Old-fashioned breakfasts don't get much better than this. This friendly cafe serves favorites with a dash of originality. Featuring big omelets and egg dishes, it has gained a reputation as one of the best breakfast joints in Boise. Diners can select from berry waffles and pancakes or stick with traditional biscuits and gravy. Lunch favorites include homemade soup, ranging from healthy vegetable to rich and creamy selections, and old standards like meat loaf and burgers.

Committed to sourcing produce and ingredients from local ranchers and farmers, Fork serves patrons delicious American fare. Serving lunch and dinner daily, as well as brunch on Saturdays, this restaurant has a lot of plates meant for sharing, so you and your group can enjoy some great Northwestern fare together. Starting with New Orleans style barbecue shrimp and grilled artichokes, you can eat your way through a meal comprising Northwest flank steak, local ale-braised short ribs, apple barrel chicken and more. The signature warm butter cake and chocolate bread pudding are just two of the many delightful confections on offer. Saturday brunch comes complete with the 'build your own Bloody Mary' bar.

One of downtown's most popular establishments also happens to be one of the first restaurants with a distillery in the nation. Bardenay, which is sailor's slang for cocktail, concocts its own vodka, rum, gin and whiskey. In addition to drinks comes an impressive New American menu. Entrees are quite filling and range from charbroiled salmon to rum pepper steak. The pork tenderloin and corned beef reuben sandwiches are especially good. Besides the distillery, the spacious brick-walled eatery features beers on tap served at its long, cherry-oak bar.

Customers perch on bar stools and the conversation is always flowing at this downtown nightspot open since 1996. The large windows at Bittercreek Alehouse are perfect for people watching. With about 21 different Northwest micro-brews, the pub has become a favorite hangout. The food is original and inventive with appetizers such as polenta fries, halloumi with jam and poutine, which is a popular Canadian dish with gravy, fries and cheese curds. Their beignet and butterscotch dessert is also worth a try!