Boise, Idaho: Just a catch-up day. Laundry. Errands. Shopping. A much needed pedicure. Boise is the largest town we have stayed in since Las Vegas on the 10th. I needed a bookstore and an office supply store.
After taking care of business, Dave and I drove the Honda to downtown Boise for lunch at a fun brew pub, the Bittercreek Alehouse, he had patronized several years ago while attending an Oregon v Boise State football game. It takes a long while to get anywhere in Boise - traffic is terrible!
Today Bittercreek Alehouse had 35 beers on tap! Their menu isn't large, but it is certainly interesting and they list their food suppliers (farms, cheese makers, butchers, etc.) by name on the cover of their menu. Many organic and locally-sourced items. Some of the more interesting items were:Grilled kale Caesar salad
Smoked trout with boiled egg, red onion, capers & cucumber
Polenta fries
Grilled cheese & chutney sandwich
Spicy lamb burger
We ordered the Poutine (pronounced poo-teen) to split, which may be/should be the National Dish of Canada: French fries with cheese curds and gravy ladled over. The Bittercreek Alehouse used turkey gravy and it was so delicious. We only had a sample, which really required diligent self-control... because then we split this:
House-cured brisket sandwich, served on sourdough. Super tender and perfectly spiced. Nearly like corned beef, except without all those nasty chemicals. Our shared sandwich came with a small wedge salad made with butter lettuce and topped with crispy fried onions.After this delicious lunch, we needed to walk! We were near the Idaho Statehouse, so strolled on by.
The last time we were in Boise, we bought chocolates from The Chocolat Bar and decided to return to purchase a few gifts. Amazingly enough, the same women were working in the shop and though there were not too many people on the sidewalks today, The Chocolat Bar had a steady stream of customers purchasing lovely confections. Our favorites are the barks - dark chocolate covering such things as ginger or pistachio-and-chili - and the dark chocolate-covered caramels with sea salt. They offer mail order!Here is a photo of our situation in Boise, but our fridge is stocked as we head out to the wilderness tomorrow morning.
Until my next update, I remain, your Boise correspondent.RV PARK: Boise Riverside RV Park - Large park near the county fairgrounds. A good location for Boise or Eagle, Idaho. Full hookup pull-throughs. 50 amp. Free wifi, bathhouse, laundry, playground. Adjacent to the Boise River and miles of bike/hiking trails. Close to shopping, but about five miles from the freeway. Some live-ins. With Good Sam discount, we are paying about $32 per night.