After an afternoon of cycling along the 25-mile Boise River Greenbelt, I’m sitting on the patio outside Fork, a hip eatery in downtown Boise. Riding beside the Boise River, through the lush, protected bike path in Idaho’s outdoorsy capital has worked up my appetite.
Fork owners, Cameron and Amanda Lumsden, made a pledge to be “loyal to local.” They source many of their key ingredients from Boise and Northwest farmers, bakers, ranchers, and meet and cheese producers. Even their beer, wine, and spirits are 75 percent local.
In that spirit, I’m sipping the Fork Lemonade made from Boise’s American Revolution Vodka (infused with berries, in-house) and awaiting an Heirloom Rainbow Beet Salad with feta cheese from Ballard Family Dairy and Cheese and Ahaus Bee-Haus’ honey vinaigrette.
Idaho may be known for their famous potatoes, and there are certainly a wealth of potato-themed establishments in the Gem State, but you should also know the state for its stunning scenery.
From rugged mountains to placid lakes, to canyons that only a daredevil would attempt to cross, there is no shortage of weekend getaways in Idaho for lovers of the great outdoors.