Greenbelt Magazine Volume 7, No 1 | Page 36

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love all things Boise. But here at Instagram page @ HelloMeridian, we focus on the treasures found in the Meridian and Eagle area. There are a staggering number of quality food establishments worth the trek from Boise. Here are ten of our picks:

BY NATALIE PLUMMER

VARIOUS LOCATIONS

THE VILLAGE AT MERIDIAN

176 S ROSEBUD LN, EAGLE

Le Coq d’ Or

We talk about Eagle’ s magnificent Chateau des Fleurs often on our page. It is such a spectacularly beautiful contribution to the Treasure Valley. The Chateau’ s Restaurant, Le Coq d’ Or, reflects all the Chateau’ s glamour. Le Coq d’ Or specializes in authentic European countryside cuisine- local garden to table French- Mediterranean and modern European dishes. The restaurant’ s ambience is ever elegant and romantic, with live music Fridays and Saturday. On our last trip we dined on Filet mignon with green peppercorn sauce, potato au gratin and seasonal vegetables. Exquisite. Though the coq au vin is worth the trip alone, the wine selection is one of the best in the Valley. Along with the phenomenal service, every detail of this restaurant fits the majesty of the location. This is where you should be planning your anniversary, birthday, or Holiday gatherings. And we haven’ t even mentioned the Chateau’ s Afternoon Tea!

Oak Barrel of Eagle 1065 E WINDING CREEK RD, EAGLE

Casa del Matador

We used to travel to Boise to dine at Case del Matador on a regular basis, so when we saw they were opening a location in Meridian we were overjoyed. The food has a made from scratch element, combined with bursts of spectacular flavor you’ re not expecting. Our favorite chips and salsa in town. Even the taco salad, which so often can be a bland affair, is an over-thetop experience. And we love that it’ s such lovely ambience both inside the restaurant and on the patio. It’ s a great place for drinks and for sharing some of their enormous nacho plates.

Oak Barrel of Eagle is a relatively new restaurant to the area, but it already has an established following. Choose the lounge for a more casual meal( accompanied by live music on Friday and Saturday), the expansive outdoor patio, or the beautiful and stylish main restaurant. The entire menu is made in house and from scratch. Come in for drinks and a tapas platter, or a delicious dinner. We especially enjoy the High Country Idaho Trout with fingerling potatoes and asparagus and Hunter’ s Style Chicken with roasted garlic mashers and sautéed mushrooms. Even with the large portions, there were no leftovers.

Idaho Pizza Company

We go to Idaho Pizza Company EVERY WEEK. Every single week. Not kidding. We love their pizza. And even more, we love their pizza lunch buffet. We get the $ 7.99 lunch special that includes all-you-can-eat pizza, soda, and one of the best salad bars in Meridian. And, the kids buffet cost $. 50 per year of age. So if you have a five year old, they can eat all they want for $ 2.50. We love the new Simplot pizza with bacon, green onions, and Idaho potatoes. When you come in, ask them to“ drop a number 1” which is a pineapple and chicken pizza with white garlic sauce. Our favorite. It’ s just about the most family friendly restaurant in town.

Grant’ s Neighborhood Grill

1835 W CHERRY LN, MERIDIAN

We joined together in a collective shout of joy when Grant’ s Neighborhood Grill opened. This farm-totable restaurant is unlike anything we have here in Meridian. We’ ve tried several things on the menu and everything is absolutely decadent. This salmon with brown rice quiche was particularly amazing. Almost all of the food is local, even the meats and dairy. Not kidding, they only have a mini freezer in the back. The chef has an eclectic and rich cooking background, and it shows in his dishes. They have a fantastic wine list, and a BOGO happy hour and beautiful outdoor seating, Weekend brunch should be a priority. Try their specialty Monte Cristo, made from French toast which is deep fried. It’ s like a donut sandwich with jelly.. and mustard. Top it with powdered sugar and we are pretty sure it’ s humanly impossible for one person to eat the entire thing. Or go more traditional with Eggs Benedict on house-made biscuit, pit ham, poached egg with house-made hollandaise sauce. Brunch also offers Mimosas, Screwdrivers, and Bloody Mary’ s.

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