Winner, winner, no chicken dinner: PETA mails Boise mayor award certificate for city

An elephant never forgets, Idaho — but People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals does.

Or forgives, at least.

One year after PETA had a beef with Caldwell, it’s showering nearby Boise with praise.

PETA just named Boise one of its “Top 10 Vegan-Friendly Small Cities.” On Monday, the world’s largest animal-rights organization dropped an award certificate in the mail to Boise Mayor Lauren McLean, according to PETA Media Division Manager David Perle.

In 2019, PETA wrote a letter to Caldwell Mayor Garret Nancolas asking for Chicken Dinner Road to be renamed. (And inspiring arguably the best Idaho Statesman headline of 2019: “What the cluck?”)

PETA’s request — and the media attention — fired up the Idaho Legislature so much that it responded by creating a resolution to, like, never, EVER change Chicken Dinner Road’s name.

That’s all water under the bridge now. (No fishing allowed.)

Boise finished No. 5 on PETA’s new vegan-friendly list, which is topped by Asheville, North Carolina.

Idaho’s capital city is home to special vegan attractions and dozens of vegan-welcoming restaurants, PETA explained in a media release.

“Whether you’re looking for a vegan food tour, a cruelty-free tattoo, or a hearty Southern fried ‘chicken’ sandwich, Boise’s got it,” PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said.

Boise food establishments highlighted in the release include “Vegan Soul, a PETA award winner that dishes up fried mushroom po’ boy sandwiches, beer-battered ‘fish’ made from banana blossoms, and more. Mai Thai Modern Asian Cuisine offers an entire vegan menu, including vegan bao buns stuffed with veggies and vegan pork. And BBQ4Life offers up plenty of vegan options, including vegan nachos, mac ’n’ cheese, and sandwiches stuffed with house-smoked tempeh and slathered with BBQ sauce.”

Also unique to Boise, according to PETA, are healthy-eating support group Plant Based Treasure Valley, a vegan dining tour with Indulge Boise, and vegan tattoo parlor Raven’s Call Tattoo.

PETA says the number of vegan Americans has jumped by 600 percent in three years, according to research firm GlobalData. So if you feel like Boise has more plant chompers than before, you’re probably right.

Boise finished in the top 10 in a similar 2020 ranking from WalletHub recently: “Best Cities for Vegans and Vegetarians.” That list included larger markets. Portland was No. 1.

Boise ranked No. 7 on that list, after finishing No. 23 in 2019 and No. 47 in 2018.

This story was originally published December 14, 2020 at 2:38 PM.