Amano is owned by Chef Salvador Alamilla who was inspired to cook from watching his mother.  He started as a dishwasher and worked his way up to Executive Chef quickly and also spent time as house manager for several restaurants in Boise. In 2019 he opened Amano in downtown Caldwell, a 30 minute drive from Boise.  Since then he has been nominated twice for a James Beard Award.  It shows in the popularity of the large place.  The room was divided into sections set with small tables and various seating options.  The very high “plaster” ceiling was actually made of wood to look like plaster and music was in the background.  There was dining on the second floor also and a full bar with seats downstairs.  Our server stated that the bar squeezed their own juices so we did try one cocktail.   Service was friendly but not particularly efficient.  Overall the food was acceptable but not as inspiring as I’d hoped it would be. Continue reading →