine Club Dinner.
Backyard Chickens!!
10 Monday Oct 2011
Posted in Special Events, Special Information
Gretchen Anderson, author of Backyard Chicken Fight, had this posted on her Facebook page. (Left-Click the graphic to view full screen) If you make the program, let her know you saw it here! Here is what she says about the evening. Enjoy!
What to do with the “girls” in the winter? Never fear! Chickens are actually pretty easy to care for in the colder months. Come to one of these workshops and learn!
For those of you who want a fun evening and to learn the tricks and tips of “wintering the girls” here is a schedule of workshops around Idaho. The only workshop that has a cost is Boise Community Ed (part of the $15.50 tuition includes a FREE book!)
Boise Foodie Guild 