Fork Restaurant Boise

When I first heard about Fork Restaurant and their focus on fresh, local ingredients, I knew I needed to pay them a visit.  Then, when I contemplated the simplicity of the name further, I made a reservation and headed off to give them a try.

Fork is located in a historic bank building right downtown Boise.  They’ve done some very nice remodeling, with warm woods and hip striped carpeting.  It has a great vibe and a good ambiance.  However, the tables are packed in far too close together so it feels like you’re eating dinner with the 2 tables on either side of you.  In fact, you could just reach over and grab some of their fries off their plate if you wanted to.  Other than that, I liked the feel and was ready for some good dining.

Fork Boise Appetizers

Fork has some fun sounding appetizers to choose from, like Lollipop Lamp Chops, Tomato Basil Fondue, and Casino Style Clams.  But what really caught my eye were the Asparagus Fries.  These things were delicious!

The Asparagus fries were dipped in a batter and then deep fried.  The batter got nice and crispy, and seemed lite and non-greasy.  They were perfectly seasoned with salt and pepper.  They were perfectly cooked as well, remaining a bit crisp, bright green, soft, and delicious.  They were served with a fantastic ranch sauce that was very lite as well, which was given a bit of “sophisticated fun” with the addition of little black sesame seeds as garnish.  What a great appetizer and/or side with their burgers.  I highly recommend giving them a try.

Fork Boise Asparagus Fries Appetizer

Fork Restaurant Boise Sandwiches and Burgers

Fork has a sandwich for just about everyone.  Brisket & Ground Sirloin Blend burgers, grilled salmon sandwiches, a grilled cheese with balsamic onions and tomato jam, a grilled portobello sandwich, and several more.  All look to be served on a giant brioche bun.

I’ve been told by several friends that the burger at Fork is exceptional.  I haven’t a chance to try it myself, but it certainly looked massive and tasty in front of my neighboring diners.  I noticed that their burgers were all served on a checkered cutting board.  What fun.  What I did get to try, though, was the Roast BBQ Chicken sandwich.

This sandwich was large and flavorful.  The menu reads, “hot pulled rotisserie free-range chicken, melted Ballard Farms Cheddar, and smoky aioli on brioche bun.”  The chicken was very moist and seasoned well.  The BBQ sauce was very sweet with a touch of spicy kick.  Nice.  All around, it was a very good sandwich.

It was served with a side of Rosemary-Parmesan French Fries.  These were actually very good.  But I was a bit disappointed that it was canned parmesan (of the Kraft variety perhaps), and that there was hardly any rosemary to speak of.

An Entree Disappointment at Fork Restaurant

Chicken and waffles, pan seared sea scallops, mushroom ravioli, salmon, short ribs, and several steaks to choose from, but no, I had to listen to my server and take his recommendation of the Idaho Rainbow Trout.  The menu made it sound good, “pan-grilled Hageman Farms trout, tomato vinaigrette and braised greens.”  My server said it was his favorite on the menu.  Well, he’s either an idiot or the rest of Fork’s entrees are really bad, because this trout dish was not good.  It’s only redeeming quality was the presentation.  It was beautiful and I really liked how they served one filet skin side up to contrast with the other meat-side filet.

Well, I guess another good quality was that the fish was very fresh and clean.  How could it not be having just come from Hagerman, a mere two hour drive from Boise?

Another positive was that the tomato vinaigrette added a really nice color to the plate which complimented the delicately colored trout meat nicely.

The major flaw with the entire dish was the complete lack of flavor.  I saw salt, I saw pepper, but this dish was as bland as unsweetened oatmeal.  The only hint of flavoring additive was a subtle smokiness from the high-heat pan sear.  The whole thing sort of worked together when eaten with the braised kale greens, but the entire thing seriously needs a flavor boosting overhaul.  Maybe stick with burger?

Fork Boise Idaho Rainbow Trout Entree

Fork Local Concept is Good but Maybe Overrated

In conclusion, Fork has a good concept going on and has a great name, but their execution of serving awesome food from awesome local ingredients is a bit lacking.  And upon further investigation, all of those “local” ingredients aren’t necessarily local at all.  Many come from northern Washington, western Oregon, and California.  If you really want to do a local menu, you should contract with local produce farms exclusively and/or have your own garden for the restaurant, and you shouldn’t get your beef from feed lots like Agri-Beef, but instead should contract with a small local rancher raising natural grass fed beef.  Good concept, but I’m thinking it may be more of a marketing gimmick than a true local conviction.

The Bald Gourmet reviews new local restaurants, like Fork in downtown Boise.

Italian Sushi Roll

This incredible concoction of flavors was inspired by the Moriawase dish I had at Ozeki Tokyo Cuisine in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  I took their idea of combining the Italian flavors of basil and olive oil with sashimi, and twisted it into a prosciutto wrapped sushi roll with sweet port and balsamic grapes.  This is what traveling to food destinations is all about; inspiration to make something unique and out of this world delicious that perhaps hasn’t been seen before.

This awesome roll was the hit of the sushi party I took it to, and I know it will be for your party as well.  Vegetables instead of fish, prosciutto instead of nori, basil oil instead of wasabi, and sweet grape instead of salty soy sauce…..wow!  This will be on my restaurant menu when I open it’s doors someday for sure.

For this dish you will need:

• Port Wine Balsamic Grapes (couple spoonfuls per roll)
• Fried Garlic Chips (one per piece, roughly 8 per roll)
• Sliced Red Bell Pepper (roughly 4 slices per roll)
• Blanched Asparagus (2-3 spears per roll, depending on asparagus size)
• Baby Spinach (8-10 leaves per roll)
• Sliced Scallions, green part only
• Basil oil
• Micro Greens (sprouts), optional
• Sushi Rice (roughly 1/3 – 1/2 cup per roll)
• Prosciutto (roughly 6 slices per roll)

Prepare your favorite sushi rice recipe ahead of time, or purchase some from your local sushi restaurant.  Prepare the rest of your ingredients ahead of time as well, so that when it’s time to feed your guests all you have to do is assemble the roll.

When choosing the asparagus to use in this recipe, choose small, skinny stalked asparagus.  They are easier to bite and provide more interest in the final roll because you can add 2 or 3 stalks per roll instead of just 1.  Blanch them in boiling water until bright green, roughly 2 minutes.  Promptly remove from boiling water and place in an ice water bath to cool.  Once cooled, remove and set aside until ready to assemble the roll.

Blanched Asparagus in Ice Bath

How to Make Basil Oil

Simply place fresh basil leaves in a food processor or blender and process with extra virgin olive oil until smooth.  Add enough olive oil to make it very loose and saucy.  Thick very very runny pesto.  You can season to taste with salt and black pepper if you’d like.

Port Wine and Balsamic Grapes Recipe

• 2 cups halved grapes
• 1/4 cup port wine
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Start by cutting the grapes in half along their diameter.  Then place in a sauce pot over high heat with the remaining ingredients and bring to a rapid boil.  Cook until grapes are cooked and soft, roughly 5 minutes.

Sliced Grapes Cut in Half

Cook Grapes in Port and Balsamic on High Heat

Strain the grapes, reserving all the liquid.

Port Balsamic Grapes

Place liquid back in sauce pot and reduce over medium-high heat until reduced to a thick sauce that coats a spoon and has the consistency of thick maple syrup.

Reduce Port Balsamic Sauce until Thick

Set aside and allow to cool.  Use warm temperature when assembling the sushi roll.

How to Make Fried Garlic Chips

Slice cloves of garlic into even thick slices.  Drop into hot oil and fry until golden brown.  Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Fry Garlic Slices in Hot Oil to Make Garlic Chips

Fried Garlic Chips

How to Assemble Italian Sushi Roll

Start by placing plastic wrap over your bamboo sushi scroll press.  Place prosciutto, overlapping the edges, so as to cover the sushi press.  Place the sushi rice on the prosciutto and spread with moistened fingers and/or sushi paddle to cover the prosciutto, leaving a 1 inch strip of bare prosciutto on one long edge for sealing the roll later.  The rice should only be 1/4 inch or so thick.

Place baby spinach across 3/4 of the rice, then lay asparagus, red bell pepper, and a couple spoonfulls of port wine balsamic grapes, including sauce, about 1/3 of the way into the roll square.  Carefully roll up with the bamboo sushi scroll, pulling back the plastic wrap out of your way as you roll.  Once rolled up, compress with the bamboo sushi scroll press.

At this point, you can remove the plastic wrap or leave it on to cut the roll.  I find that the roll seems to hold together better with the plastic wrap on while slicing.  The prosciutto is more delicate than nori, and does not hold together as well.  Because of this, you’ll need to slice into larger pieces than typical sushi, about 1.5 inches thick.  Each roll should produce about 8 pieces.

Place the pieces on a serving plate, then spoon some basil oil on each piece.  Top with scallions, and then place a fried garlic chip on each piece.  You can optionally then garnish with some micro greens/sprouts if you’d like.

Italian Sushi Roll without Micro Greens

Recipe by Jothan Yeager, July 2011

The Bald Gourmet’s recipes are inspired by his food travel experiences throughout the world, like today’s recipe that was a play on a sashimi dish eaten in a Japanese restaurant in Malaysia.

New York Strip Steak with Port Bleu Cheese Reduction Recipe

I love the tangy bleu cheese and sweet port wine combination of flavors in this reduction sauce atop a perfectly seasoned grilled steak. I’ve chosen New York Strip steak for this recipe, but you could also use any other high-grade cut of beef for this dish. I’m especially fond of Garlic Rosemary Baby Red Potatoes and Grilled Asparagus as side dishes with this, but feel free to serve this steak with anything that you’d like.

Port Bleu Cheese Reduction Recipe Ingredients

• 1 onion, cut into halves and then sliced
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil, enough to coat pan
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup beef broth
• ½ cup port (a sweet red wine may be substituted if port is not available)
• 4 ounces bleu cheese
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 3 juniper berries (optional)
• Cracked black pepper to taste
• Onion powder to taste

Port Bleu Cheese Reduction Recipe Instructions

Caramelize onions by placing in pan with olive oil over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, for approximately 30 minutes, or until caramelized. I like to season them with kosher salt and pepper when adding to the pan.

Caramelize Onions for Grilled New York Strip Steak

Caramelized Onions

Once caramelized, deglaze pan with balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Deglazing is the the process of adding liquid to a hot pan to release all the cooked on sticky brown bits attached to the pan in order to make a delicious pan sauce. It requires you to scrape the bottom and sides of pan while the added liquid is boiling.

Add Beef Stock to Caramelized Onions for Port Bleu Cheese Reduction Recipe

Add port, beef broth, and juniper berries. Allow to reduce by 1/3, and then add garlic, rosemary, and bleu cheese. The bleu cheese should thicken the sauce, but additional reduction may be necessary to get the thickness to your liking.

Add Garlic and Rosemary to Sauce

Add Bleu Cheese to Reduction Sauce and Stir to Melt

Season to taste with cracked black pepper and onion powder.

Serve reduction over your choice of steak. This recipe should yield enough for 4 medium-large steaks.

Grill New York Strip Steaks While Port Bleu Cheese Reduction is Cooking

Prepare the steaks by first rubbing both sides with olive oil and then seasoning both sides liberally with kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper.

Rub Olive Oil on Steak Prior to Grilling

Season Steak with Kosher Salt and Coursely Ground Black Pepper

Grill on an outdoor grill or inside grill pan over very high heat until done to your liking. For medium, cook for approximately 4 minutes on each side, or until the steak turns gray about half way up the outer edge.

Steak is ready to flip on the grill

Grilled Steak is ready to remove

Remove from heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes prior to plating with Port Bleu Cheese Reduction and serving. This will help the steak retain its juices when cut.

Recipe by Jothan Yeager, July, 2007

Grilled Steak and Asparagus Salad

I originally came up with this dish for a cooking class course I was teaching in order to show the diversity of vinaigrette usage and that the concept of salad reaches far beyond lettuce. This delicious salad is a star as a main course meal, and is a perfect entertaining meal on a cool summer night.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 ½ – 3 pounds beef tri-tip steak or roast
• 4 pounds Baby Red or Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1 ½ pounds fresh asparagus
• ¼ pounds crumbled bleu cheese
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
• Rosemary vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Start by quartering the potatoes. If some of the quarters seem too large, cut them in half again to get a more uniform size with the other potato quarters.

Quartered Potatoes

Slice the onions into 1/4 inch slices. Then separate the individual pieces and add to the potatoes.

Slice Onions

Place potatoes and onion on baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and toss with hands so as to cover all sides with olive oil. Roast in a 425˚ oven for 45 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked and slightly browned. Set aside and allow to cool.

Season with Salt and Pepper

Drizzle Liberally with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Toss with Hands to Coat wtih Olive Oil

Prepare asparagus by trimming off the tough ends. Then rub asparagus with extra virgin olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Bend Asparagus to find breaking point to cut off tough ends

Toss Asparagus with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Kosher Salt and Pepper

If using a Tri Tip roast, prepare it by removing the thick layer of fat before seasoning.

Trim the Tri Tip

Just pull the fat back as you run your knife along the meat

Trimmed Tri Tip

Rub the Tri Tip with extra virgin olive oil, and season both sides liberally with salt and pepper.

Rub with Olive Oil

Season Both Sides Liberally with Kosher Salt and Cracked Black Pepper

Grill over high heat until medium-rare, approximately 4 minutes on each side. Grill the asparagus at the same time.

Grill Tri Tip Over High Heat

Grill the Asparagus Too

Grill the Tri Tip and the Asparagus at the Same Time

Check Doneness of Meat with Finger to Get to Medium-Rare

About this same time, the potatoes should be done. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly as you tend to the cooked beef.

Perfectly Roasted Potatoes and Onions

Let the beef rest for 10 minutes, then slice into 1/8 inch slices.

Thinly Slice Tri Tip on the Diagonal

Plate by placing roasted potatoes and onion on a large serving platter. Top with grilled asparagus and sliced beef. Then add crumbled bleu cheese and Rosemary Vinaigrette. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You can optionally garnish with Onion Chive flowers or Rosemary blossoms if you have them.

Grilled Steak and Asparagus Salad Before Dressing

Rosemary Vinaigrette

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon red onion, finely chopped
• 1 ½ tablespoon rosemary, chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
• ¼ tsp. onion powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Finely chop the rosemary, onion, and garlic, and place into a bowl with the remaining ingredients.

Finely Chop Rosemary Garlic and Red Onion

Combine with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Red Wine Vinegar

Whisk together to make the vinaigrette.

Whisk to Make Vinaigrette

Pour over Grilled Steak and Asparagus Salad w/ Roasted Potatoes, Bleu Cheese, and Rosemary Vinaigrette Salad.

Grilled Steak and Asparagus Salad w/ Potatoes, Bleu Cheese, and Rosemary Vinaigrette

Recipe by Jothan Yeager, Feb 10, 2008