Dine out for a good cause at A Chefs’ Affaire

Buy tickets now for the 19th annual A Chefs’ Affaire to be held on Thursday, Oct. 12, at Boise Centre East, 850 W. Front St.

The popular event, which is the premier yearly fundraiser for the Idaho Foodbank, will once again bring together 25 local chefs who will be working in teams to produce a five-course dinner paired with Idaho wines.

The first course, roasted pears with Brie, arugula and lemon vinaigrette, will be prepared by Whitetail Club executive chef Steve Topple and his team from McCall.

The second course is smoked quail with aged blue cheese, bitter greens, beets, fennel, pistachios and pomegranate-Dijon vinaigrette. It will be put out by Arid Club executive chef Peter Steiger and his cohorts.

Chef Damon Baugh from Kanak Attack is in charge of the third course, which includes seared ahi tuna with stir-fried baby bok choy and quinoa.

The main course, spearheaded by chef Christopher Zahn from Zee’s Rooftop Café, will come in the form of braised Kobe beef short ribs with local morels, mashed potatoes and roasted root veggies.

End the night with a slice of fall-inspired cake made by pastry chef Greg Marsh, owner of Greg Marsh Designer Cakes.

In addition to the dinner, there will be a culinary-themed silent auction to help raise money for the organization that works hard to stamp out hunger in the Gem State.

Enjoy cocktails starting at 5:30 p.m., followed by the dinner from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets cost $100 per person or $1,350 for a table for 10 people. To reserve a spot, visit idahofoodbank.org.

Owyhee Tavern introduces new happy hour menus

Owyhee Tavern, 1109 Main St., recently starting offering good deals on food and drinks during its new happy hour, which runs from 3 to 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close (changes nightly). Monday through Friday.

The breakout menu features Tavern Bites such as chimichurri fries ($5), kung pao calamari ($8), smoked chicken wings ($8), prime beef fondue ($8) and spicy ahi tuna wonton tacos ($7). You can also score reduced prices on oysters on the half shell done three ways ($12/half dozen, $24/ dozen), which include raw, broiled (pecorino style) and oysters Rockefeller.

The happy hour food menu also gives diners good deals on a variety of burgers served with fries ($8), including the Tavern Burger with Double R Ranch beef, aged white cheddar, lettuce, tomato and garlicky aioli.

The drink menu during happy hour includes $5 cocktails, $5 glasses of red and white wines and $5 draft beers.

Online: owyheetavern.com.

Craving a sausage pizza?

Did you know that Wednesday, Oct. 11, is National Sausage Pizza Day?

Head to your favorite pizza joint for that classic topping. Here’s a gander at a few places around the Treasure Valley that spotlight sausage in all its meaty glory.

North End Pizza has been a hit since it debuted along the main drag in Hyde Park, at 1513 N. 13th St., in the summer of 2016. Here you will find several inventive sausage pizzas named after other businesses in the neighborhood. Carnivores will surely like the Hyde House Combo ($18-$27), a blistered pie topped with fennel seed-spiked Italian sausage, pepperoni, salami, red sauce, black olives, onion and mushrooms. Or head south of the border with the Casa Mexico pie ($18-$27) that’s made with an olive oil base, spicy chorizo sausage, mozzarella and dabs of fresh goat cheese, topped off with pico de gallo, cilantro and lime wedges for spritzing the pizza.

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, 3573 E. Longwing Lane, at The Village of Meridian is known for its New York-inspired pies that get baked in a scorching coal-fired pizza oven. A good pick here is The Don ($23-$30), a meaty pizza that boasts lots of Italian sausage, pepperoni and meatballs.

Messenger Pizza in Nampa’s Belle District, at 1224 1st St. S., has all kinds of whimsical takes on its array of thin-crusted pies. Go for the Chuck Norris ($14-$26), a pizza topped with sausage, pesto, roasted red peppers, garlic and sliced jalapenos.

Boise Co-op cheese class

Attention cheese geeks: The cheesemongers at the Boise Co-op are putting on a cheese education class on Thursday, Oct. 26, at The Village at Meridian store, 2350 N Eagle Road, from 6 to 8 p.m.

Just in time for the holidays, the Cheese Companions: Bringing out the Best in Your Cheese class ($35 general, $30 Boise Co-op members) will give people ideas on what to serve with a gamut of cheeses, ranging from aged blues to Goudas to fresh goat cheeses. Learn what crackers, candied nuts and wines pair well with this world of cheeses. Besides tasting lots of cheeses and the proper accompaniments, participants will receive a reference handout to take home that’s designed for easy party planning.

To reserve a spot, go to boise.coop.

This story was originally published October 5, 2017 at 3:56 PM with the headline "Dine out for a good cause at A Chefs’ Affaire."