For loving to travel as much as I do, I find that I don’t search out new places very often in Boise Metro a.k.a. the Treasure Valley. At my last job, my boss would joke about “these cities and towns that exist outside of Boise” and that I should go there sometime. My current boss calls me “02” due to the how rarely I leave the downtown Boise zip code of 83702. (I’m now realizing how much I must talk about food at work…)
Anyway, a city that my wife and I rarely go is Eagle, Idaho, which is about 15-20 minutes from downtown Boise. However, last night we were in a rare, car-bound-not-that-hungry-yet situation and decided to head out there. After searching reviews for a few minutes we found Rendezvous, a quaint European restaurant tucked away just east of “old town” Eagle.
Here we found friendly staff, live jazz and good food. The owner’s Russian roots allow for dishes on the menu like Borscht, but the blend of foods is more than Eastern European. With appetizers like Cheese and Plums wrapped in bacon and fried, and Gambas Al Ajillo and entrées including Lamb Kabob, Prime Rib-eye Steak and Braised Duckling, there is plenty to choose from.
My wife and I decided on two dishes to share. I had the Beef Schnitzel covered with mushrooms and spinach and served with mashed potatoes and mouth-watering fried Brussels sprouts. I would have ordered a side dish of just the Sprouts they were so good. My wife ordered the two Cabbage Rolls, wrapped around mixed grounded meats and rice, baked with a tomato sauce. I also loved that it reminded me of the Romanian holiday dish, Sarmale.
We finished the meal with the “Rendezvous” dessert, fresh strawberries covered in a house made whipped cream with mascarpone and chocolate. Add to it a nice casual romantic setting and the three-piece jazz combo, and you get a pleasantly unexpected date night.
The Back Row Diner 