Yen Ching

I have no idea how long Yen Ching has been occupying the corner of 9th and Bannock in downtown Boise.  I know that it's been there since at least the mid-90's, but beyond that I couldn't say.  Always one of the more interesting places in town, I rarely make it there because when I'm in the area I usually opt for Twin Dragon, whose chow mein I absolutely adore.  Yen Ching's food has always seemed slightly more homemade, somehow.  And to be honest, I simply hate peas and carrots in my fried rice.  However, Yen Ching has quite a bit to offer (such as their amazing bakery), and dim sum has recently been added to that list.

No, I didn't get a picture of the building...

The Gyro House (formerly The Gyro Shack 2)

There are a lot of recurring themes in my entries, one of the most prevalent of which is my fondness for sandwich-type foodstuffs.  Anything on a bun, in a tortilla, between two pieces of bread, in a pita, wrapped in flatbread...maybe it's the fact that everything is wrapped in starchy goodness and, if done correctly, you get a little bit of everything in every bite.  Whatever the answer, the gyro is definitely one of my favorites.


The Cheesecake Factory

Though part of me rallies against admitting this, I love The Cheesecake Factory.  The only reason I don't eat there more often is that I simply can't afford to.  Those of you who read my Red Robin write-up might be surprised that I'm gushing about a place that is every bit as obviously a chain restaurant as Red Robin is.  There's just a vibe, a feeling you get by how the place is laid out, the little buzzers that tell you that your table is ready, the logo everywhere you look, the feeling that everything you're seeing and tasting was determined by a committee...all those things are the same, but to me, that's where the comparison ends.  At The Cheesecake Factory, it's all about the food.


A Taste of Thai

No, not the A Taste of Thai that makes the colorfully packaged canned and boxed foods that you can buy in pretty much every grocery store.  This A Taste of Thai is the latest link in a small chain based out of Twin Falls, and took over the space vacated by the Saigon Grill at the corner of Milwaukee and Emerald in Boise.



Only available for a limited time...

I've been writing this blog for about five months now.  As far as I know, these are the places I've written up that are now out of business:

Chau's Burgers and Sandwiches
Eddie's Wood Fired Dogs
Giacinto's Italian Gourmet
Kickin Chicken
Manila Bay

And when I last checked the Portuguese Barbecue Lunch Wagon, the place I did my first entry on, was up for sale.  I know that I tend to seek out the path less traveled (figuratively speaking), and the economy still isn't in the best shape, but the moral of the story is simply this: if you hear about a place or a dish you really want to try, whether here or from anyone else, DO IT WHILE YOU HAVE THE CHANCE.  Regret sucks.

Great Harvest Bread Co. (Meridian)

As I mentioned in my review of Great Harvest in Boise, they've changed their approach to sandwiches over the years.  In that regard, the Meridian location is a trip back in time.  If you prefer the sandwiches the way they used to make them, using the big round loaves of bread, or if you never got to try them, you can still get them that way at the Meridian store.  Unfortunately, what it will cost you is also a bit old-fashioned, which in this regard means about $2 higher than the Boise branch's newer, saner prices.  But is it worth it?