Brunch Again at Parma Ridge Winery

29 Sunday Nov 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Boise Adventures, Brunch at Parma Ridge Winery, Brunch with Robin, Buy Idaho, Chowder, Garlic, Greens, Idaho Wine, Parma Ridge Winery, Parma Ridge Winery Bistro, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurant Reviews, Salad, Snake River AVA Sojourn, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wines - Idaho

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

brunch, clam chowder, truffle fries

This is such a treat – even driving all the way from Boise to Parma! Superb food by Chef Storm. And wonderful artwork on the walls by Artist Stephanie. Such talents and such nice people. The food is delicious and servings are quite adequate, even to the point of being large. The Storm’s Deluxe Burger is superb and almost worth the drive just for the burger! The House Salad is exceptional with those pears! We started here for a good and substantial meal before our sojourn through the Snake River AVA and 5 wineries on Black Saturday. I want to say that Parma Ridge is probably the first winery in the Snake River AVA that has open seating brunch. Bitner Vineyards has, at times, cheese plates and other meals. Great to see the bistro type winery restaurant. Parma Ridge Bistro – that’s my name, not theirs – is every bit a 5-Star establishment. Just look at what we had.

Part of the Snake River AVA from Parma Ridge Winery tasting room. Beautiful!

Part of the Snake River AVA from Parma Ridge Winery tasting and dining room. Beautiful! Don’t forget to Left-Click on any of these photos to see them enlarged.

The Tasting Bar. The artwork on the wall is all by Stephanie.

More artwork by Stephanie Hodge. It is for sale if you wish. Contact Stephanie at the winery.

Table menus and wine for our cellar.

Wonderful House Salad

The Clam Chowder is superb, although a little salty. I'd still get it again.

The Creamy Northwest Clam Chowder is superb, although a little salty. I’d still get it again. Many clams and good broth.

Parma Ridge Burger. I'd drive all the way from Boise for one of these! Probably the Best Burger around! Aoli Fries and Black Truffle Oil Dipping Sauce.

Storm’s Deluxe Burger. I’d drive all the way from Boise for one of these! (Yes, it is that good!) Probably the Best Burger around! Rosemary Truffle Fries with Mesquite Aloli Dipping Sauce. A house specialty. Gotta be!

Sunday Dinner

15 Sunday Nov 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Beef, Brocolli, Butternut Squash, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Dinner For Robin, Dinner With Robin, Idaho Beef, Idaho Polenta Floriani, Local Markets, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wines - French

≈ 1 Comment

And a good Sunday dinner! Not the standard chicken, mashed potatoes and peas. This time beef, corn and vegetables. And a good 2012 Chateau Haut-Bages Liberal. It was a good one. The polenta was an Idaho product and so was the beef.

Idaho Polenta Spinach and Butternut Squash Casserole T-Bone Steak with Sauteed Mushrooms and Red Wine Reduction with Shallots

Idaho Creamy Polenta

Spinach and Butternut Squash Casserole

T-Bone Steak
with
sauteed mushrooms, red wine reduction with shallots

2012 Chateau Haut-Bages Liberal Pauillac

Winter At The Boise Farmers Market

14 Saturday Nov 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Acme Bake Shop, Apple, BFM, Boise, Boise Farmers Market, Buy Idaho, Carrots, Coffee, Eggs, Idaho Polenta Floriani, Idaho Polenta Roys Calais, Idaho's Bounty, Local Farmers Markets, Photos By: Bob Young, True Roots Produce, What's For Dinner?

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

BFM, Boise

The “Spoon”

It’s winter! Snow in the mountains where it should be. In the high 20’s at night. And the Boise Farmers Market has moved inside at 8th and Fulton in the Linen Building. Free parking for the first hour, but you will need to get a receipt for that hour at the pay booth. They are open each Saturday now, through December 19th, from 9am – 2pm. Then we go through “Produce Withdrawl”. You can follow the BFM on their website at Boise Farmers Market. Be sure to sign up for their newsletter on their web page. Here are two photos that I took this morning at The Market. I have my specific vendors who I look for: Meadowlark Farms, Purple Sage Produce, Rollingstone Chevre, Acme Bakeshop, Desert Mountain Farms, True Roots Produce, Gaston’s Bakery, Next Generation Organics, The Mushroom Farm and Neckar Coffee, to name a few. There are more. Left-Click any of the photos to see them enlarged. These are panoramic photos and quite large.

The Boise Farmers Market

I was asked this morning, “Why do you come to the market?” I told him: I go to see the people. To visit with the farmers. To support our local farmers as much as possible. To make “my rounds” at the above listed farmers. And I miss the Market between December 20th and March 1st. I totally believe in Buying Local and I support that philosophy as much as possible.

The Boise Farmers Market open indoors now through Dec 19th.

Great Sunday Brunch at Parma Ridge Winery

08 Sunday Nov 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Appetizers, BBQ Sauce, Bistro, Braising, Brunch, Brunch with Robin, Buy Idaho, Classic Cuisines, Classic Sauces, Coffee, Comfort Food, Dill, Eggs, Eggs Poached, Herbs and Spices, Idaho Chefs, Idaho Greens, Idaho Pork, Idaho Potatoes, Idaho Wine, Idaho's Bounty, Parma Ridge Winery, Parma Ridge Winery Bistro, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Salads, Sliders, Special Information, What's For Dinner?, Wines - Idaho

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

bistro, brunch, Parma Ridge Winery

Yea! Parma Ridge Winery, 24509 Rudd Road, Parma, ID has re-opened! Under new owners Chef Storm and Stephanie Hodge, the venue has changed also. They are now serving a wonderful Sunday Brunch from 12 noon to 5:00pm. The space indoors is limited in the winter season to about 25 seats. The deck is open in season. Wonderful owners. Wonderful location. Wonderful food. The wine pictured is really a good Rosé of Merlot. Not too sweet and with a little spice to it. It was named after their daughter. You might want to call for reservations if you have 4 or more people. Or visit their website at Parma Ridge Wine and Spirits. From their website, “Tasting Room hours are 12-5 p.m., Friday – Sunday. Now open for Happy Hour Friday from 4-7 p.m. Join us for a glass of wine, a bite of food and take in the amazing view!” Enjoy the creations of Chef Storm and/or the artwork of Stephanie. Here is what we had and some photos of the area. Enjoy! Ranks very high for winery food – 5-Stars! It’s that good! I have also listed it on TripAdvisor.

The sign at the entrance.

The tasting room and restaurant.

View from the patio at the tasting room.

There is a variety of herbs from the garden for the kitchen.

Artist Stephanie Hodge at the tasting counter.

Chef Storm Hodge in his kitchen.

The seating area in the restaurant.

Happy Hour menu.

Sunday Brunch menu in addition to the Happy Hour menu.

Cheese and Salami Platter
smoked provolone, Boursin, dill Havarti, muenster, fresh mozzarella, warm brie and bleu cheese with dry salami and fresh baked bread

Parma Ridge House Salad
mixed greens with apple cider vinaigrette, Bleu cheese and poached pear with grilled bread

Sliders and Rosemary Garlic Truffle Fries choice of Ground Beef with smoked provolone, bacon and mesquite aioli "Triple B" Ground Beef with bacon, bleu chees and BBQ Braised Pulled Pork with black cherry BBQ sauce

Sliders and Rosemary Garlic Truffle Fries choice of
1. Ground Beef with smoked provolone, bacon and mesquite aioli
2. “Triple B” Ground Beef with bacon, bleu chees and BBQ Braised
3. Pulled Pork with black cherry BBQ sauce

Best Ever Biscuits and Gravy with a Fried Egg

Slow Braised Beef Short Ribs
rosemary mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus, homemade bread

Good Visit to Rembrandt’s Coffee House in Eagle

05 Thursday Nov 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in 4-Stars, Avocado, Breakfast With Robin, Buy Idaho, Coffee, Fruit, Local Markets, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurant Reviews, What's For Dinner?

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Rembrandt's Coffee House

And still a very good breakfast. The bad news? They are eliminating the breakfast menu as of November 6, 2015. They have a very small kitchen area and they want to be able to make more of their pastries. You can visit their website at Rembrandt’s Coffee House. In place of the breakfast, they will be serving fresh baked muffins, scones, quiches, pastries, oatmeal, granola and grab and go lunches – fresh made deli type sandwiches. They will still have their fresh ground coffees. (See the notice below) Definitely a 4-Star restaurant. Well worth the trip to Eagle.

Notice to stop their full breakfast menu.

The ordering area.

Pastry case.

The dining area. Couches. Tables. Chairs. Pews. Oh yes! It once was a church. All ages are welcome – very young, children, old and very old!

Frosted Cinnamon Roll

Lil Jake Omelet and Fresh Fruit with Avocado

Johnnie’s Omelet with Potatoes and Sour Cream

So say “Good-Bye” to these omelet goodies. I can understand their wanting to,”Better utilize the small, kitchen area, but we will miss the breakfast goodies,” he said with a tear in his eye.

Great Night at Richard’s Cafe Vicino in Boise

04 Wednesday Nov 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Appetizers, Boise Farmers Market, Boise Food Adventures, Boise Restaurants, Buffalo, Buy Idaho, Chef Richard Langston, Cinder Wines, Classic Cuisines, Dinner With Robin, Dinner With The Winemaker, Duck, Gumbo, Healthy Eating, Idaho Chefs, Idaho Greens, Idaho Wine, Idaho's Bounty, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, New Orleans Food, Oysters, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants To Try, Seafood, Shrimp, Special Dinners, Special Events, Squash, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners, Wines - Idaho

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

buffalo, Chef Richard Langston

Actually, this restaurant used to be Cafe Vicino’s. Now it is known as Richard’s Cafe Vicino, owned and operated by Chef Richard Langston. It is a superb place to go. Every bit a 5-Star restaurant. Great date night or special occasion restaurant. The food and the service is superb. We were there for the South by Southwest Wine Dinner, featuring wines from Cinder Winery. Winemaker Melanie Krause and Joe Schnerr were both there to describe and talk about the wines. Here is what we had. Enjoy! We did. Left-Click any of these photos to see them enlarged.

The menu and accompanying wines.

Cornbread with Andouille Sausage and Mustard Greens
Grits with BBQ Shrimp
Oysters Bienville

Duck Confit Crepe with Raisin Mole

Crawfish Gumbo

Braised Buffalo Short Ribs
with
Winter Squash

Intermezzo: New Orleans Lemon Ice

Salted Caramel Upside-Down Cake
with
Pine Nut Brittle

Oktoberfest At Capitol Cellars

08 Thursday Oct 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Anthropology of Food, Boise Adventures, Boise Restaurants, Brats, Buy Idaho, Cabbage, Capitol Cellars, Chef David Shipley, Classic Cuisines, Dinner at Capitol Cellars, Dinner With Friends, Dinner With Robin, Ethnic Foods, German Food, Herbs, Ice Cream, Idaho Chefs, Idaho Pork, Local Harvests, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Pork, Restaurants, Restaurants To Try, Special Dinners, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners at Capitol Cellars, Wines - German

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

jagerschnitzel, prosit, prost

What a wonderful dinner at Capitol Cellars in Boise to celebrate Oktoberfest!! Every bit a 5-Star dinner and celebration! We made some new friends as we sat at a table for 6. And that really added to the enjoyment of the evening. Sharing food comments. Wine comments. Beer comments. Logan Smyser and Exec Chef Dave Shipley did another wonderful job. Logan pouring and Chef Dave and his crew in the kitchen. From their website,

Capitol Cellars, LLC is a throwback to old world ideals and a different, slower way of living. To us, the kitchen is a holy place and meals are about enjoying the food as well as the camaraderie around the table. Adjusting our menu to suit the seasons, we follow nature and how its bounty is intended. This ensures the culinary creations you order and we prepare are made with the freshest and most flavorful ingredients.

The menu and wine/beer list for our dinner.

Exec Chef Dave Shipley and Logan Smyser

Exec Chef Dave Shipley and his kitchen crew! Thanks! Great job.

Logan serves the beer, in this case a Hofbrau Oktoberfest. Great with our dinner. The slightly sweet component went very well with Bison Bratwurst.

Logan serves the beer, in this case a Hofbrau Oktoberfest. Great with our dinner. The slightly sweet component went very well with Bison Brätwurst, see below.

New friends at our table.

Warm German Potato Salad
with
Yukon gold potato, onion, chive, parsley and apple cider vinegar
2014 P.J. Valekenberg Pinot Blanc

Bison Bratwurst with braised red cabbage, all blue potato puree, mustard cream sauce, garlic hips

Bison Brätwurst
with
braised red cabbage, all blue potato puree, mustard cream sauce
Hofbrau Oktoberfest

“A bratwurst (German: [ˈbʁaːtvʊɐ̯st], also known as a brat in American English, is a sausage usually composed of veal, pork or beef. The name is derived from Old High German Brätwurst, from brät-, which is finely chopped meat and Wurst, or sausage. Though the brat in bratwurst described the way the sausages are made, modern Germans associate it with the German verb “braten”, which means to pan fry or roast. Bratwurst is usually grilled or pan fried, and sometimes cooked in broth or beer.” [Wikipedia]

Jagerschnitzel breaded Kurobuta pork cutlets, red wine mushroom sauce, whole grain mustard spaetzle, braised Swiss chard 2012 Pfluger St Laurent

Jägerschnitzel
with
breaded (Panco) Kurobuta pork cutlets, red wine mushroom sauce, whole grain mustard spaetzle, braised Swiss chard and garlic chips
2012 Pfluger Pinot St Laurent

In my opinion, this was the best wine of the evening! Fruity with cherries. Slightly hot with higher alcohol. Very smooth. The red wine mushroom sauce was superb!

Apple Kuchen traditional apple cake, nutmeg ice cream (awesome), oat crumble 2014 Dr Loosen Blue Slate Riesling

Apple Kuchen (Apfelkuchen)
traditional apple cake, nutmeg ice cream (awesome), oat crumble
2014 Dr Loosen Blue Slate Riesling
green apple and pink grapefruit

This was a super dessert.

Have a great Oktoberfest! Prosit! ( “may it be for (you)”, “may it benefit (you)”)

Birthday Dinner at Alavita in Boise

18 Friday Sep 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in 4-Stars, Alavita, Arugula, Birthdays, Boise Adventures, Boise Restaurants, Buy Idaho, Chevre, Classic Cuisines, Cocktails, Comfort Food, Cooking Styles, Cream Sauces, Dessert, Dinner At Alavita, Dinner For Robin, Dinner Reviews with Robin, Dinner With Robin, Fennel, Feta Cheese, Food Photos, Green Salad, Homemade Pasta, Idaho's Bounty, Lobster, Locavore, Main Dish, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants To Try, Salads, Seafood, Shell Fish, Special Dinners, Things To Do, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wines - Italian

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Alavita. Italian food, feta cheese, Heirloom Beets, Italian restaurant

September 17th will always be a special day – It is Robin’s Birthday. This year we celebrated the 43rd anniversary of her 29th birthday at Alavita, a good Italian restaurant. Actually a solid 4-Star Italian restaurant. On their webpage, they say, “ALAVITA is all about fresh pasta and local ingredients—from Agnolotti to Tortellini to Garganelli, Linguini to Pappardelle—created freshly every day. A restaurant whose name means “to life,” (Well actually two words– ‘alla’ ‘vita’ –that we put together to create one) ÀLAVITA is a great place for celebrating life with good friends and family alike.
What we believe: great food need not be too convoluted or overwrought, but rather fresh, uncomplicated, relatable and well executed in order to get out of the way of the local ingredients and find the pleasure in their innate flavors and qualities. In the vein of a traditional Italian osteria as a casual, local gathering place (An Italian Joint) to discover food, friends, wine, and creative libations, our menu reflects a new twist on Italian fare that is inspired by local, regional ingredients. As we do at Fork (Our big brother concept located next door by same creators), we firmly subscribe to our mantra of being ‘Loyal To Local.’” And they adhere to these words, rigorously. Enjoy these photos of our visit. We will return.

Robin enjoys her Birthday Dinner!

We have known Kerry, the Floor Manager, for many years – we go back to the Andrae days – and it is good to “find” her again.

The open kitchen area.

How about a

Barrel Aged ÀLAVITA
Crater Lake gin + St. Germain + sweet vermouth + bitters (aged for six weeks in charred oak bourbon barrels). Salute To Life!

Yummers, but drink it slow!

A good white wine goes with seafood.

Alois Lageder Riff Pinot Grigio (12.5%)… Veneto, Italy

Potato, Leek and Fennel Soup

Robin had this really very good soup as an appetizer.

I had a very good –

Heirloom Beet Salad
rainbow beets, shavel fennel, arugula, Rolling Stone goat cheese feta, toasted pistachios and champagne vinaigrette

Tuxedo’ Linguine {gf}... squid ink & orange zest infused linguine, ÀLAVITA clam sauce, chili flake & Manila clams

Tuxedo Linguine
squid ink and orange zest infused linguine, ÀLAVITA clam sauce, chili flake and Manila clams

Robin had this and the clams were so very fresh – gout la mer!

Black Ravioli... stuffed with West coast lobster & fontina, butter poached shrimp & lemon-fennel-thyme infused local Cloverleaf cream sauce

Black Ravioli
stuffed with West coast lobster and fontina, butter poached shrimp and lemon-fennel-thyme infused local Cloverleaf cream sauce

I had this and basically, I would get it agin. But I did not get much lobster flavor.

Robin’s Birthday Cake. Kerry had this done for her.

ÀLAVITA Tiramisu
espresso lady fingers, Grand Marnier and orange zest

I finished with a

Dark Chocolate Mousse
hazelnut cream + crushed vanilla-maple spiced hazelnuts

Sinful!

Grilled Avocado for Breakfast; Icelandic Flounder Papillote for Dinner

11 Friday Sep 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Acme Bake Shop Sourdough, Avocado, Boise Farmers Market, Breakfast At The Captains Shack, Breakfast With Robin, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Classic Cuisines, Cooking Styles, Eggs, Eggs Poached, en Papillote, Food Photos, Green Beans, Grillin' and Chillin', Icelandic Flounder, Local Farmers Markets, Local Markets, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, Recipes - Breakfast, Recipes - Dinner, Recipes - Fruits, Recipes - Seafood, Reel Foods, Seafood, Vegetarian Foods, What's For Dinner?, Whats For Breakfast?

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

avocado, en papillote, grilled avocado, Icelandic flounder, Papillote

Grilled avocado seems like a weird way to prepare the fruit. But really, for a non-avocado lover, this was pretty good. Leave the peel on and lightly caramelize the pulp to a golden brown. Left-Click any of these photos to see them enlarged. Enjoy!
But first, just what is a papillote?

En papillote (French for “in parchment”), or al cartoccio in Italian, is a method of cooking in which the food is put into a folded pouch or parcel and then baked. The parcel is typically made from folded parchment paper, but other material, such as a paper bag or aluminium foil, may be used. [Wikipedia]

In the culinary arts, the term en papillote (pronounced “ON poppy-YOTE”) refers to a moist-heat cooking method where the food is enclosed in a packet of parchment paper or foil and then cooked in the oven.
When cooking en papillote, there are usually some vegetables, herbs and seasonings included in the packet along with the main item. These additional ingredients, along with the main item, give off steam, which is what actually cooks the food. Therefore, en papillote cooking is basically a technique for cooking with steam.
Because it is delicate and cooks quickly, fish is a good choice for cooking in this way. Salmon en papillote is a popular dish.
When serving a recipe prepared en papillote, it is traditional to present the dish by slicing open the paper in front of the guest. [Culinary Arts]

But breakfast comes first! Here is the Grilled Avocado I made.

Grilled Avocado
with
Poached Egg, Micro Greens, Pink Grapefruit Wedges and Toasted Acme Bake Shop Sourdough

And now Icelandic Flounder en Papillote.

The flounder is set in the parchment with lemonn slices, limoncello, Texas tarragon (which has a slight bite to it compared to the French tarragon) and salt and pepper.

Flounder en Papillote
Fresh Idaho Honeydew Melon Slices
Potato Croquettes
Fresh Green Beans with Brown Butter

An awesome and fun day in the kitchen!

Good Eats!

18 Tuesday Aug 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Baguette, Basil, Beef, Boise Farmers Market, Breakfast, Breakfast At The Captains Shack, Breakfast With Robin, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Classic Sauces, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Dinner For Robin, Dinner With Robin, Eggplant, Eggs, Food Photos, French Foods, Garlic, Heirloom Tomatoes, Herbs and Spices, Idaho Beef, Idaho's Bounty, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Meadowlark Farms, Paella, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Purple Sage Farms, Recipes, Recipes - Dinner, Salads, Sea Scallops, Seafood, Shrimp, Tomatoes, Vegetables, Vegetarian Foods, What's For Dinner?

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Basil Treads

A couple days of some really good eats – good food! The weather is not 100+, it is 58 degrees at night and in the mid 80’s during the day. I’ll take that. The Soda Fire is 90% contained and rehab has started for the grasslands – it’ll take two to three years for it to totally come back. Grazing will be at a premium. Wild horses are being cared for and watched for injuries. All seems as well as it can be under the circumstances. Back to the kitchen!

Meadowlark Farms Eggs Benedict
Fresh Williamson Orchards Fruit

Home Stead Foods Rib Steak Asparagus with Bearnaise Sauce True Roots Heirloom Tomatoes with Purple Sage Basil Threads

Homestead Foods Rib Steak
True Roots Asparagus with Meadowlark Farms Eggs for Bearnaise Sauce
True Roots Heirloom Tomatoes with Purple Sage Basil Threads

Braised Scallops Shaved Zucchini Salad with Tomatoes Basil and Cheese

Braised Scallops
Shaved Zucchini Salad with Tomatoes, Basil Treads and Cheese

Ratatouille
Toasted Baguette with Garlic
Here is the Ratatouille recipe.

Meadowlark Farms Scrambled Eggs
Grits and Shrimp

I asked Robin what she wanted for breakfast. Without even blinking an eye, she said, “Shrimp and Grits.” I asked her if she wanted some scrambled eggs with that. She said, “Just one egg.” I had some, too!

Such a yum couple of merals. Such a great time in the kitchen!