Boise Weekly: Best of Boise

Best Local Antique Store

editor@boiseweekly.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Antique World Mall Want a lunchbox from Rome? How about a beau petit morceau de bijoux from Paris? Been looking for a dusty little British book? You don't need a plane ticket or a Paypal account to get those things. You'll probably find them at the Antique World Mall. The huge complex contains aisles and aisles--all named for famous European cities--lined with every vintage, antique and hard-to-find collectible item imaginable. Chairs and chests share space with journals and jewelry, vintage hats sit next…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Best Local Public Art

editor@boiseweekly.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0600

"Homage to the Pedestrian" on the Grove by Patrick Zentz Boise is home to many pieces of public art, but because they've become such a part of our landscape, we often forget that they have titles and that someone created them; they didn't just spring from the earth. Zentz's piece is one that straddles the line between function and beauty. Four lamps react to those who pass by. When they detect a person's presence, they respond with drums, chimes, cymbals and bells. It's like having a soundtrack for your life,…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Best Local Gardening Store/Nursery

editor@boiseweekly.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Edwards Greenhouse It's pretty hard to beat Edwards Greenhouse. In fact, in Best of Boise land--where the hanging fuchsia pots and wind chimes sway eternally in the warm summer breeze--it's almost impossible. Every year we ask you green-thumbed readers where to find the best place in town to show up with an empty wheel barrow and leave with a bounty of flowers, herbs and sapling veggie starts, and every year, you emphatically cry, "Edwards." Well, you've got good taste, friends. And with…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Best Local Italian Food

editor@boiseweekly.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Gino's Italian Restaurant Avid Best of Boise voters will remember the icky oversight that was Best Local Italian Food last year. In an effort to streamline our voting process for you, the voters, as well as we the counters of those votes, we super-automated the system with fancy software and, in doing so, Best Italian dropped out. It was a situation that went unnoticed until the day Best of Boise went to press, which was, obviously, many days after voting locked up tight.…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Best Local Meat

editor@boiseweekly.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Boise Co-op Admittedly, "best meat" is not the ideal choice of words for a Best of Boise category title hoping to elicit serious responses. Apparently, many of you out there think rather highly of what's in your britches. After laughing our way through all the responses and winnowing it down to just the serious answers, Boise Co-op came out on top, which, if you ask us, is a win that's slightly tinged with irony, seeing as how the North End grocery store…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Best Local Sandwich Shop

editor@boiseweekly.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Cobby's Three things characterize a trip to Cobby's: the order-by-number menu, free chips and fruit, and a sandwich from folks who've been at it for more than 30 years. That's right, for decades, hungry patrons have been lining up in front of the overly tall counter to indulge in one of the shop's signature sandwiches. And when we say lining up, we mean it--the smart customer preorders before waiting in the lunch rush. But for those who brave the line, the…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Best local DJ/Radio Personality

editor@boiseweekly.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Ken Bass and Tim Johnstone, KRVB 94.9 The River Rock test! Name the reigning champions of Best of Boise's best DJ category. Here's a hint: There are two of them. Is it A: Bill and Ted, B: Amos and Andy or C: Ken and Tim? Here's another hint: Their names are in bold nine lines above. Ken Bass and Tim Johnstone, The River's dynamic morning duo, have been claiming numero uno in this category for so long that we can appropriately refer to them as "The Reigning Champions" (note…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Best Local Restaurant

editor@boiseweekly.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Bittercreek Ale House Hammer. Nail. Head. Bang on, with this one, readers. All three winners in this category typify exactly what this category is about at its core: local food. You could have nominated any independent restaurant in Boise, but instead, you chose the three local restaurants that have, in our not so humble foodie opinions, demonstrated the most visible commitment to the local food movement. A-plus-plus. Run by proprietor David Krick, both Red Feather and Bittercreek share a similar mission: the abolition…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Best Local Sports Team

editor@boiseweekly.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Boise State Broncos Football No, you're not seeing things: The entire Treasure Valley has a distinct blue-and-orange cast to it these days. It doesn't matter if you're an alumnus or not, Boise State has somehow become everyone's alma mater--or at least their other alma mater. When Bronco game day comes around, get out of the way. The hordes of jersey-clad fans headed to the heart of Boise resemble a herd of stampeding wildebeest with little Broncos flags stuck to their cars rather than horns.…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Best Local Politician

editor@boiseweekly.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Boise Mayor Dave Bieter Most politicians make headlines for the scandals they create�gay sex, adultery, taking bribes, bad hairpieces, you name it�but that's not the case in Boise. Nope, not here, where we've got a mayor who's so darn nice he is repeatedly voted No. 1 because people actually like him. How many politicians can say that? Whether it's commuting on his bike, meeting with the public during Saturday office hours or an obvious love for his hometown that has earned him such brownie…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Best Local Happy Hour

editor@boiseweekly.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Barbacoa Barbacoa has a secret that it hasn't exactly been trying to hide: not one, but two hella good happy hours. Yep, two. Not two hours of happy hour, but a couple of hours during the appointed late afternoon/early evening happy hour and then another couple of hours hanging out nonchalantly late at night. So, quick, sketch this into some semi-permanent place in your brain where you'll be able to find it despite a booze soak: Happy Hour at Barbacoa is…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Best Late Night Party

editor@boiseweekly.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Neurolux There's an insider game that Neuro-lushes play frequently. It goes like this: Lush A says, "Let's only have one drink tonight at Neurolux and go to bed early." Lush B replies, "Yeppers, that sounds like a responsible idea. Neurolux is a drunkenness vortex that always sucks us in and spits us out tanked at 2 a.m." Then, as the warm buzz from the first drink disperses through their bodies, Lush A says: "Well, it's still early, how about another?" And…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Best Local Ethnic Market

editor@boiseweekly.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0600

The Basque Market In a place like Boise, which proudly boasts about its deep Basque heritage, it only makes sense that a place like the Basque Market would come out on top of this category. And this is unquestionably one result we can get fully behind because we here at Boise Weekly heart the Basque Market. Sure, it doesn't hurt that it's just two blocks from BWHQ, but we'd walk miles for one of their fantastic sandwiches made with ingredients like roasted garlic-piquillo…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Best Visual Arts Gallery

editor@boiseweekly.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Visual Arts Collective Wow. So many of you voted in this category. It makes us proud ... we're tearing up a little ... give us a minute ... OK, we're better now. We're just happy that of the 20 questions you had to answer to make your votes count, this was one of them. And we completely understand why VAC won. What they've done for Boise and Garden City (which, face it, are pretty much one and the same) is provide a multidisciplinary…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Best Local Bookstore

editor@boiseweekly.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Rediscovered Bookshop We're so happy this category can still even exist. Places like Rediscovered Bookshop are becoming a rare breed, and we feel fortunate to have Rediscovered as a thriving member of our community. The place is extra cool, not just because they carry used books, new books, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, biographies, travel, children's and more, but because they do more than sell books: Renowned writers have stopped in for readings (including this year's honoree for Best Living Idaho Writer), and writing…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Best Local Live Theater

editor@boiseweekly.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Idaho Shakespeare Festival Get on your knees and bow before the king. All hail the Idaho Shakespeare Festival--Boise's version of a theater juggernaut. No one can even come close to this landmark theater company. Year after year, it dramatically crushes the theatrical competition, which is exactly what it did, yet again, this year. But it's not hard to understand why Best of Boise voters continue to put ISF at the top of the theater hierarchy in Boise. Visit the expansive, yet comfortable outdoor…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Best Local Tattoo Parlor

editor@boiseweekly.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Inkvision We'd be a wee bit surprised if Inkvision didn't win this one each year. Not because the other shops in town aren't fine establishments, but because when we see spectacular ink, it is often done by someone at Inkvision. We would proudly hold up any of the skin art that comes out of the unimposing little orange parlor on Americana Boulevard against work we've seen from bigger U.S. cities or those in other parts of the world (we read a…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Best Local Breakfast

editor@boiseweekly.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Goldy's Breakfast Bistro This win, folks, is an upset of mountainous proportions. We mean, nobody, nobody saw this coming. Goldy's as best breakfast? Come on ... who would have thought the little hole in the wall could pull it off? OK, OK, enough with the kidding already. Seeing as how Goldy's annually wins for the breakfast joint that Boise just can't get enough of, it seems highly implausible that we can carry on the "whoda-thunk-it" charade much longer. The truth is that Goldy's--the…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Best Local Secondhand Store

editor@boiseweekly.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Idaho Youth Ranch We think a conspiracy is afoot at the Idaho Youth Ranch, but it's one we're happy to be complicit in. We think people with cool stuff who want to support IYR's important cause drop their stuff off there. Then other cool people who also want to support IYR shop there and buy up the cool stuff. It's a kick-ass cycle that we indulge in as well. And as if the IYR retail stores weren't enough, we recently discovered IYR's outlet…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Best Local Chinese Food

editor@boiseweekly.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Yen Ching Yen Ching adds something else to the Boise Chinese food mix: Chinese food full bar. With better-than-average veggie dishes, big picture windows looking out on downtown, and low slung booths that add an air of anonymity, it's a convenient place to take your lover, to make a deal or to turn 21. We wish we knew what Yen Ching means, though. Second Place: Twin Dragon Third Place: Oriental Express…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Best Local WeatherPerson

editor@boiseweekly.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Scott Dorval, KIVI Channel 6 When it comes to calling the weather in the Treasure Valley, nobody can touch Scott Dorval. The man has a mastery of both the green screen and the Doppler Radar, and the result, well, is just a damn good forecast. It's (... ahem) clear that BW readers feel the same way, repeatedly putting Dorval at the top of his field by almost embarrassing margins. Sure, Larry Gebert's mustache is always a big crowd pleaser judging by the number of votes…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Best Local Indian Food

editor@boiseweekly.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Madhuban Indian Cuisine Madhuban's motto is exactly this: "All happiness depends on a leisurely food." Leisure is the hallmark of an excellent Indian dining experience--having the time to savor each rich, potato-and-pea-filled bite of samosa, then letting that settle while you sip on a mango lassi and make room for a hearty plate of chicken tikka masala. But, while that pace might be ideal, it's not always practical. Sometimes, you just want to stuff your face with an inexpensive, yet filling lunch buffet…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Best Place to Put Boise's New Nude Beach

editor@boiseweekly.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Lucky Peak Reservoir OK, we're going to let you in on a little secret here: The BW editorial staff decided to have a little fun with the Best of Boise ballot questions this year, inserting one whimsical question into each category, just for fun. So, no, alas, there is no nude beach planned for the Treasure Valley. We are pleased to see so many of you are on the same wavelength and got the joke--or maybe we should be concerned that so many…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Best New Question to Add to the Reader Poll Next YearThird Place: Tie: Best Yearly Local Event and Best Local Florist

editor@boiseweekly.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Best Local Brew Pub/Beer/Brewery We make no claims that anyone at Boise Weekly is omniscient. Occasionally, something falls through the cracks as we try to fine tune the annual Best of Boise survey. Other times, we drop a category we don't think is important any more, only to face reader backlash. But we have to offer a hearty "thank you" to our observant readers who helped open our eyes to the world of questions we were missing out on. Surprisingly, many of the most…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Best Local Martinis

editor@boiseweekly.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Red Feather Lounge What more is there to say? Red Feather makes some pretty top-notch libations, and judging by the winner in the Best Local Bartender and Best Local Place for a Cocktail categories, that's not news to BW readers. So, what are you waiting for? Go forth and get drunk. Second Place: Bardenay Third Place: Pair…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]