Idado

Ansots Basque Chorizos, Boise, 10/20/23

~ hsnixon ~ 2 Comments
sign on building – 560 W Main St, Boise, ID 83702

Ansots was a medium-sized place set below street level.  Owned and operated by Dan(husband), Tamara (wife), and Ellie (daughter) Ansotegui.  Dan’s maternal grandmother was a seamstress by trade but became very well known for her cooking at the Basque boarding house she ran.  Famous folks like Ernest Hemingway and Bing Crosby were known to have eaten there and she has a small cookbook.  The evolution now has become Ansots  and the inside dining area is supplemented by patio tables and a second room which is also available for rental.  Lots of windows, photographs and musical decorations surround the pretty wood tables and chairs to make it feel homey and casual.   The food is all made in-house from family recipes and many of the plates are meant to be shared.  In addition, several of the plates were offered in half-size so we were able to try a lot of their options.   Service was efficient and super friendly as well as helpful.  This is a strong recommendation to put on your list to try. Continue reading →

Michel’s Christiania, Ketchum, Idaho, 9/4/20

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Michel’s Christiania Restaurant was opened around 1994 by Chef/Owner Michel Rudigoz.  The French raised chef actually moved to Ketchum to coach a Sun Valley Ski team.  He also coached Picabo Street the year she won her first Olympic Medal.  His love of classic French cuisine is the basis of this restaurant.  It is a large A-frame building with a good sized patio in the back.  The interior also has a bar and upstairs party room.  Tables were well distanced inside and out, covered with white clothes and set with black napkins.  The patio was even nicer than the outside, to me, with a center fountain (no music in the background to compete with the sound of trickling water) and a large awning over the section adjacent to the building.  Greenery surrounds the patio and a small wall separates diners from the street which was not that busy.  Lighting under the awning was better than further out, but that matters most if you want to take photos.  The menu features some local ingredients and also there were a couple nightly specials.  Servers wore masks and were friendly but service did not live up to the standard the place wants to be – timing was variable and after placing our champagne in an ice bucket the server never refilled our glasses without being requested to do so. Continue reading →