By Dave Yasuda
Welcome to November, the month of Thanksgiving, elections, Black Friday, and Veterans Day. There’s a lot going on during these 30 days, but take a moment to enjoy a bite or a beverage and think deep thoughts. Here’s 12 things to eat in Boise in November:
Duck Two Ways at Susina
Check out this new addition to Chef Alex Cardoza’s seasonal menu that showcases a seared duck breast and housemade duck sausage. Served with silky, buttery yams and braised red cabbage seasoned with red wine vinegar and a touch of cinnamon, this main course is a quintessential fall dish ready to bring you joy. Dinner at Susina is a three-course affair so you can pair your entrée with a first course and a dessert. Chef Cardoza’s wife and co-owner Tara Morgan curates a concise, but inspired wine list. The comforting food, personal service and intimate space combine for a dining experience perfect for special events or anytime I need a delicious escape.
📍Susina, 1621 N Orchard St, Boise
Signature Egg Sandwich at Certified Kitchen + Bakery
Fuel your brisk fall morning outings with an elevated version of the basic egg sando. It’s like an Egg McMuffin went to an Ivy League school and fell in with the artsy crowd. A fresh, baked-in-house sourdough English muffin is the foundation for this morning feast. An egg, arugula, white cheddar and Fresno chili crème fraîche rounds it out. Bacon, avocado and tomato are extra add-ons and I strongly recommend getting all three. The end result is a savory melange of textures and flavors that will make any morning brighter.
📍Certified Kitchen + Bakery, 1511 N 13th St, Boise
Bar Prawn at The Stagecoach
This Garden City staple serves up a unique, old school take on the steakhouse. If you’re not up for a full dinner, hit the bar for a cocktail and a snack. I recommend the bar prawn: a substantially sized, lustrous crustacean that’s hand breaded and deep fried to a beautiful golden brown. Each prawn comes with your choice of zippy cocktail sauce or creamy tartar sauce. For a light meal, I order a couple prawns and a side salad with the house made Roquefort dressing. So satisfying.
📍The Stagecoach Inn, 3132 W Chinden Blvd, Garden City
The Layover at The Modern
This is a craft cocktail that marks the coming of the holiday season every year. Available from Thanksgiving to Valentine’s Day, it deserved an article just to describe its origin. For the uninitiated, The Layover features bourbon and peated caramel syrup presented in an old fashioned glass rimmed with smoked salt. The cocktail arrives at room temperature with a side of maple roasted pecans. Altogether this is a charming cocktail to savor and quietly enjoy as winter arrives.
📍The Modern Hotel and Bar, 1314 W Grove St, Boise
Pumpkin Bar at A’Tavola
I received a few notes of concern regarding my lack of enthusiasm for all things pumpkin last month. One person suggested this pumpkin bar. I’m a fan of Lisa Peterson and the magic she creates at A’Tavola. Breakfast or lunch there is a culinary adventure and the selection of gourmet foods and kitchen goods is impressive. This dessert is reminiscent of one my mom made and hit my nostalgia button. Sweet, but not too sweet, with a flavorful pumpkin base, cream cheese frosting and a light sprinkling of cinnamon, this is a dessert that melted my icy pumpkin heart and made me a believer.
📍A’Tavola, 1515 W. Grove St., Boise
Lasagna at Red Bench Pizza
Red Bench is one of my favorite local pizza stops, but their special non-pizza items are worth a look. Lasagna Night is a weekly event that I keep on my calendar. It’s available Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Two varieties of lasagna, meat and vegetarian, are on the menu. This is a full meal deal that includes a house simple greens salad and grilled bread. I just found out Red Bench also offers $50 Family Style Meals with pasta, bread and salad for four. This deal requires a 24 hour advanced notice. I haven’t tried it (which breaks my own rule for these lists) but it sounds like a deal worth mentioning.
📍Red Bench Pizza, 1204 S Vista Ave, Boise
$12 for 12 Oysters at Whole Foods
Here’s an opportunity to put your newfound oyster shucking skills to test at a bargain price. I found three different varieties including Wellfleets, an East Coast oyster that is relatively easy to shuck. This is one of those deals that seems too good to be true, but I checked at the fish counter and they said it will continue this month and perhaps longer. A few caveats. The offer is only good on Fridays and an Amazon Prime account is required for the special price.
📍Whole Foods Market, 401 S Broadway Ave, Boise
Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup at Baguette Deli
Yes, this is a bowl of pho. No, I don’t go around calling it “Vietnamese beef noodle soup.” I think of Baguette Deli as the OG of banh mi sandwiches in Boise and fondly recall when they had a store on 8th Street. I like to pop in for a quick sando on the Bench, but as November brings the cold season (both the weather and the virus) nothing quite hits the spot like pho. I appreciate that this version includes brisket, eye of round, flank and meatballs so all my beef needs are met. While you can eat at one of the few tables in the restaurant, the deli does a thorough job of packing this to go. The staff here is friendly and gets your order together super fast.
📍Baguette Deli, 5204 W Franklin Rd, Boise
Cannoli at Caffè Sorrento
Step into Tony and Emma Curcuru’s tidy cafe and you’ll be dazzled by the array of authentic Italian pastries. I chose the pistachio cannolo with a crisp pastry shell and a creamy, lightly sweet filling made from Sicilian sheep’s milk ricotta. I enjoyed it with a Sicilian almond cappuccino that was naturally sweet from the housemade almond milk. Caffe Sorrento is a wonderful find on a busy stretch of State Street. The staff members were genuinely friendly and helpful on a busy Saturday and made my visit truly special.
📍Caffè Sorrento, 5624 W State St, Boise
Yellow Curry with Fried Chicken at Nahm Thai & Burmese Cuisine
This bustling restaurant cooks up a staggering amount of food for such a small kitchen. A glance in the kitchen reveals a focused crew skillfully sending out plates and take-out boxes of delicious food. For this dish, two pieces of Thai Hat Yai style chicken set the tone. The Thai seasoned thin, crispy crust is nothing like Southern cooking, but irresistible all the same. A bowl of yellow curry with chunks of onion, potato and tomato adds richness and a bit of heat. I ordered the jasmine rice and it’s a great partner for the curry. Four pieces of roti are crisp and rich – perfect for cleaning up your plate. This dish is enough for two, but add one of the spicy, fresh salads to balance it all out.
📍Nahm Thai & Burmese Cuisine, 577 E Park Blvd, Boise
Pizza at Tony’s Pizzeria Teatro
Tony’s is a secret dining spot that’s hidden in plain sight. Located right next to the Egyptian Theater on Capitol Boulevard, this intimate restaurant serves handcrafted Neapolitan style pizza that’s wood fired in a brick oven. Owner Tony Vuolo brings skill and just enough attitude to make your meal occasion authentic and fun. Quality ingredients produce pizzas with a thin crust, a touch of char on the edges and a nice chew in the center. I’m partial to the simplicity and flavor of the margherita, but there are a variety of toppings to please all palates.
📍Tony’s Pizzeria Teatro, 105 N Capitol Blvd, Boise
Schnitzel Sandwich at Das Alpenhaus Deli
Das Alpenhaus is an adventure in German food and drink. You’ll find a surprising assortment of German, Austrian and Swiss groceries and a variety of cooked-to-order sandwiches and entrées. Numerous German beers are on tap, as well as in cans and bottles. The schnitzel sandwich is a generous pork cutlet that’s pounded thin, dipped in egg, breaded and deep fried. It’s served in a pretzel bun with mustard, mayo, cucumbers, onions, tomato and lettuce. This sandwich is an exercise in contrasting textures and flavors and goes particularly well with a cold German beer. Their beer garden gets going in the warmer weather, but I love this hearty sando during the cooler months.
📍Das Alpenhaus Delikatessen, 1340 S Vista Ave, Boise
Thanks for reading!
With love from Boise,
Marissa
This story was written by Dave Yasuda. Dave is a writer, eater, cyclist, and director of Foodfort at Treefort Music Fest. His writing has appeared in Bicycling, Wired, and the New York Time’s The Wirecutter. View his food thoughts on Instagram: @highzoot
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