James Beard semifinalist chef Kibrom Milash and Tirhas Hailu, owners of Kibrom’s, offer hearty Ethiopian and Eritrean dishes such as doro wot and tibs in a spicy red or mild white sauce. There are also a number of vegetarian dishes, such as shiro made with ground chickpeas or tikal gomen alicha made with potatoes, cabbage, carrots, and onions. Order a combination of entrees to share.

A founder of Boise’s Russian Food Festival, Elena DeYoung grew up in Kazakhstan, while her sous chefs hail from Tatarstan and Ukraine, providing a broad range of dishes at Alyonka Russian Cuisine. Fresh takes on traditional fare include cabbage rolls, beef stroganoff, piroshkis, and blinis, all served in a modern space. DeYoung also serves vegetarian borscht and shuba with smoked salmon (instead of the typical herring) layered with shredded potatoes, carrots, and beets — a dish you’re unlikely to taste elsewhere in Boise.

Restaurateur Art Robinson started selling Puerto Rican cuisine at local breweries from a modest food cart. A few years later, he opened a multistory restaurant complete with rooftop patio in Garden City. His menu, which was limited at the cart to items like pastelillos, carne frita, and arroz con pollo, now includes more flavors from the Caribbean like mofongo and pastelón (lasagne made with plantains instead of pasta). Robinson has pledged to donate 5 percent of his annual profits to a Puerto Rican nonprofit helping rebuild damaged homes while providing residents with basic carpentry training.

A pioneer in Boise’s dining scene, the Modern — located in a tastefully updated former Travelodge in Boise’s Linen District — became a catalyst for creative mixologists and a platform for chef Nate Whitley and others. During the pandemic, owner Elizabeth Tullis made the tough decision to shut down the popular restaurant, but it reopened in 2021 under the leadership of chef Kelly Grindstaff. A recent menu featured hamachi crudo, coq au vin, and vegan curry.

This downtown Boise restaurant claims to sell literal tons of bacon every year. Owned and operated by father and son John and Gibson Berryhill, the Southern-inspired menu features omelets, biscuit sandwiches, and a sampling of the restaurant’s five bacon flavors in shot form. The menu has earned more than a few TV spots, with indulgences such as mac and cheese with tomatoes, mushrooms, and — you guessed it — bacon.

With a vibe that mixes modern slick with motifs of an Old West bordello, Diablo and Sons is an ode to open-flame cooking complete with a state-of-the-art Argentine-style grill and crank wheel to char locally sourced meats and produce. Order a wagyu steak or a duo of tacos, and wash it down with a creative cocktail or one of dozens of craft beer choices poured from Czech side-pull faucets.

For nearly 30 years, family-friendly Bittercreek Alehouse has offered one of the largest beer lists in town, so the menu leans heavily on beer-friendly foods like poutine, polenta fries, beer-cheese pretzels, and juicy house-ground burgers. Try the Huntsman cheeseburger with bacon and cheddar or a locally sourced spicy lamb burger with feta and jalapenos while you gaze at the photos of local farmers and food purveyors that grace the walls.

This bustling osteria in the old Boise City National Bank building serves locally inspired Italian dishes and delicate house-made pastas. Sit at the U-shaped bar to witness all the action while sipping a classic or seasonal cocktail. Start your meal with antipasti, perhaps burrata with apricot-cherry mostarda or house-baked focaccia. Then choose from an array of pastas such as mezzelune stuffed with house-made duck sausage or a seasonal local risotto.

Cal and Ashley Elliott closed Little Pearl while working for years to launch the Avery hotel, but now that that project is complete, they reopened the oyster bar with a streamlined menu. Slurp bivalves from both coasts while thinking about what else to order at this cozy space in downtown’s restaurant row. The menu covers all the seafood classics: shrimp cocktail, lobster roll, fish and chips. Visit during Champagne hour, when oysters are discounted.

After a decade, former Genki Takoyaki cart owners Rhett Atagi and Christy Beavers upgraded to a whimsically decorated full-size food trailer to serve up their Japanese street food. Bochi Bochi goes for big comforting flavors, like karaage fried chicken or yaki udon with beef and fried egg. They also haven’t abandoned takoyaki or other savory delights that earned them a following in the first place, such as okonomiyaki and kimchi tater tots. Follow Bochi Bochi on social media to see where it’s popping up around Boise.

Dan, Tamara, and Ellie of the Ansotegui family offer traditional and contemporary Basque fare in the Old Boise Pioneer Building on Main Street. No stranger to Basque cuisine and culture, multiple James Beard Award semifinalist Dan Ansotegui started Bar Gernika and the Basque Market in the 1990s. (Although he’s no longer associated with those establishments, they’re still popular anchors of the Basque Block just down the street.) Ansots offers a variety of sausages in appetizers and sandwiches (bocadillos), including the flavorful motzak chorizo with roasted garlic, as well as recent additions such as beef tongue in tomato and pepper sauce, and cod and clams in salsa verde. Ansots also caters and sells croquetas, chorizo, bacon, and other meats by the pound.

An acronym for Sweetest Things in Life, the name of this popular ice cream shop accurately represents its role as one of the sweetest places in Boise. During scorching high-desert summers (or any season really), a custom ice cream flavor like churro, lavender and berries, or vanilla cream cheese hits the spot at any of the mini-chain’s locations. Dairy-free and vegan options are available, as well as booze-infused flavors, all of which can be enjoyed either on their own or as part of a custom ice cream sandwich, an affogato, or a beer or wine float. Feeling indecisive? There are ice cream flights, which can be paired with a beer or wine flight as well.

Owners Dusanka and Ermin Kurtigac opened this cafe and tiny grocery store after arriving in town in the aftermath of the dissolution of Yugoslavia and war in the Balkans. They serve an array of hearty, straightforward sandwiches on house-made bread, and you can’t go wrong with their filling beef goulash. Pick up a bottle of Eastern European wine, a jar of ajvar red pepper spread, and tins of pate from the grocery aisles before settling your bill.

Specializing in craft pizza and cocktails, the Wylder in downtown Boise maintains a 50-plus-year-old sourdough starter for pizza dough. Local favorites include the Honey Badger (a white pizza with Italian sausage, ricotta, caramelized onions, and spicy honey), the Bronco (a red pie with salumi, pickled Fresno chiles, and burrata), and nightly supper options like fried chicken and lasagna from a secret family recipe. In addition to the Wylder, Lizzy and David Rex run burger joint Wyld Child on the Bench and “upscale but approachable” Percy near the Wylder.

Situated near the campus of Boise State University, this sleek taqueria layers tortillas with options like Idaho spuds and chorizo, or braised short rib with kimchi and peanut sauce. Beyond tacos (and craft beer to wash them down), there are also chips with house-made salsa and guacamole, as well as a chicken tinga salad with beans, assorted veggies, corn, pickled onions, and cilantro vinaigrette. To spice things up a bit, try the Madres Temper hot sauce.

Opened in 2022, Nahm Thai & Burmese Cuisine quickly became popular with Boise diners. It isn’t the only place in town to get your Thai fix, but the Burmese side of the menu is something special for the area. Go for the refreshing, tangy, and crunchy fermented tea leaf salad with tomatoes, nuts, seeds, and citrus, or opt for shan noodles with sweet pork and tomato sauce in a light broth with broccoli and bean sprouts.

Salvador Alamilla marries contemporary riffs on traditional Mexican and Mexican American dishes with locally sourced ingredients in a festive, light-filled former bank lobby, located in rural Caldwell, Idaho. Born in Michoacán, Mexico, and raised in Southern California, Alamilla partners with his wife and co-owner, Rebecca, to turn out can’t-miss birria tacos and carnitas, best washed down with a michelada. The chef has been a James Beard Award semifinalist three years running. Note: The restaurant plans to move to a new location several blocks away in 2025.

Since 2013, Moshit Mizrachi-Gabbitas and her husband Chuck have been serving decadent pastries from a bakery more befitting the streets of Paris than a strip mall in Boise. Janjou sports modern, stark-white decor in a compact space that displays what’s on offer: freshly baked croissants, pain au chocolat, brioches, fruit tartlets, cheesecakes, and other indulgences. The creations often draw a long line of customers.

Noel Argote-Herrera named his Cuban food cart after his mother, who cooked with him when he was growing up in Havana, Miami, and Los Angeles. He serves traditional dishes such as ropa vieja, carne con papas, and paella, along with rice, black beans, and plantains. Be sure to try the juicy and citrusy lechon. You can find him at the Boise Farmers Market, local breweries, and food truck parks.

In 2023, Kris Komori at Kin became the first ever Idaho chef to win a James Beard Award. Komori and his team focus on seasonally and locally sourced fare cooked with precision and flair. Their multicourse tasting menu, served at a communal table with optional wine pairings, changes monthly. If you’re not ready to take the leap into a full dinner, grab a seat at the Art Haus Bar next door, order a craft cocktail, and create your own tasting with shareable bites such as house-made sausage and black cod skewers. In the summer, there may be refreshing cold noodles, while the colder months may warrant a hot bowl of ramen or posole. The restaurant also offers a series of outdoor dinners featuring entertainment from local arts and music groups.

Modern takes on French classics like steak frites and chicken Lyonnaise share space on the menu at Terroir Bistro with wild-caught sablefish in miso broth and silky smoked sturgeon. It’s helmed by Nate Whitley and Remi Courcenet, who started working together more than a decade ago at the Modern Hotel and Bar, where Whitley was a James Beard semifinalist. The duo have evolved Terroir over the years, starting as a butchery, then a supper club at a wine store, then a food trailer at a winery, and now a permanent location on Boise’s 8th Street restaurant row.

In 2023, Cal and Ashley Elliott restored the historic Hotel Manitou into the Avery, a boutique hotel that houses a brasserie and gastropub Tiner’s. Both are veterans of the New York City dining scene, where Cal helmed the Dressler when the restaurant earned a Michelin star. Visit the brasserie up front for hearty cassoulet and classic French dining experience, or head to the back for shepherd’s pie and a Guinness at the British-style pub. Both spaces are anchored by Brunswick bars; the one at Tiner’s is reportedly the oldest in Boise.