I'd like to hear from you

Greetings readers!
I would like to know what restaurants/bars you would like me to review. I'm sure there are several places completely off my radar but could be possible gems. Post your thoughts and ideas here and I will do my best to consume libations, savor vittles, and provide a review of each location.

Thank you!

The Melting Pot

www.meltingpot.com
200 N 6th Street

Time: 5-7 Daily
Special: $3 micros, $2 other beers, $5 wines, $3.50 wells, and $5 Feature drinks and martinis
Rating: 4.5 martinis
Smoking: no
Other mentions: Full Bar, seating outside, $5 appetizer specials

The Melting Pot is a fondue restaurant located in downtown Boise. It opened a few years ago and has been very successful, filling a niche that is otherwise absent in the area. It is also much more than cheese and chocolate dip.

I have visited the restaurant on other occasions for dinner but this was my first for happy hour. My friends and I sidled up to the bar (we often prefer to sit at the bar versus at tables as this offers better access to the bartender for insider knowledge). The bartender of the evening, Bobby, was very attentive and enthusiastic. We couldn’t decide on a wine to have so he let us sample several before we made our selection. We really liked this!

They have a vast selection of their wines for $5 during happy hour, as well as beer and liquor specials. An interesting tidbit about their liquor selection, their well offerings are higher end than most places. So for their vodka, they offer Smirnoff as the well instead of something like Kamchatka.

They have a special food menu set up for happy hour also. It includes a couple of fondue options perfect for sharing with someone, as well as salads, shrimp, and dips most priced at $5! We enjoyed the Baked Brie with Pesto, Honey and Almond Baked Brie, and the Spinach Artichoke Dip. Everything was fantastic and nicely presented. The brie was served with bread and chips; the chips seemed like an unlikely pairing but actually worked. The spinach and artichoke dip was a more than ample portion of creamy goodness.

A note of mention, happy hour is only available in the bar area. This should not pose a problem, however, as there is ample seating in the bar. The restaurant also has an outdoor patio, as well as several booths throughout- some are very intimate 2-top tables tucked away behind curtains. There were only a few groups in the bar on our visit, but on a trip through the restaurant I noticed most of the tables full....and it wasn’t even a weekend evening.

The owner of the restaurant made his way around the establishment while patrons dined, personalizing each persons visit. This was nice to see as it is a rare occurrence to visit with the owner anymore. This seems to be an area that several restaurants lack but I believe it to be key in keeping diners returning. Every diner wants to feel special and that extra step does just that.

Bobby the bartender actually gets big kudos from us. A few days after our visit to Melting Pot, he spotted us downtown and said hello! Nice work remembering us! We will definitely return to the Melting Pot for happy hour and hopefully it is on a night Bobby is working!

The Dutch Goose

www.dutchgoose.com

3515 W State Street

Time: 4-6 M-F
Special: $1.50 domestics and $2.50 micros
Rating: 4 martinis
Smoking: outside
Other mentions: outside seating with misters on hot days, horseshoe pits, other daily specials: Tuesday- 2 for 1 burgers, Wednesday $3 32 oz. tubs from 6-11pm and free peanuts, Thursday $1 all drafts from 8-11pm

The Goose isn’t a fancy place but it is friendly and fun. It offers up a variety of entertainment sure to please everyone in your group with pool tables, video games, televisions, horseshoe pits, and plenty of seating for socializing.

The atmosphere is casual with a no frills approach and ordering is done at the counter. What you get in return is low prices on a great beer selection and tasty food that also comes with a great price tag. The counter service was also fantastic. While I didn’t catch the name of the bartender/cook/server of the day, she was entertaining, nice, and quick!

My most recent visit was on a Tuesday so my friend and I took advantage of the 2 for 1 burgers. They were generous in size as well as flavor. For a Tuesday afternoon/early evening, the place was packed. Seems that many already know about this little gem and they ranged from a softball team to a table in suits, and everything in between.

We left happy, full, and no longer thirsty. We will definitely return to the Goose!

Parrilla Grill

1512 N 13th Street

Time: M-F 4-6:30
Special: $2.50 domestics, $2.50 wells, $3.50 micros, and $1 off pitchers
Rating: 3 martinis
Smoking: no
Other mentions: Full Bar, seating outside, daily specials

Technically I didn’t make it during happy hour but Parilla Grill does have daily specials. I went on a Thursday for the $1 taco special. That is right! $1 tacos all day Thursday! I could choose from steak, pork, chicken, or veggie on either corn or flour tortillas. I opted for one chicken on flour and one veggie on corn. I had them throw on some corn salsa and pico de gallo and I was set! My friend and I headed outdoors to their lovely patio, sat at the bar, and ordered up some cold beverage. Thursday also happens to be $1 off all drafts.

The restaurant was busy for mid-day Thursday. People rode up on bikes, some had dogs, and some were punching away on computers. Parilla Grill draws a diverse crowd with its tasty and affordable offerings. The tacos were yummy and healthy. The beer selection was simple yet provided an option for everyone. The location in Hyde Park is perfect for those wanting to get out of downtown but not too far out or those just getting back from the foothills.

Joe's Crab Shack

www.joescrabshack.com
2288 N Garden Street

Time: M-F 3-7
Special: $1.25 domestics, $2 wells, and $3 frozen margaritas and well martinis
Rating: 4 martinis
Smoking: outside
Other mentions: Full Bar, seating outside, on the greenbelt

A friend and I were attending a play reading in Garden City this evening but wanted to get together prior for a beverage and snack. I suggested Joe’s Crab Shack for its proximity to our final destination as well as its location off the Boise Greenbelt. We were able to park our bicycles right on the greenbelt next to our table! The only better thing would for them to have an actual bike rack placed off the greenbelt for high traffic times.

We were greeted by Kat who told us the happy hour specials and how Joe’s works. The specials include $1.25 domestics, $2 wells, and $3 frozen margaritas and well martinis and sometimes appletinis and cosmos are included. Unfortunately, they do not offer any food specials but we decided to order the crab nachos anyway.

The drinks were refreshing, the nachos good, and the service excellent. Mid-way through our experience, Kat hands us a couple of hats and informs us we would be dancing to YMCA with them on the greenbelt. Without question my friend and I were singing and dancing for the restaurant. As much as I dislike the YMCA song, it was fun….or maybe it was just the strong cocktails!

We had a fun time at Joe’s and the nachos kept us full all night! No late night snacking needed.

Martini mix-off 2009 wrap up

My friends and I had a lot of fun with the martinis! It was great to try fun cocktails that we would normally pass up because they didn’t fit into our normal repertoire of beverage. This got us out of our comfort zone and we found a few cocktails by which we were amazed.

The following is my beverage winners for the event. My friends are not in complete concurrence but for the most part, we were very close.

Classic
1. Vesper Reconsidered- Chandlers
2. No one came close enough
3. Blue-by-you- Pair

Original
1. French Connection- Pair
2. The Bandit- Bonefish
3. Tolerance Juice- Red Feather

Cocktail
1. Barack O’PAMA- Chandlers
2. El Pepino- Bonefish
3. Ty Webb- Tablerock

I was very disappointed not to see Bonefish in the finalists of the Boise Weekly’s write up or the final judging. I was also appalled to see Bardenay make it into the finals. Their classic was weak, and the same exact drink they made in 2006. They didn’t even bother changing the name. Their Masala Martini in the original category was nearly the same as their 2006 Chaitini. They could use some originality!

Another disappointment of the mix-off was the Bouquet. They only got the special ingredients used to make their drinks in for the one night the judges were there. We felt as though they didn’t care what the other customers thought and they did not even come up with an appropriate solution. We sampled the drinks they could make for us and were so unimpressed by the experience, we did not even finish our drinks.

A huge high point in the mix-off was finding Bonefish. Our bartender Shannon is amazing! She takes such great care of us whenever we return now. The drinks are great, the food fantastic, and our service fabulous.

Overall we enjoyed the martini drinking and socializing!
Cheers!

Chandlers Steakhouse

981 W Grove Street
www.chandlersboise.com

Located in Hotel 43, Chandlers Steakhouse and Lounge are the epitome of class. High-end all the way, including the staff.

We opted for a late afternoon to enjoy the martinis so we would have the full attention of Pat, the fabulous bartender. We sidled up to the bar, all 8 of us, to enjoy the next hour. Pat provided us with some reading material for background on the drinks. It was more fun quips than real details but that extra step certainly adds to our ratings.

This year’s offerings:
44 Magnum
Wild Turkey Bourbon, Tia Maria, 44 North Rainier Cherry, cherry garnish

Barack O’PAMA
Absolut Vanilla vodka, Godiva Chocolate Liquer, Wild Turkey Bourbon, PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur, Pomegranate sugared rim and a chocolate coin garnish

Vesper Reconsidered (a 10-minute martini)
Plymouth Gin, Blue Ice Vodka, Lillet Blanc, a spooge of Orange Bitters, Lemon twist garnish

The 44 Magnum had some interesting qualities. Cherry flavors were present in the initial taste but the drink finished with a chocolaty-coffee taste. Some of my fellow tasters thought it more reminiscent of cough syrup but I thought it was a bit more subtle. The Wild Turkey seems to provide the continuity of this drink while the other liquor in the drink is what provides the true essence.

The Barack O’PAMA was a beautiful drink with its sugared rim and hint of red color. Pat suggested we try a sip, take a bite of chocolate, then another sip. I preferred it before chocolate, while Liz preferred it with the chocolate. Either way, we enjoyed this beverage. It wasn’t nearly as sweet as I had expected with just the right balance of flavors. The flavors stood up on their own while simultaneously working with each other. I have no idea how Pat is able to put it all together, but he does it perfectly.

The Vesper Reconsidered is worth every 10 minutes of the wait. Seriously! This is the best martini I have ever had. It is crisp, clean, and refreshing. It is dangerous! The orange bitters and lemon twist really bring out the crispness in this cocktail. As the drink slowly comes to room temperature, the flavors continue to evolve. It is a definitely stunner.

Chandlers does not have a happy hour but they do provide some tasty hors d'oeuvres. While we were there, we sampled some sliders and homemade jerky. We enjoyed our time there and the service was stellar.