Idaho Restaurants

Cazba Mediterranean Restaurant's chefs draw from an international repertoire of recipes from Mediterranean-inspired cuisine with dishes hailing from Greece, Egypt, and Lebanon. These culinary expatriates range from plates such as flame-broiled shish kebabs and housemade hummus to entrees from the shores of Japan and India. Inside the kitchen, the chefs carve slices of roasting gyros and deep-fry falafel for a crispy exterior. They also glaze fish with honey-ginger teriyaki sauce and season chicken with Cajun spices. From this kitchen, the servers also transport specialties such as dolmades—grape leaves stuffed with lamb, beef, and rice—and spanakopita, a spinach pie of phyllo dough and feta cheese. The outdoor patio can mimic the pleasant air of the Mediterranean during warmer months and another of the Mediterranean's best treats—the Running of the Bulls—whenever Michael Jordan feels like going for a jog on a restaurant's outdoor patio.

The chefs at The Green Chile want to re-create southwestern Tex-Mex cuisine, even if that means ordering shipments of New Mexico’s signature hatch chilis directly from the source. Although these mild or spicy green peppers appear out of place in Boise, they perfectly complement the restaurant’s burritos, quesadillas, and Southwestern-inspired burgers, adding a distinctive dose of regional flavor to dishes. Even without the chilis, the menu’s recipes continue to draw inspiration from the Southwest. A hearty red chili with diced onions and sour cream takes its cues from Texan cuisine, and the Arizona burrito’s flour tortillas are reminiscent of the state’s acres upon acres of tortilla-filled cacti.

When you walk into Pinnacle Sports Grill, there’s a good chance your eyes will jump right to the giant video cube looming above a central brick-island bar. It’s a standout in this flat-screen-filled temple of football, baseball, and basketball, a statement that sports should be taken just as seriously as food. Like the athletes onscreen, the gastropub’s menu covers a lot of ground—pork tenderloin sandwiches, brick-oven pizzas, guacamole-bacon burgers, ale-battered fish ‘n’ chips, Kobe meatloaf, and New York–style cheesecake. If you’re brave enough to try Wild Bill’s hot wings—the hottest available—be sure to have one of Pinnacle’s many craft beers or cocktails within easy reach. As guests make pilgrimages to Pinnacle, they rack up points on the restaurant's MVP frequent-diner card, with every dollar spent on food and drink getting them closer to free meals and a chance to learn the secret Pinnacle Sports Grill handshake.

The aroma of freshly baked bread fills Souper Salad, and a rotating buffet nourishes diners with wholesome fare such as handcrafted soups and an expansive salad bar. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and sugar-free labels guide eaters of every ilk as they peruse deli favorites, including Tuna Skroodle pasta salad brimming with rotini noodles. Salads are created with more than 30 toppings, from zucchini to hot-and-spicy peanuts. Ladles fill bowls with different varieties of soup every day, including broccoli-cheese soup seasoned with white pepper. After dinner or before it even begins, a dessert buffet sates sweet cravings with gingerbread rolls, and oreo crumbles, caramel, and other toppings to cap soft-serve ice cream.

Mobilizing more than 25 years of catering experience, Rachel Hurn— owner of Seasons Bistro, Wine Bar & Catering—blends a Cajun-influenced eatery with a door-to-door catering service that earned a Bride's Choice Award from WeddingWire in 2010. Within the bistro, paninis and salads incorporate flashes of Louisianan flair, such as spiced shrimp, remoulade sauces, and improvised jazz steps. As diners nab forkfuls of Cajun shrimp buerre blanc, occasional live music wends its way through the dining room, complementing the complex notes of an extensive range of hand-selected wines. Alternatively, multicourse catered meals add a splash of elegance to both corporate and private events with formal place settings and French- and Italian-themed menus.

The menu at Bonsai Bistro and Sushi Bar draws on culinary traditions from a broad swath of East Asia, but many of its flavors get their start closer to home. Familiar recipes from Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Korea get a regional twist as chefs incorporate organic produce, sustainably sourced ingredients, and locally made tofu into each dish. This widens the scope of the already expansive menu to include such nontraditional items as sushi rolls with heirloom tomato or garlic-citrus sauce. To accommodate diets or personal tastes, the chefs can tailor the spice of virtually any entree, and they can modify many dishes to be vegan-friendly, vegetarian, or gluten-free.

In contrast to the eclectic menu, the restaurant's dining area embraces a spare-and-simple vibe. Concave windows overlook the waters of Lake Coeur d'Alene, and a creek-like indoor koi pond brings the natural world even closer as it wends between wooden tables and dawdling rays of sunshine.