Eat Crow (Crows Inn)

So your mascot is a wild looking, water skiing crow and your a restaurant. Oh! and even with all the growth you are still a LONG way from town. If you have still become a Boise institution you must be doing something very well. Ben's Crow Inn is well past where Warm Spring Avenue has turned back into into highway 20 and rolled past Harris Ranch on the way to Lucky Peak. Ben's has a long tradition of gourmet food in this most unlikely location.

The coffee mugs at Ben's Crow Inn read "We Specialize in Seafood." If you need a bucket of steamed clams the Crow Inn is your place. For some it is the deep fried finger steaks (insider tip: order them with a "half & half" and you will get a small salad as well as crisp hand cut fries) The day we were out one friend had fresh shrimp that were perfectly cooked and southern spiced. Ben's menu is long and varied. However when a friend asked "do you have any Balsamic Vinegar?" the waitress grinned at said "we don't serve anything that Ben can't spell!"

Although the food is fancy the atmosphere is not. At heart the Crow is a bar. The juke box plays sad songs and beer signs provide most of the limited illumination. For a nicer more family friendly setting turn right at the door way and head to the "dinning room." I believe it is no smoking, has checkerboard tables-even a hardy plant or two. With a wide open view of the Boise river the patio can be nice this time of year. Just beware of the crows, inside and out!

Bye Bye Pie-Why?

It was the last night at Pie. The new hadn't even been rubbed off the place and yet it was closing. The band was great, the bar was packed and still come Monday. "NO pie for you!" The Percolators jazzed up a solid set of rock infused funk. The high tech lights drench the trendy crowd in brilliant blues and reds. The sound system smacking beats against the bar as the drinks flowed. It was a happy ending to a very short story.

The end comes because Boiseans will drop hundreds of dollars to see aging rockers lip snic for 90 minutes but still won?t pay even a $5.00 cover for great, fresh, live music. Boise has always been a bit behind in it?s musical taste. With Pie gone and the Bouquet leaning that direction, we may be stuck with rock and country covers from the likes of the Rocci Johnson band. It's sad that in a town the has nurtured bands as diverse as Paul Revere and Mad Ro, not to mention Curtis Stiegars and Built to Spill, that live original music won?t work.

Pie we'll miss you, here is hoping that someone will bring a new slice of original music soon.

Stars

Hung a flag, carefully placed in the stanchion that my father had placed on the home he bought with the G.I. bill after World War II. He made it back, but some of his friends did not. Now we find ourselves at war. Right or wrong, brave men and women are defending our rights. Please take a moment to remember them.

Feeling Lucky?(Lucky 13)

As Luck would have it summer is finally here and the patio at Lucky 13 is a northend Boise hot spot. Grab a couple of friends to share a pizza and a few laughs. Pizza at the 13 is thin crust, original style. The menu is not old fashioned though. A favorite pizza for instance, is "Chicken Cordon Bleu," which means fresh spinach, Canadian bacon, chunks of chicken and a slathering of Swiss cheese. Other fare includes similarly interesting sandwiches and salads. The Lucky building has come a long way from it's days as a Sun Ray Dairy. The building has a subtle art deco style that fits in well with the neighborhood. The white walls, black signs and red accents stand out in the unobtrusive way that helps commercial buildings blend with the historic Hyde Park neighborhood in a way that is appropriate to long history of the district.

Get lucky and head to 1602 13th and check out The 13.

First post

Hello world! Well not to likely anyone is actually looking at this, but here goes. This is a blog about Boise. I am currently between projects. Frankly I need to write to stay sane! Why Boise, well it is my home. I do love it here. Lucky enough to travel the world I always enjoy seeing the classic beauty the foothills as I return! This blog will focus on the good life here with reviews of restaurants, the bar scene etc. Here's hoping someone takes a look!Thanks