Try These Local Mint Dishes & Drinks
By Pamela Kleibrink Thompson
Photography by Rase Littlefield
One of my favorite summer memories is eating a mint chocolate chip ice cream cone purchased for only 50 cents at Thrifty’s, a five and dime store. Perhaps yours is driving by mint fields in Idaho in August and September where you can inhale the fragrant aroma of curing peppermint. Create new summer memories by sampling and savoring this homegrown flavor in several of Eagle’s restaurants.
Bacquet’s Restaurant
A classic French culinary experience awaits at Bacquet’s, which opened in June 2018. Owned by Franck and Michele Bacquet, Bacquet’s offers authentic French cuisine and a relaxing environment on their courtyard patio amid vines, blooms, and a gurgling fountain, or, inside amid a gallery of paintings, some created by Franck and others from the Bacquets’ personal collection. Enjoy live music most nights while dining on a Levantine vegetarian salad called Tabbouleh made with bulgar (soaked, not cooked), finely chopped parsley, tomatoes, onion and mint seasoned with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. This savory salad aptly named “tabbouleh” which comes from the Arabic word tabil meaning seasoning or dip.
Bacquet’s Restaurant
1117 E Winding Creek Drive, Suite 150
577-6238
www.facebook.com/bacquetsrestaurant
Bardenay
Lounge on Bardenay’s patio after a brisk walk on the neighboring Greenbelt. Treat yourself to one of their specialty drinks like the Mojito and enjoy innovative northwestern cuisine created with organic local ingredients. Happy Hour menu 4 p.m.- 6 p.m. Sunday to Thursday. The marvelous Mojito served in a Collins glass is made with Bardenay Rum, fresh pressed lime juice, simple syrup, splash of soda water, and fresh mint.
Bardenay
155 E Riverside Drive
938-5093
CACi
CACi’s focus on all-natural ingredients and the rich culinary traditions of Sicily and southern Italy sets this eatery apart from other local Italian restaurants. Sicily’s culture and traditions reflect a broad influx of Mediterranean cultures, predating ancient Rome. A diverse selection of wines and drinks complements the flavors of CACi’s sauces, doughs, and pastas. The Sicilian eatery, which opened in December 2018, offers a daily happy hour from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m., and wine flight tastings on Thursdays from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. But if you want to try something different, tip your hat to a Derby, which is made with 1 1/2 oz of Bombay sapphire, 3/4 oz lime syrup, juice of a half-fresh lime, muddled cucumber and mint, and is garnished with cucumber and mint sprig.
Caci
1592 E Riverside Drive
392-5669
Oak Barrel of Eagle
Sample some of the culinary excellence and internationally inspired cuisine at Oak Barrel of Eagle. Share a charcuterie and cheese plate or roasted garlic and tomato bruschetta, and don’t miss the cucumber and mint martini made with vodka, fresh cucumber, lime, and mint. Simple, cool and refreshing, martinis might make you linger longer on Saturday nights and enjoy the live music.
Oak Barrel of Eagle
1065 E Winding Creek Drive
938-3010
Rice
Nominated Best Asian Restaurant in the Best of Treasure Valley by the Idaho Statesman, Rice, a contemporary Asian restaurant, co-owned by Toffee Dullaphan and Fon Tavijaroen, offers delectable appetizers, sushi, salads, and entrees from the Orient such as Num Tok Beef salad. A traditional Thai salad dish, Num Tok Beef salad features grilled beef tossed with mint, red onions, green onion, cilantro, toasted rice powder, and lime honey vinaigrette dressing served on top of spring-mixed salad.
Rice
228 E Eagle Plaza St.
Suite Q & R
939-2595
Idaho is an ideal location for mint growing. In the early 60’s, farmers started growing mint commercially in Idaho, and today, 100 mint growers continue the tradition – producing pure, additive-free mint oil. A climate of warm summer days, plenty of water, and the rich, fertile volcanic soils of the Snake River Plain produce perfect peppermint. Idaho summers are the perfect time to enjoy a mint-enhanced offering at an Eagle restaurant.
