Lunch At Mazzah

11 Monday Nov 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Boise, Boise Adventures, Chicken, Comfort Food, Cooking Styles, Lamb, Mazzah - Mediterranean Grill, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants, What's For Dinner?, Whats For Lunch?

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Mazzah, Mediterranean Grill

And it was a good lunch! Huge servings. Robin and I should have shared a plate. I ate too much and she brought half of her’s home. Very, very good. Great flavors. Here is a link to Mazzah – Mediterranean Grill. They are located at 1772 W State Street in Boise. (208) 333-2566. They also have a grill at 404 E Park Center Blvd., Suite 250. (208) 333-2563. My only problem is that the service was a little slow. The Chicken Kabobs that I ordered were fresh made, but it took almost 20 minutes. We were there at the lunch hour, so that may have been part of the problem. The restaurant is small. Still good food, though. Just be prepared to wait. Here are some photos from today. Enjoy!

Robin, Janine and Gina enjoying the experience.

One of the mixed chicken kabob platters.

Koenig Vineyards and Cottonwood Grille

11 Tuesday Jun 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Cottonwood Grille, Koenig Vineyards, Main Dish, Merlot, Mushrooms, Photos By: Bob Young, Pork, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants, Salads, Salmon, Special Dinners, Syrah, Viognier, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners

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apple brandy, cottonwood grille, puff pastry, wild mushrooms

On Monday, June 10, we attended a wine dinner at the Cottonwood Grille featuring the wines of Idaho’s Koenig Vineyards. Chef Jesus did a good job with the paring of the food with the wines. My only comment about the food is it tended to be salty. Maybe I am becoming very aware of the salt amounts in cooking. Nonetheless, some of the entrees were salty. The dinner was well attended and it was interesting to talk to the people at our table. The photo to the left is the menu along with a glass of 2011 Koenig VineyardsMerlot. Below are some other photos from the evening. Do enjoy the presentations and please VOTE. Left-Click any photo to see enlarged. Thanks!

Chef Jesus of the Cottonwood Grille, Boise

Winemaker Greg Koenig and his wife Kristen.

Wild Mushrooms in Puff Pastry 2012 Koenig Vineyards Rose

Wild Mushrooms in Puff Pastry
2011 Koenig Vineyards Merlot
This dish was very good, but salty. The merlot probably would have been better with the sauce had the entree not been so salty.

Fresh Mixed Greens with Figs and Berries
2012 Koenig Vineyards Rose
A good and refreshing salad. Well paired with the wine.

Fresh Sockeye Salmon with a Lemon Beurre Blanc
2011 Koenig Vineyards Viognier
One of the better wines of the night. Went extremely well with the salmon. One of Idaho’s favorite wines.

Pork Tenderloin with Apple Brandy Cream Sauce
2010 Koenig Vineyards Syrah
The Syrah was a good paring – or would have been. This entree was way to salty and both Robin and I could not finish the dish because of the extreme saltiness. Too bad.

Peach Cobbler 2011 Riesling Ice Wine

Sorry to have to pan this dinner, but we have had much better dinners at the Cottonwood Grille. This just did not measure up to their standards because of the over use of salt in the dishes. A little salt will enhance the dish and should not overpower it. If I did not know better and know the quality of their dinners, I would not return. And that’s too bad, because the wines were overall very good.

Breakfast at the “Triangle Inn” in Sweet, Idaho

02 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Basque Food, Breakfast, Dinner With Friends, Friends, Idaho, Main Dish, Mexican Food, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurants, Special Events, Sweet Idaho, the Triangle, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

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breakfast, coconut and banana, rambling roses, restaurants, sky clouds

78 degrees! Light, puffy, Big Sky clouds. Light winds. Great company! We met Barb and Terry Knivila at the Triangle Inn in Sweet, Idaho. (Just go there and smell the sweetness of the wild Rambling Roses.) A fun place to visit and to have a meal. We had a great breakfast as pictured below. Friendly people; all had smiles! And they came to our table and talked to us. A good experience. And the food was good, too. From Boise, take Hiway 55 to Horseshow Bend and the Hiway 52 to Emnmett. The Triangle Inn is at the Sweet/Ola intersection. Just look at what we had and please VOTE above. Left-Click any of these photos to see enlarged. Thanks and Cheers!

Breakfast Burrito

Basque Omelet

And they make an awesome Pineapple, Coconut and Banana Jelly along with a super good Buttermilk Syrup that goes well with pancakes and on the Homefries!

Bourbon Bacon Pecan Pie

On my! I think I was in Heaven. Pecan pie! Bourbon! Bacon! That is a tripple yum.

Look at this wonderful menu. It is only part of what they offer. Let them know you saw this information on this blog.

Sunday Brunch at Cottonwood Grille

26 Sunday May 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Boise Adventures, Brunch, Classic Sauces, Cottonwood Grille, Crab, Eggs, Main Dish, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurants, Salmon, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?

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cottonwood grille, gravlox, snow crab, strange mixture

Last night Robin said she would like to go to the Cottonwood Grille for brunch. No problem! It’s always a party when we go there. A good treat, since we missed our seafood this week. And I still had my vegetables before 6:00pm. As we were going into the parking, one of “Boise’s Folks” was at the entrance (photo above). I have no clue as to what or who this is. Just interesting. A strange mixture of cultures here in the Mountain West. Interesting. Enjoy these photos of our breakfast, Left-Click any photo to see enlarged and please VOTE above. Cheers!

Bacon Vodka Bloody Mary
Daily allowance of vegetables in a glass.

Scandinavian Gravlox
Poached egg and salmon with Hollandaise Sauce
Robin had this. It really looked good!

Snow Crab Omelet
I had this and it was delicious! Good Hollandaise Sauce.

Lunch at Ben’s Crow Inn – Dinner at Home

17 Friday May 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Acme Bakery, Beer and Food, Boise Adventures, Captain's Shack, Comfort Food, Eggs, Halibut, Main Dish, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurants, Seafood, Steamed Clams, What's For Dinner?

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restaurants, rye toast, steamed clams, taste of the sea

Great meals today! Started out lunch at Ben’s Crow Inn just east of Boise. This place has been around for years and has not changed much. So why do people go here? Clams. Steamed clams. They smell and taste of the sea. They are that good ….. even here in landlocked Boise. And it was good to have Maggie join us for lunch. Here are some photos. Enjoy and please VOTE above.

Ben’s Crow Inn – Steamed Clams

Ben’s Crow Inn Halibut Plate

Our House – Dinner
Scrambled Eggs with Pancetta
Fresh Pear and Strawberry Mixed Fruit
Acme Bakery Rye Toast

Wild West Bakery and Espresso

28 Sunday Apr 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Baking, Breakfast, Brunch, Comfort Food, Miss Donna, New Restaurant Trial, Pastries, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurants, Special Events, Special Information, Tillamook Cheese, What's For Dinner?

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assorted goodies, blueberry muffin, food, mint bar, restaurants, sprinkler guy

We went to the Wild West Bakery and Espresso in Eagle today for brunch. And as Robin says, “Today, April 28, we met Marnie and Mac at the Wild West Bakery and Espresso shop in Eagle – just 10 miles west of Boise – for brunch – When Bob worked with ‘The Sprinkler Guy’ – his boss Bob Scrivner and Donna Scrivner almost always sent home a bunch of baked treats made by Donna as she ‘manned’ the office at home – making appointments and communicating with the guys out in the field who were installing and fixing sprinklers. She found her dream job as a baker for Wild West and still loves it – and she sent us home with a box of assorted goodies she baked.” A scrumptious home cooked brunch and pastries! Yum. Look at these photos and decide for yourselves. Personally, we’d go back for brunch and may have to try their regular menu. This is easily a 4-Star restaurant for home style cooking. Enjoy these photos – Left Click to see an enlarged view – and please VOTE above. Thanks.

Pansys greet you at the front door. They are beautiful.

Miss Donna, Baker, presents some of her creations. Yum!

Miss Donna’s Blueberry Muffin.

Or how about an M&M Cupcake.

Or maybe a Chocolate Mint Bar. All are her creations.

Robin had Eggs Benedict.

Miss Donna said to try the omelet that the Chef makes a good one. Yes he does. Just look at this one and make one from many fillings. You choose.

This was really a good brunch. You really should try it. But go early as it fills up quickly. The patio is open now and a welcome relief to eat outside. Check the link above for menus and times that they are open. Cheers and I hope you enjoy the Wild West Bakery and Espresso!

10 Barrel Brewery, Boise First Visit

24 Wednesday Apr 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in 10 Barrel Brewing, Acme Bakery, Beer and Ale, Beer and Food, Caesar Salad, Celebrations, Comfort Food, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants, Special Beers, Special Events, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

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10 Barrel Brewery, brew pubs, food, IPA, restaurants, siberian kale

Finally. After all this waiting, 10 Barrel Brewery in Boise opened! The photo here is of the front of the pub on Bannock Street at 9th, across from the Chinese restaurant, Yen Ching.
The restaurant space inside iss large and open. The noise level is tolerable. It is busy noise, not loud music or TV. That will work for us. And when the weather changes, they will probably open some very large doors and have an area where one can site on the sidewalk, but be served inside. Left-Click the photo on the left to enlarge and look at the right side of the photo. You will be able to see the stools.
And yes, they serve Apocalypse IPA. In my not so humble opinion (IMNSHO) one of the best, if not The Best, Ipa’s made. We had a Caesar Salad and a 10 Barrel Burger and the IPA went very well with both. Good beer, like good wine, is meant to be consumed with food. It might be made with barley and other grains, but it still needs food. It is nice to report too, that they try their best to use local products, i.e., the Acme Bakery for their buns and rolls. Enjoy the photos posted here that I took on our First Visit. There will be a Second Visit and probably more. Hope to see you there. Well worth the trip. The food is good and the beer is …………. well ………. Super! Cheers and Enjoy!

Inside the brewery in a portion of the dining area. The chairs are very heavy, so be careful moving them.

The “Brewing Center”.

“Reflections”

Caesar Salad
romaine, Siberian kale, cherry tomato, shaved Parmesean cheese, croutons $6.00

10 Barrel Burger
custom ground beef patty, lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle, mayo, bacon. Served on Beer Bun by Acme Bakery, Boise $11.00
A really super burger and a great bun. The French Fries, though, were a little salty and came close to over powering the burger. I let the Wait Staff know. The beer in the background is an Apocalypse IPA $4.50

Overall, a good experience. Out of 5 Stars, probably one of the better pubs in Boise so I rate it a 4 Star pub. Great job, 10 Barrel! They have a complete menu of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, pizza and sweets. Stop in and say Hello for us and let them know you saw this article here. Thanks and please VOTE above. Cheers.

Great Easter and Birthday Dinner

01 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Appetizers, Birthdays, Caesar Salad, Cakes, Captain's Shack, Celebrations, Ethnic Foods, Italian Food, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurants, Seafood, Special Dinners, Special Events, What's For Dinner?

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chocolate hazelnut torte, cilantro pesto, food, restaurants, seared sea scallops, shrimp risotto

Such a great Easter Sunday! Robin in her RabbiT ears and me a year older. Good to have Marnie, Mac, Chris, Madison, Sophia and Maggie with us. Robin spent most of Saturday making a Chocolate Hazelnut Torte that was delicious. There are some photos of the cake below. Thank-You to everyone who was at this dinner party. Thank-You, too, for the cards and gifts. I appreciate all of you and the gifts. Here’s what we had for dinner. Left-Click any of the photos to see a larger view. Cheers! Of course, we had to have some wine. And don’t forget to Vote above. Thanks.

The wines we pulled for our dinner and party!

Making the Chocolate Hazelnut Torte. Yum!

Making the Chocolate Raspberry Hazelnut Torte. Yum!

The finished product.

Yum!

Here are some appetizers we had.

Rollingstone Chevre with Pansy’s

Seared Sea Scallops
Mashed sweet potato, spicy cilantro pesto

Grilled Shrimp
Risotto cakes, basil cream sauce

Olive Selection

Cavatappi
Roasted cauliflower, capers, thyme, fontina cream

And salads, too!

Beet Salad

Caesar Salad
Hearts of romaine, anchovies, parmesan, croutons.

And here are some of the entrees we had.

Clams
Pancetta, pepperoncini, white wine sauce, linguine

Cassolet

Linguine
Light tomato-herb sauce

Boar
Broccoli rabe

A delightful party and dinner. Don’t you think?

Stuffed Roasted Peppers

06 Wednesday Mar 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Appetizers, Captain's Shack, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurants, Shrimp, What's For Dinner?

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convection, food, roasted peppers

This past weeeknd, we were at The Buzz for their Quarterly Wine Dinner. (See the previous post). Cristi made some awesome Stuffed Roasted Peppers, so we just had to get her recipe. And here it is Stuffed Roasted Peppers. The photo to the left shows the peppers as they came out of the oven. (Left-Click to see enlarged) Nice roast marks. We used the convection function on our stove and it cut the time in half, about 15 minutes, to roast the peppers. I also used 40-50 count shrimp and diced them. This is one appetizer that you don’t want to pass up. It is super and Thank-You Cristi at The Buzz for sharing this recipe. Now you know why we keep going back to The Buzz, when Cristi comes up with treats like this.

Quarterly Dinner at the Buzz

04 Monday Mar 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Main Dish, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurants, Shrimp, Special Dinners, Special Events, What's For Dinner?, Wine Dinners

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cotes du rhone, food, italian sausage soup, restaurants, stuffed pepper, wine dinner

March 3 found us at the Quarterly Wine Dinner at the Buzz and what a delightful dinner and wine. We gave Cristi some wine for her birthday and she said she was going to share it with everyone at this dinner. We brough her some more just so she would not run out. Pictured here is one of the Ridge Vineyards that we brought her. And along with a great selection of wines that she and Paul Colwell selected, Cristi prepared a fantastic dinner. Here is what we had. Enjoy!

Stuffed Peppers and Tortilla Espanola

With this appetizer we had –

2007 Muriel Reserva which went extremely well with the Tortilla
2009 Mosen Cleto Crianza which went best with the shrimp.

Both of these wines were excellent and each one went very well with the appetizer.

This is the stuffed pepper. Notice the shrimp. Cristi a bag of Winco sweet peppers. Roasted them about 30 minutes in the oven. Mixed the shrimp with onion, tomato, mayonnaise and sherry. It was an awesome appetizer.

This is the stuffed pepper. Notice the shrimp. Cristi used a bag of Winco sweet peppers. Roasted them about 30 minutes in the oven. Mixed the shrimp with onion, tomato, mayonnaise and sherry. It was an awesome appetizer.

Zesty Italian Sausage Soup

2009 Poggio Anima Samael. This was the best with the spiciness of the soup.
2011 Zonin Montepulciano D’Abruzzo. This tended to accentuate the spice in the soup.

California Energy Salad

2012 Snake River Unoaked Chardonnay.
2011 Matchbox Old Head Chardonnay. Great with the green pepper. Both of these wines were too close to call a winner.

Daube de Boeuf

2008 Brian Carter Byzance
2010 Bastide De Beauvert Cotes du Rhone

Both of these wines went very well with this dish. Both are very well balanced.

Had to have a little more bread for “sopping”.

Lamingtons and Neenish Tarts

2010 Blacksmith Syrah. This wine went best with the cake.
NV Shingleback Black Bubbles. Best with the tart.

Such a great evening. If you can you should really try to attend these Quarterly Wine Dinners. Cristi and crew, Tommy, Austin, and Bailey, along with Paul do a great job!! Thank-You. And I’m not sure I came up with which wine was better. It was a close tie.