Sooooo.... we're back. Yes, I know that Blogging Boise is a one woman show. I know that you come here for those snazzy reviews of Boise's hottest spots through the eyes of a single young female experiencing them for the first time. Unfortunately for those of you who crave that unique perspective, you will have to expand your blogging palates a bit.
Think of it this way: The old Blogging Boise was like a delicious plate of spaghetti. The new Blogging Boise... it's like a delicious plate of spaghetti with a crapload of parmesan cheese dumped on top. So I want to be DJ Parmy Parm, spinning this record until you just want to get up and dance to the words popping up on your new iPad, adding cool new tracks and mixing in new perspectives that you just couldn't get before with just Miss Marinara.
That being said, we actually are going to try to get a real post out today. The topic du jour..... (drum roll please).... vino, wine, alcoholic fruity drink. Specifically, Project Paso's 2009 Paso Robles Chardonnay. You will quickly find out that the Miss and I know little about wine. There are very few adjectives that we have to describe the stuff, but we will try our best to improve to the point where a few posts down the road you actually care what we have to say.
The review: It's wine... pretty alcoholic, 13.9%. God, we know nothing about wine.
Here's a review of a pizza place to add something of substance to this post.
Flatbread Community Oven- Meridian, ID.
We had a $30 gift card sitting around from this past valentines day, and with growing hunger and a lack of direction we decided to let the card decide for us. The atmosphere itself is pretty nice. It feels like the sort of place that would belong more with the newer developments along Eagle Rd, but the trip into old Meridian isn't too bad.
The building is a somewhat hip little place, with bar seating facing the main kitchen, a fair amount of table and booth seating throughout the floor, and a separate bar section toward the corner. It was fairly crowded for 7PM on a Saturday night, but being relegated to the kitchen bar seating was not necessarily a bad thing for a first-timer. We were able to catch a glimpse of just about everything coming out of the oven and were able to get a good feel for what kind of food we would be ordering.
We ended up going with some sea-salt flatbread, and a pizza with chicken sausage, carmelized onions, green pepper and garlic. I'm not exactly sure what is was called as we thought we could fill a blog with a wine review and were not planning for this sort of stop-gap measure.
Regardless of the lack of nomenclature, the food was above average. We've tried a few neopolitan pizza places throughout Boise, and Flatbread seems to fall in somewhere in the middle with the rest of the pack. It's not a bad pizza... it brings a nice change of pace from the American style pizzas that are usually found in this house. It just fails to provide anything to differentiate itself from other similar joints in the area. They had a few choices for beer on tap, but there are pizza places out there that have more varieties of brew than Boo the Puppy has pictures that will melt your heart.
The toppings seemed nice and fresh, not on a level with The Frontdoor in downtown Boise, but their spicy chicken sausage was great. Their pizzas were a bit challenging to keep together with a very soft thin crust and a cheese layer that had a tendency to slide off. The sauce was of the more tomato-ey variety found at most neopolitan pizza places, but not overly sweet like I have had at some others (this is a good thing).
The service was about average. Our server was friendly, our food was quick to arrive. Nothing much to write home about so I'll move on.
Overall, Flatbread provides a solid experience. Most of the pizzas are affordable at around $15, and they serve sandwiches as well. We probably won't be rushing back now that we've used our gift card, but if you're in the mood for pizza and looking for something new to try, it will provide a solid change of pace. Overall, 7/10.
Showing posts with label Boise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boise. Show all posts
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Legends Pub and Grill
For my friend's birthday Sunday, a group of us went to dinner at Legends Pub and Grill. The restaurant is right next to Edwards 22 Cinema (7609 W. Overland Road Boise 83709), which makes it very convenient if you are hoping to catch dinner and a movie. They are a full service restaurant, bar, and small event center. Next door to the eating area, they have an entertainment center with pool tables and darts.
The bar is open until 12:00 am every night and has two happy hours - one from 3 - 6 pm and the other from 9:30 -11 pm. During happy hour, it is half price on rotating microbrews and all domestic bottles and drafts (16 oz and 22 oz). Also, we went on a Sunday and she told us it was happy hour all day! It was totally awesome because happy hour also includes half off well alcohol and special appetizer prices.
They have a $6.95 lunch menu, which I am going to keep in mind for the next time I check out a matinee. I love a good soup/salad deal for a light lunch.
The dinner menu is what I had to work with, and the picture won't post large enough to be of any use to you. They basically have a little bit of everything - appetizers, salads, burgers, pasta, soups, specialties, steak, salmon, pizza, sandwiches and wraps. The most expensive menu item is the Rib Eye Steak (12 oz 100% Angus certified rib eye, seasoned and grilled your way) for $18. The cheapest item is a cup of Soup de Jour for $3.99. Most items fall in the $9-$12 price range, so this is definitely an affordable restaurant.
Yelpers rate Legends a solid 3.5. Positive reviews cite the "friendly staff," with a "quality happy hour menu and a regular menu to suit just about everyone" plus "great food." Negative reviews seem to disagree with the friendly staff comments, and say, " Waitstaff sucks!" and "the waitresses were incredibly unfriendly," with food that is "poor quality and prepared with average skill and imagination."
Most of the negative reviews are from a year or so ago, and the positive reviews are from more recently, so maybe management or staff has changed recently. When we were there, our waitress was an absolute DOLL. She was fabulous, very attentive, split the check perfectly, and got us everything we needed. I even told her they had poor yelp reviews and she was single-handedly proving yelp wrong!
To eat, I split a California BBQ chicken pizza with my friend. I think it was $15.50 for a large pizza (good size) which probably had about 8 slices. I love California BBQ pizza, so it is hard for me to be critical any time I eat such a delicious pizza. However, there really isn't anything negative to report. The pizza was great!
I only had to pay $22 (including tip!) for THREE Rose Kennedys (vodka, soda water, splash of cranberry with limes) and half a pizza. Quite the deal.
Next time I go to the movies on a Sunday, I will make sure to hit up Legends for a happy hour cocktail prior to the film.
The bar is open until 12:00 am every night and has two happy hours - one from 3 - 6 pm and the other from 9:30 -11 pm. During happy hour, it is half price on rotating microbrews and all domestic bottles and drafts (16 oz and 22 oz). Also, we went on a Sunday and she told us it was happy hour all day! It was totally awesome because happy hour also includes half off well alcohol and special appetizer prices.
They have a $6.95 lunch menu, which I am going to keep in mind for the next time I check out a matinee. I love a good soup/salad deal for a light lunch.
Yelpers rate Legends a solid 3.5. Positive reviews cite the "friendly staff," with a "quality happy hour menu and a regular menu to suit just about everyone" plus "great food." Negative reviews seem to disagree with the friendly staff comments, and say, " Waitstaff sucks!" and "the waitresses were incredibly unfriendly," with food that is "poor quality and prepared with average skill and imagination."
Most of the negative reviews are from a year or so ago, and the positive reviews are from more recently, so maybe management or staff has changed recently. When we were there, our waitress was an absolute DOLL. She was fabulous, very attentive, split the check perfectly, and got us everything we needed. I even told her they had poor yelp reviews and she was single-handedly proving yelp wrong!
To eat, I split a California BBQ chicken pizza with my friend. I think it was $15.50 for a large pizza (good size) which probably had about 8 slices. I love California BBQ pizza, so it is hard for me to be critical any time I eat such a delicious pizza. However, there really isn't anything negative to report. The pizza was great!
I only had to pay $22 (including tip!) for THREE Rose Kennedys (vodka, soda water, splash of cranberry with limes) and half a pizza. Quite the deal.
Next time I go to the movies on a Sunday, I will make sure to hit up Legends for a happy hour cocktail prior to the film.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
The Olive and the Grape
I went to the mall with my friend yesterday (in search of rainbow colored skinny jeans - that is a whole different story) and we stumbled upon a new store called "The Olive and the Grape." We thought it was a wine store, and her husband and I like wine, so we went over to check it out.
We were pleasantly surprised to find it was a gourmet vinegar/olive oil store! They have samples of almost everything and we were giddy with excitement tasting them all. There were gourmet olive oils (I wouldn't pay more for plain olive oil so this wasn't that exciting), about 10 flavors of balsamic vinegar, 4 or 5 flavored olive oils, and about 10 viniagrettes. They also had two of the best dips I have ever tasted, what looked to be homemade pastas (or fancy at least) and stuffed olives (garlic, habanero, and jalapeno).
The main brand of the vinegars was Gianni's Fine Foods.
Here are the flavors of balsamic:
Other delicious ones of note were Liquid Pesto, Sassy Citrus Balsamic, Healthy Berry Balsamic, and Raspberry Lime Ricky Balsamic. However, almost each and every vinegar/viniagrette was fantastic. The only one I wasn't a huge fan of was the pear/peach lime cinnamon vinegars. They would be good on the right food though, I am sure.
I ended up buying Raspberry Lime Ricky Balsamic. Right after purchasing it, I ran out and bought lettuce, chives, cilantro, rosemary, dill, thyme and parsley. I tossed together a big salad, and eagerly drizzled the balsamic and some olive oil over my salad. TO DIE FOR. The vinegar is very thick and rich - it is obviously good quality.
Tonight I am going to try marinating turkey cutlets in the balsamic with some olive oil, then sprinkling with rosemary. I'll let you know how it turns out.
My biggest problem? I think I have already used about half the bottle...it is not going to be cheap if I become addicted to this stuff. I have been mixing olive oil and the vinegar in a little dish, then using lettuce leaves to sop it up (the healthy version of a bread dish). I have totally ignored all other cooking because this is so delicious.
I have two other issues - this stuff is healthy, but not as healthy as normal balsamic. Also, a little voice in the back of my head keeps telling me I could make this. Yes, I might be able to get close, but I don't think it would be such exceptional quality.
Here are the nutritional facts for my bottle, in case you are curious (for 1 Tablespoon):
40 calories (calories from fat: 0), Total fat: 0g, Trans fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0g, Sodium: 0mg, Total Carbs: 10g, Dietary fiber: 0g, Sugars: 6 g, Protein: 0g.
For the ingredients, it only says 18-year-old balsamic vinegar, puree of red raspberries, and lime juice (another reason I think I can make it myself). I am going to look into it if I get a chance, and will let you know if these end up being easy to make (some, I am sure, would be easier than others).
Which one sounds the tastiest to you? I think when I get another for myself, I will try out the Healthy Berry Balsamic.
We were pleasantly surprised to find it was a gourmet vinegar/olive oil store! They have samples of almost everything and we were giddy with excitement tasting them all. There were gourmet olive oils (I wouldn't pay more for plain olive oil so this wasn't that exciting), about 10 flavors of balsamic vinegar, 4 or 5 flavored olive oils, and about 10 viniagrettes. They also had two of the best dips I have ever tasted, what looked to be homemade pastas (or fancy at least) and stuffed olives (garlic, habanero, and jalapeno).
The main brand of the vinegars was Gianni's Fine Foods.
Here are the flavors of balsamic:
- Chipotle Garlic Balsamic
- Classic 18 Balsamic
- Dark Chocolate Balsamic
- Healthy Berry Balsamic
- Peach Lime Cinnamon Balsamic
- Pear Lime Cinnamon Balsamic
- Raspberry Lime Ricky Balsamic
- Sassy Citrus Balsamic
- Asian Persuasion
- Classic Cabernet
- Classic Chardonnay
- Garlic Blue Cheese and Toasted Walnut
- Classic Italian
- It's All Greek to Me
- Liquid Pesto
- Six Mushroom White Truffle
- Sun-Dried Tomato Caprese
- Tuscan-Herb Roasted Garli
- Meyer Lemon
- Triple Spanish
- Roasted Garlic
- Chile
- Orange
Other delicious ones of note were Liquid Pesto, Sassy Citrus Balsamic, Healthy Berry Balsamic, and Raspberry Lime Ricky Balsamic. However, almost each and every vinegar/viniagrette was fantastic. The only one I wasn't a huge fan of was the pear/peach lime cinnamon vinegars. They would be good on the right food though, I am sure.
I ended up buying Raspberry Lime Ricky Balsamic. Right after purchasing it, I ran out and bought lettuce, chives, cilantro, rosemary, dill, thyme and parsley. I tossed together a big salad, and eagerly drizzled the balsamic and some olive oil over my salad. TO DIE FOR. The vinegar is very thick and rich - it is obviously good quality.
Tonight I am going to try marinating turkey cutlets in the balsamic with some olive oil, then sprinkling with rosemary. I'll let you know how it turns out.
My biggest problem? I think I have already used about half the bottle...it is not going to be cheap if I become addicted to this stuff. I have been mixing olive oil and the vinegar in a little dish, then using lettuce leaves to sop it up (the healthy version of a bread dish). I have totally ignored all other cooking because this is so delicious.
I have two other issues - this stuff is healthy, but not as healthy as normal balsamic. Also, a little voice in the back of my head keeps telling me I could make this. Yes, I might be able to get close, but I don't think it would be such exceptional quality.
Here are the nutritional facts for my bottle, in case you are curious (for 1 Tablespoon):
40 calories (calories from fat: 0), Total fat: 0g, Trans fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0g, Sodium: 0mg, Total Carbs: 10g, Dietary fiber: 0g, Sugars: 6 g, Protein: 0g.
For the ingredients, it only says 18-year-old balsamic vinegar, puree of red raspberries, and lime juice (another reason I think I can make it myself). I am going to look into it if I get a chance, and will let you know if these end up being easy to make (some, I am sure, would be easier than others).
Which one sounds the tastiest to you? I think when I get another for myself, I will try out the Healthy Berry Balsamic.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
#031 Best Pizza
#031 Tony's Pizzeria Teatro was called "Best Pizza." However, Living Social is fairly liberal with their definition of "best" as I am fairly certain there are a multitude of pizza chains listed as "best". Determining the true best is going to take some hard work that will involve me stuffing myself with various pizzas. I think I can handle that.
Living Social says this place serves up classic thin crust pizzas and calzones. This I can confirm. The calzones sounded delicious -- they were all about 8 dollars and had some fancy-sounding ingredients (one that stood out was pork tenderloin). However, I don't know if I have ever even ordered a calzone before, so I decided to stay traditional and go for the main event -- pizza.
They have no website, so I was left to scan through yelp reviews. One review said the pizza "transported us back to Italy and the way pizza is intended to be made. The pizza crusts were thin and light with a slight crisp from being baked in a hot brick oven."
Another, self-proclaimed pizza snob, calls Tony's "legit. Like it or not, this is the most authentic pizza you will find within 500 miles of Boise. I have had it in Roma, Napoli, Sicilia, Puglia, and Calabria and in most major cities within the US -- Tony does it solid, does it right, all the time, every time."
Well, as a disclaimer, I have never left the country and I have NOT had pizza in most American cities. I do have a mouth and I do have an opinion though, so we should be fine here.
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The restaurant it located above on the right. It is next to the Egyptian Theater and it has a cute litle patio area. The inside is quite small (about ten tables, max) and I think it would be delightful to eat outside on a warm day.
This was one of the first times I have gone into a restaurant and eaten by myself, and even though I got my food to go, I felt quite glamorous. I think you have to fake it til you make it -- act like you are so awesome you are satisfied eating by yourself and no one else will think to question you. Yes, to clarify, I do have friends. However, I wanted to go wherever I wanted and do whatever I wanted, so I decided to go by myself. It was peaceful and nice.
The waitresses seemed a little thrown off. They asked me, "Just one?" with a slight hint of confusion, and also offered me picnic supplies. I politely declined and everyone was very friendly. I got some water to cool off while I waited, and enjoyed the air conditioning inside.
I ordered the Quattro Formaggi which had San Marzzano tomatoes, imported parmesan reggiano pecorino, fresh ricotta, and mozzerrella di bufala. It was $14 and came with eight slices.
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First of all, this is clearly expensive pizza. My slices weren't massive. I could have easily eaten six and been enjoyably full. Don't come here expecting to feed your family on the cheap. But I think it is a classic case of "you get what you pay for." The ingredients were wonderful. Everything was incredibly fresh. The tomatoes tasted like they were fresh off the vine.
This was also the first time I have ever had a multi-cheese pizza and actually been able to taste each individual cheese. There were dollops of ricotta that were distinguishable from the mozzerrella and it was wonderful! The addition of a few basil leaves were the perfect topper. This is also very thin crust pizza (which I love).
I would rate Tony's the Best Pizza (so far at least) with a caveat -- I think it should be called "Best Pizza for Date Night." This place has tons of wine and beer options, and the atmosphere is perfect for a date. There are little two-person tables, and it was a very cozy atmosphere. The pizza is fancy and you feel like you are eating healthy, fresh food. You won't have that horrible bloated feeling after (as long as you keep yourself under a bit of control!) and you might even have some leftovers to eat later in the night. It would also lend well to sharing, as you could each order a different pizza and share. Finally, the price is good "date range." You will feel like you are splurging, but you won't walk away broke.
As a caveat, this pizza did not reheat well. Sometimes I love reheated pizza, but not with this stuff. I think it is so delicious fresh that you would be better off eating as much as you can when you get it, as opposed to saving it for later. I had mine the next day and the delightful thin crust turned into a quite-chewy crust the day after. However, this was not enough to downgrade the pizza to bad. It was still tasty and good, just not as tasty and good.
As another note, if it came down to it, I think I would go back to Red Feather for pizza, rather than Tony's. My Red Feather pizza was about the same size, but was significantly cheaper (I think $11) and had more unique choices. I also liked that it was a different style -- it didn't even have tomato sauce! So if you want authentic, go to Tony's. If you want different, hit up Red Feather.
Living Social says this place serves up classic thin crust pizzas and calzones. This I can confirm. The calzones sounded delicious -- they were all about 8 dollars and had some fancy-sounding ingredients (one that stood out was pork tenderloin). However, I don't know if I have ever even ordered a calzone before, so I decided to stay traditional and go for the main event -- pizza.
They have no website, so I was left to scan through yelp reviews. One review said the pizza "transported us back to Italy and the way pizza is intended to be made. The pizza crusts were thin and light with a slight crisp from being baked in a hot brick oven."
Another, self-proclaimed pizza snob, calls Tony's "legit. Like it or not, this is the most authentic pizza you will find within 500 miles of Boise. I have had it in Roma, Napoli, Sicilia, Puglia, and Calabria and in most major cities within the US -- Tony does it solid, does it right, all the time, every time."
Well, as a disclaimer, I have never left the country and I have NOT had pizza in most American cities. I do have a mouth and I do have an opinion though, so we should be fine here.
This was one of the first times I have gone into a restaurant and eaten by myself, and even though I got my food to go, I felt quite glamorous. I think you have to fake it til you make it -- act like you are so awesome you are satisfied eating by yourself and no one else will think to question you. Yes, to clarify, I do have friends. However, I wanted to go wherever I wanted and do whatever I wanted, so I decided to go by myself. It was peaceful and nice.
The waitresses seemed a little thrown off. They asked me, "Just one?" with a slight hint of confusion, and also offered me picnic supplies. I politely declined and everyone was very friendly. I got some water to cool off while I waited, and enjoyed the air conditioning inside.
I ordered the Quattro Formaggi which had San Marzzano tomatoes, imported parmesan reggiano pecorino, fresh ricotta, and mozzerrella di bufala. It was $14 and came with eight slices.
First of all, this is clearly expensive pizza. My slices weren't massive. I could have easily eaten six and been enjoyably full. Don't come here expecting to feed your family on the cheap. But I think it is a classic case of "you get what you pay for." The ingredients were wonderful. Everything was incredibly fresh. The tomatoes tasted like they were fresh off the vine.
This was also the first time I have ever had a multi-cheese pizza and actually been able to taste each individual cheese. There were dollops of ricotta that were distinguishable from the mozzerrella and it was wonderful! The addition of a few basil leaves were the perfect topper. This is also very thin crust pizza (which I love).
I would rate Tony's the Best Pizza (so far at least) with a caveat -- I think it should be called "Best Pizza for Date Night." This place has tons of wine and beer options, and the atmosphere is perfect for a date. There are little two-person tables, and it was a very cozy atmosphere. The pizza is fancy and you feel like you are eating healthy, fresh food. You won't have that horrible bloated feeling after (as long as you keep yourself under a bit of control!) and you might even have some leftovers to eat later in the night. It would also lend well to sharing, as you could each order a different pizza and share. Finally, the price is good "date range." You will feel like you are splurging, but you won't walk away broke.
As a caveat, this pizza did not reheat well. Sometimes I love reheated pizza, but not with this stuff. I think it is so delicious fresh that you would be better off eating as much as you can when you get it, as opposed to saving it for later. I had mine the next day and the delightful thin crust turned into a quite-chewy crust the day after. However, this was not enough to downgrade the pizza to bad. It was still tasty and good, just not as tasty and good.
As another note, if it came down to it, I think I would go back to Red Feather for pizza, rather than Tony's. My Red Feather pizza was about the same size, but was significantly cheaper (I think $11) and had more unique choices. I also liked that it was a different style -- it didn't even have tomato sauce! So if you want authentic, go to Tony's. If you want different, hit up Red Feather.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
#005 Best Architecture: Idaho State Capitol
Today was a Wednesday, which means one thing -- Alive After Five. Alive After Five is awesome for those who like live music, a good place/excuse to hang, or drinking beer. It is also wonderful for families, besides the fact that the massive amount of people would freak me out about my children disappearing. While I also think I want to go, I always get there and suddenly, like it has never occured to me before, realize how much I dislike live music. Okay, let me rephrase that. I don't dislike live music as background noise. It sounds wonderful floating through the air whilst engaged in another activity (we can even count drinking beer here as "another activity"). It is really boring as the main event. Considering I live more than walking distance and I would rather not have a hangover in the morning, drinking beer isn't the most appealing or rational choice. Also, I would rather not spend $5 on a beer.
In addition, let me note I do not recommend wearing a long sleeved shirt and jeans in 96* weather. Not very comfortable. I had shorts in my bag, but for some reason felt really awkward about going into any establishment and changing into them. I didn't want to have to carry around my jeans either. Therefore, tonight was VERY warm!
Times like these make me miss Moscow and The Alehouse. I LOVE drinking at the Alehouse. I consider it my favorite "bar" even though some would argue it can't qualify. Also, basically anywhere in Moscow is within reasonable walking distance.
Anyway, it was another Wednesday and I made another decision to check out Alive After Five. I can almost guarantee I continue to go regularly. I know I just complained about it for a good paragraph, but Alive After Five is basically a catalyst for people to meet up and then go to dinner, which I enjoy.
Today I had every intention of meeting up with a friend. First, I decided to check out Loft. I was secretly hoping I wouldn't find anything I liked because I have been spending WAY too much money, but I was also secretly looking for some cute boyfriend jeans and a white button up. It was a fail on both accounts. I cannot seem to find a normal looking white button up for the life of me. I don't think I understand how you are supposed to wear them.
After that, I meandered over to Urban Outfitters and looked for a new sweater. I wanted something flowery for spring, but found nothing. I never find anything at Urban Outfitters. I don't do "alternative" well. Yes, you may be thinking Urban Outfitters is mainstream...that should give you an idea of how bad I am at alternative.
From there, I sent a text to see what everyone's game plan was. No one was very quick to decide and that is when I decided to avoid the crowds, avoid the music, and explore downtown Boise. I made it to THREE of my must see spots!
This post is about #005 Idaho State Capitol, "The Best Architecture in Boise." I think basically anyone would agree the Capitol Building is lovely. You can see it from almost anywhere downtown, and I always use it to orient myself if I ever get a bit lost.
First, I wandered in across the lawn and through a beautiful grove of trees. It reminded me of Hello Walk at the University of Idaho. There were also a group of about 20 people that appeared to be doing some sort of Tai Chi, and people playing frisbee. The shade was a wonderful break from the super hot sun.
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I then admired the exterior of the building. I wanted to go inside, but talked to a security guard and he told me it was already closed for the night. I think when it is not the legislative session, the building closes at 6 pm. When it is open, anyone is welcome to go in though, and it is just as beautiful on the inside.
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There was also a cool statue outside the front of the building, featuring "Steunenberg."
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The flowers around the statue were awesome and there were memorials sprinkled across the property.
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I recommend taking a stroll in the Capitol building if you are ever visiting Boise or have never seen it before. It is a free way to have a little fun and learn more about the city. Try to time it when it is actually open, so you can check out the inside too.
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In addition, let me note I do not recommend wearing a long sleeved shirt and jeans in 96* weather. Not very comfortable. I had shorts in my bag, but for some reason felt really awkward about going into any establishment and changing into them. I didn't want to have to carry around my jeans either. Therefore, tonight was VERY warm!
Times like these make me miss Moscow and The Alehouse. I LOVE drinking at the Alehouse. I consider it my favorite "bar" even though some would argue it can't qualify. Also, basically anywhere in Moscow is within reasonable walking distance.
Anyway, it was another Wednesday and I made another decision to check out Alive After Five. I can almost guarantee I continue to go regularly. I know I just complained about it for a good paragraph, but Alive After Five is basically a catalyst for people to meet up and then go to dinner, which I enjoy.
Today I had every intention of meeting up with a friend. First, I decided to check out Loft. I was secretly hoping I wouldn't find anything I liked because I have been spending WAY too much money, but I was also secretly looking for some cute boyfriend jeans and a white button up. It was a fail on both accounts. I cannot seem to find a normal looking white button up for the life of me. I don't think I understand how you are supposed to wear them.
After that, I meandered over to Urban Outfitters and looked for a new sweater. I wanted something flowery for spring, but found nothing. I never find anything at Urban Outfitters. I don't do "alternative" well. Yes, you may be thinking Urban Outfitters is mainstream...that should give you an idea of how bad I am at alternative.
From there, I sent a text to see what everyone's game plan was. No one was very quick to decide and that is when I decided to avoid the crowds, avoid the music, and explore downtown Boise. I made it to THREE of my must see spots!
This post is about #005 Idaho State Capitol, "The Best Architecture in Boise." I think basically anyone would agree the Capitol Building is lovely. You can see it from almost anywhere downtown, and I always use it to orient myself if I ever get a bit lost.
First, I wandered in across the lawn and through a beautiful grove of trees. It reminded me of Hello Walk at the University of Idaho. There were also a group of about 20 people that appeared to be doing some sort of Tai Chi, and people playing frisbee. The shade was a wonderful break from the super hot sun.
I then admired the exterior of the building. I wanted to go inside, but talked to a security guard and he told me it was already closed for the night. I think when it is not the legislative session, the building closes at 6 pm. When it is open, anyone is welcome to go in though, and it is just as beautiful on the inside.
There was also a cool statue outside the front of the building, featuring "Steunenberg."
I recommend taking a stroll in the Capitol building if you are ever visiting Boise or have never seen it before. It is a free way to have a little fun and learn more about the city. Try to time it when it is actually open, so you can check out the inside too.
Monday, July 4, 2011
#004 Best Hotel Bar
Friday I went to #004 The Modern Hotel for "The Best Hotel Bar."
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Have any of you drank here before, or stayed at The Modern? Living Social says it is an independent design hotel housed in a former Travel Lodge. That makes sense, now that I have seen it. For something called "The Modern," it looks a bit sketchy from the outside.
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Yelpers give it a high rating of 4.5 stars. Reviewers say it is a popular hangout, even for locals, which made me feel less awkward about going there. However, even when I mention it to my Boise friends, no one seems to know what I am talking about. Once we got there, I think I figured out why. It seemed like a taping of "Real Housewives of Boise, Idaho." All the people there were quite classy and the bartenders looked like they were out of Mad Men. Everyone was REALLY friendly though!
Their website claims they have the perfect martini, fresh squeezed juices, fine wine, and an international beer selection.
The bar doesn't open until 5:00 pm, so I had to do some planning. I also can't drink very much because I live quite far from downtown. The one part I miss about Moscow is the walking distance between everything!
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I scoped out the location on a previous outing, and found that it was right next to the Linen Building. There was an Improv Comedy Show at the Linen Building Friday, so it was the perfect adventure.
I really liked the decor inside. It seemed like a bit of time travel and it was really fun for a bar. However, one of my friends put it well..."It seems like they are trying too hard to be cool." Yeah, I could kind of see that. But -- I love that sort of stuff! It is fun to be different.
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Thank goodness we got there during happy hour. It was from 5-7 and I think it is every day (or at the very least, every weekday). The special I indulged in was their specialty cocktails, wich were only $6 (normally $8 or $9). The sad part was there were only three qualifying cocktails. I ended up getting the "Lucky Frida."
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It was gin, lime, egg white, absinthe, fresh mint and bitters. I was obsessed with the cute flower design on the top, and even more excited that it stayed in place the entire time I drank it. The drink was delicious, but disapointingly small. I think without ice, the drink seemed smaller even though the equilavent with ice might have seemed impressive.
After that, I got a Jasmine Rum Punch. It was a rum drink with jasmine green tea and a few other things I forgot to note. It was bigger, more expensive ($9) and also delicious. All these drinks make you feel sophisticated - they were a bit different with more complex and fancy tasting flavors.
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From there, we made it over to watch the comedy show. It was an "Improv Battle" type show and it was $5. To be honest, the comedians weren't the best, but it was exactly the sort of way I love to spend a Friday night.
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I was also pleasantly surprised to find I had a bit of a buzz from those two drinks. Nice to know that even though they didn't taste strong, they did have a bit of a punch!
I would recommend The Modern if you just hit pay day and want to feel sophisticated. The kind of night were you want a few drinks, you don't want to get drunk, you want to chat with a few people, and you want to end the night feeling like you had a great time.
The great night ended by going to Donnie Mac's (down the street). I will rave about that tomorrow!
Have any of you drank here before, or stayed at The Modern? Living Social says it is an independent design hotel housed in a former Travel Lodge. That makes sense, now that I have seen it. For something called "The Modern," it looks a bit sketchy from the outside.
Yelpers give it a high rating of 4.5 stars. Reviewers say it is a popular hangout, even for locals, which made me feel less awkward about going there. However, even when I mention it to my Boise friends, no one seems to know what I am talking about. Once we got there, I think I figured out why. It seemed like a taping of "Real Housewives of Boise, Idaho." All the people there were quite classy and the bartenders looked like they were out of Mad Men. Everyone was REALLY friendly though!
Their website claims they have the perfect martini, fresh squeezed juices, fine wine, and an international beer selection.
The bar doesn't open until 5:00 pm, so I had to do some planning. I also can't drink very much because I live quite far from downtown. The one part I miss about Moscow is the walking distance between everything!
View Larger Map
I scoped out the location on a previous outing, and found that it was right next to the Linen Building. There was an Improv Comedy Show at the Linen Building Friday, so it was the perfect adventure.
I really liked the decor inside. It seemed like a bit of time travel and it was really fun for a bar. However, one of my friends put it well..."It seems like they are trying too hard to be cool." Yeah, I could kind of see that. But -- I love that sort of stuff! It is fun to be different.
After that, I got a Jasmine Rum Punch. It was a rum drink with jasmine green tea and a few other things I forgot to note. It was bigger, more expensive ($9) and also delicious. All these drinks make you feel sophisticated - they were a bit different with more complex and fancy tasting flavors.
I was also pleasantly surprised to find I had a bit of a buzz from those two drinks. Nice to know that even though they didn't taste strong, they did have a bit of a punch!
I would recommend The Modern if you just hit pay day and want to feel sophisticated. The kind of night were you want a few drinks, you don't want to get drunk, you want to chat with a few people, and you want to end the night feeling like you had a great time.
The great night ended by going to Donnie Mac's (down the street). I will rave about that tomorrow!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Best Place to People Watch
So I spent most of the weekend in Garden Valley, and that is always a retreat from technology, hence the lack of blog posts. However, before I went up there, I spent Saturday morning walking around downtown Boise, and I made sure to stop at Thomas Hammer, dubbed the "Best Place to People Watch." I can't find it on the LivingSocial website right now, so I will insert it's number as soon as I figure it out.
Thomas Hammer is officially titled "Thomas Hammer Coffee Roasters" and they are a small coffee chain that seems to be popular in Idaho and Eastern Washington.They only have nine stores -- five in Spokane, one in Cheney, one in Hayden, one in Post Falls, and one in Boise. They are really cool because they try to promote lots of local events and get really involved in the community. They are also kind of quirky. For example, I am pretty sure their mascot is a chubby little sumo wrestler, and Tuesdays and Thursdays they have a "Hammer bike" that bikes fresh coffee beans to their store in downtown Spokane. They also sell some SUPER cute merchandise. My favorites are...
These mugs:
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I also love these travel cups
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There are tons of colors and they are $9.95.
Next time I go to the Saturday Market, I might just splurge on Thomas Hammer gear instead of any of the usual market stuff.
So, first I went to Thomas Hammer to check it out and grab a drink to appease me while I wandered the market. It was a perfect day. Just the right temperature for jeans and a tank top, with a breeze AND the warm sun. The coffee shop is located on the bottom left of this picture, at the bottom of the big brown and white building.
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The first thing I noticed was the coffee shop had a pinball machine in the corner. This was definitely not your usual, run of the mill coffee shop.
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While waiting in line, I perused the menu. It was broken up into traditional house favorites, blended drinks, non-coffee drinks, and additions/substitutions. One drink that sounded interested was the Fireball: chocolate with a splash of orange. There was also a PBNJ that sounded awesome -- chunky peanut butter mixed with chocolate. Finally, I was also intrigued by the Creamsicle, which was orange juice, vanilla and cream (available blended or not blended).
They had snacks, and I was super excited to see they had a variety of oatmeals (three different flavors). I loved the dishware, as it was white ceramic. The interior of the coffee shop was also adorable.
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I ended up going with what I was semi-familiar with, and decided to try a chai freeze. I got a 16 ounce, and it was $4.15. I definitely should have gotten a smaller size, as this was a LOT. In fact, my chai was overflowing and he gave me about an extra half cup of the stuff, mounded on top. That was a nice touch and made me feel spoiled.
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The drink was tasty. I think I would have preferred a normal chai better though. Maybe I was extra thirsty or something, but I ran into the problem where the drink turns into little bits of ice and you can't suck it up into your straw.
I do wish this coffee shop would take a cue from Starbucks and use people's names on their drink orders. It got a bit confusing because myself and two other people had ordered chai freezes (they must be popular) and it was hard to tell whose drink was what.
Overall, Living Social was correct -- this is a fantastic place to people watch! While I was there, I saw fancy business people, hippies, a couple on a date, many families, and a few rocker people. The coffehouse even has flyers advertising concerts (I couldn't tell if they were directly related or not).
After getting my drink, I decided to delve into even more people watching, and I walked around the Saturday Market. This time I was on the lookout for rhubarb and/or fresh ricotta cheese. Once again I came away empty handed. I did see one SUPER cute thing though. This boy was at his family's stand, and had his own little booth, with a sign for "five cent ship drawings." AWWW!
I also had a sample of something called a stroopwaffle. Have you ever tried it? Legend has it it was created when a baker had leftover crumbs, and he combined they together with syrup. It looks like a waffle, but tastes like delicious, amazing caramel and syrup. To eat it, you are supposed to place it over your warm coffee so the coffee can melt the waffle a bit and make it even more gooey and delicious.
While wandering, I managed to find The Modern and The Linen Building, and made my way over (by car) to Great Gargoyles. I got the cutest little things. I will post about those tomorrow. Goodnight!
PS - if you feel like online shopping, the stand below is my consistent market favorite. Their website is mollysmills.com and I LOVE them!
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Thomas Hammer is officially titled "Thomas Hammer Coffee Roasters" and they are a small coffee chain that seems to be popular in Idaho and Eastern Washington.They only have nine stores -- five in Spokane, one in Cheney, one in Hayden, one in Post Falls, and one in Boise. They are really cool because they try to promote lots of local events and get really involved in the community. They are also kind of quirky. For example, I am pretty sure their mascot is a chubby little sumo wrestler, and Tuesdays and Thursdays they have a "Hammer bike" that bikes fresh coffee beans to their store in downtown Spokane. They also sell some SUPER cute merchandise. My favorites are...
These mugs:
My kitchen is white and it can be difficult to find cute stuff in white. Plus these mugs are really big, and they only cost $6.50 (which I think is reasonable for coffee shop merchandise)
I also love these travel cups
Next time I go to the Saturday Market, I might just splurge on Thomas Hammer gear instead of any of the usual market stuff.
So, first I went to Thomas Hammer to check it out and grab a drink to appease me while I wandered the market. It was a perfect day. Just the right temperature for jeans and a tank top, with a breeze AND the warm sun. The coffee shop is located on the bottom left of this picture, at the bottom of the big brown and white building.
The first thing I noticed was the coffee shop had a pinball machine in the corner. This was definitely not your usual, run of the mill coffee shop.
While waiting in line, I perused the menu. It was broken up into traditional house favorites, blended drinks, non-coffee drinks, and additions/substitutions. One drink that sounded interested was the Fireball: chocolate with a splash of orange. There was also a PBNJ that sounded awesome -- chunky peanut butter mixed with chocolate. Finally, I was also intrigued by the Creamsicle, which was orange juice, vanilla and cream (available blended or not blended).
They had snacks, and I was super excited to see they had a variety of oatmeals (three different flavors). I loved the dishware, as it was white ceramic. The interior of the coffee shop was also adorable.
I do wish this coffee shop would take a cue from Starbucks and use people's names on their drink orders. It got a bit confusing because myself and two other people had ordered chai freezes (they must be popular) and it was hard to tell whose drink was what.
Overall, Living Social was correct -- this is a fantastic place to people watch! While I was there, I saw fancy business people, hippies, a couple on a date, many families, and a few rocker people. The coffehouse even has flyers advertising concerts (I couldn't tell if they were directly related or not).
After getting my drink, I decided to delve into even more people watching, and I walked around the Saturday Market. This time I was on the lookout for rhubarb and/or fresh ricotta cheese. Once again I came away empty handed. I did see one SUPER cute thing though. This boy was at his family's stand, and had his own little booth, with a sign for "five cent ship drawings." AWWW!
I also had a sample of something called a stroopwaffle. Have you ever tried it? Legend has it it was created when a baker had leftover crumbs, and he combined they together with syrup. It looks like a waffle, but tastes like delicious, amazing caramel and syrup. To eat it, you are supposed to place it over your warm coffee so the coffee can melt the waffle a bit and make it even more gooey and delicious.
While wandering, I managed to find The Modern and The Linen Building, and made my way over (by car) to Great Gargoyles. I got the cutest little things. I will post about those tomorrow. Goodnight!
PS - if you feel like online shopping, the stand below is my consistent market favorite. Their website is mollysmills.com and I LOVE them!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
#006 The Record Exchange: Best place to listen to an Iranian guitar player
Caveat: I am (obviously) still figuring this picture thing out!
So just to explain a bit before I embark on this blog thing…I thought that a good way to decide on some places to explore would be to consult “365 Things to Do in Boise” courtesy of Living Social. Therefore, when you see the number next to my blog title, that will tell you which thing on the list I decided to check out!
For my first blog adventure, I decided to go to the #006, The Record Exchange. For future notice, the number part will be a link to the Living Social review, and the place name will have a link to a website for the place, if applicable.
Okay, now to adventures.
I started off today by meeting my (new) good friend and her dad down at the Boise Market. First of all, I LOVE how easy it is to park in Boise. For those of you who have experienced Seattle, it can be really fun but I think the parking and the roads are horrendous. I get so stressed out trying to figure out where to park, it can cost about $20, and to top it off, the homeless people make me nervous. Honestly, it never feels that comfortable, especially if you are a woman (and I would be really uncomfortable solo!). Boise is not like that at all, and I think it is safe to say it is one of the few cities that has a city vibe but also a small-town character. Yes, there are homeless people, but I find them much less intimidating than Seattle's.
Everything looks empty, even on a Saturday!
I parked in an almost empty, downtown parking garage (and there were plenty to choose from). I think I parked there for about 2 hours, and it only cost $2.50. In addition, I think the first hour is always free!
I didn’t really have much in mind for the Market, and my friend and I thought it lasted until 3:00 pm, but it turns out it only lasts until 1:30 pm. The only things I was potentially interested in buying were fruits or vegetables, and I really wanted to find some beets. As a side note, it is funny how many college kids (or people in general) have never had beets before! I don't think we wandered near the fruits and vegetable area, because I didn’t see much besides lettuce and mushrooms.
However, it was still really fun. I felt like we were at a Co-op version of Costco, with samples everywhere! Our favorite places were the wine shops, and we sampled four or five different wineries. My friend’s dad knew his wine, so it was fun to accompany him. And of course, both of us got ID’ed at each stand. But we got used to it and kept our IDs in our back pockets. Overall, I think my favorite was a Reisling and my least favorite was a Merlot. I still need to get used to the strong aftertaste. I also got a lot of information on various tasting rooms, so Mom, if you ever come back, we can go wine tasting! I think that sounds like a nice, inexpensive thing to do with friends/family.
My favorite sample besides the wine was some pine nut/sunflower seed toffee. It was really tasty and delicious. We also tried things like blue cheese dressing (not blue-cheesy enough for me), sesame sauce (tasted too much like mayonnaise), maple balsamic sauce (good, but not different enough from balsamic…in the words of my mother, “I think I could make that”), sausage (not the biggest fan and don’t eat much meat anyway), and seasonings sprinkled over bread (delicious!).
After I left the Market, I decided to check out the Record Exchange in downtown Boise. Thank goodness I have my smart phone (if you have an iPhone, download the free Mapquest App; I love it)! It makes getting everywhere so much easier. I also really like the streets in Boise. They are nice and wide, and traffic is never too heavy. When I drive in Seattle/Auburn, I always end up with a sore neck from gripping the wheel. In Boise, it is never very stressful and if I get lost, I don’t even mind because I get to see a new part of the city and my GPS just starts “Recalculating!”
I usually hate music stores because I typically stand for everything they seem to be against (the real music stores, not the “big box” ones). I shop at chain stores, I don’t think Walmart is evil, etc. I typically feel out of place, so I was a little wary of going to the store. To make the picture clearer, I was wearing Hollister, which is definitely not the typical attire in a place like that. However, once I got there, I didn’t feel out of place at all! Everyone was really friendly.
I do still feel really awkward taking pictures, so there are only a few sneaky shots from my iPhone. I always feel like I am doing something wrong when I snap a photo. I remember we tried to take pictures in Express once, and they said that wasn’t allowed. I have no idea what is allowed or not in stores, so if anyone knows picture taking etiquette, please let me know! I am not a big picture taker in general, so this will be an adjustment for me. While taking the pictures, I am sure I looked more suspicious than if I would have just been outright about it, but oh well.
For anyone who knows me, you will not be surprised to know I did a little research before I went to the store, and I had already decided what CD I wanted to buy. I consulted my trusty arsenal of magazines, and had settled on either the Friendly Fires, Arctic Monkeys or Teddybears. I don’t really know much about any of these bands (and had only heard of one) so I felt like they would likely be sufficiently “indie” enough to be sold at this store. I was surprised to find the Record Exchange had all kinds of music, and not just obscure, alternative stuff.
I decided to buy the new Friendly Fires CD, “Pala.” It was originally $9.99 and was on sale for $8.99. It just got released May 16th, so I think it is awesome that is was already on sale and also very affordable. Some might take it as a bad sign that it was already on sale, but I was excited. J I was expecting to spend a lot more, and my bank account is much lower than it normally is, so I am a little more money conscious until I start work.
Elle magazine said, about the CD, “British indie-disco trio Friendly Fires recorded their deliciously catchy (and critically adored) self-titled debut in lead singer Ed Macfarlane’s basement. On their sophomore effort, Pala (named aptly after Aldous Huxley’s 1962 novel island), the boys have polished their act, delivering heart thumping beats and Macfarlane’s baritone ear candy on dance tracks (like standout “Live those days tonight”) with impeccable smoothness.
I loved Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, and I also enjoy naming things after books/authors. For example, my rat was named Herbert after H.G. Wells, after I read the War of the Worlds (which I am pretty sure I read in fourth grade [nerd]). I also named my lizard Lucy, after a character in the Chronicles of Narnia. So, even though I was making a music selection, I decided based on a literary connection. Music has never been my thing anyway.
I haven’t had time to listen to the CD, but I will when I head to my friend’s for dinner. It always takes me awhile to come up with my favorite songs, because I never like a song much the first time I hear it. It has to have some familiarity before I actually want to tune it to a particular song. I will let you know what I think of the album when I decide!
I was also really excited to see that the Record Exchange had a sale section, and in that sale section were tons of cards for $1.00! Lately I have been really into sending cards, and $1.00 is a really good deal. I am going to have to start buying my cards there. I think I will be more likely to go to the Record Exchange for cards and not for music! I bought a card for my Dad for Father’s Day. Mom, I swear I got you a Mother’s Day card, but now I have to find it…
The Record Exchange also has a coffee bar, and I was excited because they had a specialty tea drink. Not many places have cool tea drinks, so I love when they reach out to tea lovers as well. I ordered the London Fog. It was Earl Grey, steamed milk, honey, and vanilla. It was really good, and $3.39 for a 16 ounce. I tipped the extra $.61, which is an 18% tip! I think my boyfriend would be impressed, because he knows I hate to tip (but somehow always seem to do it well anyway). The drink was really good, but I would have liked a bit more vanilla. It was very similar to what I made this morning at home (blackberry black tea, milk and honey). I hadn’t thought of adding vanilla to tea, so I think I will try that more often.
I could write forever, but when I read blogs I know I hate long entries, and this one is already a novel. I will leave you with one more funny thing. At the Record Exchange, they had “Man Candles” for Father’s day. The flavors they had were Fishing Dock, Pot Roast, and Football. They literally all smelled exactly like they said, and it was gross and amazing at the same time. I know my family will be excited…the website says it airs on Shark Tank this Friday! I am not sure if that means it already aired, but maybe you guys caught the episode/will catch the episode. Sorry Dad, I don’t think I am going to get you that for Father’s Day, even if I know you would love a Poker Room candle (yes, they have that kind!).
Today for lunch I had ground turkey meatballs (turkey was buy one get one free at Albertson’s!) and yogurt sauce. I don’t eat much meat, but these are delicious and packed with vegetables/herbs/spices. I got the recipe from a blog called Orangette, but left out pine nuts because they were about $6 for half a cup. No thanks! Also, when I was making it, a few fell apart, and I thought that the crumbly bits were even better than the meatballs themselves. If anyone else wants to make it, it might be even better as a stir fry (and easier). Also, the recipe has golden raisins in it, and sounds weird, but they are DELICIOUS! I read the comments, and apparently a lot of people do it, and it is fairly common to put in spaghetti sauce...so good.
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