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City Cast Boise

The latest on the hottest places to eat, drink, socialize, and talk about in Boise.

Not for the first time this year, the folks at Caldwell’s Amano are celebrating on a big stage this week after the 

 one of the 50 most exciting restaurants in the U.S.

Describing the standout restaurant’s menu, the Times wrote: “In a nod to Southern California, the L.A. Birria Tacos have a particularly rich consommé. The short rib with mole negro is a dark, rich monumental piece of meat, and afterward, it may be difficult to face the dulce de leche adorned with burnt-corn husk cream, but it’s the right decision.”

Earlier this year, Amano chef Salvador Alamilla joined City Cast Boise (along with KIN’s Kris Komori) to talk 

. Alamilla discussed his immigration journey, research trips to Mexico, and why representing Caldwell’s Latino community is the inspiration he returns to time and again.

“How do we keep getting better? How do we keep presenting our culture in this way? That is right now probably our biggest motivation,” Alamilla said.

, so you might be excited to know that the small, indie movie theater is celebrating 39 years of being in business this week.

Also, shoutout to the Flicks staff who are making movie-inspired food and drink menus a la “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” a regular thing now. In 

honor of showing “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3,”

 they’re serving gyros, a Greek wine spritzer, and more — we love to see it!

Amano Makes Headlines — Again

Food & Drink

A while ago I asked for some happy hour recommendations and got some favorites, plus a couple extra.

One of my picks is Matador, which has some great food included in their 

 from 4 - 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. - close. The order: a quesadilla with their cilantro-lime sour cream and a tequila old fashioned.

 daily from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. and after 10 p.m. on the weekends.

, which has discounted drinks from 3 - 6 p.m. daily and 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday. “Spent five hours there recently … large pours, yummy appetizers, and affordable bill.”

, with a BOGO daily from 4 - 6 p.m., and 

 for $30 after 3 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays.

comprehensive list of happy hours, the Downtown Boise Association

Here’s where to go if you’re looking for an entire night out instead of a happy hour.

Where To Party In Boise

When and where to get some of the cheapest drinks in Boise.

Some of Boise's Best Happy Hour Bars

After much ado, In-N-Out is almost open. But with so much buzz around the California chain, it’s also time to visit Boise’s classic best local burgers.

Self-admitted burger snob Emma Arnold visited with Boise State Public Radio’s Jimmy Dawson about their 

Here are some of their recommendations, but be warned: They decided Boise doesn’t have an “A+” burger drive-thru (yet!).

A Boise classic for a reason, Fanci Freez bought this local spot and ran it for a few years (and the quality went down, apparently it was big drama back in the day), and was bought back by some employees, to its benefit. They agree: 

Known for their breakfast burritos as well as their burgers, 

 got a B+ from Emma, with a penalty partially because of the wait. However, they use quality ingredients

This is a newer spot, but has quickly become one of Boise’s best. Theirs is a smashburger with a few more bells and whistles than Emma and Jimmy want from a classic drive-thru style burger, but it isn’t even a drive-thru.

Where to Get Your Next Burger

Skip In-N-Out for Boise's Best Local Burgers

 is returning to Julia Davis Park on Saturday. It’s only from 5-7 p.m., so order your food ahead of time — but if you don’t order online, you can get food, you might just have to wait in line.

There will be Bollywood music and henna tattoos, and tons of food options.

I recently asked readers for their favorite pho places in town; here are the recommendations:

Jayne: “Pho Le on Broadway has the best beef Pho in town by far.”

 Paula: “This list would be incomplete without including Pho Real! It’s truly amazing. The broth! The fresh veggies! The incredibly welcoming but chill and friendly vibe! Dine-in or take-out, it’s a must. 🍲” Beck also recommended Pho Real, along with their Taro Boba.

Before we go, it’s (already?) pumpkin spice latte season at Starbucks! While we can all go for a big chain coffee from time to time, I’d love to shout out some of your favorite fall season drinks from local coffee shops if you have them.

Where’s Your (Local) PSL?

The Indian Food Festival is returning to Julia Davis Park on Saturday. It’s only from 5-7 p.m., so order your food ahead of time — but if you don’t order online, you can get food, you might just have to wait in line

Indian Food Festival & Some of Boise's Best Pho

Between Grimace’s shake and “Barbie,” it’s a pink and purple summer. And while ube (OO-beh) has been trendy across the U.S. for a couple of years, it’s finally made its way onto Boise menus.

Specifically, the women behind the Afghan bakery Sunshine Spice have incorporated ube into a blended latte, and the folks at Hap Hap Lounge launched “Hit Me Ube One More Time” as one of their first cocktails.

Ube is a purple yam native to the Philippines, and 

has a storied history in Filipino cuisine and colonization

. In recent years in the U.S., the tuber has been incorporated into $100 donuts by Filipino-American pastry chefs, lit up Instagram primarily in the form of drinks, and was lauded to 

closer to the root (pun intended) in Pinoy Grindz’ ube mochi

The Boise Farmers Market’s biggest annual fundraiser, the Harvest Moon Dinner, is on Aug. 27. 

, so grab your seat if you want to support the market and get a five-course meal from a team of local chefs.

In less exciting news, Boise recently lost one of its very few fully vegan restaurants. Alchemist Plant Pub, located near the intersection of Capitol and Idaho Streets, closed after just a few months in business.

“Unfortunately, with rising food costs, labor expenses, coupled with many challenges within the economy we have made the difficult decision to temporarily close our doors,” 

. They will reopen the location as another Alchemist Cafe location — of which there are three — soon.

In one last piece of food and drink news, there’s a distinct new coffee drive-thru operating in West Boise. 

 at 10249 W. Fairview Ave. (about halfway between the Village at Meridian and the Fairview WinCo), bringing “bikini coffee” back to Idaho.

Also, help me roundup the best pho in town. 

Filipino ube’s having its Idaho moment. A vegan eatery just closed. Here’s the food news of the week.

Boise’s Ube Moment, and Other Food News

There are just a few summer weekends remaining! Here are a few festivals around the corner that might require planning in advance, but will help you make the most of the season.

But first, some housekeeping, news, and other events:

Thanks to the folks at Percy for kindly correcting me: 

 has their grand opening next Thursday, Aug. 10. 

, the two distinct restaurants in the hotel, are already plating and pouring, so you can get your reservation in now. Here’s how it all came to be, 

 with the key to the city in honor of what she called their “key role in lifting up and giving back to our Boise community by elevating the farmers, producers, servers and chefs that make our culinary arts scene so vibrant, accessible and delicious.”

Sample from 15 local wineries at this festival, and enjoy live music, food trucks, and local vendors at 110 County Fair Ave. in Caldwell. 

Donnelly’s annual celebration of the huckleberry

 is worth checking out the weekend of Aug. 11 - 13.

This is another of Boise’s bests, at Julia Davis Park, with an 

abundance of soul food and music on Aug. 12

There are just a few summer weekends remaining! Here are a few festivals around the corner that will help you make the most of the season.

Last of Boise's 2023 Summer Festivals

The Last of Boise's Summer Festivals

If you’re like City Cast Boise producer Evelyn Avitia and have never tried Basque food, this weekend is a great opportunity to change that, with the San Inazio festival running today through Sunday.

The festival honors Saint Ignatius of Loyola, a 15th and 16th century soldier and Catholic priest who became the patron saint of the Basques.

Throughout the weekend, the Basque Block will be filled with traditional dancing and sporting events — 

where you should go and what you should try

From hyper-local to international chain: Starbucks is expanding its already massive footprint in the Treasure Valley. Here are three new locations 

the corporation is hoping to open, according to BoiseDev

The company is looking at building a store at the intersection of Maple Grove Rd. and Chinden Blvd.

It’s also pitching a new drive-thru to neighbors of a previous US Bank building on Airport Way, which would be torn down.

 is coming soon to Ten Mile Road, just off I-84 in Meridian.

And lastly, want to branch out and try some new ice cream this weekend?

Here Are City Cast Boise’s Picks

If you have never tried Basque food, this weekend is a great opportunity to change that.

A Beginner's Guide to Basque Food

For your weekend consideration: ice cream. Yesterday on City Cast Boise, lead producer Frankie Barnhill and contributor Jimmy Dawson toured the Treasure Valley’s ice cream scene and came away with a few recommendations. 

As Jimmy says, this is a homegrown Idaho classic uninterested in aesthetics but dialed in on the decadence. Here in the Treasure Valley, there are locations on Lake Hazel Road, on Chinden Boulevard in Meridian, and in Kuna.

Frankie made up the term “third-wave ice cream,” but the STIL is the source material. The “Fresh Powder” vanilla cream cheese is great, as are their booze-infused ice creams. Plus, they’ve got solid dairy-free options! Their main location is in BoDo, and they’ve got others in Barbery Valley, on Latah on the Bench, and one in Caldwell.

When you can keep your wait in line under 10 minutes, this is the best spot for the vibes; There are too few old soda fountains anymore, and this is a classic.

This is a 1950’s-style parlor with burgers on the side that has been around for a long time.

The former location of Idaho Blueprint and Supply, which was open for over a century, is being considered for a new 

“classic college bar” location by Todd Asin

, who opened one of the best bagel spots in town (and 

We toured the Treasure Valley’s ice cream scene and came away with a few recommendations. 

Where to Find Boise's Best Ice Cream

I ate one Wylder pizza and knew that I’d try anything the people behind that pizza made next. And I didn’t have to wait long!

David and Lizzy Rex run not only The Wylder, but Certified in Hyde Park, 

, short for “perseverance,” just a few blocks away from The Wylder, at 400 South 4th Street in the Heath on Broad apartments. It’s their largest restaurant yet, and a foray into slightly finer dining, with a few entrée dishes approaching $40.

Inside, the bar is the highlight — the main dining room is quite spacious, and I’m hoping to see it gather more of a lived-in feel, a more defined aesthetic character, over time.

 they wanted to create a menu that remained “approachable,” and they have.

 yet, one of my favorite aspects of The Wylder was recreated at Percy: They know how to do vegetables. We’re a town of more than a few extremely boring salads, but the Tomboy and Baby Gem salads defy that trend. But beyond salads, it doesn’t feel like anything on the menu is there out of an obligation — I didn’t try the Brussel sprouts because they’re everywhere, but I expect they’re worth a shot.

The Wylder mushroom toast has a little sibling in Percy’s smoked salmon toast (and the mustard seed puts it over the top).

Try the namesake potato dish: super herby, a sharp aioli, and the potatoes aren’t mushy.

On the cocktail list, the Perseverance and Sea Witch.

Correction: I originally miswrote the restaurant's name. It's just "Percy."

Get to Know Percy

It’s prime brunch season! I went back into the City Cast Boise podcast archives for a 

conversation about brunch with “The Latino Card” hosts

They’ve got some tips, but first, a little inspiration for chefs.

“The best is yet to come with Boise brunch. We’re early. The scene for Boise brunch — from what I’ve seen — is fairly new, so I think folks are starting to think about how they can have good brunch menus.”

Anything at Amano, but especially the spiced coffee and lavender tres leches

Recommendations aside, Antonio and JJ are brunch fans because of the laughter and the food. What about you — 

where are your favorite brunch spots or menu items