#045 Best Place to Get a Mani/Pedi

I think no matter when or where you move, you always have to go through the process of establishing your favorite new places.  For me, that involves finding "my" grocery store, gas station, coffee stand, restaurant, and of course -- salon.  I might be different than most in that I enjoy going to different hairdressers.  I am always pretty conservative when it comes to my hair, so finding new hairdressers guarantees the same hair cut always comes out a bit different each time.  I think I always hold out with a tiny hope that maybe *this* will be the person who can transform my hair into the fabulous style it was always meant to be.  This has yet to happen, but you never know, right?

In Moscow, I started by pulling up a directory of salons and beginning at the first one: A Heavenly Salon and Spa.  Very clever marketing to put an A in front of the name so they would end up first in the phone book!  I liked going there, but it wasn't life changing.  I went to the next, and eventually I ended up at Hair and Face.  This place was great.  I was always open for any stylist (you can usually book must faster that way) and they got a new one (Angie) who I genuinely looked forward to chatting with.

Then, my friend Chalayne said her hairdresser was looking to take on more clients, and I decided to give it a shot.  She cuts hair out of her home in Troy, which is about a thirty minute drive.  The drive was a pain, but it is a pretty drive and it is nice to be one-on-one with your hair dresser.  She also had the most adorable kids and the cutest dogs, so it was fun to go there.  Much more "homey" of a feeling.

To get to the point, I am now in a new town and have been trying to figure out where to get my hair cut.  I decided to do a combo of yelp and living social hunting to figure out where to go, and ended up choosing (after putting it off for waaay too many weeks) Graeber and Co #045 Best place to get a mani/pedi.  Yes, I realize a haircut is not a mani/pedi, but I really didn't feel like spending another $30 for a manicure or $40 for a pedicure!

According to yelp, Angie is a really great stylist.  I went in blind and didn't even know who I signed up for.  It ended up being a guy (not Angie!).  On the other hand, other reviews say that Carrie is terrible.  They also have some reviews saying the staff is a bit spacy, and can sometimes schedule things and then have appointments "disappear."  I didn't have any sort of problem, so I was pleased.  However, it was sort of awkward when I arrived.  They basically told me someone would be with me, and didn't show me where the waiting area was.  I akwardly stood in the entrance way, looking earnestly at each person who walked by.  Eventually one of the stylists took me to the waiting area, but I thought it was rather rude the girls at the counter didn't mention I could wait around the corner.

The hours at Graeber and Co are really great.  Not only are they open Saturdays, but they are also open until 7 pm Tuesday-Friday.  A hair cut ranges from $32-$65 (I think mine was $38?).  A shampoo/style is $20+ (not extra...just if you want only that and no hair cut).   They also offer a full salon with nails, facials, body care, massage, and waxing.  I wanted to get my eye brows waxed but there weren't any availabilities.

The one thing I can't stand when I get my haircut is when the hair stylist won't shut up about how dead/fried/dry my hair is.  OBVIOUSLY that is why I am getting a hair cut! Yes, I can understand a few comments.  But I have had some who go on and on and on and it drives me nuts.  Here, I didn't get too much of that. 

My hair stylist was actually quite nice.  The one thing he did that drove me crazy was he did act very superior...I decided to finally pay attention to how the hair stylist was doing my hair, in the hopes I would be able to re enact it at home.  To be fair, this meant I was asking a lot of questions and seemed very interested in buying product.  What really irritated me was when he asked what shampoo I used (hate that question; always feel like it is quite judgemental sounding).  I told him, and then to make it less awkward, asked what he would recommend.  He started rattling off really expensive brands, and I interjected with, "well is there anything at the drugstore you would recommend or can you even do that?" And he said there was NOTHING at the drugstore he would recommend (citing "you never know what is in that stuff, even plastic.").  I understand you get what you pay for, but there must be a lesser of two evils.  I have read numerous articles where high priced hair stylists recommend drugstore brands, so some suggestion would have been nice.

Overall, this place is great.  You do have to pay for parking ($2/hr) and I think it would be better if they validated it.  However, it was clean, stylish, and decently priced.  I always feel a bit out of place at salons, and they didn't go over the top to make me feel welcome, but no one was rude.  I don't think I will go back.  I might still be searching for that elusive hair stylist who makes my hair magical.

#020 Best Place to Stock Up on Survival Gear

I just got back from a dinner party and all the food in my belly is making me quite sleepy.  However, I am building up a big queue of things to post about, so wanted to say I made it to #020 Best Place to Stock Up On Survival Gear: Boise Army/Navy a few days ago.

It is officially located in Garden City, which made it a bit more difficult to get to.  It is only open til six during the week, so I had to go during the weekend.

I will make this post short and sweet, and promise to write more this weekend (I want to try out some bread pudding on Saturday!).  Boise Army/Navy is the place to go if you literally want to stock up on survival gear.  They have a TON of stuff and all of it looked quite legit/authentic.  They also have a big section of the store devoted to rafts, another devoted to guns, and another full of outdoor shoes.

My favorite was the aisles of cookware.  I was in HEAVEN! I had no idea there were so many options for outdoor cooking.  It made me want to buy a tent, buy all the gear, and go camping just so I had an excuse to cook outside.  It seemed so adorable to make tea in a cast iron tea kettle over a fire, while your little egg pan cooks eggs and corn roasts in tin foil.  Mmmmm delicious!

Is this even an egg pan?  I assumed it was.  Whatever it is, it looks badass.

sooo many adorable dishes!

Crazy, Stupid, Love

Tonight I went to go see Crazy, stupid, love.  I LOVED it!  I think this is the perfect movie to go see by yourself.  It gets you thinking and there are some great twists.  It isn't the best date movie -- I think all that talk about love could get awkward.  It also is kinda intense at times, and so a group might prefer a comedy or horror movie.  However, if you want to go to a movie that gets your brain thinking, puts you on an emotional roller coaster, and leaves you feeling satisfied, Crazy, stupid, love might be your movie. 

I was going to swing by a doughnut shop to get a snack to bring in, but decided I needed to run by the Coop to get some wine and dates for a dinner party tomorrow.  While there, I got a pack of freeze dried raspberries and raspberry-lemonade.  The drink was okay...it was fizzy and tasty, but not the most delicious thing ever.  The raspberries were a perfect movie snack.  They were like candy (I prefer sour candy).  They were tart, crunchy, and there was a good amount.

As for the movie, it had an awesome cast.  I love, love, love Julianne Moore.

I also really like Steve Carrell in comedies.  It was nice to see him do a great job pulling off the more serious parts of the movie. 
I wasn't really feeling Ryan Gosling as some sexpot of a guy.  I don't know why, but I have never thought of him as super, super sexy.  However, by the end of the movie, I started to really like him in the role. I wonder why (just kidding).

I think the reason I really started to like him was the interaction between him and Emma Stone was adorable.

Anyway, go check it out if you have been on the fence.  I really liked it...it would also be a great movie to rent and curl up to watch on a rainy day.

#042 Best Fries

 I went to #042 Best Fries: Boise Fry Company (BFC) a few weeks ago and am finally getting around to writing about it.  Hopefully being in Boise this weekend will let me settle down and spend some time writing cool posts about exciting places.

Boise Fry Company is VERY unique and I think if anyone was being all tourist-y in Idaho, this would be the perfect place to go.  Whenever I tell someone not from Idaho that I am living from Idaho, I inevitably get some sort of potato comment and the BFC embraces the potato culture whole heartedly.  The funny thing about potatoes is we really can't deny it.  They are everywhere! 

This place is pretty tiny when you walk in.  It is also located in a pretty crappy looking strip mall (if you take Broadway and go past Front/Carls Jr. etc, you will see it on the left).  There are a few tables outside, which help expand the space on a nice day, but I think you can't help but feel crowded whilst waiting for your order.

The mission of the BFC is to provide you with the most incredible fries, burgers and service a company can offer.  I don't eat hamburgers so I cannot attest to the quality of the burgers, but can totally say they have incredible fries and service.

You should know by now I am very picky when it comes to service.  I have always said I do my jobs with a smile, so I see no reason why someone deserves extra money for doing their job with a smile.  I could go into the whole concept of tipping in an entirely different post -- let me know if you feel the need to debate.  And before you start arguing -- YES, I DO tip and I tip just fine. Anyway, back to the point -- I really appreciate and love good service.

The staff here was phenomenal.  Everyone was super friendly and approachable.  I asked for a recommenation -- should I get Okinawa or yam french fries?  The cashier responded with, "Actually, you should try purple fries and they are delicious with garlic aoili and rosemary salt." He really knew his stuff, offered up a suggestion, and was totally nice about it.  I couldn't say no to such a confident response, so it was the purple fries for me.  He also made sure I got to-go cups for whatever sauces I wanted.  When I saw the sauces and realized I wanted more, he had no problem getting more for me. 

Another awesome thing about BFC is the focus on the fries.  In fact, burgers are called "sides," which I think is hilarious. 

The reviewers on yelp seem to like BFC, but a lot had very high expectation and didn't think the french fries were the *best* they have ever tasted.  That may be the case -- I have had some damn good french fries, and I don't know if this knocked my socks off.  However, I liked this place because it was just so much fun!

Here is a link to the menu 

You choose among seven types of potatoes, and then you choose the cut (options vary depending on the potato).  I got a medium and it was a good amount of fries.  They have very few hamburger choices - when I was there, it was basically a beef, bison or veggie choice (with the veggie one getting rave reviews).  There was also a quinoa side salad, which I ordered.  It was only $3 and it was delicious!  The lettuce wasn't iceberg but a tasty mix of hearty spring greens, and the pear vinagrette was to die for.  In fact, my salad was almost gone by the time I got home (yes, I ate it with my hands!).

I got my fries and salad to go, but I would recommend scheduling some time to stay at BFC.  The fun part is in all the options once you get your fries.  There are TEN different fry sauces and what seemed to be about fifteen kinds of salt.  Some salts included cajun, horseradish, sea salt, vanilla, jalapeno, and garlic rosemary.  Some sauces included sweet mustard, blueberry, chipotle, garlic aoili, fry sauce and sour thai. 

They also have something for you real fancy people: the Bourgeois.  This includes their finest cut French fries fried in duck fat, garnished with truffle salt (for $8).

For my fries, I tried the garlic aoili and sour thai.  I have to be honest and say I didn't like the sour thai at all.  It seems to me like you could make some sort of delicious thai dipping sauce, but this just tasted off.  The garlic aoili was great, but a bit like dipping your fries into straight mayo (very thick).  I mixed it half and half with ketchup, and it was phenomenal. 

The rosemary garlic salt tasted great, but in hindsight, I wish I would have added more.

Regardless of how good the food is (mine was good) BFC is a really cool place because of it's novelty factor.  This would be great fun for kids or out-of-town visitors always giving you a hard time for Idaho "The Land of the Potatoes."  Finally, it is a bit expensive, so I would recommend meeting up with friends here for Happy Hour.  It is M-F, 4-6 pm, and buy one get one free on beer and small fries. 

MOPS Chili

Even though I am leaving town tomorrow, for some reason I thought it would be a good idea to make a huge pot of chili this morning.  Even though it may not have been the most practical thing, it was delicious and soooo easy.  I got the recipe from an old church cookbook, and it was submitted by Rochelle Cooper.  The book is full of really simple recipes and is one of those cookbooks where you just interpret things as you see fit.  I have listed the original recipe, and the changes I used (based on what I had on hand)

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients
1 can diced tomatoes - I prefer no salt added
1 can tomato sauce - again, I prefer no salt added
3.5 lbs beef chunk tender or beef tri-tip, sliced and cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes - I used some beef I had left in the fridge (and only used about 1 lb)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil - I used sunflower oil
2 cans beef broth - I only used one
2 cans chicken broth - I used chicken stock.
1/2 cup dried minced or finely minced fresh onion - I chose dried (too lazy to chop)
3 tsp. granualated garlic (I assumed this meant garlic powder?)
3 to 9 Tbsp. chili powder - I used 3
2.25 Tbsp paprika
1 can green chilies, chopped
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. red pepper (I used cayenne and only 1/4 tsp)
Juice of a half fresh lime
1 lb bag dried kidney beans. 

1) You need to commit to making chili a day early, so you can soak the kidney beans overnight.  I soaked mine for only about eight hours (while I slept) and would recommend at least sixteen hours if you want your beans to be soft.  Mine were a bit raw even after being cooked.  Simply pour out the pound of beans, cover it with PLENTY of water, and let sit.  I use a huge bowl and pour in way more than you think necessary.  The beans will soak up an impressive amount of water.

2) When your beans are ready and it is chili-time, start by slicing up your beef.  You might already know this, but my mom taught me to slice it while still slightly frozen -- it slices much better.  

Then put about a tablespoon of the oil of your choice into a pan, and "brown" your meat.  I took this to mean cooking it completely, as I wanted to sample my chili as I went and not have to worry about any raw meat.

3)  Get out your big pot (recipe says 6qts) and toss the cooked meat into it.  Add this:

Aka a can of diced tomatoes, 3 cans of both (2 "cans" are in that chicken stock), your minced onion (1/2 cup equaled that entire container), and a teaspoon of the garlic powder.  Bring your chili to a slow boil and cook for about an hour.  After mine reached a boil, I put it on about a four (a little less than medium). 

4) Add this:

 &

For the spices, I added 1 Tbsp cumin, 2 Tbsp paprika, 3 Tbsp chili powder, and 2 tsp. garlic.
ALSO ADD YOUR KIDNEY BEANS NOW! Drain them before doing so (duh).

Cook all of this for about 45 more minutes (again I set my stove to about a 4).

5) Add:

Any additional chili powder (I didn't add any more), your cayenne pepper, the juice of half a lime (roll it around on the counter first) and 1.25 Tbsp cumin.  Simmer this an additional thirty minutes.

There you have it.  Chili that is actually REALLY healthy (all those spices each have some amazing benefits). 

*If you want to make the chili a little thinner, you can add another can of broth.

I like my chili with extra lime juice and curry powder.  So good!  And don't feel like you don't have enough time to make this...I threw mine together at 6:00 am, and even in the fog of sleep, it is very easy to do.  Most of the time it is just simmering away, and you can pay very little attention.

#011 Best Place to Zen Out

Well I owe you all an apology for being quite the negligent blogger!  I am not even sure how it happened...but I feel like the last week has been super busy.  I have been going past my bedtime regularly (10 pm makes that easy to do) and my boyfriend was in town this weekend.  I promise to jump back on the blogger bandwagon, and the good news is I have tons of places to talk about.

Last night I went to the Idaho Botanical Gardens, (IBG) rated #011 Best Place to Zen Out.

The IBG is a beautiful garden that feels a bit like you might imagine the Secret Garden feels.  It looks small from the outside, but as you wander around, it seems to go on forever.  There are flowers, trees, benches, a wooden swing, a koi pond, and plenty of paths.  The garden is located adjacent to the Old Penitentiary, which gives it a slightly creepy but interesting vibe (in fact, one of the women we were with told us they rent out CELLS at the Old Penitentiary on Halloween night. How creepy would that be?).  One of the coolest things about the IBG is all the events they put on. 

Almost every Thursday in the summer (June 2nd to September 29th) they have outdoor concerts called "the Great Garden Escape."  I haven't made it to one yet, but I would love to check it out.  These concerts are a bit more expensive though.  It normally costs $5 for a non member to visit the garden, and these concerts are $10 ($7 for members). 

I love that the garden lets you bring your own food/drinks/alcohol.  I am not sure if that qualifies for every event, but we could bring anything we wanted when we went last night.

Last night we went to the first of the IBG Movies for a Cause.  Whoever did the movie selection did an excellent job.  Yesterday was Singing in the Rain, and we have The Princess Bride, Grease, and Casablanca to look forward to.  Surprisingly, I haven't seen The Princess Bride or Casablanca yet, so I am really excited to see them.

To go to the movies, you simply pay $5.  I thought that was a great price.  The atmosphere is awesome.  We had a light blanket each, low chairs, and a few pillows.  My friends packed an excellent picnic of Doritos Flamas (try them -- delicious), sandwiches, nectarines, and peanut butter and jelly bites.  I tried to provide my fair share by purchasing everyone a sno-cone (mostly to make up for the price of my chair).  We bought the super-jumbo $5 cups, because we can get refills at the other movies for $2.  I got Pink Lemon Sour with Mango flavoring, and it wasn't that good - ha! I am a bit of a sno cone specialist, and these were more the sno cone you get from the ice cream man, and certainly no shaved ice.  The ice was rock hard and you had to chip into it with your spoon.  Oh well though.  A bad sno cone is still better than no sno cone.

As for Singing in the Rain, I absolutely loved it! This is how a movie should be.  Funny, smart, entertaining...all around fabulous. 

 If you plan to go to any of the other movies, the movie started a bit after sundown, which was around 9:15 pm last night.  We got there around 8:00, but it was fun to hang out.  The gardens were open, which means we got to check them out for free.  There was a little labrinyth path laid out in the grass, and we got dizzy running around that for awhile.  There also weren't many people at the movies.  Attendance might increase once word catches on, but last night there were only a few families. 

The next movie is Wednesday, August 24th (The Princess Bride).  I don't think i can miss this one because apparently I am one of the only people in the world who hasn't seen this movie.  I always thought it was some girly movie, but I guess it is a movie boys like as well.  Then, I am going to have to think up some costume for Grease.  It is a singalong (the words will go across the screen) and they want to encourage people to dress up.  Who should I go as?? I am thinking John Travolta, but I am going to need to hone my thrifting skills.

I think one of the best parts of this movie series is I didn't have to worry at all about the set up! I used to assist at these type of events at my college, and it was awesome to be a spectator and not involved in the planning.  Yes, it was a bit weird and of course I missed that feeling of running the show, but it was also nice to be able to just relax.  As we were leaving, I couldn't help feeling bad for whoever had to stay and tear down. 

Definitely check out the IBG movie series.  I can't vouch for the other events, but this series is excellent and a great price.

#036 Best Burger

I flew out of town this weekend and got back into town around 4:00.  Similar to most times I fly, I was exhausted upon returning and nothing sounded better than a movie with some smuggled-in snacks.

I decided to check out Chef Lou's Westside Diner, rated #036 Best Burger.  The website is pretty awesome because it lists all sorts of deals, and there are also coupons, so check it out if you plan on eating there.

This place has a big reputation, as it was on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.  It also seems like Chef Lou is known as a semi-celebrity chef in the Boise area, as I have even caught people at working talking about him.  I think all the hype has led people to be wary of Westside Diner, as many reviews on Yelp expressed reservations about visiting the place.

One unhappy reviewer says to watch out for the fish and steak fries as they have "waaaay too much batter and not enough fish/steak."  Another went to try out the milkshakes (as they have a sign advertising the best shakes in Boise) but found their peanut butter/chocolate milkshake "neither chocolatey or peanut buttery enough."  Another said their burger "tasted alright but was TINY....seriously the thinnest patty I have ever got."  Another claims the only thing they have ever eaten that was delicious there was the shake.   Finally, even the french fries don't seem to have much acclaim, as a reviewer found them "very disappointing." 

I think it is important to highlight all these negative reviews, as I went to a place seemingly rated as "best burger" but I don't eat hamburgers, so I didn't try it out.  I also didn't try much on the menu at all.  I was a bit disappointed I didn't get to try more, but I was trying to choose a small enough amount of food to leave room for a milkshake, and food that I could eat quickly and/or sneak into the movie theater.  

I ended up getting a small Cookie Monster milkshake and a small sweet potato fries.  I have to admit that the price did seem rather expensive.  For both, it was about $7.00 (I think the sweet potato fries were $3.29, meaning the milkshake was also around $3 something).  I usually complain that restaurants always have huge serving sizes, so normally I would be pleased that the milkshake small was actually fairly small.  However, I paid three dollars for it and I was hoping it would last for the majority of the movie, so it was disappointing my milkshake was a very small "small."

At first I thought I got the wrong milkshake, because it was blueberry flavor.  However, I discovered big chunks of cookie and slowly realized Cookie Monster must be some blueberry/cookie mixture.  I LOVED the milkshake (besides the size).  It was delicious with plenty of blueberry and plenty of cookie.  It was also the perfect consistency, as it was easy to suck up the straw, but it wasn't runny.

The sweet potato fries were also incredible.  There was a good size in the serving (it totally kept me full for a suitable amount of time).  They were also served PIPING hot.  In addition, they came with a cinnamon frosting that was one of the best dipping sauces I have been served with sweet potato fries.  It was like a cinnamon whipped butter that melted wonderfully on the hot fries. I don't think I have ever had better sweet potato fries.

I had previously thought of going to Westside Diner with my friends, but then thought that it wouldn't work for a group of people if we all had to sit in our cars and eat.  This is not actually the case.  There are plenty of little chairs and tables, and there is even shade to sit in (under table umbrellas).  You can sit in your car, or go to the pickup window, or hang out in the drive thru.

Overall, I thought my two items were phenomenal and I would totally go back and/or take someone again.  However, I wouldn't take my extremely frugal friends, as this place was absolutely on the more expensive side.  Maybe wait until you find a coupon you like and then go here to indulge.  Either way, it was fun to check out and I would love to go back (next time I am either getting a foccacia sandwich or a french dip...yum!).  They have a HUGE menu, so most people should be satisfied.  I don't get take out much, but if I did, I would probably go back and get it from this place.

My other favorite part was you get a fortune cookie with your meal :)  My fortune? Now is a lucky time for you. Take a chance.