FOOD/DINING THE LIFT BAR AND GRILL— Tuesday night is Holy Oly night, with 50-cent Olympia cans from 4 p.m.-close. Gnaw on a plate of State Street nachos or one of the dive’s many vegetarianfriendly dishes like hummus, fish tacos, or the Portobello and sun-dried tomato sandwich. 4091 W. State St., 208-3423250. $-$$ SU OM . MADHUBAN—A daily lunch buffet and a huge menu including all the favorites. You’re gonna love the curry. A great place for vegetarians. 6930 W. State St., 208-853-8215, www.madhubanindiancuisine.com. $-$$ SU OM. MERRITT’S COUNTRY CAFE—This 24-hour Boise mainstay is the place to land after a long night on the town. The “home of the scone” serves up grub that turns customers into regulars. 6630 W. State St., 208-853-9982, www.merrittSU OM scafe.com. $-$$ .
ALIA’S COFFEEHOUSE—Freshmade bagels daily for breakfast and lunch, the best looking dessert case in town with chocolate chip cookie dough bars, and for those who must, a selection of salads.. 908 W. Main St., 208-338-1299. $ SU .
RED EYE—This country bar has a nice, dark vibe and friendly staff. Rest a bit on the padded elbow pads at the bar and order burgers and barbecue. 414 W. Main St., Kuna, 208-922-9797. SU. $
ANGELL’S—Upscale dining in a casual and relaxed atmosphere. Featuring such tasty delights as duck empanadas, prime rib and Idaho trout. In warmer weather, Angell’s patio is a lush respite in the concrete jungle tucked into a fold of sloping grassy hill and trellises overgrown with greenery. 909 Main St., 208-342-4900, www.angellsbaRES randgrill.com. $$-$$$ SU OM.
Downtown + Fringe ADDIE’S—The language of breakfast is spoken here. You’ve never seen so many meats followed by “& Eggs” on one menu. Go early to beat the rush for Boise’s best gravy. 510 W. Main St., 208-338-1198. $ SU OM .
More listings and reviews at boiseweekly.com.
FOOD/HOT DISH LEILA RAMELLA-RADER
MONTEGO BAY—A little bit of the tropics in a land-locked state. Montego Bay’s claim to fame is its outstanding patio, or layers of patios to be accurate, with levels cascading their way from the restaurant down to lakeside in the Lake Harbor development. Pub food is the standard. 3000 N. Lakeharbor Lane, 208-853-5070. $-$$ .
fine meal and then pop in next door to the Creekside Lounge inside the restaurant where every hour is an enjoyable experience. 751 W. Fourth St., Kuna, 208-922-4421. $-$$ SU.
PIZZALCHIK—PIZZa sALad and CHIcKen. Get it? Perfect robust salads, plus delicious original pizzas and whole chickens roasted in a 6,000-pound stone-hearth oven. Many toppings made in house. 7330 W. State St., 208-853-7757. SU . $-$$ WESTSIDE DRIVE-IN—From the mind of “Boise’s Best Chef,” Chef Lou, come some of the most scrumptious foods for dine-in, take-out or frozen to use when cooking is the last thing you want to do. 1939 W. State St., 208-342-2957, www.cheflou. SU OM. com. $-$$
Kuna EL GALLO GIRO—Main courses are huge and span Tex-Mex to authentic. The Carne Borracha is a good example of the fare delivered in a caldron made of volcanic rock with carne asada, jalapenos, onions and tomatoes with a side of tortillas. Other selections include lengua en chile verde (beef tounge in a tomatillo green sauce), zope (handmade tortillas with beans, steak, salsa de tomatillo and cojita cheese) and menudo (tripe chile). 482 W. Main St., Kuna, 208-922-5169. $-$$ SU . LONGHORN LOUNGE—Gather round the horseshoe-shaped bar for late-night bar grub because the kitchen is open late to serve the blurry and bright eyed. Select from hot wings, chicken strips, finger steaks, stuffed tots, deep fried green beans or anything they can throw in the fryer. 458 SU. W. Third St., Kuna. $ PEREGRINE STEAKS AND SPIRITS—The steakhouse with more to offer than New York Steak, petite sirloin and T-Bone steaks, the menu features stuffed pork chops, chicken fried steak, salmon fillets and Italian chicken breast as well. Enjoy a
40 | AUGUST 11–17, 2010 | BOISEweekly
POLLO REY FISH TACOS A fish taco might seem like a hard thing to screw up. You take a tortilla, some fish and cabbage, then drizzle a mayobased hot sauce on top. Shazam. The crunch of the cabbage plays off the flakiness of the fish and the creamy sauce counters the dryness of a corn tortilla. Heaven. But a number of places around town have botched this simple summer snack. Either the fish is too watery and the tortillas crack open and drop their contents like POLLO REY a messy trap door, or instead 228 N. Eighth St. 208-345-0323 of cabbage, they—gasp—use polloreyboise.com shredded lettuce. Pollo Rey has nailed it. To counter the splitting sitch, they go double-ply—two thin corn tortillas are lightly grilled and topped with seasoned, flaky white fish, shredded green and red cabbage, red onions and cilantro. The mayo sauce is the kicker—tangy and creamy with an enduring heat. At the salsa bar, you can choose between a sweet, green onion-laden tomatillo or a mild chunky red to accentuate. A fish taco need not be more complicated than that. And while some have proclaimed Pollo Rey’s fish burrito the superior of the aquatic cousins—with rice and cabbage wrapped in a flour diaper—I remain biased toward the fish taco in all its simple perfection. —Tara Morgan WWW. B O I S E WE E KLY. C O M