New to us: BrickYard – Steakhouse – Spirits – Dueling Pianos

Tags

, , ,


17Dec2015_1_Brickyard_SignIn Boise, one of the better burgers! Almost as good as Storm’s Burger from the Parma Ridge Winery Bistro in Parma, ID. The BrickYard, Boise offers a very attractive dining area and a good BrickYard Menu along with Idaho, and other, wines and spirits. Children are welcome! I need to say right now, our Waiter, Brandon, was superb. Friendly, polite, and liked to engage in good conversation and could answer all of our questions. He even made my lunch a little different and not on the menu. Well worth a trip and be aware, one of the best burgers in Boise! We will go back. “… Brickyard Music – This weekend scheduled to play Friday December 4th, & Saturday December 5th featuring dueling pianos with Robert Morrow, Danny Beal and on the drums (& Vocals), Adam Troutman, playing all requests starting at 10pm. For an extended music calendar and ticket information on upcoming events, follow us on Facebook! The BrickYard strives to showcase local products when available.” Definitely a 4+-Star restaurant. Here are some photos. Enjoy! This would be a good restaurant for the Idaho Wine Commission Restaurant of the Year Award.

The front door sign on Main Street in Boise.

The front door sign on Main Street in Boise. 601 Main Street, Boise, ID 83702, Mon-Wed: 11am – 10pm, Thu: 11am – 10pm, Fri: 11am – 2am, Sat: 5pm – 2am. Phone: 208.287.2121, Fax: 208.287.9203, Parking: Street, Food Styles: Steakhouses, Attire: Dressy, Culinary Team: Executive Chef – Drew Ledger and Owners: Chad and Kristi Johnson.”

The restaurant is in what used to be the Idaho Statesman Building.

The restaurant is in what used to be the Idaho Statesman Building.

The dining area.

The dining area.

Chuhuli glass art on the wall!

Chihuly glass art on the wall! “… Dale Chihuly (born September 20, 1941), is an American glass sculptor and entrepreneur. His works are considered unique to the field of blown glass, “moving it into the realm of large-scale sculpture”. The technical difficulties of working with glass forms are considerable, yet Chihuly uses it as the primary medium for installations and environmental artwork.”

Close up of the wall art.

Close up of the wall art.

Chuhuli Light in the main dining area! If you know glass art, you know Chuhuli!

Chuhuli Light in the main dining area! If you know glass art, you know Chihuly! This light art is probably worth in the neighborhood of $14000.00 – $15000.00. Just thought I’d let you know.

Flavo Furo

Flora Dora

Ahi Tuna

Ahi Club
Thin sliced seared Ahi tuna on a toasted ciabatta bun with wasabi sauce, applewood bacon, lettuce leaves, fresh tomato slices and shaved pickled ginger
Smoked Bacon and Potato Soup
Idaho Yukon gold potatoes poached in chicken stock then slow cooked with hand cut shoestring fries

Burger

BrickYard Burger
Hand formed half pound ground chuck patty infused with smoked bacon, char-grilled and crowned with sharp cheddar. Dressed out with crispy onions, butter leaf lettuce, sliced fresh tomato and mayonnaise on a fresh baked bun served with hand cut steak fries

I had them hold the bun and they did that. It was good to see that they would alter their menu to suit the client. I ate about 1 cup of the fries and Robin ate the rest.

Two Super Breakfasts!

Tags

, ,


Potato Latkes Apple Sauce Sour Cream Mostly all Idaho products. Yummers!

Potato Latkes
Apple Sauce
Sour Cream

Mostly all Idaho products. Yummers!

Basil Poached Meadowlark Farms EggsToasted Acme Bake Shop Sourdough Ham

Basil Poached Meadowlark Farms Eggs
Toasted Acme Bake Shop Sourdough
Ham

Tea Time at Capitol Cellars

Tags

,


26Aug2015_1_Capitol-Cellars_EntranceAh yes! Interesting and a good time. No wine, although there was a bubbly offered. Tea. All types and kinds of tea. And “finger foods” – really good. And fresh made. Yummers! Here’s what we had.

No. No wine today. Just look and dream.

No. No wine today. Just look and dream.

Interesting tea pot. The pot actually was made to fit into the cup. Look close.

Interesting tea pot. The pot actually was made to fit into the cup. Look close.

Robin with her tea.

Robin with her tea. Can you see both the cup and the pot?

Tea is poured

Tea is poured

Finger foods were delicious. Blueberry/Raspberry Scone Meat, Cheese and Greens with Aoli on Sourdough Slice, Shortbread, Quiche and Chocolate Truffle

Finger foods were delicious. Individual plates consisting of –

Blueberry/Raspberry Scone
Meat, Cheese and Greens with Aoli on Sourdough Slice
Shortbread
Quiche
Chocolate Truffle

Weekend Specials at Parma Ridge Winery

Tags

, , ,


2015-Parma-Ridge-Hodge-LogoHere is the latest from Parma Ridge Winery. Great weekend specials!

Join us for delicious food, a glass of wine and a beautiful view. Check out our specials this weekend!

Friday Happy Hour Specials from 4-7 p.m. with purchase of glass of wine or beer:
2 Sliders with Rosemary Truffle Fries: Pork, Mesquite Ground Beef, “Triple B“ or “Deluxe” – $6.50
Chargrilled Kielbasa on Pretzel Bun with Black Cherry BBQ sauce, Deli Mustard and Caramelized Onions – $5.95
Personal size Flatbread: BBQ Pork, Grilled Chicken, “The Patricia,” or Pepperoni – $5.95

Ridge House Salad: Mixed greens with apple cider vinaigrette, Bleu Cheese and poached pear - $5

Ridge House Salad: Mixed greens with apple cider vinaigrette, Bleu Cheese and poached pear – $5

Basket of Rosemary Garlic Truffle Fries with House-made aioli – $5
Sunday Only, in addition to our regular menu items, you can choose from:
Bacon, Egg and Cheddar Breakfast Sandwich with Cheesy Bacon Fries – $5.95

Best Ever Biscuits and Gravy with a Fried Egg - $6.95

Best Ever Biscuits and Gravy with a Fried Egg – $6.95

Slow Braised Beef Short Rib over Mashed Potatoes with Grilled Asparagus and Fresh Baked Bread – $10.95

Now serving our Creamy Northwest Clam Chowder all weekend!

Now serving our
Creamy Northwest Clam Chowder
all weekend!

Try our Desserts:
Viognier Poached Pear – Brown Butter Sautéed Pears with a hint of coriander and star anise deglazed with Parma Ridge Viognier and honey served with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream – $5
Decadent Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Chocolate Drizzle – $5
Dining Room and Tasting Hours are Friday 12 -7 p.m., Sat & Sun 12-5 p.m. and we offer our regular menu all weekend.

We were joined by Bob and Robin Young this past weekend, thanks for the awesome write up about Parma Ridge! https://boisefoodieguild.wordpress.com/2015/11/29/brunch-again-at-parma-ridge-winery/#comments

We are now offering gift certificates, nothing says “Merry Christmas” like the Parma Ridge Experience.

See you this weekend!
Cheers,
Steph & Storm
Parma Ridge Winery
208-946-5187
info@parmaridgewineandspirits.com

Storm's Deluxe Burger - An All-Beef Patty with American cheese and Old-School Diner Sauce served with Fresh Cut Truffle Fries, offered all-weekend

Storm’s Deluxe Burger – An All-Beef Patty with American cheese and Old-School Diner Sauce served with Fresh Cut Truffle Fries, offered all-weekend


photo courtesy of Bob Young

Northwest Creamy Clam Chowder with Storm’s Fresh Baked Bread, offered all weekend
photo courtesy of Bob Young

Copyright © 2015 Parma Ridge Wine and Spirits Co., LLC, All rights reserved.

24509 Rudd Road, Parma ID, 83660
208-946-5187
http://www.parmaridgewineandspirits.com
https://www.facebook.com/ParmaRidgeWineandSpirits

Easy Eggs Florentine Two Ways

Tags

,


Really very easy to do. Fresh spinach that the center ribs have been removed and spinach is chopped. Then soft cooked eggs in water and tarragon vinegar. Served with french fries. That’s one way.
Here’s another. Remove ribs from spinach. Steam 30 seconds in tarragon vinegar and water. Soft cook eggs in the same water. Toasted Sourdough with Raspberry Jam. Either way is quick, easy and yummy!
And yes, eggs from Meadowlark Farms, sourdough from Acme Bakeshop and spinach from Purple Sage Farms, all local farmers. Tarragon from our garden last year. We made the tarragon vinegar November of 2014.

Chopped Raw Spinach Topped with Two Soft Cooked Eggs and served with French Fries.

Chopped Raw Spinach Topped with Two Soft Poached Eggs in Water and Tarragon Vinegar and served with French Fries.

Fresh Spinach Steamed in Water and Tarragon Vinegar and then topped with Two Soft Poached Eggs. Toasted Sourdough with Raspberry Jam.

Fresh Spinach Steamed in Water and Tarragon Vinegar and then topped with Two Soft Poached Eggs that were poached in the vinegar water. Toasted Sourdough with Raspberry Jam.

As Ina would say, “How easy is that?”

Brunch Again at Parma Ridge Winery

Tags

, ,


28Nov2015_1_Snake-River-AVA-Visit_Parma-Ridge-EntranceThis 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.

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.

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

Table menus and wine for our cellar.

Table menus and wine for our cellar.

Wonderful House Salad

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!

A Thankful and Traditional Thanksgiving!

Tags

, , , ,


26Nov2015_1a_Turkey-Day-Sequence_Stuffing-PrepYes it was! A very good Thanksgiving with family. (Sorry you had to work, Chris. There’s a platter waiting for you.) Mac, Marnie, Sophia, Robin, Buddy and me. That made a good group. Mac may have a new Holiday Dinner job – The “Making of the Rolls“. They were super! The stuffing did not turn out so good. (Pictured here to the left) I think next time I will leave it in the turkey. It dried out too much. Crunchy. Difficult to eat. The turkey, though, was delicious and there is some leftover. Yea!! Dried corn was off, for some reason. Even with those drawbacks, we had a good time. Here are some photos. Enjoy! To see any of these photos enlarged, Left-Click the picture.

The wines for dinner.

The wines for dinner.

Good start to the stuffing - making our own - just a not so good ending.

Good start to the stuffing – making our own – just a not so good ending.

Tried to make individual Stuffing Cakes. I will work on this.

Tried to make individual Stuffing Cakes. I will work on this.

Herb butter is getting "Happy". Dried corn is soaking.

Herb butter is getting “Happy”. Dried corn is soaking.

Robin made this super good appetizer dish from fresh veggies and dips and roll-ups. Delicious and fun!

Robin made this super good appetizer dish from fresh veggies and dips and roll-ups. Delicious and fun!

Mac's new job - Maker of the Rolls!

Mac’s new job – Making of the Rolls!

Buddy watches and waits for any tidbits that may end up on the floor. He was patient!!

Buddy watches and waits for any tidbits that may end up on the floor. He was patient!!

The table is set and full!

The table is set and full!

Sophia brought the delicious ham.

Sophia brought the delicious ham.

The turkey was worth waiting for. The drippings made super gravy! Smooth, rich and wonderful.

The turkey was worth waiting for. The drippings made super gravy! Smooth, rich and wonderful.

Plated meal: Green Bean Casserole, Dried Corn, Stuffing, Cranberry, turkey and mashed potatoes with gravy.

Plated meal: Green Bean Casserole, Dried Corn, Apple Stuffing, Cranberry, turkey and mashed potatoes with gravy.

And finish off dinner with Peacan Pie.

And finish off dinner with Bourbon Ginger Pecan Pie that Marnie made. Here is the Recipe. Enjoy!

Fine Steaks at Ruth’s Chris in Boise


#RuthsChris
19Nov2015_1_Ruth-Chris_Dinner-SignAh yes! Once again a really good steak dinner at Ruth’s Chris. Good chicken also. Good service. Polite service. Great food. One of the better restaurants in Boise that ranks a definite 5-Star rating. Kids are welcome, but you also need deep pockets. Happy Hour from 4 – 6 with specials at that time only. Here are some photos of our visit and hopefully you will get an idea of the superb food. Cheers. Here is a link to Ruth’s Chris Steak House, their Menu and their Happy Hour Menu.

Robin is checking the extensive wine selection.

Robin is checking the extensive wine selection.

The wine we had with our dinner. Went very well with everything we had.

The wine we had with our dinner. Went very well with everything we had.

Open with a Caesar Salad.

Caesar Salad
fresh crisp romaine tossed with romano cheese and a creamy Caesar dressing. shaved parmesan cheese and black pepper

Ruth's Chris is known for their steaks and here is why. Robin had this. Too big. Brought some home.

Filet
the most tender cut of corn-fed Midwestern beef

Ruth’s Chris is known for their steaks and here is why. Robin had this. Large servings. Brought some home.

I had the chicken. Again,  large serving. Brought some home.

Stuffed Chicken Breast
oven roasted free-range double chicken breast stuffed with garlic herb cheese and served with lemon butter

I had the chicken. Again, large serving. Brought some home.

Creamed Spinach for a side dish. Delicious.

Creamed Spinach

Good side dish served family style. Delicious.

Scalloped Potatoes was really good, too.

Au Gratin Potatoes

was really good, too.

There is a reason they call this Chocolate Sin Cake. Very rich!

Chocolate Sin Cake

There’s a reason they call this Chocolate Sin Cake!

Wonderful “White Velvet Soup”

Tags

, ,


21sept2013_2_robins-bday-captains-shack_gumbo_getting-happyThis White Velvet Soup is wonderful! Smooth. Slightly sweet. Creamy. It takes a little time, but well worth it on a cold and snowy winter evening – no not snowing in Boise! But if it were ………… And then add some crumbled bacon (everything is always better with bacon!) and the Pomegranate Gremolata at the end, it is wonderful. It makes one feel joyful. Happy. And just think, it’s just some vegetables cooked together. Look at this soup. Then make it and enjoy! Add some toasted sourdough to serve with it.

White Velvet Soup

White Velvet Soup
with
pomegranate gremolata and crumbled bacon

A Good Night at the Boise Fry Company

Tags

, ,


17Nov2015_1_Boise-Fry-Co_Front-SoorThe really are a lot – many, many, many – places to get some burgers and fries – didn’t Charlie Pride sing a song about that? – in Boise, but the Boise Fry Company – Burgers On The Side is by far one of the better places. Fries from russets, golds, lauras, yams, sweet, purple, Okinawa potatoes and Brussels sprouts. And the side burgers from beef, bison (the best ones!) and vegan. Craft beer, local wines and house made sodas are also in the offering. And the kids are welcome, too! The one we went to is on 204 North Capitol Blvd (where Cafe de Paris used to be). (208) 949-7523. Easily a 4-Star eatery. Here are some photos from our visit.

A spacious dining area. Tables and chair or couches.

A spacious dining area. Tables and chairs or couches.

The ordering area and more seating.

The ordering area and more seating.

Artwork on the wall.

Artwork on the wall.

A wide variety of fry dips and salts are available. Help yourself.

A wide variety of fry dips and salts are available. Help yourself.

Buffalo Burger with Classic Topping (garlic aioli, spring mix, red onion, pickles, tomato) Russet Fries for Two

Bison Burger with Classic Topping
bacon plus garlic aioli, spring mix, red onion, pickles, tomato
Russet Fries for Two
IPA for Two

Pictured are three fry toppings: Blueberry, House Made Fry Sauce and Garlic Sauce. We liked the Blueberry the best but all were good.

It was a good night!

It was a good night!

It is interesting to see that they use all “… natural, local and whenever possible, organic products.” The prep work for making their fries takes up to 5 steps and they are then fried in GMO free sunflower oil, which is then recycled to be used in cars. The bison is “… local, natural, grass-fed … We use free-range, grass-fed beef.” Depending on what you are looking for, this might just be the burger and fry place for you. We’ll go back.