The hubby and I spent my birthday week in Boise, Idaho, keeping in tradition of taking a trip somewhere new for my birthday each year.  There are so many places I have never been, and I am slowly trying to tick them off my bucket list!  Boise was an easy choice because the real reason I chose it was to visit one of my best friends who retired and moved to Idaho a few years ago.  But of course I made a whole trip out of it and I can’t wait to share with you fun activities, THE places to eat and where to find cute shops!

Our trip started on a Wednesday and that day was spent mostly just traveling to get to Boise.  We got to our hotel in the late afternoon and quickly unpacked our bags and left to go explore.  Our hotel was right by the airport, just because I was wanted a hotel that was kind of central to everywhere we would be going.  The hotel was newish, clean and had a gym.  The walls were made with tissue paper I think because you could hear EVERYTHING.  But we really use our hotels to sleep in before we leave for the entire day, so staying in the fanciest of hotels is kind of a waste on us!

And of course the day we got there, Boise had reached record breaking cold weather for October.  Not something this California girl is used to!

WHERE TO EAT

So I while I was in the midst of enjoying our trip, I had decided not to do a blog post on our trip, which is why there aren’t any pictures of the food!  Yes!!  I failed you there!  But I do remember what we ate and where we ate at, so if you go to Boise, definitely put these places on your list!

BREAKFAST

Goldy’s Breakfast Bistro– this is THE place to eat breakfast in Boise!  And the food was amazing.  James liked it so much, he wanted to eat there every morning for breakfast, but I told him we needed to check out more than one breakfast place.

I had an egg white omelet with ham and a dry English Muffin.  I had this for breakfast every morning because I am boring.  My omelet was thick and FULL of ham.  And the ham was super lean.  Just like I like it!

James on the other hand got the Create Your Own Breakfast with two eggs, bacon, hash browns and sourdough toast.  James said the hash browns here were perfectly cooked and not greasy at all.  He couldn’t stop talking about those hash browns!  Definitely go to Goldy’s…just go early because this place is popular!

The Griddle– another popular breakfast spot.  There seemed to be a  lot of business people there having breakfast meetings (granted it was a Friday morning).  My egg white omelet was nicely cooked, as it was a little underdone still, and the ham was nice and smokey.  Dry English Muffin and black coffee.  My omelet here was just as good, if not a tad better, than at Goldy’s.

James always has trouble deciding what to get because he wants to try everything on the menu.  I told him to get the Auntie Mo’s Spuds, which were hashbrowns mixed with with bacon, onions, mushrooms, bell pepper and cheddar cheese with two eggs and sourdough toast.

Moe Joe’s– I dragged James out to Meridian for our final breakfast.  Moe Joe’s is tucked away in a strip mall, but definitely not to be missed!  I got…what else?  An egg white omelet with ham and side of salsa and fruit, dry English Muffin and black coffee.  It was good!

James got the Smothered Burrito: a large flour tortilla filled with bacon, hash browns , three eggs, jack cheese and topped with gravy and finished with cheese and green onions.  OMG.  I do not know how that boy eats this stuff.  This burrito was MASSIVE and James could only finish a little over half of it.

LUNCH

The Funky Taco– this place just looked cool and James was starving, so we ducked in for a quick bite while shopping in downtown Boise.  Definitely not your average taco joint!  They play old school rap music and the customer service was awesome.

James couldn’t decide what to get, so he told our server (who I think was the owner) to surprise him.  James ended up with the Korean Pastor Tacos: ground pork, diced pork belly and smoked ham, kimchi, asian mango salsa, cilantro and radish.  James said it was really good.  I tried to order just lettuce and grilled chicken, but the server seemed to have misunderstood what I was looking for and brought me something totally different.  I wasn’t hungry, so James got my lunch too. Ha!

Smashburger– this was lunch from the Boise airport as we waited for our flight back home.  James got the classic Smash burger: 100% Certified Angus Beef, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles, mustard, ketchup on a classic bun.  James said the hamburger was horrible.

And James got the fries….which were….well fries.

I got a plain salad of just greens and grilled chicken breast.  The grilled chicken was super greasy because it was cooked with the hamburgers.  Gross.  I barely ate half of it.

Verdict: SMASHBURGER IS GROSS.  Do not waste your money.  There were very few other dining options at the gate we were at, which is why we ate here.  But never again!

DINNER

Fork– It’s on every list there is when you google “where to eat in Boise” and it did not disappoint!  Farm to fork American-cuisine with a hip and trendy vibe, but nothing that’s too hip for grandma and grandpa to eat at too.  I got a simple salad of just greens and grilled chicken.  You can tell they use quality ingredients….the greens were fresh and crisp and the chicken was juicy and grilled perfectly!

James got the Urban Burger: Fork’s custom Wagyu, ground chuck and sirloin beef, with the optional applewood smoked bacon and aged white cheddar, with Fork sauce on Gaston’s brioche bun. Served with fries.  James said the burger was REALLY good and the hamburger patty itself was “tasty.”  Fries were good too!  This is definitely a place to go!!

Chandler’s– I have eaten at some amazing places (thank you San Francisco, Portland, Boston), but Chandler’s has to be my #1 now.  Seriously.  Impeccable service.  An atmosphere that makes you feel special, without it being pretentious or snobby.  The most amazing food.  Is it expensive?  Yes.  Worth every penny?? YES.

James got the lobster bisque, full of heavy cream, sherry, lobster and rock shrimp.  He said it was amazing.  For his entree, James went big and got the American Wagyu 8-ounce filet mignon with potatoes gratin.  PERFECTION.  And then there was the mandatory creme brûlée dessert.  James said the custard lacked in flavor, but was still good.

I got the grass-fed 6-ounce filet mignon, which Chandler’s describes as a heart-healthy choice is very lean in fats, with a tender chew and rich beef flavor. Prepared “Argentine Style” seasoned with a dry chimichurri rub.  I got a side of simply steamed broccoli.  This filet was SO GOOD.  Super tender, no fat or gristle and perfectly cooked to medium-rare.  One of the best filet mignon’s I have ever had.  Mmmmm.  Chandler’s is definitely a great place to go when celebrating a special occasion because they treat you like royalty.  I would definitely go back next time we are in Boise (special occasion or not!)!

Ruth’s Chris Steak House– I chose Ruth’s Chris as my birthday dinner, even though I have eaten at a Ruth’s Chris before (in Maui).  But I remember it being amazing and this steak house was around the corner from the Egyptian theater, where we were headed right after dinner.  Did you know that Ruth’s Chris has a secret healthy menu??  I got the petit filet simply grilled, no butter, oil or sauce and had a side of streamed broccoli (no butter or oil).  Super easy to eat healthy here and the steak was perfectly cooked to medium-rare.

Or go all out like James and get the prix fixe menu with Caesar salad, 11-ounce filet mignon and the garlic mashed potatoes.  James loved his meal, as did I!!  My friends Suzy and Rob split the 16-ounce ribeye and had the Caesar salad.  Great meal all around and fabulous service!

And for my birthday, they brought me out the Vanilla Creme Brûlée that James went ahead and enjoyed for me hahaha.  Creme Brûlée isn’t my kind of dessert, but he said it was good!

SNACKS

Chip Cookies– If you go one place and one place only off this list, GO TO CHIP COOKIES.  OMG.  As a food blogger I am about as picky as they get when it comes to cookies. The best way to describe these cookies is that heaven was a cookie, it would be a Chip cookie!!  This cookie shop serves the cookies warm, huge and a little under done in the center (just the way I like them).  Their cookies are so good they only serve two varieties: The O.G. (Chocolate Chip Cookie) and their seasonal flavor.  Their seasonal flavor when we went was the Chocolate Reese’s Pieces PB Chip cookie.

And no….I do not have any pictures of the O.G. cookies that we bought.  Those got eaten so quickly, there was no time for pictures!  Worth. Every. Calorie.  We might have gone there twice during our four days in Boise. Shhhh.

Dutch Bros Coffee– a late night trip through the drive through for some decaf black coffee to go with my O.G. cookie.  Freshly brewed and perfectly hot.  Awesome coffee!!  Better than any Starbucks I have had lately.

The Chocolat Bar– Brittles, the most beautiful truffles in the most creative flavors, with just about anything you would want covered in chocolate here!  We got a few of the chocolate covered caramels to bring home for Ethan.  What’s not to love about chocolate?!  Definitely worth stopping in here for a few pieces of chocolate!

SITES TO SEE

Wine Tasting in Nampa- Who knew wine in Idaho was so good?!  I can be kind of a wine snob, but I totally LOVED the wines we tasted here at the two wineries we visited.  We even bought a bottle to bring back home!  We started off at Sawtooth.  Great wine and they have the cutest tasting room and outdoor area complete with fire pit and gorgeous views of the Idaho valley.

This is my girl Suzy, who I used to work with, but retired a few years ago and moved to Idaho.  She has been the best of friends to me over the years, and still continues to text me good morning and good night EVERY day (♥)!  So I was way overdue in my visit to see her.  After we checked out their amazing house in Nampa, Suzy and her man Rob (who James used to work with!!) whisked us off to wine taste.  Suzy knows the way to this girls heart hehehe.

Next we were heading up the hill behind us to Ste Chapelle Winery.  That winery is just as gorgeous as Sawtooth and the man pouring our tastings was funny and made it such a fun time.  We came home with a bottle of wine from here!  Who knew this California girl would be so in love with Idaho wine?!

Old Idaho Penitentiary– Ok we had SO much fun exploring here.  The Old Idaho Penitentiary is only one of like ten prisons that are open to the public to visit.  So much amazing history here.  They had to stop using the prison in the 1970’s after a huge prison riot resulted in the destruction of a lot of the buildings at the site.  Some of the buildings were burned to the ground!  You can take  a guided tour, or just use the map they provide you and take the self-guided tour.  We started off as part of the guided tour, but the guide was a little too long winded, so James and I ducked out to just go check out the prison ourselves.

Don’t let that blue sky fool you, I was freezing cold if you couldn’t tell.

How could we go to a prison and not have a little fun with our pictures?!

And if you know how much I love doing laundry (no really….I do)….then this picture makes sense to you.

Another awesome part of the site is a weapons museum that had weapons from every era.  Very informative and interesting!  And then a little fun with one of the displays….

Boise State Capital– We didn’t have time to go on a tour of the capital, but we did stop for a photo op!  The capital building is beautiful and is at the very center of town.  At night it is all lit up and looks ominous.

Freak Alley– I had heard about Freak Alley before our trip, but had totally forgotten all about it until we actually stumbled upon it while we were shopping downtown!  Freak Alley is a notable venue for murals, graffiti and public art located in an alley in downtown Boise. It is said to be the largest outdoor gallery in the Northwest, and has been a Boise institution since 2002. It began with a painting of a single alley doorway and now extends from the alley itself to gravel parking lot.  Colorful and creative…make sure you check out the mural that has actual pieces of mirror broken up and glued into the design.

Downtown Boise Shopping– So many cute shops to check out downtown! Ones not to miss:

• Mixed Greens | Modern Gifts
• Re-POP Gifts
• The Rediscovered Bookshop
• Ward Hooper Gallery and Vintage Shop

We checked out so many of the shops, but the ones I listed were my favorite and where we bought souvenirs and trinkets from!

The Egyptian Theater– The oldest theater in Boise, this gorgeous venue hosted a film festival of short films on the night we went.  James, Suzy, Rob and I enjoyed the three hour film fest, which was featured short films that were awe-inspiring, funny and motivational.  There are always different movies and events being held at the theater and I feel so lucky that we got to attend this one!

The short films we watched:

Before leaving on our flight Saturday afternoon, James and I had a few hours to kill, so we hit up their Cabela’s (which James told me after we got there that it is just like the Bass Pro Shop we have at home), which was huge and fun to look at all the outdoorsy stuff (if you are into that sort of thing).  After Cabela’s, we jetted off towards Meridian to the Villages at Meridian.  We only had enough time to go to Lululemon, but I was happy with that (and my new workout leggings and top hehehe).

And off to the Boise airport we went to go home.  PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:  When flying, for the sake of your fellow passengers, if you decide to get wasted drunk before your flight, please don’t try to board the plane.  This results in a 30-minute delay for the rest of us trying to get home, as the flight staff will ultimately discover you are too drunk to fly and remove you from the plane.  THANKS!

XOXO,

Kelly