To celebrate Women’s History Month, the City Cast Boise team gathered up some of our favorite women-owned restaurants and bars that, plate by plate and drink by drink, are creating a new and more diverse Boise deeply rooted in culture and heritage.
Think of it as your day guide for eating and drinking superbly, while supporting women who are new business owners, but already pillars in the community.
Sunshine Spice Bakery & Cafe, the Shams Sisters
When most Americans think of Afghan food, we rarely consider pastry. The Shams sisters have taught many of us here in Boise what a shame that is since opening in 2019.
All four sisters — Khatera, Narges, Homeyra, and Bahar Shams-Amir — were born in Afghanistan. They based the restaurant on the nickname for saffron, a rare spice harvested in their home country. The sisters have won several accolades since opening, as well as a feature on “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives,” and are on the way to opening a second location in downtown Boise.
Sunshine Spice serves lunch, but is best known for their pastries, which earned baker Khatera a James Beard Award nomination last year. (Blake Hunter / City Cast Boise)
Oh Vegan Soul, Mae Gaines
If you’re considering a plant-based diet, you’re in good hands at Oh Vegan Soul. Owner Mae Gaines transitioned her business from a food truck to a brick and mortar location at the Chow Public Market (by the Edwards theater on Overland Road) in the fall of 2022, bringing regular hours to her operation.
As a white person, I don’t often hand out opinions on soul food, but I’m pretty convicted about this one. (Blake Hunter / City Cast Boise)
Her fried chick’n, mac and cheese, jerk jackfruit, biscuits, collard greens, and more, are some of Boise’s best vegan food and best soul food. Gaines put it best on Oh Vegan Soul’s Instagram recently: “Are you passing this up just because you’re not vegan?”
Alyonka Russian Cuisine, Elena DeYoung
Alyonka rises to the challenge of being the only Russian restaurant in Boise, and delivers. DeYoung, who’s also known as Alyonka, grew up in Kazakhstan, a former Soviet republic. She co-founded the Russian Food Festival and opened her restaurant in 2019.
A Hey Boise reader recently put Alyonka’s beef stroganoff on their list of comfort foods, and I’d add the pelmeni, a dumpling dish with sour cream (which you can soup-ify).
For the ultimate comfort: babushka’s chicken fricadelian noodle soup. (@alyonkarussiancuisine / Instagram)
Water Bear Bar, Kylie North & Laura Keeler
Kylie North and Laura Keeler visited Boise during the “Snowmageddon” of 2017, and decided they could stay here. Within a couple years, they’d opened an ultra-intentional and inclusive haven for libation lovers.
I spoke with North on the City Cast Boise podcast last year after they earned a grant supporting queer-owned businesses around the country, and she shared a recipe with us — give it a listen.
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