OK, here's a random post, which is just what we need to fill space as I recover from being up 22 hours yesterday before I finally got into BOI at 1 a.m. (3 a.m. Eastern Time) after my six fabulous days in D.C.
I just read that Trudy's Restaurant in Idaho City was gutted by fire this week. Trudy Jackson said she does hope to reopen by June 1 in time for the busy summer season, and I'm sure she'll get plenty of help to make that happen.
So now's a good time to ask: What are some of your favorite Idaho road-trip restaurants? Trudy's was one of mine, not because the food was so great (though the burgers really are good), but just because it had tons of character and seemed so integral to its hometown.
I'm also partial to the Buffalo Cafe in Twin Falls, the Sandbar River House in Marsing, Moon Time in Coeur d'Alene, the Continental Bistro in Pocatello, the Manhattan Cafe in Shoshone, the place with the live gator in Roberts, Grandpa's BBQ in Idaho Falls, Under the Sun in Bonners Ferry (a recent discovery via IdahoRocks) ... join in anytime! With warmer weather approaching, now's a fine time to get a good list of places to stop and refuel on your summer road trips.
I didn't enjoy the Continental Bistro when my family and I went there to celebrate my Bachelor's degree. It was gross food and poor service.
Buddy's in Pocatello has the BEST salads!
Posted by: JDem | March 20, 2008 at 07:31 PM
There's that great barbecue place in Arco. I can't remember the name, but it is go..od.
And yes, too bad about Trudy's! She's a fixture in Idaho City - and a sweetheart too. I haven't been there since the tragedy of the Idaho City pool closure. That used to be a favorite winter road trip - lunch at Trudy's and a good soak.
Posted by: untamedshrew | March 20, 2008 at 08:31 PM
The barbecue place is Grandpa's in Arco (same family as Grandpa's on west Broadway in Idaho Falls), and I rec. Buddy's both for salads and for a Chick's special with sauce on the side.
JDem needs to give the Bistro another shot (in roughly a hundred visits, I've had a salty bisque twice and a couple other one-off mediocrities, but... a hundred times. Really. Awesome food, usually. My latest fave is kettle chips with bacon, cheddar, bleu cheese, and lots of other toppings... )
The gator is at BJ's Bayou in Roberts: cajun/creole. Varying quality, but in a range from pretty good to awesome.
Used to have a few favorites in Rupert/Burley, but they've faded away in the last decade. Anyone?
The 'A Roma' italian place in Twin Falls.
The Kneadery in Ketchum for breakfasty things, esp. an 'Idaho' version of Eggs Benedict (the usual, but with smoked trout instead of canadian bacon... I have dreams about this dish).
Breakfast at Smitty's pancake house in Idaho Falls.
Bertram's brewery in Salmon. Good wraps, good sandwiches, great beer, and I was too stuffed to eat more when I saw what looks to be the makings of an old-fashioned Soda Fountain in the front corner.
Speaking of soda fountains, Victor Emporium, Ashton's City Drug. For a vaguely similar throwback, Scotty's in Idaho Falls for great burgers and soda flavors you haven't seen in years: Iron Port, Scotch n Soda, etc. And 50 cents gets you an Iron Port soft ice cream cone.
Cattleman's in Riggins. The A-Bar in Last Chance (Island Park). Vista Grande if you find yourself over on the Wyoming side of the Tetons.
Posted by: d2 at 43rdstateblues | March 20, 2008 at 09:15 PM
JDem speaks the truth. Buddy's in Pocatello has the absolute best salads. We stop there whenever we drive through or near Poky.
Posted by: Bubblehead | March 20, 2008 at 10:53 PM
A'roma in Twin has been closed for some time. I can't agree more about Buddy's, it's a wonderful place. If you're traveling through the west side of the Magic Valley you really owe yourself a stop at The Snake River Grill in Hagerman. Breakfast at The Capri in Boise is terrific
Posted by: Marjorie | March 20, 2008 at 11:41 PM
Agree about Buddy's and the Snake River Grill in Hagerman. Cooks Two Hole Bar and Grill in Melba serves up a decent burger, but, like Trudy's, the character of the place is it's most pleasing aspect.
Wolf (Lodge?) (Inn?) just east of Coeur d'Alene serves a really good beef steak.
Kuna and Blackfoot are devoid of decent road trip eateries. Kuna has the excellent el Gallo Giro, but it's not really a road-trip place.
Posted by: Alan | March 21, 2008 at 08:13 AM
Great responses, all.
A'Roma in Twin has been a paint-your-own-pottery place for a few years. But check out Tomatos up on Blue Lakes North for some good Italian,if you are in the 'hood. Speaking of Twin, I've been hearing great things about Pandora's, in the former Mugger's brew pub location, both as a cool hang-out and a haven for the (growing) local Demorati.
How did I forget the Snake River Grill? Yum!
Alan, El Gallo Giro is too a road-trip restaurant. My "chalice circle" (small-group ministry in the UU tradition) includes a man who told us he'd never in his life been to Kuna, so we made a point of carpooling to El Gallo Giro for a Sunday-night supper last summer, just so he could say he'd finally been to Kuna. El Gallo Giro also has a newish branch in Garden City.
By the way, props here to d2 (as well as to Tara, IdahoRocks, and Serephin) who all helped with suggestions - including many d2 repeated above - for the seventh edition of Idaho Off the Beaten Path, which will be out in June.
In the soul food vein, we now have TWO restaurants here in Boise. A Taste of Memphis downtown is really good, with the usual faves and some seriously de-lish casseroles and desserts. I haven't yet been to Chef Roland's place on Boise Ave (which is more Cajun), though I used to buy catfish from his catering truck.
Keep those suggestions coming!
Posted by: Julie Fanselow | March 21, 2008 at 08:46 AM
My wife and I are in mourning that Trudy's has been hit by a fire. It's a regular stopping point for us on our trips to Idaho City (we own some property up there and visit regularly, especially in the winter to do some snowshoeing).
We're pulling for you, Trudy.
Maybe we should organize a fund-raiser...
We used to stop at the Riverside in Horseshoe Bend our way up to Stanley. Great burgers and one of the few places you could get tater tots instead of fries. OK, so tater tots are an acquired taste.
It was also fun to sit out on the deck in the summer and watch the cats. I'm more of a dog person than cat person, but they usually had a litter of kittens running around, entertaining themselves.
I haven't been there in a year or so and understand it's under new ownership, so can't vouch for it right now.
Maybe we need a road trip to check it out.
Posted by: Don Rosebrock, Communications Director, Grant for Congress | March 21, 2008 at 08:49 AM
My experiences with the Continental Bistro revolve around the $1.50 beer specials they held on Wednesday nights in the mid-90s. At the time they were one of the few places in Idaho that had Guinness and microbrews on tap.
It's a good thing I didn't have early classes on Thursdays, otherwise I'd probably still be trying to graduate from ISU. ;-)
There was a Grandpa's BBQ in Twin Falls for maybe two months. They had the misfortune of opening in a building on Addison Avenue that goes through tenants like water. There have been at least three restaurants fail in that building over the past 18 months. It's a lousy location. The current tenant is a party store; hopefully they fare better.
The really good Twin Falls restaurants are Mexican places, specifically Garibaldi's and La Fiesta. If they're using tortillas made locally by Mi Pueblo, it's just that much better.
And be sure to try the alligator at Snake River Grill. Seriously.
Posted by: W. Lane Startin | March 21, 2008 at 08:53 AM
Speaking of off the beaten path, There's supposedly a really good hamburger place in Dietrich (about nine miles east of Shoshone).
Posted by: W. Lane Startin | March 21, 2008 at 09:01 AM