Eating Our Way Through Idaho's Treasure Valley

My sister's family moved to Idaho during the summer of 2017. In the summer of 2018, my parents followed them. We've made two attempts to visit their new hometown since they've moved, but unexpected circumstances canceled both our scheduled visits. Fortunately, the third time's a charm!

On Wednesday, December 26, we flew from Sacramento, The City of Trees (and a giant red rabbit)...

... to Boise, The City of Trees. 

Unlike our 2015 trip to Boise, this trip was not about exploring the city, touring the Capitol, visiting museums, and seeing historic sights. Instead, Trevor and I spent lots of time my sister's and parents' houses in the suburb of Eagle (Steve stayed in California to work). We visited their library and church, saw my niece's school, and learned about all there is to offer in Idaho's Treasure Valley. We also ate. A LOT. 

Here are some of my new favorite restaurants in the Boise area, which I've added to my list of places to go in Idaho.

• Boise Fry Company  

Their motto is 'Burgers on the side.' While the focus is definitely on the fries, the burgers are delicious, too. Check out the fry menu - you pick the potato you want from a choice of six, then select the way you want it cooked. 

Trevor and I split a classic beef burger and Yukon Gold curly fries. We also had some of their house-made soda and five of their dipping sauces. Delicious!!

• Bodacious Pig BBQ 

We love good BBQ and this place was fabulous. I ordered a trio of sliders and Trevor got pulled pork nachos. We planned to share both dishes, thinking it would be a reasonable amount of food for us, but we were not expecting the nachos to fill an entire sheet pan! We took 3/4 of it home and enjoyed it the next day. Four enthusiastic thumbs up from the the two deRosiers. 

• Rib Shack Barbecue

We had more outstanding BBQ at the Rib Shack Barbecue. 

They hand you a rib when you walk through the door, which was something I've never experienced before. It's great having a tasty free sample while waiting for your order! Fortunately, our food came quickly. Our family of 8 ordered the 'trash can' and brought at least half of it home. Everything was delicious. 

• Westside Drive In

I'd requested a meal at Westside Drive In...

... home of the Idaho Ice Cream Potato ("America's Favorite Novelty Dessert"). I'd seen it on Food Network and was all-in.

The potato was awesome. I'm going to try recreating it at home one of these days. 

The rest of the food was really good too. Everyone left full and happy. 

• 10 Barrel Brewing 

Which was more delicious? The cheese pizza with alfredo....

... or the Churro Ice Cream Sando? 

I think it's a tie. Both were amazing.

• Happy Teriyaki

I LOVE a good teriyaki bowl and this was one of the best I've ever had. 

I tried a bite of other menu options from family members' bowls (beef teriyaki, orange chicken) and theirs were just as good. It was the perfect meal for a cold, snowy day. 

Of course, we did more than eat during our visit! The kids went sledding at Eagle Island State Park.

We learned more about Uncle Brian's job and took a neat tour.

We played some of our favorite games...

... and have some new favorites, which I've added to the "Family Fun" section of my Gift Guide.

I framed some pictures of my parents with the grandkids. 

Trevor discovered a sophisticated maze kit called Gravitrax that he loves.

We had fun with the Creative Critters Jungle Model Magic kit.

And we took a lot of pictures together. 

Trevor and I flew home on Sunday, December 30. It was great to spend time with family and to finally see their new houses. I'd definitely recommend a visit to the Boise area if you've never been.