The
Dish: Excellent Creative Cuisine in Downtown Boise
The
Boise area is truly becoming "Boomtown" as
more and more people find out how nice it is the live here in
the Treasure Valley. Over the past few years, new restaurants
have been opening to accommodate the tastes of both newcomers
who are relocating from both the West & East Coast, as well
as those who have lived here for their entire lives. We were
introduced to The Dish by family and were quite
pleased on our first visit, so we decided to return to try more
of their cuisine. The Dish is a stylish Bistro with a friendly
atmosphere that is proud to use mostly fresh and local ingredients.
Spinach Pillows
The
Dish is located on the ground floor of the historic
Empire Building built in 1909. We were greeted and checked our
coats in the lobby. We chose to be seated in a comfortable stylish
booth in the center of the intimate restaurant, which also features
a Bar upfront, as well as tables upstairs and downstairs for
dining. The restaurant was quite full fairly early and it was
obvious that they have a nice following. We perused the focused
Regular Seasonal Menu, as well as the robust Special Nightly
Menu and began our dining experience with sparkling water and
wines by the glass. The Appetizers that we tried were wonderful
both in taste and superb presentation. Our favorite was the
light and heavenly Spinach Pillows, which was a beautifully
plated Potato-Fennel Fondue topped with Pine nuts, Romano cheese
and pea shoots. The artistic plating was accomplished by abstract
presentation of beet puree splashed across the bright white
plate. It was a work of art! We also loved the Calamari Picante,
which was flavorful sliced Pan Roasted Calamari Steak accompanied
by shallots, garlic, tomato, red chili, green onions, herbs
and lemon. It was not too spicy, quite delicious and a "house
favorite".
The
savory, sweet and spicy Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Banana Bites
made with a mango BBQ glaze and roasted pepper relish combined
some of our favorite ingredients....was so much fun! It was
a generous serving of 6... so we were able to take some home.
Next,
we shared a Beet Salad made with sugar snap peas, pickled fennel,
parsley, dill, sweet roasted pecans, goat cheese, apple chips
and arugula which was topped with a tarragon vinaigrette dressing.
This was actually large enough to have for your entrée
and all the ingredients very worked well together.
Pork Chop
The
Entrees are all very hearty portions. We loved the Red Wine
Braised Short Rib which was served with glazed vegetables and
herbs. The meat was so tender that it fell off the bone and
the glaze was a perfect compliment. Also the plating was very
artistic with the short rib placed sidewise on the plate with
the meat curved to resemble a large mushroom. Another generous
entrée is the thick, juicy and flavorful bone in Pork
Chop served with herb puree, beet spätzle, Brussel kraut
and an apple chip. The flavor was excellent and again a superior
presentation. On our previous visit we enjoyed the Shrimp &
Grits which was made with jumbo shrimp, house made sausage,
braised fennel, oven roasted tomatoes, shellfish broth and creamy
grits. This traditional southern dish was so flavorful and also
as a hearty portion.
Short Rib
We
had to save room for Desserts and were quite pleased with both
the Bananas Fosters which was flambéed bananas, chocolate
chip banana bread topped with Vanilla-Coconut Ice Cream and
the Granny Smith Apple Split roasted apple topped with caramel,
fruit compote, candied pecans and topped with Cinnamon Ice Cream.
Of course we took some home for breakfast the next day! The
coffee service was impressive, as you get a lovely metal French
Press accompanied by a glass sand timer to indicate when the
coffee is ready to press.
Granny Smith Apple Split
The
wine list features local, U.S. and international wines by the
Glass and Bottle. We enjoyed the 2012 Coiled Dry Riesling from
Snake River Valley, Idaho and 2014 Adelsheim Pinot Gris from
Willamette Valley, Oregon with our starters and the Sean Minor
Pinot Noir with our entrees.
The Dish has been open for over two years now and has something
for everyone. They recently received the 2015 Open Table Diner's
Choice Award! Executive Chef Jered Couch brings a wealth of
experience that translates into excellent creative cuisine and
a really fun dining experience. The presentation, service and
sophisticated atmosphere make The Dish a great place to dine.
We felt like we were pampered and that the cuisine was being
prepared with love for us. We look forward to returning soon,
to enjoy our favorites and more from the Dishes' Daily Specials
Menu which is always changing adding creativity!
The
Dish
205 N. 10th St.
Boise, ID 83702
208.344.4231
Open for Dinner 5PM-10PM
www.thedishboise.com
By Carol & Joe Davis
Dining Detectives