We just discovered one of the best local adventures: Indulge Boise Food Tours! The tour we selected was the Historic Downtown Boise Food & Cultural Tour. We first learned about this culinary and cultural extravaganza because my husband picked up this cute postcard laying on our table at the War of the Waffles. Indulge me now as I share our discoveries during this amazing event!
Indulge Boise Tour Beginnings
Started a little over a year ago by Angela Taylor, Chief Indulge Officer, Indulge Boise Food tours have become one of the premier events to discover all downtown Boise has to offer. Angela was born and raised in Mountain Home but has traveled all over the world. However, it is her connection and love for Boise and all it has to offer that inspired her to team up with her brothers, Greg and Gary to start Indulge Boise Tours. It is their passion to share the amazing culture, history, farm to table foods and scenery with locals and vacationers alike.
Historic Downtown Boise Food & Cultural Tour
Calling all foodies! This tour gives you great tastings from local downtown culinary experts. The tour varies depending on the day of the week but whichever one you choose, you will be treated to exceptional tastings, culture, history and unique downtown locations. Our amazing tour guide, Evangel, made this a fun filled tours full of information, great food, fun drinks and history about downtown Boise that I didn’t know. Evangel a native of Portland came to Idaho for college, went back to Portland for a short time but decided Boise was where she belonged. Her passion for food and culture makes her perfect for this tour!
Here’s a taste of our Indulge Boise Food Tour:
Tour Stop #1. Wild Root Café & Market: Farm Fresh Café
The first thing I noticed was the décor that gives you insight into what you will experience. We sampled one of their newer offerings, Trout Salad. This unique salad has a burst of flavor that combines grapefruit, radishes, pistachios, lemon vinaigrette on a bed of greens. The trout is smoked and candied plus is sourced locally! Round that out with a soft cooked egg and Tuscan chickpea flatbread – it was awesome! Chef Michael & Anne-Marie met in culinary school and are now the owners of Wild Root Café & Market. The passion they put into preparation and serving the best food shows in all of their dishes. They source locally and can probably name every farm their product comes from.
Tour Stop #2. Olivin: Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Taproom
If you love adding flavor to all your food, you need to visit Olivin. CERTIFIED fresh extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and balsamic vinegars to sample and pair together to make all of your food taste great. Mary Ann Mandel owner of Olivin and The Mixing Bowl shows you how to bring your food to life with great oils and vinegar plus kitchen gadgets and cookware. I just love to shop for these kinds of items and lucky us . . .they are all in one place! I found two balsamic vinegars: Cranberry Pear Balsamic and Sicilian Lemon Balsamic and I can pair it with my new favorite oil: Green Chili Fused Olive Oil! We are using the two balsamic vinegars for our salads – taste great and lower calories. It is so fun to mix and match for my next flavor explosion!
Tour Stop #3. Bacon: Breakfast Bistro
John Berryhill brought to life in a restaurant one of my favorite things . . . BACON! As you walk into the restaurant, you feel the energy, smell the amazing food and can’t wait to experience this amazing culinary delight! Furthermore, it is all built around 5 kinds of bacon. BACON Boise combines breakfast, bistro and bloody marys to create an unforgettable experience. Our tasting kicked off with their famous BACON Bloody Mary topped with a variety of goodies including bacon. Next came a bacon shooter and then a taste of their amazing bacon mac and cheese. We aren’t the only ones who love it, because was also highlighted in the Food and Wine Magazine. Who doesn’t love bacon, bacon, bacon?
Tour Stop #4. Guru Donuts: Fresh, Old Fashioned Donuts & Coffee
We have experienced savory up to this point and new we are ready to do sweet. Guru Donuts located in the Idanha Historic building is our next stop. Local ingredients, made fresh daily and totally delicious. Our tasting included The Hipsterberry which boasts their “signature glaze made with blueberry, blackberry and lavender”. The other donut was sampled was The Old Fashion. This dunk-able crisp airy donut is made from scratch using sour cream for a truly yummy taste sensation. Guru donuts is also home to the “Café Mule Nitro Cold Brew” and a variety of Idaho Kombucha. We got to sample all of the flavors and WOW especially since I have never experienced Kombucha until today. Donut selection seems endless so you will need to visit many times to try them all!
Tour Stop #5. The Basque Market: Basque Specialty Store & Restaurant
A trip to the Basque Block delivers interesting culture and a fantastic food/drink tasting at The Basque Market. Well known for their paella made on the patio every Wednesday and Friday, it is just the tip of all the amazing food prepared onsite throughout the week. Tony & Tara Eiguren never imagined that they would own this amazing market but 8 years later, they can’t imagine being anywhere else. Their passion for both culture and cooking makes this a great place to experience the rich Basque culture. Be sure to check out their special events, cooking classes and wide variety of food and wine. Be sure to try their slush (adult beverage) – it keeps you coming back for more!
Tour Stop #6. Mai Thai: Asian Fusion & Craft Cocktails
From Basque to Asian, what a great contrast in culture and tasting experience. Our tasting dishes included the Honey Duck, Kai-Yang and Swimming Angel. Most noteworthy I think, is the fact that the Swimming Angel protein was a double deep-fried tofu that had the texture of French toast. Usually not a fan of tofu, not so in this case! I’m now a huge fan of tofu done in this manner, furthermore, it was absolutely yummy and so rich in flavor. Our beverage was of course, the Mai Thai which was a great way to enhance this stop on our tour! Mai Thai is one of the best places to enjoy modern Asian cuisine in a beautiful cultural setting.
Tour Stop 7. The Chocolat Bar: Handcrafted Gourmet Chocolates
A stop at the Chocolat Bar is the perfect way to end this culinary tour. Fine handcrafted chocolates in a variety of exotic and creative flavors make this my new go to place for chocolat! Opened in 2004 by Chris and Kristi Preston as a way to combine their passion for cooking, appreciation for good food and business acumen into something unique for all to enjoy!
Indulge Boise Tours: Historic Downtown
Boise is a mix of unique cultures and eclectic culinary diversity which is why this tour is so much fun. Evangel brought the past to life as she shares some of the history that makes Boise so special. It was fun to learn about the supposed “gold rush” as we stood in front of the beautiful statue made of barbed wire. Walked by the original firehouse designed for horse drawn carts, now home to “The Melting Pot”. Catch the irony? It was fun to see the home of the first telephone company where each employee sat in front of their own window to watch the world go by. Plus, you can’t do downtown without walking through “Freak Alley”. Beautiful, unique art painted right on the side of the building. According to Evangel, it is changed every two to three years and currently displays approximately 90 works of art. It is so popular around the country that others have asked if they could copy the concept and use our name.
Indulge Boise Tour Options
There is something for everyone when it comes to tours.
- Historic Downtown Boise Food & Cultural Tour – This is the one we described and it is approximately 3 hours and 1.5 miles.
- Capital City Sunday Brunch Tour – 6+ meals/tastings at iconic breakfast spots in Boise’s Capitol District. Approximately 2.5 hours and .85 miles.
- Boise Booze & Bites Happy Hour Tour – 10+ food/beverage tastings at our top downtown bars and restaurants featuring Boise’ talented mixologists. 2.5 hours and .7 miles.
- Private Group Tours – Perfect for every event you can think of. Work directly with the team at Indulge Boise to make your event something to remember.
To learn more about these tours, just CLICK HERE.
Adventure Grammy Observations
Are you looking for a great way to spend time with friends/family? Then you definitely want to check out Indulge Boise. This adventure is something that we will remember for years to come. Evangel was fun, informative and enthusiastic. Everyone loved seeing her when we went into every stop. In addition, we got to visit places we might not have done on our own and learned things I didn’t know about the city I’ve lived in for over 25 years. Even if you have had the chance to visit these locations, you will definitely learn and see a different side by going on a tour. There is nothing like it we have experienced on our travels. Isn’t it funny how you can live in a city, go on a tour and see it so differently because it is through someone else’s eyes. I would highly recommend you get your adventure on and book your tour today! You can also buy gift certificates to give to those you love!