These boots are made for walking…and indulging

Posted on September 24, 2011 ·
I truly love working a bit for my meals. Walkabouts, progressive dinners and this weekend – the Sun Valley Harvest Festival Restaurant Walk.

I’ve been to Sun Valley and Ketchum quite a few times in the past decade – but I stick to the places I’ve been before. The beauty of a restaurant walk is getting bite-sized introductions to places you’ve never been – or places you’ve forgotten.

We started at the Ketchum Towne Square with a first-time sampling of the brand new Sawtooth Brewery. (Growler cozies – who knew?)

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We didn’t make every one of the 15 stops, but here are the few we hit and my foodie feelings on the experience.

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Cornerstone Bar & Grill: Bite sized local buffalo wellington en croute

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Cristina’s Restaurant: Salmon cakes & Porchetta pizza roll-up

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Dashi: Crispy local Berkshire pigs head pork lollipops with pickled local cherry cre??me fraiche

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Glow: Fall harvest gazpacho with local sweet corn and avocado salsa

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Il Naso: Deconstructed Italian BLT; local seared pork belly, oregano aioli, local heirloom tomato, butterleaf lettuce and olive oil cracker

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Rickshaw: Nepalese Momos – Local XXL ranch pork and chive dumpling with spicy roasted Hagerman heirloom tomato sauce

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Roosevelt Grille: Snake River Farms Kobe beef grilled flatiron steak two ways – Argentinean chimichurri and Thai-basil 

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Rolling in Dough: Cheese crackers and lemon tarts

While the entire experience was fantastic, my favorites were:

  • Dashi – When you hear pig’s head you may cringe, but the flavor and lusciousness of the meat was divine.
  • Roosevelt Grille – There is nothing quite as fantastic as a perfectly cooked steak (well, maybe a great 3-minute egg) but this flatiron was superb. Add that to the fact that Chef Tom Nickel had whipped up two nom-worthy toppings (chimichurri? I’m now a huge fan).
  • Il Naso: Now THAT is the way to prepare pork belly. Perfect crispiness. Foodgasm.

- Jess Flynn

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Mama Mia! Finally a great Italian deli in the Valley

Posted on July 14, 2011 ·

After a night at the racetrack I finally made it over to check out Uncle Giuseppe’s Italian & American Eatery at Glenwood & State.

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Mama Mia I’d been missing out on some mangia-worthy nomness!

Above – fresh muzz (or mozzarella for the rest of you :-) and The Naples sandwich: Prosciutto, Capocollo, Mozzarella, Roasted Bell Peppers and Balsamic Vinegar.

Kevin went for the most popular sandwich The Italian Giuseppe: Prosciutto, Capocollo, Sopressata, Salami, Mortadella, Provolone…

Amazing selection of imported meats and cheeses and Boar’s Head products (Here’s the menu.)

A must-visit for those yearning for great Italian sammies…and to support the family enterprise from transplanted New Yorkers. (even though it appears they are Yankees fans I’ll still make a return visit :-)

Filed Under: Idaho Restaurants Tagged With: ,

Two more for the ‘must mangia’ list….

Posted on January 9, 2011 ·

Quick weekend trip to McCall resulted in two more additions to my ‘must mangia’ list….

‘Sugar Bacon’ at the Shore Lodge bar -as the menu says “need we say more?

And this delicious monstrosity from The Sushi Bar – Honey Toast. A loaf of bread from the awesome local Evening Rise Bakery soaked in butter and honey and filled with vanilla ice cream

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Probably two of the most simple menu listings but deceivingly delish! DoubleNom

Sent from my iPhone

Filed Under: Must Mangia Tagged With: , , , , ,

Nom Nom Nom on a Tuesday Morning

Posted on November 30, 2010 ·
Stomach is growling on a Tuesday morning thanks to Food & Wine’s 10 Best Restaurant Dishes of 2010
This deliciousness is Braised Leeks with Mozzarella & a Fried Egg from FnB in Scottsdale
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via foodandwine.com

The closest dishes I may get to savor

Scallop Sashimi with Meyer Lemon Confit:
Forage, Salt Lake City

Best Restaurant Dishes of 2010: Scallop Sashimi with Meyer Lemon Confit

Pork Rillette Hand Pies:
Olympic Provisions; Portland, OR

Best Restaurant Dishes of 2010: Pork Rillette Hand Pies

 

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Boise Fry Co foodgasm

Posted on November 24, 2010 ·

On the left – yam fries with cinnamon ginger salt and warm marshmallow sauce.

On the right – The Bourgeoise – hand cut Russets flash fried in duck fat and dressed with black truffle oil. (Best. Fries. Ever.)

And on the far right – as a side of course – the delicious (but pretty much unneccessary) bison burger :-)

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Sent from my iPhone

Filed Under: Idaho Restaurants, Must Mangia Tagged With: , , ,

“I Must Increase My Crust” – Pie Fries!

Posted on November 23, 2010 ·
Another reason – among many others – to head to Seattle…

I’ve never met Seattle piemaker Dani Cone of High 5 Pie, but I already know he is a genius for coming up with this concept for pie scraps.

“The concept is simple behind these pie fries: simply put your pie scraps on a baking sheet, slice them into fry-sized pieces, brush with butter, cinnamon and sugar, and bake until crispy. Want extra cute points? Put ‘em in pillow boxes (available at most craft supply stores) or paper cones and serve with jam for dipping.”

Um, heck yeah! Nom Nom Nom!

I also am now in love with Seattle-based writer Jessie Oleson, self-professed cake anthropologist and the brains behind award-winning dessert website Cakespy and the harbinger of the Pie Fries. First off – love that title. And secondly, of all the things to be ‘award-winning’ at having the honor come for your dessert website just plain rocks.

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My Enduring Queso Obsession

Posted on November 14, 2010 ·

I recently journeyed back to the Hill Country of Texas for work, and satisfied my 12+year craving for that cheesy-deliciousness known as queso with a foodie pilgrimage to one of my all-time favorite 24-hour pit stops – Austin’s Magnolia Cafe.

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And then I proceeded to shun all table manners by inhaling my first Mag Mud queso since I had the awesome ‘Jennifer Friend’s haircut’ in the late 90′s.

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While the successful foodie pilgrimage satisfied me for about – oh, 3 hours – the new online search began for a way to satisfy my ongoing queso urge back here in Boise. Despite my searching & craving, I haven’t been able to find any good queso in Idaho. And heck, it’s football season! Football + Fall = Queso.

And Velveeta will not cut it.

Found some hope and inspiration courtesy HomesickTexan Lisa with her post A More Natural Chile con Queso Of course – roux is the answer to anything! (and also is the base to my family’s mac n’ cheese). So that’s on the list for Sunday game day.

And I have hope for the work & hunger leading up to this year’s Thanksgiving meal, thanks to Melissa Clark’s Good Appetite post ‘Dips to Sustain the Holiday Cook till Thanksgiving Dinner.’ It even has a bit of an Idaho angle – with inclusion of delicious chorizo as a key ingredient to this soon-to-be holiday staple Queso Fundido with chorizo, jalapeno & cilantro.

 

Filed Under: Cheesy Goodness, Must Mangia, On The Road Tagged With: , , ,

Holy Market Delicousness!!

Posted on October 2, 2010 ·

Capital City Market uber-find from Morning Owl Farms.

Hot, delicious beignets made with farm fresh duck eggs!!!!

Oh my god soooooo good!

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Sent from my iPhone

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Best mac n cheese in the West

Posted on July 24, 2010 ·

I am going to share a little secret.

Like some anglers who share the location of their favorite fishing holes or dippers who share their secret hot springs spots – when I make an awesome foodie find I like to share the love.

Best mac n cheese in the Western US in my esteemed opinion :-) is at Como’s Corner Bistro on SE 1st and SE Court in downtown Pendleton, Oregon.

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Como’s Gourmet Macaroni and Cheese: Cavatappi pasta baked with mozzarella , feta, gorgonzola, and parmesan cheeses, spinach, onions and artichokes. Must be the combo of cheeses or the spiral pasta or the added herbs but this stuff is one of the few meals I dream about days ahead of time.

Now, I eat a LOT of mac n cheese – it’s my thing, so to speak. If restaurants put it on the menu – let alone call it gourmet – I feel it’s my duty to give it a try.

We first stumbled on Como’s 7 years ago en route from Boise to Portland or Seattle or Spokane. In other words – Pendleton is on the way to quite a few places. I also had an Italian great uncle named Como back in Queens so it had the family thing going.

It’s now become a stop for us on every roadtrip we take West of Boise. Besides the fantastical cheesy goodness that is their M&C, the tiny bistro also has some seriously good Italian dishes made from scratch – EVERYTHING is delicious. I only know because Kevin tries out the other entrees like spinach ravioli in cream sauce with spicy Italian sausage, while I enhale M&C.

Make it a stop on your next journey West on I84!

Sent from my iPhone

Filed Under: Cheesy Goodness, Must Mangia Tagged With: , ,

We need Idaho Foodspotters! #dailydistraction

Posted on June 30, 2010 ·

Thanks to Chad Biggs at the office for this link

Just learned about Foodspotting http://www.foodspotting.com/
In a nutshell, sharing the dishes you love, not just the locales.
“Foodspotters earn recognition for sharing foods they love enabling foodseekers to find whatever they’re craving and see what’s good wherever they go.  Foodspotting is a visual local guide that lets you find dishes instead of just restaurants. It’s powered by Foodspotters, who can share their food photos and expertise while building a rich collection of foods and where to find them.”

Really love that you can ‘like’ or ‘approve’ of a particular post and it’s called a ‘Nom’
So, Nom nom nom
I. Want. To. Go. Here.

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