I know that they have gotten a lot of bad press over their owner’s strong Southern Baptist beliefs.  Those beliefs cause him to close all his stores on Sundays, and cause him to support traditional bible-centric marriage between 1 man and 1 woman.  These actions have caused an internet sensation of people (mostly supporters of same-sex marriage) ripping on the restaurant chain and boycotting their food.  So is this what’s causing the amazing business success and public hysteria?

Whether you agree or disagree with Chick-fil-A’s owner, Mr. S. Truett Cathy’s, principles of faith, his strict adherence to them has probably led to his success as a business owner.  I have no doubt that it has also helped define his character as a man.  That character can be seen in all the different charitable donations Chick-fil-A has provided, as well as all the scholarships they have issued.  Personally, I respect Mr. Cathy for standing up for what he believes in, regardless of the consequences on his business.

From what I have researched, it seems that Mr. Cathy, and his family, run their business unselfishly, and don’t ask their employees to do anything they are not willing to do themselves (like working on Sundays, Christmas, and Thanksgiving for example).  Their business has exploded over the years, becoming the 2nd largest chicken retailer in the country, 2nd only to KFC, as well as surpassing even McDonald’s in the average sales per restaurant ($2.7 million per restaurant as compared to $2.4 million at each McDonald’s).  Despite the negative press and food bans, Chick-fil-A’s sales continue to soar.  But I find it hard to believe that the opposing sociological and political views surrounding Chick-fil-A are what are creating the mass “eat more chicken” madness.

So it must stem from their food.  I’ve noticed that people go crazy for this shit.  Their restaurants are packed with chicken lovers.  What exactly is going on?

A new Chick-fil-A recently opened in Meridian, Idaho.  They have 2 drive through lines, and every day those lines are backed up clear out into the parking lots of the surrounding businesses.  I was going to pull in and give their food a try, but quickly decided to go inside instead because of that line.  But the place was packed inside as well!  It was standing room only.  What the freak?  So I gave it a couple months to slow down before I tried it again.  Nope, still just as packed.  I thought to myself, “that must be some damn good chicken!  I’d better get my hands on some fast!”  I’m ashamed of myself for falling prey to this mass hysteria.  Is this the same thing that happened years ago with Krispy Kreme donuts?  Just mass hysteria around a food without much substance?  I had to find out, so I braved the crowd and went in.

As I stood in line to order, I stared at the remarkably undesirable menu board.  Chicken sandwiches and fries.  Do they have anything else?  Oh, there’s a salad with the same chicken on it I could choose.  And there’s the same salad wrapped up in a tortilla. Or wait, there are some chicken nuggets.  Oooo, what’s that?  A chicken soup!  Oh, nope, there’s the mother load that’s making everyone go crazy….. a chicken salad sandwich. Nice!  What the hell is going on?  I ordered a plain original chicken sandwich, and its spicy version right next to it.  I kindly paid my $7, took my receipt, and found a stool to sit on.  Their staff brought me my food somehow knowing exactly who I was, what I ordered, and where I took my seat.  Alas, the moment of truth had arrived.

Chick-fil-A Original Chicken Sandwich Good or Bad?

Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich

So, honestly, what goes through your mind when you look at this picture?  Do you think to yourself, “Oh my gosh, this is going to be the most amazing chicken creation I’ve ever put in my mouth?”  Do you think, “this is so beautiful I’m about to cry?”  Or are you like me and think, “this thing is what everyone’s going so ape-shit about?”  I wasn’t sure what was happening.  This is a breaded and deep-fried chicken breast with some pickle slices on a plain, ugly hamburger bun.  There is no sauce, no lettuce, no special components, no anything.  I could have splurged for lettuce, tomato, and a slice of American cheese for $.60 more I guess, but would it have made any difference?  I was mesmerized with the fact that this sandwich built a $4.6 billion dollar company.

“Well, the chicken breast must be really really good,” I thought.  So I took a bite.  Here’s what it looked like:

Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich Inside

Hmm.  See the pickles?  They had a nice crunch and tasted like….pickles.  The bun was the typical flattened, sweet fast-food burger bun (but at least it was toasted), and the chicken was a whole chicken breast.  I appreciate that is was a whole chicken breast.  That’s better than most fast food press-formed chicken patties for sure.  The seasoning in the breading was good, but nothing magical by any means.  It had a nice black pepper flavor, some onion powder, some herbs, and other things like sugar I imagine, and it was nice and crunchy.  The chicken itself was very moist and tender; a result of the pressure-fryer it was cooked in.  And that’s where I get really confused.

People have been fading in their KFC eating because of the exact same pressure-frying cooking method.  Pressure frying forces hot oil into the chicken meat, and drastically reduces the overall cooking time required.  This “oil injection” is what helps make KFC’s chicken, and Chick-fil-A’s as well, so moist and tender.  It is also what makes it so high in calories.  So if KFC chicken is so bad for us, why isn’t Chick-fil-A’s when it’s cooked in the exact same fashion? (hint:  they are equally as bad for you)  And why have people stopped eating lunch at KFC?  KFC’s seasoning is far tastier, they make their chicken sandwiches out of whole chicken breasts too, and their sandwiches come with bacon, cheese, and sauce.  Maybe it’s because Chick-fil-A offers 10 different sauce packets to squeeze onto your sandwich.  Most of those sauces are calorie nightmares, and are full of corn syrup and/or sugar.  Seems a bit silly.

The Chicken Sandwich tasted good, and so did the Spicy Chicken Sandwich (exact same chicken and seasoning as far as I could tell, except with a hot cayenne pepper addition that made it actually very spicy), but neither where anywhere near the worth of hysteria our society is giving Chick-fil-A.

Chick-fil-A Chargrilled Chicken Club Sandwich Review

After my first experience, I decided that maybe I should give their grilled chicken a try.  So I went back another day and ordered their Chargrilled Club.

Chick-fil-A Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich

The presentation of this sandwich was much better.  Nice beautiful leaf lettuce, crisp red bacon, melted provolone cheese, pickles, tomato, and a marinated grilled whole chicken breast all on a pretty wheat bun.  “This is more like it,” I thought.  I figured this was what the hysteria must be stemming from.  So I eagerly dived in.

Chick-fil-A Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich Inside

Just look at that beautiful chicken breast!  It was so tender, and so moist, and it was grilled!  Finally, a great tasting and healthy sandwich at a fast food chain!  Well, maybe not.  This guy still brought in 400 calories, 36 carbs, and 1110mg of sodium, all before I added any sauce to make it taste better.  And a quick check of the ingredients show:  butter flavored vegetable oil (think butter flavored Pam), added flavors, preservatives (TBHQ) salts, sugars, and a cute little workaround to MSG – yeast extracts and disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate.  The yeast and the disodiums have the two main building blocks of MSG, so when combined, you get practically the same thing as MSG but don’t have to label it as such.  Like I said, cute workaround.

That being said, it was fairly tasty, though I didn’t love the processed fake tasting marinade.  And 400 calories isn’t too bad when compared to other fast food options.  It didn’t fill me up though, so I found myself ordering another item off the menu to leave satisfied.  But if you want a lower calorie option, and a decent tasting chicken sandwich, Chick-fil-A’s Chargrilled Club might be worth ordering, especially if you pour some of their low-calorie Buffalo Sauce (only 10 calories per pack) on it.

Chick-fil-A Chicken Biscuit Breakfast Sandwich, What a Joke

Chick-fil-A Chicken Biscuit

I don’t even know what to say about this thing.  What a stupid and pathetic creation.  I’m embarrassed that I ate it.  I’m just glad I got it for free with a coupon to lesson my shame.  It’s their deep fried chicken breast, and hallmark pickles, put on a buttermilk biscuit.  How stupid.

The chicken was as good/bad as the rest (because it’s the same bloody chicken!), and the biscuit was fluffy and good.  But this thing brings in 440 calories, 20g of fat, 48 g of carbs, and 1210mg of sodium.  Plus you have to eat it with one of their dipping sauces if you want any flavor at all.  I paired mine with 2 packs of BBQ sauce, which brought in another 90 calories, 11g of carbs, and 180mg of sodium.  So this one little breakfast sandwich started my day with 530 calories and close to an entire day’s allotment of sodium!  Compare that to a better tasting McDonald’s Egg McMuffin at 300 calories, 30g of carbs, and 780mg of sodium, and you start to see just how ridiculous this breakfast beast is.  No thanks Chick-fil-A.  I have better things to get fat off of.

Ethics and Morals Behind Chick-fil-A Review

So I still have no idea what the hysteria is all about, and I find myself completely torn on this place.  The menu really isn’t anything special; most of their sandwiches are OK at best.  But I really admire their Christian business ethics of being closed on Sundays, and also their ownership’s moral standing on doing what they feel is right without fear of what it may do to their business success.  I think the social hysteria surrounding them right now is ridiculous, but find myself being willing to eat there despite it.  I doubt I will add Chick-fil-A to my lunch routine, but I will likely choose them over the others at airports and such when traveling.

The Bald Gourmet can’t give Chick-fil-A a recommending food review, but admires their business practices and wants to support them because of it.

Pistachio Crusted Chicken Nuggets

Don’t let the title turn you away.  These Lebanese flavor inspired nuggets are awesome.  Serve these delicious low carb, low fat, high flavor chicken nuggets to your family and friends, and I guarantee they won’t want to eat store-bought frozen crap nuggets again.  They are healthy, delicious, low fat, and full of crunch; perfect for a party platter appetizer or a weeknight family dinner.

This recipe calls for Sumac (sometimes spelled sumak), a traditional middle eastern spice used extensively in middle eastern and Lebanese cooking.  It is the ground dried berry of the native sumac bushes of the region.  It has a tart lemon flavor, subtle sweet aroma, and a beautiful deep purple color.  You can find it at any middle eastern foods store, and often in the spice aisle of high-end specialty grocers like Whole Foods.  I recommend getting some and using it in this recipe, as well as sprinkling it on hummus, fish, chicken, salad, or even popcorn.  But if you can’t find any, you could substitute the zest of a large lemon in this recipe instead.

How to Make Delicious Low Carb Breading for Chicken Nuggets

Pistachio Breading for Chicken Nuggets

Yes, I still use the traditional bread crumb base for my nuggets, but I incorporate ground pistachios into them to cut back on the carbs, increase the flavor, and add an extra layer of crunch.  They are delicious.  Buy the pre-shelled ones to save yourself a bunch of work and time.  Simply dump them into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.  Then mix with bread crumbs and the spices.

When using bread crumbs, it is best to use homemade crumbs from homemade bread.  Just leave a chopped up loaf out over night, then pulse in a food processor to form fine crumbs.  Different sizes of the crumbs are good, as they will provide varying levels of texture and crunch on your nuggets.

• 2 cups shelled pistachios, finely chopped
• 3 cups bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon sumac
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

This recipe makes enough to cover 8 large chicken breasts worth of nuggets.  Cut the recipe in half if you want to make less nuggets.  But I find that I want to make extra nuggets to stick in the freezer and pop in the toaster oven later whenever I’m in the mood for a quick healthy snack/meal.

How to Make Healthy Low Fat Pistachio Crusted Chicken Nuggets

I say “low fat” because my nuggets are not fried, but rather baked until golden brown in the oven.  There is fat from the nuts, as well as the eggs, but that’s about it.  Lower fat than deep frying for sure, and the pistachio fat is the healthy fat our bodies actually need.  Such a simple change to make a healthier option.  Not to mention that they actually taste better too!

• 8 large chicken breasts, cut into large bite nuggets
• 4 eggs, beaten
• Low carb Pistachio Breading

Prepare the chicken by first slicing into strips roughly 1 inch wide.

Cut Chicken Into Strips

Then cut the strips into nuggets, roughly 1.5 inches long.

Cut Strips Into Large Bite Nuggets

Place the beaten eggs in a shallow pan, like a loaf pan.  Form an assembly line of the chicken, eggs, and pistachio breading to simplify preparation.

Breading Station

Dip the chicken nugget pieces into the beaten eggs, covering to coat.

Coat Chicken with Eggs

Then toss them in the pistachio breading, fully covering to coat.

Toss Chicken Nuggets in Pistachio Breading

Place breaded nuggets on an oiled baking pan (I like to use non-stick spray), leaving about an inch of space around each nugget.

Placed Breaded Nuggets on Baking Sheet

This recipe should make roughly 4 baking sheets worth of nuggets.

Place the nuggets in a 375° convection oven for 20 minutes.  Baking in a convection oven reduces the baking time needed, ensures an even browning crunch on each nugget, and ensures even cooking throughout your oven.  Turn the pans around half way through cooking so that the blowing air from the convection fan does not over brown any surfaces.

If you do not have a convection oven, increase the temperature to 400° and increase the cooking time to 30 minutes, rotating the pans between shelves in the oven halfway through.

Serve hot nuggets with your favorite dipping sauce.

Pistachio Crusted Chicken Nuggets with BBQ Sauce

Recipe by Jothan Yeager, March 2013

The Bald Gourmet creates a delicious and healthy version of fast food chicken nuggets with the help of Sadie Clift.

Mongo's Grill

Finally!  I’ve been waiting for a decent Mongolian BBQ place to open up in the Boise area since I moved here 6 years ago.  Everything offered in town has always been so lame, dirty, and not very good.  It’s been very frustrating.  But that all changed this week when I pulled into the new Mongo’s Grill next to Famous Dave’s on Eagle Rd in Meridian.  Halle-freakin-lujah!

Mongo’s Grill is worlds apart from the other Mongolian barbecue joints in the Boise area.  The decor is upbeat and professional, with a bit of a P.F. Chang’s feel to it.  The staff are professional and attentive.  And the actual grill is larger than any I’ve seen before and is a beautiful stainless steel, looking much like a small UFO.  Even the traditional wooden rods used to cook with are updated and replaced with a really cool looking stainless steel version.  I was sold before I even got to the food.  But the food is what really brings Mongo’s to the 10th level.

Mongo’s Grill Has an Incredible Selection of Vegetables, Meats, Seafood and Noodles

Mongo's Grill Bowls and Toppings Counters

Being my first time at Mongo’s Grill, my server offered to give a tour and tell me how things were done.  I was blown away with the selection of things to choose from.  There were two full tables of vegetables to choose from:  snow peas, snap peas, green beans, red peppers, yellow peppers, cabbages, peas, edamame, bamboo, water chestnuts, black beans, garbanzo beans, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, bean sprouts, cilantro, bok choy, asparagus, onions, green onions, broccoli, cauliflower, and more.  It was amazing!  I’m a veggie guy anyway, so this was really exciting.

But the options didn’t end there.  I couldn’t believe my eyes when I got to the protein table.  There were the standard frozen and shaved beef, chicken, and pork, as well as cubed tofu; with the unexpected additions of turkey, ham, and even pepperoni.  But the real surprise came from all the seafood.  During lunch, there was salmon, tilapia, and calamari.  During dinner, there were the additions of mahi mahi, scallops, and shrimp.  Tell me, where else can you get a selection like that?  Happy happy joy joy!

And if that wasn’t enough, Mongo’s also offers up 5 different noodles to choose from.  They offer the standard yakisoba type noodles, but also have wide rice noodles (think pad thai), delicious thick Shanghai noodles, and then penne pasta and rigatoni pasta.  I thought the two Italian pastas were a little odd until I got to the sauce counter.

Mongo's Grill Noodles

Mongo’s Grill Sauces are Diverse and Tasty

Mongo's Grill Sauces

With my heaping bowl of veggies, chicken, fish, and Shanghai noodles, I was ready to sauce.  The secret to any good Mongolian barbeque is the sauce, but Mongo’s takes things further than the rest.  They have the standard ginger, garlic, Mongolian, hot oil, sesame oil, sweet and sour, and curry sauces.  But they also introduce the following:  stir fry sauce; Khan’s favorite sauce; kung pao; BBQ; black bean; honey mustard; orange pineapple; lemon; red wine; spicy szechuan; sweet chili garlic; teriyaki; soy sauce; Thai peanut; and tomato basil.  What the heck?  It was a cook’s dream to sauce the hell out of things with a perfect blend of whatever I felt like.  The sauces also tasted great.  My favorites were the orange pineapple, Mongolian, stir fry, and Khan’s favorite.

But what was up with that tomato basil and the Italian pastas?  It turns out that Mongo’s Grill also offers a hot cheese sauce (not very good and very bland) and hot Alfredo sauce.  For those of you that don’t want Asian deliciousness, you can still enjoy an outing with friends and have some chicken alfredo over penne, or maybe some pepperoni and olives with tomato basil marinara over rigatoni.  Sky’s the limit.  Enjoy.

Mongo’s Grill Spice Counter

Mongo's Grill Seasonings

After the sauce orgy, you take your bowl over to the grill to get it cooked.  But before you hand it over to the cooks, there is a spice counter to add even more flavor to your meal.  With 13 different spices and seasoning salts to choose from, you’re sure to find a flavor you’ll love to add to your sauce bowl of deliciousness.  Personally, I loved the Thai Seasoning, but maybe you’re more of a curry person, or maybe you want some fajita seasoning to go with your chicken and beef.  Whatever you’re out to accomplish, you’re sure to have a good experience at Mongo’s Grill.

Would you Like an Egg with That?

Mongo's Grill Side Options

When you hand the cooks your bowl, they ask if you would like an egg with it, if you would like it all put into a wrap, or if you would like some tortillas.  Cool.  I accepted the egg, which went perfect with my Southwest Asian flavors.  I guess the tortillas would be great if you decided to make chicken and beef fajitas with onions, peppers, cilantro, and black beans, all sprinkled with a little fajita seasoning at the spice counter.  Choices galore at Mongo’s.

Mongo’s Grill Boise has a Soup and Salad Bar

Included with your meal is Mongo’s soup and salad bar.  How nice to offer this.  The salad options were extensive, and all very fresh.  The soup options consisted of two soups, rotating daily between lunch and dinner.  I had the Wicken Chicken Thai Soup, which was a red curry coconut lime chicken soup with rice.  Damn that was some good soup.  Wicked and delightfully evil.

Mongo's Grill Wicked Chicken Thai Soup

All You Can Eat at Mongo’s Grill

Mongo’s is $9 for lunch, putting it about $2 more than other Mongolian options, but everything is included, and they encourage you to go through more than once.  The secret to success at Mongo’s is to make your bowls small, and have more than one.  By keeping the bowls small, you get a better ratio of sauce to food, which provides a better tasting more flavorful bowl.  It also leaves room to have a cup of their delicious soup, and maybe even some peaches and cottage cheese from the salad bar.  This place rocks, and is hands down the best Mongolian Barbeque joint in all of Boise.  It is a small chain restaurant, with franchises in Minnesota and Canada.  I’m very grateful someone brought it here, and I’ll be eating here for lunch regularly.

Mongo's Grill Healthy Mongolian

Mongo's Grill Beef and Noodles

The Bald Gourmet finds the best Mongolian Barbeque in Boise and eats himself silly.

Grilled Baja Chicken and Black Bean Burrito

It’s the middle of January and I took my scout crew camping this past weekend in Garden Valley Idaho.  It was -10° as I slept curled up in my sub-zero sleeping bag with another one draped over me.  I slept warm (except for my face), and had a great time being all manly in the snowy wonderland.  I knew it was going to be a cold trip, so I wanted something hearty and energy giving to keep us burning warm.  The protein, fiber, and carbs of these burritos was just the thing.  I also knew that doing a bunch of prep and cooking in 5° weather would be miserable, so I precooked and prepared everything in advance so that all I had to do was re-heat, assemble, and grill the burritos.  They were a huge success, and very delicious.  Every bit as good as what you’d find at a great taco/burrito food truck.

Ingredients Needed to Make Baja Chicken and Black Bean Burritos

This recipe makes about 13 very large burritos, so you may want to reduce to fit your needs.

• 4.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 5 limes
• Good quality taco seasoning mix (like Tradewinds Specialty Blend)
• 4 cans (15 ounce cans) black beans
• 24 ounces shredded Mexican cheese blend
• Head of cabbage, finely shredded (or a bag of coleslaw mix)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Extra large flour tortilla wraps, like Don Poncho’s Wraps (sourced at WinCo)
• Baja sauce

How to Make Baja Sauce

• 1.25 cups sour cream
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• Good quality taco seasoning mix to taste (like Tradewinds Specialty Blend), roughly 1.5 teaspoons
• Roughly 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• Roughly 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together to form a smooth sauce, seasoning to taste with taco seasoning, salt, and pepper.  Place in a squeeze bottle and refrigerate until needed.

How to Make Grilled Baja Chicken and Black Bean Burritos While Camping

While at home, butterfly the chicken breasts and sever the halves, essentially making two thin breasts.  Place the breasts in a baking pan or large plate, and squeeze the juice of 1 lime over them, and sprinkle liberally with taco seasoning mix and salt and pepper.  Turn breasts over and repeat with another lime and more seasoning.  The point of this is to maximize the flavoring of the chicken.  Heat a grill pan or BBQ grill to hot, then add the chicken and cook until done, about 4 minutes on each side.  Remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes.  Cut breasts in half, length wise, then into thin strips so that you have pieces about 1″ long or so.  Place the pieces into a gallon size zip lock bag, and add the juice of another lime to the bag.  Close the bag and toss to evenly coat pieces with the lime juice.  Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed.  Place the bag in your cooler and take camping with you for onsite assembly later.

Similarly, drain and rinse the beans, place in a gallon sized zip lock bag, and add the juice of 1 lime to them.  Seal and toss to coat, seasoning with salt if needed.  Place in your cooler and take camping with you for onsite assembly later.

At your camp site, heat a camp stove/griddle to medium high (or place a griddle pan over camp fire coals until medium hot).  Heat some butter or oil on the griddle.  Add chicken and beans, keeping in separate piles if you’d like, and heat through until hot.  Heat a second griddle (or remove chicken and beans and use the same one) for grilling the burritos on.

Assemble the burritos by placing an extra large flour tortilla on a camping plate, then add a large handful of grated cheese, roughly 3-4 ounces of chicken pieces, a little less beans, 2 handfuls of shredded cabbage/coleslaw mix, and top liberally with Baja sauce.  Fold tortilla to form a burrito, and place on the griddle.  Grill on both sides until golden brown and cheese is melted.  Serve hot and eat voraciously.

Grilled Baja Chicken and Black Bean Burrito Camping

Recipe by Jothan Yeager, January 2013

The Bald Gourmet goes camping in zero degree weather and makes delicious Grilled Baja Chicken and Black Bean Burritos.

Boise Food Truck Rally

I’m a little late to the street foodie party with this review, but I’ve been wanting to write about the Boise Food Truck Rally for a while now.  If you haven’t heard of this event yet, then hopefully this review will inspire to come join me at next month’s rally.  If you have been to a rally already, then I hope this write up will bring a smile to your face as you relive the event through my words.

The Boise Food Truck Rally was modeled after similar events in cities such as Portland and Seattle.  They are absolutely great ideas, and lots of fun.  Basically, it’s just an evening of local food trucks circling their “wagons” together for a fun gluttonous gathering of people who love to eat and experience something a little different.

Boise street food is coming along nicely, and is growing all the time.  There are certainly some gems and some failures in that crowd, but in many ways even the failures are better than going to an $18 a plate brick-and-mortar restaurant.  Some people worry about health concerns and such with food trucks, but they are stringently checked by the food safety police, possibly more than sit down restaurants are.  So don’t worry about non-factual myths of cockroaches or dirt.  Rather, focus on the menus and the fact that the owners are living a little dream of serving their versions of good food to the people of Boise.  Once you do, you’ll likely chase down any taco truck or Asian food bus you land your eyes on.

One word of caution with the Rally though; it is extremely popular and draws a very large crowd in the hundreds.  My first Rally was a complete disappointment because of that crowd, and because the location chosen for the event was way too small to get an adequate number of trucks in to feed that crowd.  All the really good stuff was sold out by the time I was able to make my way through the lines to order anything.  What I did get to taste was enough to make me want to come back though.  And even though I haven’t had the chance to try all of the trucks yet, I’m going to give you my take on what I have had, and encourage you to go to the next Rally (2nd Friday of each month from 5-9 pm at varying locations, listed each month at https://www.facebook.com/FoodTruckRally).

Somehow, I managed to lose all of my personal pictures of my first Rally , so I’m borrowing some shots off of Facebook, namely for Calle 75, Boise Fry Company, B29 Streatery, and Brown Shuga Soul Food (I hope you all don’t mind!).  I had them, now they’re gone.  Much like the tasty Rally treats from my plate I guess.

Calle 75 Street Tacos Review

Calle 75 Street Tacos

This was one of the few treats I got to try at my first Rally, and they were delicious!  Rather on the expensive side, but delicious.  We ordered 4 tacos that night:

• Shrimp with Baja Sauce – damn that was a good taco.  The shrimp was cooked perfectly and seasoned well, and was paired perfectly with cabbage (red and green) and a very tasty Baja sauce.
• Carnitas – even better than the shrimp!  Very moist, tender, and full of Mexican porky flavor.  5 more please!
• Carne Asada – it was good, but not fantastic.  There are much better carne asada tacos to be had elsewhere, but order one or two if you’d like.  They’re worth eating.
• Brisket – I got the feeling that Calle is proud of this taco.  And I guess that if I loved the flavor of beer more than that of beef, I would be too.  They rub a whole brisket in a Mexican spice rub, then marinate the hell out of it in beer.  Sounds great, but unfortunately all I could taste was the beer.  No thanks.  Lose the beer and replace it with a smokey chipotle barbecue sauce or something and this taco would be a winner.

Cale 75 Street Tacos Tacos

Cale 75 Street Tacos Brisket and Shrimp Tacos

Rice Works Asian Food Review

Rice Works Asian Food

If you’re a long-term reader, you know how much I love Asian food.  I’m a total slut for it, spending thousands of dollars on 2 week vacations for the sole purpose of eating it at the source.  It’s a little much perhaps.  But it brings me joy so who cares.  So it was with great anticipation that I finally got to try Rice Works food at the last Rally (they were sold out on my first Rally attempt).  I was told by some friends that their Korean BBQ Beef wasn’t great, but that their Korean Spicy Tacos were awesome.  I ordered accordingly.  Yup, they were great, despite them being completely non-Asian.

Rice Works Spicy Korean Tacos

Rice Works Spicy Korean Tacos Close

What they were, though, was a very clever fusion of super moist and flavorful sweet Korean chicken, pickled Asian vegetables (cucumbers), a spicy Sriracha sauce, and cilantro, all stacked on some white corn tortillas.  They were absolutely awesome, and got my mind racing will all sorts of hybrid taco creations I could do at home for my next dinner party.  My girlfriend thought that they were too spicy and didn’t like them because of it, but I absolutely loved them and can’t wait to have them again.  Great job Rice Works!  Absolutely awesome!

Rice Works has other great sounding creations that I look forward to trying as well, such as rice bowls, Vietnamese and Korean meat sliders, Tonkatsu pork, fresh spring rolls, crispy fried rolls, curries, and more.

Archie’s Place Review

Archie's Place

I’d heard a lot of hype about this place in foodieville, so I was very sad when they were all sold out of their sloppy Joes at my first Rally, but I arrived early my second go around and ordered Archie’s “famous” Joe sliders before anything else.  I ordered  a beef House Joe, and a pork verde Mean Joe Green.  Umm….ya.  These were terrific sloppy Joes.  The beef was actually ground Wagyu beef, some of the best cattle on the planet.  It was cooked in a traditional tomato sauce, with what I think were cloves.  The sauce was good, a bit spicy, and a little sweet (molasses maybe?), but not the best I’ve ever had.  Well worth the $2.50 though.  The Pork Verde was fantastic.  Ground pork cooked in a green tomatillo sauce.  I was expecting more sauce than it came with, but somehow the little bit that clung to the pork was so power punched with flavor that I started to forget that my potato bun was not soaked with sauce.  I’ve never had, nor even heard of a green sloppy Joe before this, but thanks to Archie’s, I think I’m now addicted.

Archie's Place Beef and Pork Sloppy Joe Sliders

Archie’s also has ground turkey Joe, and a Unicorn Joe, which is their funny code for vegan.  These different Joe’s are served up in slider form, taco form, mashed potato bowl form, and grilled cheese sandwich form; all of which I’m sure are equally delicious.  They also have soups and skewers, and offer everything in vegan and gluten free form.

Thanks for bringing sloppy Joe’s back into my life Archie.  I’ll be seeing you again soon.

Saint Lawrence Gridiron Review

Saint Lawrence Gridiron

I don’t know what their name means, but these guys have a beautiful food truck and cook up some fancy meat dishes for street food fare.  “Upscale bar food on wheels” might be an appropriate description, or maybe just “shut up and eat my high calorie deliciousness.”  Whatever their slogan, this place is sure to please anyone that isn’t a vegan.  They take street food to such a new level of “nice” that their serving ware isn’t even plastic, but rather made out of wood.  Very cool.

Saint Lawrence Gridiron Wooden Serving Ware

Their cheese covered meaty fries is what what drew us in, but everything on their menu that I saw coming out of their bright orange truck looked fantastic.  What we had was good, but I look forward to trying one of their sandwiches on my next visit.

Saint Lawrence Gridiron Burnt Ends Poutine

We ordered two items off the menu; the Poutine, and the Fried Mac ‘n Cheese.  The Poutine was a take on the Canadian classic.  Saint Lawrence’s was made with the traditional fries (excellent by the way), then topped with an ale cheddar sauce, some sweet and sticky dark brown reduction sauce, perfectly barbequed brisket ends, and hefty chunks of quality Gorgonzola cheese.  It looked beautifully scrumptious.  On my first bite, I grabbed a fry that had all the toppings on it, and popped it in my mouth.  My first thought was that the fry was perfect.  My next thought was that the ale cheddar sauce tasted far too much of beer.  My third thought was spent wondering where the sweetness was coming from.  And my final thought was that this entire concoction suddenly worked perfectly in my mouth.  The beer disappeared as it suddenly blended with everything else in a perfect cacophony of delight.  Those were some damn good loaded fries.  Definitely worth ordering.

Saint Lawrence Gridiron Fried Mac n Cheese

The Fried Mac ‘n Cheese sounded so great on our brisk November night.  It came out and was perfectly golden brown.  We couldn’t hardly wait to tear into its gooey pasta center.  But to our utter horror, the block of carby goodness was ice cold in the center.  Ugh!  If you’re going to make these ahead and keep them in the freezer, as you need to for an item like this, please have the courtesy to thaw them an hour before you start service for the evening.  Sad.  But we took it home with us, popped it in the toaster oven until pipping hot, and then dove it.  It was delicious!  Very creamy and full of cheese, with a strong herb flavor (rosemary), and the perfect amount of salt.  It was then rolled in panko bread crumbs and fried, then served with a very sweet marinara sauce for dipping.  Good for your body, no.  Good for your soul, absolutely.

Boise Fry Company Food Truck Review

Boise Fry Company Food Truck

It is possible that Boise Fry Company has the best burgers to be found in Boise.  Their exceptionally high quality fresh local grass-fed beef is expertly seasoned.  They use real cheddar cheese, high quality mayo, and fresh locally baked organic potato rolls (which just happen to be delicious too).  They top their burgers with nice thick bacon, organic Spring mix lettuces, and pickled red onions for a nice gourmet touch, all of which accentuate the burger perfectly.  But burgers are not really what Boise Fry Company is known for now is it?  They have staked their marketing claim in the fried potato world, and they do them very well.  A robust selection of potatoes (including purple and Yukon gold), are lovingly prepped (typically with the skins on), and are then fried to a perfect golden crunch in peanut oil.  They are served with a wide selection of house-made ketchups and seasoning salts to appease the flavor desires of the masses (even blueberry lovers).  Boise Fry Company is a master of their art, and it’s very nice to see their Picasso being the same at their brick-and-mortar location as well as on the road.  One taste at either will have you coming back for more.  Perfect gourmet burgers and perfect gourmet fries are a culinary pairing that is hard to beat, so look for the Boise Fry Company truck at the next Rally.

Boise Fry Company Food Truck Burgers

Brown Shuga Soul Food Review

Brown Shuga Soul Food

It is my understanding that Brown Shuga Soul Food has a faithful following of fans here in town, but based on my experience at the Rally, I’m a bit confused as to why.  Maybe because they’re one of the only places in town where you can order soul food quintessentials like black eyed peas, red beans and rice, collard greens, southern barbeque and deserts.  But you need more than nostalgia to win me over.  First in my book is taste, and Brown Shuga is missing the mark here.  Maybe all their good stuff that their fans love was sold out (over half the menu was by the time my place in line got to the counter), but if the flavor and quality of what I got to order is indicative of the rest of their menu, I’ll pass.

Brown Shuga Pork Sandwich Red Beans and Mac

I ordered their pulled pork sandwich, red beans, and mac ‘n cheese.  The pork was litely basted in a vinegar based barbecue sauce, wasn’t overly moist itself, and was under seasoned.  The bun it was served on was more air than bread, and the whole thing only mildly tasted good; OK, but not anything to get excited about.  The red beans were awful, and the mac ‘n cheese was so bad that it went straight in the garbage after only three bites.  Their only redeeming item I got to taste was their bread pudding.  It was actually very delicious, and was served with an awesome Jamaican rum sauce all over it.  The bread pudding was moist, a bit caramelized on the outsides, and had a great flavor.  The only issue that I had with it was that is was served cold.  A quick 30 seconds in the microwave would have been better than cold, but it tasted good anyway.

Brown Shuga Bread Pudding

B29 Streatery Food Truck Review

B29 Streatery

B29 Streatery is a mobile extension of Dustan Bristol’s Brick 29 restaurant in Nampa.  I gave Brick 29 pretty high marks in my review of them, which they deserved by serving up some very excellent food.  And though I haven’t had a chance to try much on their mobile menu, it has many of the same items and flavor components as their restaurant location, including their famous BLT made with their house candied bacon.  One of their mobile stars is their Kobe Patty melt, with caramelized onions, jalapeno aioli, and blue cheese.  It was terrific, especially with some added candied bacon.  Very high quality and great flavor, rivaling the greatness of Boise Fry Company’s burgers.

B29 Streatery Kobe Patty Melt

The Bald Gourmet Recommends Boise Food Truck Rally

If you’re looking for good food in a completely different and fun environment, give next month’s Food Truck Rally a try.  It’s a total blast, and you can take comfort in knowing that the people surrounding you at the event are there solely because they appreciate food.  Family friendly, vegan friendly, fat piggy friendly, and welcoming to everything in between, the Boise Food Truck Rally is a tasty blast.  They have stand heaters and fire pits in the winter, plenty of beverages on tap, and music year round.  I for one will be making it a monthly tradition.  Hope to see you there next time!

Red Iguana Salt Lake City

I found myself in Salt Lake over the weekend, so I asked some of my friends that know the area well where they’d recommend eating. Red Iguana was mentioned by all of them, so I grabbed my camera, my notes binder, my appetite, and headed in.

There’s no mistaking Red Iguana from the street. It is vibrantly red and yellow, and says “killer Mexican food” right on the building. Lines of people were waiting outside, and the place was packed inside. The locals love their Iguana it seems, and for good reason.

Red Iguana Salt Lake City Inside

Upon entering, we were greeted promptly and taken to our seats. The staff was very friendly and handled the herds of people very well. Our server, Junior, was great, and made some excellent suggestions on the extensive menu. When we told him we had never been there before, he offered to bring us a sampler plate of their 8 different mole sauces. Good man. The moles are what Red Iguana are known for, and I was excited to try them.

Red Iguana’s Mole

Red Iguana Salt Lake City Mole Sauces

The menu said that these moles are Iguana’s interpretation of the traditional Mexican sauce. They were definitely different than any mole I’ve had before. Some were really good, and others were not. Only two were made with chocolate, but all were made with the traditional chilies, seeds, and fruits.  Clockwise from 1:00, we have:

Mole Amarillo

Red Iguana Mole Amarillo

This mole was exceptional! Amarillo means yellow. It was made with golden raisins, yellow tomatoes, yellow zucchini, chili guadillo, and dried seasonal yellow chilies. Those seasonal chilies turned out to be habaneros, which made this mole scorching hot. It was far to hot to enjoy, and they really need to leave them out of the dish. But the rest of the flavor combination was so exceptional that I couldn’t stop eating it. It had a great subtle squash savoryness from the zucchini. But the secret was really the golden raisins. They just elevated the whole dish to a realm of tasty perfection that I couldn’t stop enjoying, even though I was sweating from the chili burn.

Mole Coloradito
This mole had a strong cumin flavor. I love cumin, but it only just worked in this mole. The mole was very thick and had a mealy texture from all the ground pine nuts, almonds, and peanuts. But it was good and would be great on the right thing, which I’m sure they know and serve appropriately.

Mole Pablano
This mole was made with dried and fresh Pablano peppers, ground nuts, and plantain bananas. It was very sweet from those bananas, but also had an odd bitterness, I’m guessing from the same bananas. Because of this, I just couldn’t like this mole. Pass.

Mole Verde
This excited me when I saw it. It was a thick, creamy, salsa verde paste, or so it seemed. But upon tasting it, it was made with basil, and from what I could discern, dried basil. What an odd choice to put basil in Mexican food. I did not feel that it worked well at all, but my girlfriend liked it and ordered some enchiladas smothered in the stuff, and once mixed with everything else in that dish, the basil mole was fine and fairly tasty. But I would have rather seen this green mole made with cilantro and some tomatillos.

Mole Negro
Mole Negro is often referred to as the king of mole. Not so at Red Iguana. It was very similar to the mole poblano, and had the same sweet bitterness from the bananas. Maybe they just had a bad batch of plantains today?

Red Pepian
This was a good mole. It was lightly sweet, and had a strong pumpkin seed flavor. I love pumpkin seeds, and they used them right in this sauce. This would have been very nice served over chicken, which is how they offer this treat.

Mole Mango
Good heavens! This was their special for the night, but they should really stick it on their standard menu. It was very sweet, and had a very pronounced mango flavor. It was being served over a pork loin for the night, which I’m sure was perfect. But it would also be great served over chicken, peppers, and pineapple. There’s a lot you could do with this delicious sauce Red Iguana, so I hope you add at least one offering with it on your permanent menu.

Red Iguana Serves Sour Cream Enchiladas

Red Iguana Enchiladas Verde

If you know anything about the Mormon food culture, you will know that they seem to be the kings of casseroles. And when it comes to making enchiladas, they almost always make them with shredded chicken mixed with sour cream, rolled up in flour tortillas, and covered with cream of chicken/mushroom soup. This is what was going through my mind when I saw the several different sour cream enchiladas on Red Iguana’s menu. That and the thought, “would I find these at any other Mexican restaurant outside of the Mormon Capitol of the world?”

But my girlfriend thought the sour cream Enchiladas Verde sounded good and ordered them. These, at least, we’re rolled in traditional corn tortillas. To my surprise, the enchiladas were actually quite good, and the basil mole that I thought was so gross on the sampler plate actually worked well with the sour cream chicken. I still think it would be better with cilantro though, but to each there own I guess.

Red Iguana’s Beans, Rice, and Salsa

This may seem stupid, but I put a lot of my Mexican restaurant scoring weight on how well the restaurant does with their beans, rice, and salsa. I figure that if they can’t get these basics right, there’s a good chance the rest of the food isn’t going to be any good either. Red Iguana is pushing it a little.

Their beans were pretty lame. Not much flavor, bad texture, and an all around disappointment. Their rice wasn’t much better, but at least it was fluffy and orange colored. But their salsa was very nice. It was made with canned tomatoes rather than fresh (at least from what I could tell), garlic, fresh chilies, onion, cilantro, and some undefinable delicious spices. It was very spicy but very good.

Salt Lake City has Decent Mexican Food

Red Iguana has been voted Salt Lake’s best Mexican for several years running, and it’s easy to see why. It’s not nearly what Mexican food is in higher density Hispanic population areas, but it will meet most of your Mexican food cravings, and introduce you to some new dishes you may not get elsewhere. Give it a try on your next visit to Salt Lake. You’ll probably be pleased you did.

The Bald Gourmet has some decent Mexican food while dining in Salt Lake City, and discovers a new mole creation.

I knew that I didn’t want a filthy American burger, or deep fried chicken, or hot dogs, or hours old noodles under a heat lamp, so I took a tip from the Food Network and started asking the locals (employees of the airport in this case) where they recommended.  Some didn’t understand what I was asking, others just pointed me to the food stalls in the airport, and the taxi drivers I asked recommend restaurants on the other side of town to get the highest fare that they could.  But I eventually talked to a kiosk full of Malay girls selling cameras and other electronic trinkets.  They were all in their late teens/early twenties, and started giggling when I asked them where they recommended.  They asked, “Do you like Malaysian food?”  “I love it,” was my reply.  “Nasi Lemak?”  “Of course!” I answered.  They then pointed out the window to a cluster of windowed buildings far across the parking lot.  They said that the food was really good there and was much cheaper than anything in the airport, and that it was where they and most of the other employees go to eat.  I thanked them, they giggled, then told me how nice my teeth were.  “Thanks?” I said.  That was some pretty awkward international flirting if I’ve ever seen it.

The walk to the buildings was hot, and a bit treacherous.  There were walls to scale, a 4-lane road to cross, a big irrigation ditch with some 2×4′s across it for a bridge, and another busy road, but man was it worth it!  The buildings the girls pointed out were full of different little shops.  Fabrics, business services, and several small cafes.  Nothing was in English, and from what I was able to determine, nobody could speak it either.  I let my nose and eyes be my guide, and I settled on an open air seating cafe that was the busiest of them all.  Busy is usually a good sign, and it seemed the cleanest of the three as well.  Great choice!

Delicious Serve Yourself Eating at Melanau Cafe & Catering Near Kota Kinabalu International Airport

Melanau Cafe & Catering

When I walked into the place, everybody stopped eating and stared at me.  I’m sure they were wondering what the hell some white American with a day pack on was doing in their local lunch spot.  Nobody seemed to speak any English whatsoever, and none of the menu or service instructions where in English.  But I saw the food bar and headed over to take a look.  I quickly realized that this was a serve yourself establishment, as I watched the other patrons dishing up plates of deliciousness, and then pay by the pound.  Seemed like an easy system to me, so I headed in.  Of course, it was a little concerning not really knowing what anything was, but it all smelled and looked great.

Melanau Cafe & Catering Lunch Line

Melanau Cafe & Catering Serve Yourself

I was in the mood for lite and simple, so I settled on baked chicken, jasmine rice, some curried green beans with onions, and some cucumbers.  It was so damn good!  The chicken was absolutely awesome.  It had a great spice rub and a slight smokiness.  It was some of the best chicken I had in Malaysia.  The beans were perfectly cooked and had a very subtle curry flavor.  It was just terrific.  One of the girls working there motioned drink and pointed at their options.  I selected a canned fruit drink of lime.  It was so good that I ended up buying another can for my trek back to the airport.  My entire lunch, 2nd can of lime juice included, was only 4RM, that’s roughly $1.30.  Amazing.

Melanau Cafe & Catering Awesome Chicken Lunch

 The Bald Gourmet finds a great local cafe while waiting at the airport in Sabah by talking with the locals and asking for recommendations.

Maxie's Tomato's Italian Grill

I’m going to have to say that Tomato’s is kind of a Carino’s knock off (many of their dishes are nearly identical).  Some things Carino’s does much better, but other things Tomato’s excels at.  Like their Bacon Spezie (very similar to Carino’s Bowtie Festival).

Maxie’s Tomato’s Italian Grill Delicious Bacon Spezie

I can’t really say anything about the other dishes on their menu, as I haven’t tried any of them, but this Bacon Spezie kicked ass.  Spicy cream sauce, cayenne pepper, bacon, chicken, mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, and scallions served with penne pasta and baked blended cheeses.  Holy crap!  So much flavor!  The cream sauce was rich, a touch spicy, and just fantastic.  Seriously.  It was tossed on a very high quality penne, and mixed up with the other ingredients.  Simply delicious.  I appreciated that the grilled chicken breast was actually grilled in their kitchen rather than pre-made frozen chicken strips that so many chain restaurants use.  Fresh, well executed, deliciousness.

Maxie's Tomato's Italian Grill Bacon Spezie

Maxie's Tomato's Italian Grill Chicken on the Grill

Tomato’s Italian Grill Eating and Service

I also got a taste of their meat sauce, served over spaghetti.  It too was very good.  Sweet, savory, good fennel flavor, and great tasting meat (sausage).  I liked it.

The bread they brought out with oil, balsamic, and cheese, was not great.  It was too crumbly, airy, and not of good flavor.  It was OK, but not really worth the calories.

We were a bit pressed for time, and Tomato’s staff was highly accommodating of our expressed time crunch.  They were very friendly about it, and brought our meals out within under 10 minutes of us ordering.

My final thoughts were that I’m glad I discovered Maxie’s Tomato’s.  Now I have a great place to eat at whenever I’m in Twin Falls.  I look forward to trying some of their other menu items.  But I don’t know if I can stray from the amazing Bacon Spezie.

The Bald Gourmet eats at a delicious local Italian restaurant in Twin Falls, Idaho.

Malaysian Street Burgers

Directly across the street from Ian’s condo is a little hawker market with a couple food hawker stalls.  Ian recommend that I try the street burgers, so I thought it would make for a perfect lunch.  The other hawkers had a great selection of soups, curries, and fried fish dishes, but the burger stand was calling loud and clear.

Malaysian Street Burger Stand

You actually see these little burger stands all over Malaysia.  There was even one at the fireflies park.  They seem to be rather popular.  The menu looked straight forward enough…

Malaysian Street Burger Menu

I went with the 4th burger down option: Burger Lembu Special with Keju.  Basically, burger with egg and cheese.  Umm……ya.

Malaysian Street Burger

Look at this gooey monstrosity!   Buns grilled with mayonnaise, a “beef” patty with all sorts of seasoning in it which made it bright pink in color (the guy swore it was all beef, but I’m not so sure that was accurate), fried egg seasoned with bottled Maggi seasoning sauce (thus the gray color of the egg), sweet pickled vegetables (cucumber and onion), “American” cheese slice, lettuce, tomato, a very thick sweet mayonnaise, and a very sweet mild chili ketchup type sauce that reminded me a little bit of bad sweet and sour sauce with a kick.  Wow, it was good!

Malaysian Street Burger Bite

Mmm….hmmm!!!

I needed 10 napkins plus water just to clean up my hands afterwards.  Carl’s Jr. ain’t got nothing on this thing!!!

Dinner at Bombay Palace, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Well, if I was ever going to type a long list of profanities (positive, not negative) on my blog, this is where it would be.  Bombay Palace, HOLY (insert favorite expletive here)!

This is where my “mouthgasm” description was born.  This is were I first experienced complete sensory overload.  This is where I was incapacitated by the taste of food.  This is where you MUST go if you ever have the chance.

Bombay Palace Malaysia

Only 5 hours from India, I knew this was going to be good.  The meal started with the standard opening chutneys and sauces with crispy bread.  Delicious.

Bombay Palace Chutneys and Crispy Bread

The menu was very extensive.  Pages and pages full of deliciousness.  How to choose?  Ian and Hilary had more Indian dining experience than I, so they knew a few more favorites than I did.  After much deliberation, we settled on several tasty treats and placed our order.  Tasty….. complete understatement.

Bombay Palace Paradise Dinner

Bombay Palace Perfection on a Plate

Clockwise from top:

• Spinach paneer
• Tandoori chicken in a tomato, coconut, and mint curry (Butter Chicken)
• Some kind of tasty meaty sauce
• Lamb in a spicy curry with vegetables
• Biryani rice (spices, fruit, stuff, and basmati rice)
• (center) Cauliflower and potatoes with cumin (they had an awesome smoky flavor that I fell in love with)

So good!  Hands down the best Indian food I’ve ever had period.  My favorites were the spinach, cauliflower, and the chicken. Oh the chicken….

Bombay Palace’s Mouthgasm Butter Chicken

This chicken is indescribable.  A tomato and coconut cream sauce with mint, Indian curry spices, and some LSD to send you on a food trip you’ll never quite recover from!

Here I am scraping the remnants of it up with some naan.

Bombay Palace Butter Chicken Scrape

Yes….put that chicken curry in your mouth……

Bombay Palace Butter Chicken Bite

Bombay Palace Butter Chicken Mouthgasm

Don’t talk to me…..don’t bother me…..I can’t respond anyway.  I’m in complete sensory overload from this chicken curry and am completely unable to focus on anything other than the mouthgasm ecstasy happening.  I have been overwhelmed and consumed by the happy food fairies taking me to uncharted lands of glee…

The Bald Gourmet travels to Malaysia, eats Street Burgers, and has an indescribable mouthgasm at Bombay Palace.

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.