Worm Food

Even though we are not on a farm while in Boise, we have still been able to continue our theme of exploring food production. On Saturday, we went to the Boise farmer's market in downtown and indulged in those yummy mini donuts you get fried for you on the spot, but also some local cherries, elk, dried fruits, cheese curds, and local Idaho potato chips. That night we made yummy elk burgers with a side salad dressed with local dressing and fresh grilled beets, turnips and onion.

Last night, however, we indulged in a meal out at the Bittercreek AleHouse. This downtown pub and it's sister restaurant, The Red Feather Lounge, are two purveyors of all things local. They try to buy as much of their food and drink from as local a farm as they can find, and even list their drink menu from least to most miles traveled. This does make indulging in a good Belgium beer difficult when you see it's been shipped 5,000 miles. (O, Brick Store, how I still love thee!)

As someone traveling in the area, it's nice to get a sense of what is unique to Idaho and the surrounding region. I can buy a hamburger or a salad anywhere. But what kinds of burgers, what kinds of fish and veggies are they using to dress their sandwiches and salads are seasonal and regional for this place? I had a smoked trout plate with local goat cheese, flatbread, capers, and roasted garlic along with a Butterleaf Wedge salad with leeks, tomato, and parmesan. Daniel had the cheesesteak made with grass-fed roast beef.

The restaurant also has a "Low Power Happy Hour" during the week from 4-6 in which they offer you deals on their fare in exchange for a darker atmosphere. They do not turn on the dining room lights until 6pm. In fact, they wondered how much they would save on their electricity bill if they simply turned off their neon pub signs, and they discovered a 30% decline! Needless to say, we didn't see any flashing Pabst signs on our visit.

Finally, the restaurant prints their menus on paper, and shreds them to create worm food when they reprint. Wait, worm food? That's right, perhaps the most intriguing part of the restaurant is the two vats of compost we toured in the basement each holding 200 lbs. of worms and all the food and paper compost the restaurant could feed them. Surprisingly, the basement didn't smell at all (they don't compost their meat/dairy products down there), and the worms were creating compost that would go back into the soil to grow veggies and flowers for the restaurant owner's garden.

All in all, it was one of the best meals I've had on the road. Cheers!