nakni's Profile
The various Schat's bakerys
I only had the cheese bread (that was my most necessary fix-- I had other food fixes to attend to that weekend in L.A. and flew down with only a carry-on bag to bring supplies back with me). The cheese was the same. The employee warned that the bread would taste a little different due to the different water used in Bishop. It would be nice to A/B it, but it tasted close enough to Bishop's quality to be satiated. The pastries didn't look too appetizing though, and the selection of those and other baked goods seemed rather small compared to Bishop.
There's a chance I might be driving back to L.A. in about a month, and the quickest route takes me right through Bishop. If that happens, I'll speak to the cashier or someone who appears to be in charge. Hopefully they'll be honest with me when I do ask about the other stores.
The various Schat's bakerys
I visited the newest bakery in El Segundo. An employee told me that the one there, while not a franchise, is on good terms with the original Bishop location. They also mentioned, and I recall reading/hearing in the past somewhere about it, that there's some squabbling between Bishop and the ones in Ukiah and Mammoth. Can anyone confirm that and have the reasoning behind it? I'm aware that the other offshoots could very well be saying the same thing, so I'm not necessarily of the belief that El Segundo is actually on better terms than the other two.
Nikka Japanese Whisky Coming to the US
Any new updates on this, sku? I had really wanted to get some while in L.A. over the holidays, and I read elsewhere that they were slated to start selling late last year or early this year.
Looking for Nikka (Japanese) whisky
Thanks for that link. I'll reintroduce that thread and see if the OP has any new info since then.
Looking for Nikka (Japanese) whisky
I'll be in town for the holidays and was looking to take some Nikka whisky back with me. All I've ever had is Suntory so I want to branch out, and I had read that Nikka infiltrated the U.S. market either this year or late last year. Prior trips to Marukai/Mitsuwa/Beverage Warehouse this year yielded the same ol', same ol'. A prior thread about this same topic mentioned Wally's on Westwood, but a search on their site revealed no Nikka. The closer to the Westside or South Bay, the better.
Boise Food Truck Rally
I think this is their third event. The other two were in downtown. It's just a bunch of the local food trucks getting together in one place with music and someone selling local beer.
I'm just thankful that the city is actually developing a food truck scene because I think that food trucks will be the safer way to go for entrepreneurs to offer new cuisines that the area doesn't have.
Great Vietnamese Sandwiches in Boise
It's cheaper at the Franklin location, which isn't surprising with what property on 8th Street is probably going for. It's too bad they're not staying open late-night on the weekends anymore like they originally did. I'd much rather get my late-night grub there instead of Piehole or Pita Pit.
Gotta try the avocado smoothie, which is surprisingly good. Thumbs up for offering boba. Not so hot on their pho though.
Boise Deli Days
Richie's is OK, but it's quite pricey and you can get better elsewhere for cheaper. Here's a review of them I did on Yelp (never thought I'd be Yelping, but the lack of Boise talk here pretty much predicated it): http://www.yelp.com/biz/new-york-richies-garden-city It's the 3-star review.
Boise Deli Days
The Weekly had a photo gallery of the event, and fortunately they took a photo of the menu and prices. $7.50 for cold Cysco meat on cheap market bread! Compare that with what you can get from a $6.50 foot long at Uncle Giuseppe's (that would've been a good A/B comparison photo). Can't they actually schedule an order with a local bakery so the sandwich won't look and taste as cheap? $5.50 for a cheap bagel with a little bit of lox on it? I like how they charged $1 for a pickle when I just got a 3-pound jar of whole kosher dills for $1.88 at Winco.
I realize they have to deal with a lot of people, but the planning and quality of the food aspect seem secondary to the profit they take from it. As an authentic (deli) experience, it's a failure. I don't get that feeling from some of the other local festivals like the Greek and Russian ones. Maybe someone who has Jewish deli experience and is passionate and concerned enough about the food quality could turn it around, but that's not gonna happen. Next year they'll probably want $8 for those same-quality sandwiches.
Anyway, it's something I can bitch about around this time every year if it's mentioned! And as previously stated, the locals who have never been to a Jewish deli or bakery have no idea what they're missing, and I hope they don't think Deli Days is like the real deal.
Boise Deli Days
Disagree. I'm done with them, and I would tell people to skip it and wait until they head to a city with a Jewish deli and/or bakery instead of partaking in the ridiculously overpriced goods and mediocre output (in particular their cheap-quality school-lunch sandwiches). I feel bad for people who would think that the food served here is anything approaching a good Jewish deli.
Mott's Deli in Boise?
Ever try Epi's in Meridian for Basque? Reservations are mandatory. You can always do Gernika as well-- you're in Boise, so you might as well pig out on Basque while you can. I'm from a big city myself, and when I recommend I tend to steer towards things you can't normally get where you are or get as good. So that would be Basque and restaurants that use local ingredients. "Farm-to-fork" has become a big thing here. Fork and Locavore were opened with this in mind. Fork has been reviewed better. Though Red Feather, which is half a block the street up from Fork, has been doing it for years. I've only been to Red Feather and enjoyed my experience. Also, for local beef, you have Lock Stock & Barrel that carries Snake River Farms wagyu style beef (I THINK-- would have to call & verify, as the list of Snake River's clientele on their website isn't showing up on my computer). I haven't been there, but a cheaper bet may be Castle Ranch Steakhouse in a hotel near the airport. They use local Double R Ranch beef. Here's a recent review in the local paper of them, though the beef isn't actually wagyu style like it says in the article: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/05/27/1665316/a-secret-steakhouse-in-boise.html
And then since you'll be in the North End eating at Jim's/Vicino, ever make it to Goody's to top off the meal with some sweets?
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Red Feather Lounge
246 N 8th Street, Boise, ID 83702
Lock Stock & Barrel
1100 W Jefferson St, Boise, ID 83702
Goody's Soda Fountain & Candy Stores
1502 N 13th St, Boise, ID 83702
Epi's A Basque Restaurant
1115 N Main St, Meridian, ID 83642
Mott's Deli in Boise?
Uncle Giuseppe's opening up on State/Glenwood has taken a little bit of the sting out of the Jewish deli void. Two transplanted New Yorkers doing a New York/Italian deli with nearly all of the meat/cheese made from Boar's Head. Comparatively cheap too.
Mott's Deli in Boise?
It closed down.
Sounded too good to be true anyway, as I don't expect to see a Jewish deli as long as I live here. I'd hate to think the locals born and raised here would constitute Deli Days as a legit and authentic experience, but they probably do. I asked an orthodox Jewish co-worker if Mott would've been a tipoff to being Jewish, but he said "No, only if it was Motz." I feel bad for this guy, by the way. With the lack of resources here, he has to ship damn near all of his food from New York.
Mott's Deli in Boise?
Wow, you sure piqued my interest there. I would love to have one here, and I had never heard of Mott's. Our once-a-year foray into the Jewish deli concept (Deli Days at that synagogue on the Bench) is such a joke, and an expensive one to boot.
I figured "what the hell" and was just going to call and ask. But I've tried two different numbers, and neither connect to them. And I almost never venture into SE Boise. How about you?
Best Jerky on the Way to Mammoth
Yeah, Mahogany is the way to go, and it's not even close. I don't know if there are still signs further south around Olancha saying "World's Best Jerky" and stuff like that, but avoid all of that if it still applies (it's shipped in from out-of-state anyway).
Schat's Bakery should also be a mandatory pit stop when going through Bishop. Get some cheese bread if nothing else, but you would have a tough time getting only one item there after walking around.
http://www.erickschatsbakery.com/
In search of... Japanese Whisky for sale in L.A. area
Yeah, that's too much for my tastes. I thought the kicker was that it could only be imported if it was a 750mL bottle and not a 700? A stupid rule but that's what I was told on this site when an article about Japanese whisky appeared here. Perhaps an updated rule if Wally's obtains it.
I'm so glad I pounced on getting Suntory 18 for $80 at the Beverage Warehouse three years ago. It's $100 there now and $130 at Mitsuwa. I'm feeling pretty positive Nijiya and Marukai won't be of any help with Nikka, but I haven't been in town since Labor Day.
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Beverage Warehouse
4935 McConnell Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90066
Suntory Hibiki Whisky
I'm visiting my parents, and the local beverage warehouse has added this whisky in the past two months. I'll buy at least one to take back with me in my luggage, but I'm wondering if anyone has had some and what to expect in comparison to the 12 and 18-year Yamazakis. I'm aware that Hibiki is blended, which does strike me as odd considering the 12-year Hibiki is is about $25 more than the 12-year single-malt Yamazaki.
Any Tea Station fans? (Sweet butter toast)
I love their sweet butter toast but have moved out of the area where they're located. I'm trying to get my local Chinese bakery to recreate it, but they've given up. They've never eaten it although one of the bakers is aware of what the Tea Station is.
I'm wondering if anyone can give a good guess as to how to make it. The bread in particular is what I'm scratching my head over. I'm not sure if they make the bread there or not.
Prime Rib in Boise ID
Been to Stagecoach Inn, Westside Drive-In (on Fridays and Saturdays only), and Lock Stock & Barrel. Of the three, I thought LS&B had the best. But for the best value, and if you don't mind not having a fancy sitdown meal, then I think Westside is the way to go. $15 gets you a cut of rib plus salad, potato, and roll. Once in awhile in the Friday Scene section of the Statesman, they'll have a $2 off coupon for that weekend knocking it down to $13. The salad is cheap and horrible, but the potato is pretty good. And while the cuts of rib have been a little fattier than I'd like, the taste is decent, and they've been cooked exactly to my requests. Go on Youtube and search for when Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives visited there. They talk about what's put on the rub that is used on the rib, and that's what eventually convinced me to try their prime rib.
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Stagecoach Inn Restaurant & Lounge
3132 W Chinden Blvd, Garden City, ID 83714
Lock Stock & Barrel
1100 W Jefferson St, Boise, ID 83702
Westside Drive-In
1939 W State St, Boise, ID 83702
Mexican Coke and Beyond
There's been talk about it here (wish I could track down the threads, but I couldn't) and on some soda blogs/forums that corn syrup has infiltrated many of the bottlers owned by FEMSA (the largest beverage company in Mexico) in the past couple years, particularly in the northern reaches of Mexico where most of your Costcos and box stores seem to get their cases from (where I live, it's always from the Mexicali bottler). What you may be getting from them is a sugar/corn syrup hybrid. So while it's undoubtedly crisper and smoother than regular Coke, it's not the real deal like in years past. The best bet is to track down a non-returnable bottle from the southern part of the country, where FEMSA has less of a stranglehold on the bottlers and the status quo has remained.
Evaluate my Boise itinerary
Agree that it's kinda pointless to go to the Co-Op unless you want to bring some good craft beer back to 3.2 land. Nor do I think Ha' Penny really deserves to be a destination bar. But everything on the list sans the Co-Op is within downtown, so it really wouldn't hurt to just walk around downtown (which isn't all that big), catch the vibe, and see what else might interest you. I don't know if I'd say the Front Door has a terribly wide beer selection. But if you're a beer aficionado, then they have plenty of options both on tap and bottle that regular bars don't carry. If SLC doesn't have good Argentinian, then Tango's makes really good empanadas. It's a couple miles from downtown though, and on the weekends they're only open on Saturdays from like 12-4.
New Burger Place in Boise
I think anyone who is gonna have fresh fish here is going to have some sort of direct connection between port city and here that bypasses the middle men that usually handle the food. Seeing as how Boise gets their fish a day later than the port cities, this can be some prized info. Usually that kind of info (or what days restaurants get their fish shipped in) is reserved for their better or more regular customers who will get dibs on the freshest fish. But I haven't been throwing around the kind of money needed for info like this.
Never been to Willow Creek but coincidentally was taken to Raw next door for a free dinner at the end of May.The fish was alright (some fresh, some not so fresh), but too expensive for what was being charged, and the cutting of the fish wasn't the best. Not a Japanese or even Asian staff person in sight. I asked if ankimo was in season and got a blank stare from my server, which didn't surprise me in the least. I will not be returning unless my meal is comped again.
Veggie & carnie options sought for visitors to Playa Del Rey/Westchester (near W. Manchester ave. & Lincoln blvd.)
Yeah, Vinny's is a pale shadow of its former self (and I'm talkin' like 20 years ago), especially when it comes to the pizza. I'd still go there for the calzones though.
I'll have to hit up this Good Pizza place the next time I'm in town. How long have they been around?
New Burger Place in Boise
It's at most a 10-minute walk from where I live. I've been happy going there for the most part, but the pricing makes it an occasional stop at best. I really enjoy the Pepsi ribs, sweet potato fries, and the Club Focaccia (which is huge). The only misstep was the fish and chips, which were horrible (they don't even use the right fries for fish and chips). I still haven't found good fish and chips here. And the Kilted Kod trailer that drives around doesn't count-- very overrated by the locals.
Pepsi and Mountain Dew Throwback
Where did you read that MD Throwback isn't selling well?
New Burger Place in Boise
I never did make it to The Gamekeeper apart from the lounge. I'm not exactly rolling in the dough right now, and everyone I know on a very close basis is going through some sort of financial hardship where eating out is a rare treat and confined more to a taqueria or one of the cheaper brewpubs than a Chandler's or Cottonwood Grille. If I do splurge, it's more for the 2-3 times a year I head back to L.A. and pig out on fresh sushi and food that's either done horribly here (Chinese) or just meh (ramen) or not even remotely available (Korean fried chicken, okonomiyaki).
When I do end up going someplace casual that's a step up from fast food like a Red Feather, I never order burgers there. So my experience is confined to fast food. I guess I can tell you the burger places that I WOULDN'T recommend: Viking on State, Pac-Out on Bogus Basin, TJ's on Cole (they said in their ad in the phone book that they're just like In-N-Out.....HA!), and Good Times on Milwaukee. There's also Boobies on Ustick that got a writeup in the Statesman and a segment on Channel 7. If you're aware of Tommy's Burgers that are in So Cal and Vegas, they're like that. Just not as good and more expensive. And they really skimp on the chili. Plus they don't even have fries! That's heresy! They give you tortilla chips to scoop up the chili, which is pointless since they put so little chili on the burger.
New Burger Place in Boise
The decor wasn't what I was expecting. When I heard beer was served there, I had a homelier or more brewpubish look in my head. But it's quite clinical looking in there.
My bison burger was alright. Nothing to write home about, but the veggie burger was quite good actually. I had heard/read a few raves, and it was worth the hype. I found it to be tastier than my bison burger. Someone else figured they threw MSG in it to enhance the taste, but that's just speculation. The prices were a little higher than I would've liked, which would've been OK if they were more large than small. But they're on the small side.
I enjoyed the Okinawan fries the most. Thick-cut and sweet. The more traditional potato offerings weren't as good. Try to go earlier in the day when all all of the potato options are available since they can run out. Roughly ten different sauces and ten different seasonings. When I go back I'll only be going for the fries, and maybe a beer.
I couldn't tell you about burgers at more upscale places, but my top 2 fast-food ones are Big Jud's and Bad Boy. And the fries at Big Jud's are thick and hand-cut, which is REALLY appreciated.
Montana- Big Sky Pantry
Sounds like the place given the general location you mentioned:
1018 Mt Highway 200
Noxon, MT 59853
406-847-2662
They sell stuff online too:
http://www.artfrommontana.com/products.asp?category=100166
The Buggy Whip
Overpriced and mediocre since the dawn of man. You'll certainly get the old-school vibe if that appeals to you. I agree with bllrdfarm to one extent-- it's not worth going out of your way to visit.
Kumamoto-style ramen in LA?
Our own Rameniac has done a free version of this:
http://www.rameniac.com/ramen_styles
