St Patrick’s Day Party

20 Sunday Mar 2016

Posted by Bob and Robin in Appetizers, Boise Food Adventures, Bread, Buy Idaho, Cabbage, Comfort Food, Corned Beef, Dinner With Friends, Ethnic Foods, Food Photos, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Raisins, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes, Recipes - Dinner, Roasted Vegetables, St Patrick's Day, Turnips, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?

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cabbage, Corned Beef, irish soda bread, scotch whisky, whisky

Although it was not actually St Patrick’s Day on Saturday, we still had a wonderful party and meal. Thanks to Tom and Leanne Felzien for inviting us and for opening your home to all of us. It was delightful. Our task this year was to make the Irish Soda Bread, and that we did, after a little research and combining of recipes from Chef Michael Symon and The Chew, Ina Garten and the Tasting Table Test Kitchen. Here is the recipe I used for our Irish Soda Bread. And even if I do say so myself, it is by far some of the best soda bread I/we have EVER eaten! Bar none! Try it and let us know what you think. We also had a wonderful dip that Heather brought. I think this is the recipe: Guinness and Mustard Cheese Dip! Here are some photos from the party. And, by the way, this is the farm where we get our lamb. Never had a bad piece of lamb in almost 10 years from them. We are on the list again this year for 1/2 a spring lamb! Yum.

The day and the event calls for some good Scotch and maybe a brew, too.

The finished product of our soda bread.

Roasted Root Vegetables (Beets, Potato, Turnip} Cabbage Irish Soda Bread Corned Beef

Roasted Root Vegetables
(Beets, Potato, Parsnip, Turnip}
Cabbage
Irish Soda Bread
Corned Beef

Breakfast at St Lukes!

27 Wednesday Jan 2016

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Dinner With Friends, Dinner With Robin, Eggs, Photos By: Bob Young, Photos By: Robin Young, St Lukes, What's For Dinner?

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hospital, St Lukes

Well, I could have said, “Breakfast At Tiffanies”,but this is more fun; or so they say. The photo here is from my room at St Lukes Regional Medical Center here in Boise, while I had my OHS. The RN’s all called it the Taj Mahal – the original is in Agra, India – of Boise – one of the better rooms. And while I’m on the subject, let me say this about that. (I’ve heard that before!) My surgical team was superb – there were at least 4 of them. It was awesome. Everyone helped me through the rough spots; the psychological anxiety. I would not hesitate to recommend the surgical staff to anyone who might need heart surgery.
But there is another side of this “coin”. I am very happily married to an RN. So I pretty much know how they react to a given medical situation. The 15 or so RN’s that attended me while I was hospitalized, were outstanding! They were/are the personification for Florence Nightingale. They are Angels of Mercy. And if a stay of this type can be fun, these folks made it so. I just have so much admiration and respect for what they do and how they carry their duties out. Are these the most perfect and awesome Registered Nurses in Boise? I only know these RN’s so my answer is Yes. A heartfelt thanks to all of you!

Sir Koffs-A-Lot

Hold the bear close to your chest if you must cough. It helps to alleviate the pain. (I didn’t call it a Teddy Bear, Barbara RN)

Ready to check out and go home.

Fresh Fruit
Turkey Meatloaf
Carrots and Corn

And it was not bad. Rather good. Not Vincinos, but good! For breakfast I usually had a Sausage and Onion Omelet with fresh fruit and OJ.

Richards Cafe Vicino Brunch

Oh yes. I had surgery on the 19th, went home on Jan 23 and had a birthday brunch to go to on Jan 24. It was delicious! Yes. That’s lox!

Other goodies for brunch!

Brunch plated.

Indian Creek Winery Owners Bill and Mui Stowe

Roast Pork
Spinach and Tomato Salad
Oven Baked Escalloped Potatoes

Marnie and Mac made this for us. Robin had dental surgery.

Brandy Poached Pears on Custard Pie

Marnie and Mac made this, too! I want the recipe for this and the pork above!

Robin making Blueberry Crepes!

Chicken Oveb Roasted Escalloped Potatoes Green Beans and Carrots

Chicken
Oven Roasted Escalloped Potatoes
Green Beans and Carrots

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

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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)”)

Great Visit to Capitol Cellars

26 Wednesday Aug 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in 4-Stars, Beef, Boise Adventures, Capitol Cellars, Dinner With Friends, Dinner With Robin, Food Photos, Idaho Beef, Idaho Chefs, Idaho Greens, Idaho Lamb, Idaho Polenta Floriani, Idaho Potatoes, Idaho Wine, Lamb, Photos By: Bob Young, Seafood, Shell Fish, Shrimp, Special Dinners, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wines - Idaho, Wines - Washington

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Capitol Cellars, lamb, seafood, shrimp

Really a good visit tonight to the newly opened – March 2015 – of Capitol Cellars at 5th and Main Streets in Boise in the Belgravia Building. (There is also an AirBNB in the building, Belgravia AirBNB.) The ambiance is like entering a “wine cave”. Dim lights; cool air and wonderful Waite Staff. In certain sections of the restaurant, it is like sitting in a wine cellar – because you really are! I have placed a permanent link in the sidebar of this blog so you can contact them, make reservations or check their manu. Definitely a 4-Star (out of 5-Stars) restaurant. My only comments about the food is that the risotto seemed to be a little gummy – undercooked. The crispy fries were not really as crispy as I had expected. I expected more of a twice fried Belgium style potato. Here are some photos from our visit. Enjoy! It is great to see that they use Idaho products and produce as much as possible. This would be a great Date Night restaurant or Special Occasion.

The entrance at 5th and Main in the Belgrade Building.

The entrance at 5th and Main in the Belgravia Building.

Part of the main dining room.

The wine cellar.

Wine cellar ambiance.

Shoup Pernod Shrimp
garlic, shallot, basil, Pernod cream sauce

Cheese plate
specialty artisan and local cheeses, fruit, spiced nuts, port-fig jam, imported olives, baguette & crackers

Borah Burger
Idaho Kobe beef, fresh mozzarella, basil, tomato, balsamic reduction, roasted garlic aioli, brioche bun

Risotto

The Senator’s Prime Rib
Idaho-northwest raised beef, Idaho bake potato, warm horseradish sauce, au jus

Pete’s Idaho Lamb Shank
Lava Lake Lamb. goat cheese polenta, seasonal vegetable, natural jus

Logan Smyser, Director of Operations, shows us how to use a sabre to remove the top of a champagne bottle.

Good Visit to Pho Nouveau in Boise

17 Wednesday Jun 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Asian Food, Beef, Beer and Food, Bistro, Boise Adventures, Chicken, Classic Cuisines, Classic Sauces, Coconut Milk, Comfort Food, Cooking Styles, Dinner Reviews with Robin, Dinner With Friends, Food Photos, Grilling, Hard To Find Foods, Herbs and Spices, Main Dish, Oriental Food, Party Time, Pho Nouveau, Photos By: Bob Young, Pork, Restaurant Reviews, Salads, Salmon, Seafood, Shell Fish, Shrimp, Vegetables, Vietnamese Food, What's For Dinner?

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Pho, Pho Nouveau, Vietnamese food, Vietnamese restaurant, Vietnamese spring rolls

We had a great experience and meal last night at the Vietnamese restaurant, Pho Nouveau, 780 W Idaho Street, Boise; (208) 367-1111 and they do take reservations. Really a superb meal. Good to meet our friend, Patty Dorr there and to have a meal with her. Good ambiance in the restaurant; good service without being “pushy”. Here is their website. Just Click This Link. There are downloadable menus on their website for you to printout or just look at. You will get a good idea of what they offer. Weather permitting, they do have a patio for your use. The parking garage is right across the street. Here is what we had and it was all good. Cheers! We will return to Pho Nouveau! On TripAdvisor I rated this restaurant 5-Stars. Which was the best appetizer or entree? Actually, they were all good – I would have any of them again!

A very good Vietnamese beer. Light and refreshing on a hot summer day. Goes great with the meal. They also carry Ravenswood wine.

Crispy Spring Rolls These are the classic, deep fried Vietnamese spring roll filled with ground pork, carrots, onions, cellophane noodles.

Crispy Spring Rolls
These are the classic, deep fried Vietnamese spring rolls filled with ground pork, carrots, onions, cellophane noodles. Wrap in a lettuce leaf and herbs and dip in the non-spicy Vietnamese dipping sauce that is served with it.

Fresh Summer Roll
Soft rice paper wrapped with your choice of pork and shrimp, grilled salmon, grilled pork or shrimp, onion and bean sprouts. Wrap in a lettuce leaf, bean sprouts and herbs. Served with a peanut dipping sauce that is very good.

Sizzling Saigon Crepe Oversized crisxpy crepe made with coconut milk, tumeric and rice flour, filled with chicken, shrimp, onion and bean sprouts. Wrap in lettuce and herbs. A non-spicy Vietnamese dipping sauce is available.

Sizzling Saigon Crepe
Oversized crispy crepe made with coconut milk, tumeric and rice flour, filled with chicken, shrimp, onion and bean sprouts. Wrap in lettuce and herbs. A non-spicy Vietnamese dipping sauce is served with it.

Beef Pho
The traditional Vietnamese beef soup. This soup was not salty and the beef was done perfectly. The herbs and spices were served separately so you can add as much as you like. This is a huge serving and probably could serve two or more.

Grilled Chicken and Shripm Boneless chicken breasts and shrimps marinated in lemongrass, white wine and hoisin sauce. Served with steamed jasmine rice and cucumber salad.

Grilled Chicken and Shrimp
Boneless chicken breasts and shrimps marinated in lemongrass, white wine and hoisin sauce. Served with steamed jasmine rice and cucumber salad. A sweet/sour sauce is served with it.

Grilled Pork and Crispy Spring Roll on Rice Noodles Spft rice vermicelli noodles, skewered grilled pork and crispy spring rolls. Served with shredded lettuce, beansprouts and cilantro. A sweet/sour dipping sauce is served with it.

Grilled Pork and Crispy Spring Roll on Rice Noodles
Soft rice vermicelli noodles, skewered grilled pork and crispy spring rolls. Served with shredded lettuce, beansprouts and cilantro. A sweet/sour dipping sauce is served with it.

Thousand Springs BNB and Feathered Winds Wine

09 Saturday May 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Breakfast, Breakfast With Robin, Coffee, Cooking Styles, Dinner With Friends, Dinner With Robin, Ethnic Foods, Grilling, Idaho Dairy, Idaho Greens, Idaho Lamb, Idaho's Bounty, Lamb, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Salads, Shrimp, Special Events, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?, Whats For Breakfast?, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners, Wines - Australia, Wines - Chile, Wines - New Zealand, Wines - South Africa

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Feathered Winds Wine, Hagerman, Thousand Springs BNB

Such a good time here. Good breakfast and wonderful rooms. We were lucky enough to make reservations – Thousand Springs BNB and Feathered Winds Wine – and be there for their monthly wine dinner. This particular dinner featured wines from south of the equator. Good and interesting food paring with the wines. Great time talking to the folks at our table and at other tables. Enjoy these photos and Left-Click to see them enlarged. If you go to Thousand Springs BNB, let them know you saw this blog post. Cheers!

The kitchen.

Colome Torrontes and Crois Tannat wines.

Empanadas
pared with
Colome Torrontes Wine (Argentina)

Shrimp on the Barbie
pared with
Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand)

The grilled lemon – peel and all – was delicious grilled like this.

Lamb Sosaties pared with Riebeek Pinotage (South Africa)

Lamb Sosaties (Life Spring Farm Lamb)
pared with
Riebeek Pinotage (South Africa)

And as a note – This Icelandic lamb was awesome. It melted in your mouth!

Pavlova
pared with
Jacob’s Creek Moscato (Australia)

Other wines served with dinner were: Shingleback Black Bubbles (Australia), Jacob’s Creek Sweet Red (Australia), Massimo Malbec (Argentina) and 2012 Santa Rita Cabernet (Chile). Then the next morning, we had breakfast – no wine, although we could have had some.

Frittata with Housemade Sausage
Chocolate and Raisin Muffin
Mixed Fruit
Coffee, Juice and water

Birthday Dinner

06 Monday Apr 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Birthdays, Buy Idaho, Dinner At Marnies, Dinner With Family, Dinner With Friends, Green Beans, Ham, Idaho Lamb, Idaho Wine, Lamb, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?, Wines - Idaho

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American lamb, ham

Marnie and Mac gave me this wonderful birthday dinner. Thank-You! Delicious. Thank-You Chris for being there. Sorry we missed you Sophia.
The flowers here are from their front garden. Absolutely beautiful. Spring must be here, even tho\ugh there is snow in the mountains and there is a cold drizzly rain falling. April showers bring May flowers, or so it is said. There is even water in the irrigation canals, almost 15 days early! Hope there is enough water to last the season.
Do enjoy these photos of the dinner. Really wonderful.

Green Beans with Candied Walnuts

Stained Glass Potatoes – Robin made these.

Sliced Ham and Sliced Lamb

The meal plated. Mac made the rolls – delicious!

Rabbit Cookies

Inside Out German Chocolate Cake by Marnie. (I think it took her two days to make this.)

Oh yum!!!

The Orchard House and Williamson Vienyards

07 Saturday Mar 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Appetizers, Brocolli, Classic Cuisines, Cooking Styles, Dinner With Friends, Dinner With Robin, Idaho Trout, Idaho Wine, Local Markets, Locavore, Meatloaf, Orchard House, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Potatoes, Restaurants, Restaurants To Try, Salmon, Seafood, Special Dinners, Special Events, The Orchard House, What's For Dinner?, Williamson Vineyards and Orchards, Wine and Food, Wines - Idaho

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Idaho Trout, idaho wineries, The Orchard House, trout, Williamson Vineyards, Williamson wines

What a great time last night at The Orchard House for dinner and Williamson Vineyard and Orchards serving their wines. The Orchard House is a favorite of ours when we are in the Snake River wine area. And Williamson Vineyards have some fantastic wines and their fruit in season is awesome! We highly recommend these two businesses. Here are some photos from the evening. Truly a Homestyle meal! Enjoy.

Patrick Williamson, Orchardist, explains to the Orchard House customer about the Williamson wines.

Patrick Williamson, Orchardist, explains to the Orchard House customers about the Williamson wines.

(L-R) 201o Williamson Viognier and a 2012 Williamson Blossom. Both are delightful wines.

(L-R) 2010 Williamson Viognier and a 2012 Williamson Blossom, a rosé of Sangiovese. Both are delightful wines.

More wine offerings.

A flight of Williamson wines.

Chicken Nugget Appetizer. Breading was a little heavy and they are spicy.

Some really good Onion Rings.

Some of the best Idaho Trout in the state!

I know. No one makes a Meatloaf like your Mother. And you can not find a good meatloaf when traveling. Until now. Outside of my kitchen, and my Mother’s kitchen, this has got to be the best anywhere. And if you are here for lunch, try the Meatloaf Sandwich!

What else can I say? The meal was a Plus 4-Star dinner (out of 5-Stars) and the wines went extremely well with the dinner. If you are in the area, stop in at both places. You may need reservations at The Orchard House – they get very busy for dinner. And try their breakfast or lunch. And don’t forget the appropriate wine with dinner. Say Hi to Kris for us! Cheers!

New Page On The Blog!

20 Tuesday Jan 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in 3-Stars, Appetizers, Asian Food, Basque Food, Bistro, Boise Restaurants, Bombay Grill, Classic Cuisines, Comfort Food, Dinner With Friends, Ethnic Foods, Idaho's Bounty, Local Markets, Main Dish, New Restaurant Trial, Photos By: Bob Young, Special Information, What's For Dinner?

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Boise, boise area, Boise Restaurant Guide, boise restaurants, Food Trucks, restaurant listings

I am starting a new page on this blog called Boise Restaurant Guide – see the header. This page will include restaurants in Boise and the close surrounding area that we have tried. This will not be a rating page, but, out of a 5-Star rating system, these restaurants are at least a 3-Star eatery. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a 3-Star restaurant! Here is a link to the Boise Restaurant Guide. It is meant to inform you of the extremely varied cuisines available in Boise – Food Trucks, Italian, Pizza, Greek, Basque, Baltic, Persian, Asian, Mediterrean, Drive-Ins, Bistros, Brewpubs, Indian, Pakistani and many more.
I love it when people ask us, “Where is a good place to eat in Boise?” My stock answer is, “What do you like?” Boise is that varied for eating. So hopefully, this page will direct people to different restaurants and they will be able to at least find something they like. I might even include Carl’s Jr., McDonald’s, or Jacks. They are all available.
If you have a BNB in Boise, or know of someone that does, this list just might help our Visitors locate a good meal after traveling. Cheers!

Holiday Season Wine Dinner

12 Wednesday Nov 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Beef, Buy Idaho, Cheese, Coffee, Dinner With Friends, Friends, Green Beans, Hamburger, Koenig Vineyards, Meatloaf, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe By: Food Network, Recipes, Soup, What's For Dinner?, Wine Dinners

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Baked Alaska Meatloaf, Dill Pickle Soup, Mediterranean Green Olive Soup, recipe meatloaf, recipes

The Holiday Season was started last night at The Buzz and their monthly wine dinner. Many seasonal ideas were presented: Wrapping, fun gifts, culturally correct gift giving: Brazil – avoid giving gifts of black or purple or in South Korea – never anything made in Japan or North Korea. Just a few of the suggestions.
Good job in paring the wines with the dinner. The dinner was a surprise. Things we have never thought of or tried before, Dill Pickle Soup for instance. Actually, it was surprisingly good. (Here is but one recipe for Dill Pickle Soup.) Much like a Mediterranean Green Olive Soup, which is very good, but a Dill Pickle Soup is more of a Polish soup! And the Baked Alaska Meatloaf was a surprise. (Meatloaf baked, then cooled and mashed potatoes all over then broiled. Here is a Recipe for one variation. There are several.) Here is what we had and the wines to accompany the meal. Enjoy!

Wrapped Meatballs Quick Crackers A strange appetizer. I don't know what the cheese was. 2012 Koenig Cabernet Sauvignon 15.7% alc. high alcohol sometimes is a distraction. this is not. great with the main course and the meatballs. [19]

Wrapped Meatballs
Quick Crackers
2012 Koenig Cabernet Sauvignon
15.7% alc. high alcohol sometimes is a distraction. this is not. great with the main course and the meatballs. [19]
A strange appetizer. I don’t know what the cheese was.

Dill Pickle Soup 2010 Bastile use de Beauvert 13.5% alc. good sparkling wine and pared well with the soup. [17] This is a strange soup, but surprisingly good.

Dill Pickle Soup
2010 Bastille use de Beauvert
13.5% alc. good sparkling wine and pared well with the soup. [17]
This is a strange soup, but surprisingly good.

Orzo Squash Salad
NV Cruzat nu Brut Classico
12.5% alc. good, refreshing wine. went well with the salad. [19]

Baked Alaska Meatloaf
Green Beans
Twice Baked Potatoes
2012 Pinnacoli Primitivo
14% alc. good paring but the Koenig Cabernet Sauvignon went much better. [19]
We found the green beans under cooked and the potato was slightly under cooked, too. The meatloaf was strange.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Loaf
2008 Quinta Do Noval Port
19.5% alc. went well with the chocolate [18]
Good dessert.

And then there is always a good cup of coffee, if you so desire!

And here are some events that are coming to the Buzz. December 19 and 20: Buzz Wine Dinners – New Year’s Resolutions (get your reservations in!). Then on January 9, 2015, the return of Classical Jam Night! Do you play a string or wind instrument? Bring it and join in. This is always an awesome evening of some really great music. Order dinner at the counter – they usually have something special. Cheers and see you there at The Buzz, 2999 N Lakeharbor Ln., Boise (208) 344-4321!