Rooftop cocktails? New Eagle restaurant, bar to open with ‘polished’ dining, 2 patios

There are two things we know definitively about diners in the Treasure Valley: 1) We really like patios; 2) We totally freakin’ love patios.

Prepare to double your pleasure, Eagle.

Crave Kitchen & Bar, a restaurant coming to 165 E. Colchester Drive, will introduce two new outdoor dining zones this spring.

Adding breezy sophistication to the Bridges at Lakemoor development, Crave will feature a rooftop patio that accommodates about 50 patrons. Highlights will include two fire tables, lounge seating and a covered bar area with TV.

At ground level behind the restaurant, a larger, partly covered patio will seat another 80 to 90 customers. They’ll enjoy a view of a pond that separates Crave from the Intuit building. Ceiling fans and a modern outdoor fireplace will add to the ambiance.

It’s all part of a full-service restaurant vision from Derek Hood, co-owner of the regional Lucky Fins/Smokin’ Fins/Naked Fins chain, and Pat Morandi, co-owner and CEO of Roaring Springs Water Park and Wahooz Family Fun Zone in Meridian.

Currently under construction, Crave is on track to open in May, Hood says.

“We’re trying to build something really special from the ground up,” he says, “that people can actually go out and enjoy, kind of have an experience ... and be well taken care of.”

At roughly 7,000 square feet, Crave will have an open floor plan, Hood says, with a mostly glass rear wall looking out on the patio. In addition to the main dining and bar area, there will be a private room. That space and the rooftop patio will be available for events.

Like most Valley restaurants, Hood says, Crave will be the sort of place where customers dress casually and formally. He calls it a “blue jeans and tuxedos” atmosphere.

“It’s not necessarily fine dining. It’s not necessarily casual dining. It’s somewhere in between,” Hood says. “Something called ‘polished’ dining.”

Crave will serve American cuisine, with a lunch menu tailored toward sandwiches, salads, appetizers and a few entrees: “Things that can be executed quickly but also with the quality ingredients that you would expect,” Hood says.

The kitchen will be exposed, so customers can catch a glimpse of the action.

Dinner will be more ambitious, integrating more seafood and steak. Although pricier than lunch, the menu will still offer value options, Hood says. “Some people would rather have a hamburger. Some people would rather have a filet mignon. We want to be able to reach all of the people in between.”

Rooftop patrons will order from a separate menu that focuses on appetizers and lighter fare.

Crave isn’t the only newly constructed restaurant coming to Eagle with an approachable but upscale dynamic.

Coyne’s, a new venture from Bardenay owner Kevin Settles, will open in March at 155 E. Riverside Drive. Coyne’s covered patio will be heated during winter, allowing it to be used year-round.

And in September, The Tavern at Eagle Island opened in a strip mall at the busy intersection of Linder Road and Chinden Boulevard.

All three businesses would appear to appeal to a similar clientele. It’s a fun time to be a restaurant aficionado in Eagle, right?

It’s also an exciting time to be a restaurateur.

“In the restaurant business, you always try to compete with all the other restaurants out there,” Hood says. “You’ve got to create some separation from other places. Through atmosphere, through service, through food.”

This story was originally published January 30, 2020 at 11:19 AM.