Though the humble spud is important to Idaho’s culinary scene, the state’s food and beverage options are surprisingly diverse.
Groups will find unique F&B offerings in Idaho that span from an eatery at 7,700 feet to a small winery in the north and a public market in Boise.
In the state capitol, the culinary scene has grown with a number of craft breweries, ethnic eateries and farm-to-table restaurants, according to the Boise CVB.
The growth of the state’s wine industry (the Idaho Wine Commission reports that there are 52 wineries the state) has given rise to urban tasting rooms and wine bars in Boise.
And the restaurants and caterers across the Northwest state have a bounty of wild game, fish and of course, the potato, to use and highlight in dishes. Groups can discover this wealth of culinary options with our best recommendations for F&B venues for group events as well as food-related activities for those meeting in Idaho.
Indulge Boise Food Tours, Boise
One of the easiest ways discover the food and beverage variety in Boise is to experience it through a group walking culinary tour. Indulge Boise Food Tours, which started in 2016, helps locals and visitors do just that, with their tours that take participants through food and cultural experiences in Boise. Tour options include:
Historic Downtown Boise Food & Cultural Tour: Visit seven local eateries to learn about the city’s emerging culinary scene and sample food from award-wining chefs. The tour also includes stories of the city’s past and information on the area’s art and architecture.
Boise Brews and Bites Tour: Sip beer from four breweries in the west side of downtown. The tour introduces a history of the city’s Prohibition era and includes appetizers to go along with the brews.
Ice Cream and Wine Pairing, Indulge Boise Food Tours | Credit: Indulg eBoise
Savor and Sip BoDo Dinner Tour: This multi-course progressive dining tour showcases the diverse local food of the city’s BoDo neighborhood.
Boise Booze + Bites Cocktail Tour: This option takes groups to four of Boise’s popular restaurants and bars popular for their nightlife.
Private walking tours are also available for 10 to 100 people. Groups can select from tour experiences and tasting locations, arrange for menus modified to accommodate dietary preferences and can be customized on length, distance and number of stops.
Coeur d’Alene Cellars, Coeur d’Alene
Coeur d’Alene Cellars is a winery that takes fruit from neighboring Washington State vineyards and makes wine in its northwest Idaho location. While the first focus of the winery is making the wine, the facility also welcomes guests with live music, a tasting bar, food and public events throughout the year.
Private events can be held at the winery as well as in the gardens. Private group tours, education and tastings are also available for groups. Event space at Coeur d’Alene Cellars includes:
- Barrel Room No. 6 Wine Bar: This space in the winery’s cellar can accommodate 35 people (25 seated).
- Winery Patio: In the summer months, groups up to 100 guests can utilize this outdoor space.
- Cellar and Barrel Room No. 6 Wine Bar: Receptions with 100-person capacity can use these combined spaces.
- Tank Room: This part of the winery can hold the largest events, accommodating up to 200 guests.
Coeur d’Alene Cellars
Group Options at Coeur d’Alene Cellars:
- Educational Wine Tasting: A wine specialist can guide small groups through a 30- to 45-minute education on wine tasting.
- Wine and Food Pairing Discussion: A wine specialist will talk to the group about pairing food and wine with five tastings and bites to go along with each.
- Wine Tasting and Winery Tour: A guided tour of the property, tasting and winemaking discussion.
- Wine Tasting, Food Pairing Discussion and Winery Tour: Combining all the offerings, a wine specialist will take the group through a full experience of the winery in 60 to 90 minutes.
Boise Brewing, Boise
Boise Brewing began in 2012 when Collin Rudeen came up with the idea to not only open a brewery, but to make it a community-supported one. The project started as a Kickstarter campaign and turned into a community-supported brewery, where individuals and businesses share in the ownership.
The downtown brewery and tasting room has a mezzanine space that can be used for private events. Overlooking the brew floor, the mezzanine gives small groups a unique venue that ties in with the city’s growing craft beer scene—according to the Boise CVB, there are 15 breweries in town and more in the surrounding metropolitan area.
At Boise Brewery, groups can pair pints with dart boards and video games as well as a selection of board games that come along with the venue. Groups can bring in outside food or catering.
The Roundhouse, Sun Valley
Accessible by gondola, The Roundhouse restaurant on Bald Mountain gives groups a dramatic backdrop of the Sawtooth Mountains. The restaurant was built in 1939 and sits at 7,700 feet. The venue features a wrap-around deck with a four-sided fireplace, allowing for ample outdoor space to take in the panoramic views.
The on-mountain venue can accommodate private parties in the main dining room and bar area as well as on the outside deck. Averell’s, the bar named after Sun Valley’s founder, Averell Harriman, is also available for events and private dining. This space, below The Roundhouse, features the original wood-burning fireplace, which still burns during the winter.
Groups dining at The Roadhouse and Averell’s can indulge in dishes like confit potatoes, smoked salmon BLTs and rack of lamb as well as cheese and chocolate fondue.
The Roundhouse restaurant and Averell’s:
- Are only available when the gondola is running June through September and November through March.
- Can accommodate 100 guests seated or 175 for a reception.
- Events include exclusive use of the facility, gondola rides and parking area at the mountain base.
Chow Public Market at Boise Spectrum, Boise
Chow Public Market opened in the summer of 2018 in the Boise Spectrum entertainment complex. Chow, which claims to be Idaho’s only public market, took over four spaces that were vacant at the Spectrum facility. There are now ten permanent tenants, ranging from an ice cream vendor to an Egyptian eatery.
There is no event space at Chow Public Market, but groups can explore this new Boise attraction before or after meetings in the area, like at The Hampton Inn & Suites Boise/Spectrum, which is part of the Boise Spectrum development. The hotel offers 133 guest rooms and 2,200 square feet of meeting and event space. There are smaller meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 80 people and the larger Arrow Rock Room has capacity for 180 attendees.
Indulge Boise Tours | Credit: Indulg eBoise
a’Tavola Gourmet Marketplace, Boise
The concept of a’Tavola Gourmet Marketplace, set in West Downtown Boise, was created by Lisa Peterson through her passion for food and years spent in the culinary industry.
The space includes a cafe dining space, bakery, espresso bar and take-away foods, such as charcuterie, cheese and an assortment of imported specialty foods. There is also an outdoor patio.
a’Tavola is only open until the afternoon, so groups can host private events at the marketplace and cafe in the evenings. There are also cooking classes available for the events onsite.
Small groups can arrange for these classes, which include dinner and dessert. Equipped with recipes, participants will learn some cooking tips and create dishes to enjoy together. Classes are themed, from Taste of Thai to Cooking with Fruits from the Orchard.
New Art Installation at BOISE Centre
Boise Centre underwent a major expansion and renovation, which was completed in 2017. It is the largest meeting and event facility in the state, offering 86,000 square feet of function space and the ability to host groups of up to 2,000 people.
As a celebration of the completion of the Boise Centre expansion, a work of art has been commissioned to be instated at the facility. Artist and Boise native, Amy Westover, created the piece, a glass sculpture titled “You Are Here.” The sculpture was designed to inspire attendees and guests to look beyond the walls of the convention center to the city’s downtown and the landscape that surrounds the city.
This bright and multi-colored work of art can be viewed as an aerial map featuring many local points of interest. The sculpture spans 29 feet and includes 1,036 pieces of kiln-formed and water jet cut glass.
Boise Centre also upgraded its wireless internet infrastructure earlier in 2019 with the goal to improve connectivity and coverage. The bandwidth was increased to 500Mbps and will jump to 1GB by September 1, 2019.
Idaho CVB Contact Information
Boise CVB
208.344.7777
Coeur d’Alene CVB
208.664.3194
Discover McCall
208.634.5557
Idaho Falls CVB
208.523.1010
Twin Falls Area COC
208.733.3974
Visit Pocatello
208.479.7659
Visit Sun Valley
208.726.3423
Visit Sandpoint
208.263.2161
