Boise’s Restaurant Week Celebration Uncovers Delicious Cuisine
As the capital of Idaho, Boise was once known primarily for its potato farming industry. As the city grew, so did the palate of the local population. Today, visitors to the area are surprised to find everything from authentic Thai cuisine to progressive gastronomy using creams and foams on everyday dishes. For food enthusiasts, there really is no better time to visit the city than during the annual Restaurant Week. This event does not require tickets or advance reservations, and it simply means that a handful of the top eateries in the city will lower their prices and include new, inventive menu items for the week. Here are some of the hottest trends that are coming from the menus at the locations participating in Restaurant Week this year.
Discover Elevated Asian Cuisine
For the last decade, it has been tough enough to simply find authentic Asian cuisine in the Midwestern United States. The most successful restaurants were ones that stuck precisely to their authentic recipes, careful not to differentiate themselves from other traditional Asian eateries. This year, places like Mai Thai Restaurant are going beyond classic dishes and upgrading their menu. Visitors can expect to see artfully presented plates instead of the typically large portions of rice and noodle dishes. Braised short ribs and sous-vide salmon are just a few of the ways we can see elevated Asian cuisine making waves in the culinary landscape.
Find Yummy Food on a Stick
While you might argue that skewered foods have long been a staple of American cuisine, with things like corn dogs coming to mind, there has been very little of it in upscale fare so far. This year, places like the Brickyard are embracing the whimsical nature of foods on a stick. 
Almost all of their appetizers now come on skewers, but that certainly doesn’t mean that the dishes themselves are ordinary. Expect skewered chunks of beef tenderloin smothered in blue cheese sauces, seared scallops and even raw ahi tuna sashimi. Just because it is on a skewer, it doesn’t mean that you won’t find it in an upscale restaurant like the Brickyard.
Delectable Gourmet Mexican
Like much of the rest of the United States, Idaho is known for a dining scene that is full of Mexican and Tex-Mex fare. Until recently, however, most of the Mexican dining options were affordable, basic and anything but gourmet. At places like the Matador, chefs are working hard to elevate the local opinion of this type of cuisine. Imagine braised carnitas flavored with allspice, bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves and then slowly cooked for hours. Instead of a flash-fried churro for dessert, dig into flourless chocolate cakes with a pinch of fresh Mexican chili powder for a kick. These are the types of gourmet Mexican dishes that you can expect to find on menus in the coming months throughout the state and throughout the Northwestern United States.
Try the Local Ingredients In Boise Cuisine
Although foods trends like locally sourcing ingredients have been popular in places like Oregon, Washington and California for several years, it is something that is just beginning to get noticed in this area. Places like Bardenay and Berryhill & Co. are two eateries that embrace this trend and focus on serving up menus full of ingredients from within 100 miles. Diners will find things like ruby trout, caught in local rivers and stuffed with lemon and prosciutto, tomato ravioli created with locally farmed produce and pumpkin bread pudding where all the ingredients come from surrounding farms.
Enjoying the Restaurant Week options is a great way to explore Boise, taste new flavor combinations and learn more about the hottest food trends that are gaining popularity within the state.
If you’re interested in earning a culinary degree of your own, discover your options to find a cooking school in Boise.
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