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?

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

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

Pacific Northwest Wine Dinner at the Buzz

16 Thursday May 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Chicken, Cooking Styles, Main Dish, Miner's Lettuce, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Salads, Salmon, Seafood, Special Dinners, Special Events, What's For Dinner?, Wine Dinners

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

bryan carter, strawberry rhubarb crisp, tomato salad, wine dinner

This was an interesting wine dinner. Differently good! One does not often get spinach at a wine dinner. Hard to pair with the wine. The roasted tomato salad was good. There was no Miner’s Lettuce in it. The Miner’s Lettuce pictured here in in our garden. Here are the photos of the dinner and you be the judge as to whether it was different from the norm of wine dinners. I will score the wine on a [20] point rating system. Left-Click on any of the photos to see them full screen. And please VOTE above. Thanks and Cheers!

Salmon Canapes
Potato and Mushroom Apple Cake

2011 Iris Pinot Grigio
12.5% alc. a good wine with a full taste and long finish. went well with the appetizer. [18] $15.00

Pea Soup
(Interesting and good!)

2011 G3 Chardonnay
13.7 alc. nice gold color but lacking in taste. went well, however, with the soup [17] $15.00

Roasted Tomato Salad

2010 Willamette Whole Cluster Pinot Noir
13.5% alc. sand and clay on the nose. not a big Pinot as some are. it did pair well with the salad and the dressing. [17] $23.00

Huckleberry Chicken
Creamed Spinach
Biscuits

2010 Bryan Carter Abracadabra
13.8% alc. really went well with the chicken and especially the spinach. great body and taste and finish. [19] $19.00 2011

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Sawtooth Syrah
13.3% alc. Idaho’s first 91+ nationally scored wine and I can see why. the aroma was a little lite but everything else was superb. congratulations to Sawtooth Winery. [19] $15.00 (Great buy!)

And just as a closer, here are some spring flowers that Robin likes that are planted in our garden. Enjoy.

Columbine

Bleeding Hearts

Breaded Mahi Mahi For Dinner ….. Warm Beet-Orange Salad Recipe

13 Monday May 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Asparagus, Beans, Captain's Shack, Mahi Mahi, Main Dish, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipes, Seafood, Special Information, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

ahi Mahi, beets, homemade tartar sauce, leon millot, Mahi Mahi

Yes we did have Braised Mahi Mahi tonight. But first ………….. I was showing the wine cellar to a friend, Mike from Acme Bakery in Boise (Mike makes awesome bread and his rolls are the ones used by 10 Barrel Brew Pub in Boise, for their burgers) when I noticed a seriously leaking bottle. Yes, it was the one shown here. Almost 75% of the wine was gone – most evaporated. But now the question is, how many of the readers here have ever had a wine made from the Leon Millot grape? I never had one. Here is some information from House of Vines blog.

This is another little hybrid that was developed in France. In fact it is has the same parentage as its more well known sibling Marechal Foch. Two other hybrids came from this same cross including Marechal Joffre and Lucy Kuhlman. Leon Millot is an early ripening black grape with small bunches, often 2-3 per shoot the largest usually about 70-80 grams.

It is cold hardy to approximately -25 to -30 c and while bud break is relatively early it is a little later than Foch making it appealing to those where later spring frost can be an issue. It is also known to ripen a few days earlier than Foch but these accounts appear somewhat subjective. Typically it ripens in 135-140 days, with flowering to harvest being about 85-90 days. What is known is that it regularly ripens to the same brix as Foch but does not have the high acidity problems that Foch can have in some years. In fact the juice chemistry is often excellent for wine making. [House of Vines]

Braised Mahi Mahi
with
homemade tartar sauce and bread crumbs
Rosemary White Beans
Onion and Asparagus with Morel Mushrooms

Here is the beet salad that Marnie made for Mother’s Day. She got the recipe from the food Network. Enjoy!

Warm Beet-Orange Salad

Place 1 pound beets on a large piece of foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 3 tablespoons water; close into a packet. Roast at 400 degrees F until tender, 50 minutes.

Peel the beets and cut into wedges.

Whisk 1/3 cup orange juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt to taste in a bowl.

Add 2 segmented oranges, the beets and 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts and toss.

Enjoy the information and the recipe. Thanks Marnie for sharing this. Please VOTE above. Thanks!

Spring Is In The Air at The Buzz

07 Tuesday May 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Special Events, Special Information, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

buzz music, restaurants

This is just in from the Buzz in Boise. Hope to see you at one of these events. Cheers!

May at the Buzz
Music and Wine
We at the Buzz, hope that everyone is doing well. We will be having a few fun and interesting events at the Buzz during May. We will be featuring music on May 10 Nancy Kelly, May 11 Carter Freeman, May 17 Todd Palmer, May 24 John Cazan, May 31 Johnny Shoes. Music starts each night at 7 PM and continues until 9 PM. Each Friday and Saturday Night we will have winetasting, dinner specials, dessert specials, and appetizer specials. Come join us for some great food, wine, music and company.

May Wine Club
Wines of the Pacific Northwest
We will continue our journey through the world of wine by learning about the wines of the Pacific Northwest. Wine club this month is May 14 and May 15 at 6:30. The cost is $15.00 per person including dinner and wine tasting. All wines will be on sale 10% off after dinner. Reservations are required. Buzzwine@cableone.net or 344-4321.

Mother’s Day
Don’t forget Moms Day
Make reservations for our brunch buffet on May 12 from 10:30 until 2:30. All moms get complimentary champagne with their brunch. $9.95 for adults $6.95 for children 4-12. Reservations at buzzwine@cableone.net or 344-4321.

WHIP – We’re Helping Inspire People
Join us for our first WHIP night. This is a night for our friends and customers to inspire each other. This will be the last Thursday of each month (Thursday May 30), bring a project you are working on or questions you may have and join the group. May will feature digital photography. We will have “small bite” specials and flights of wine. No reservations required. Hope to see you there.

Lobster Sliders

06 Monday May 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Baguette, Bread, Captain's Shack, Lobster, Main Dish, Miner's Lettuce, Photos By: Bob Young, Relish, Salads, Sandwiches, Seafood, Slider, Special Dinners, What's For Dinner?

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Acme Bakery, Baguette, black bean and corn salad, Miner's Lettuce, tartar sauce, yellow tomato

A good dinner tonight! Lobster Sliders Fresh made tartar sauce fresh picked miner's lettuce yellow tomato

A good dinner tonight! Left-Click to see larger image. VOTE above. Thanks!

Lobster Sliders
fresh made tartar sauce, fresh picked miner’s lettuce, yellow tomato, fresh baked Acme Bakery baguette

Homemade Black Bean and Corn Salad

Broiled Lamb Chops with Asparagus Stuffed Sweet Onion

05 Sunday May 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Asparagus, Baked Onion, Captain's Shack, Herbs and Spices, Lamb, Main Dish, Photos By: Bob Young, Salads, Side Dishes, Special Dinners, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

broiled lamb chops, sweet onion

We wanted to try something different tonight with broiled lamb chops. So we decided to stuff a sweet onion with fresh asparagus and just a “tad” of cheese. (Photo to the left.) There was enough liquid in the onion and cheese to keep this very moist. Baked it off for about 45 minutes at 375 degrees F. When we make it again, I will remove more of the interior of the onion – make thinner walls – and add more asparagus. It was quite good! Here is the plated dinner. Left-Click to see enlarged. Enjoy and please VOTE above. Thanks!

Broiled Lamb Chops
olive oil, fresh mint, fresh rosemary, garlic, Mediterrean spices

Asparagus Stuffed Sweet Onion

Green Salad with Beets, Tomato and Carrot Strings

Serve with a good, light red wine as pictured here.

Grand Opening-New Boise Farmer’s Market

04 Saturday May 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Boise, Boise Adventures, Boise Farmers Market, Hard To Find Foods, Herbs and Spices, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Locavore, Photos By: Bob Young, Special Events, Special Information, What's For Dinner?

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

fiddlehead ferns, food, Goat Cheese, potted flowers, tomato plants

The New Boise Farmer’s Market at 10th Street and Grove in downtown Boise, held their Grand Opening today – it rained the day they had originally scheduled the Grand Opening. Today was crowded, no rain and sunny, and everyone seemed to be enjoying the food, the produce, the beef and buffalo and lamb and chicken. Fresh herbs are also available along with fresh tomatoes and tomato plants. Do you like goat cheese? See the Rollingstone Chevre booth for fresh made goat cheese. All types. Bleu Goat Cheese is coming in about 3 weeks. Here are some photos from today. Enjoy. Left-Click the photo to see enlarged and don’t forget to VOTE above. Thanks.

Potted flowers. Here are some Pansy’s.

Food is available at the market. Here is a Waffle Stack.

Fiddlehead Ferns

Fresh, hard to find mushrooms.

Sole Dinner

04 Saturday May 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Captain's Shack, Comfort Food, Herbs and Spices, Main Dish, Photos By: Bob Young, Salads, Sole, Sole Dinner, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

dinner, hard cooked eggs, homemade bread crumbs, pickled beets, sawtooth winery

Braise Buttermilk Sole
homemade bread crumbs with infused fresh Texas tarragon and fresh chives

Green Salad
pickled beets and hard cooked eggs

2012 Sawtooth Winery (ID) Gewurtztraminer

Such a good dinner last night. It was yummy! Left-Click the photo to see enlarged. Enjoy. Cheers!

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?

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

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?

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

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.