This new Boise butcher shop just opened. It sells deli sandwiches, beer and wine, too
If you’re hungry for a new spot to grab a bite, there’s fresh meat in the Highlands neighborhood.
Bluffside Provisions & Butchery, a locally owned butcher shop and market, just opened at 2405 N. Bogus Basin Road. It includes a restaurant concept: a handful of deli sandwiches and salads.
The prospect of lunch takeout is what drew me to the fledgling dining destination, which debuted about a week and a half ago. Well, that and the fact it carries a tempting selection of craft beer and wine.
Bluffside’s David and Katie Gonzalez completely overhauled the former home of Valère Salon & Spa. It’s now a deceptively spacious, stylish environment with enticing displays of meats, alcoholic beverages, even chocolates. The transformation is impressive. The counter service is friendly.
Bluffside is still in soft opening mode. Keep that in mind if you stop in for a sandwich anytime soon. A formal ribbon cutting and grand opening is planned Nov. 7.
Open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, Bluffside focuses its deli menu on lunch. My wife and I snagged the day’s last available Reuben ($15) on a Tuesday at 12:59 p.m. In addition to five primary sandwiches, Bluffside offers Dave’s Wagyu Smashburger ($15) and the Bluffside Breakfast Sando ($10).
Everything comes with a small side in a ramakan — essentially a taster. Or with a bag of chips. We opted for potato salad and spinach feta orzo salad. But when we got home and unboxed our warm sandwiches, only the Reuben included a side. It was Brussels sprouts salad.
The bigger surprise was that the Boise Bomb Tri-Tip Sando ($15) we’d ordered had been replaced with a North End Dry Rubbed Pulled Pork Sando ($15).
(Two words: soft opening.)
The good news? Bluffside’s pork shoulder was on point — both in texture and taste. Served on a brioche bun, the pulled pork had a subtly smoky, nicely balanced flavor. It was a tasty sandwich, if not overly filling.
The Reuben was somewhat puzzling. It wasn’t the traditional, almost too-heavy type served at, say, O’Michael’s Pub & Grill on the other end of the parking lot. Bluffside’s corned beef lacked the expected saltiness. And if there was any Thousand Island dressing, we didn’t detect it. Sauerkraut or not, this was a dry sandwich. The toasted rye bread was excellent, however.
Bluffside’s menu also contains three salads: Kale & Pink Grapefruit ($14), Classic Caesar ($11) and Spring Berry Pecan ($13). You can add chicken for $3 or tri-tip for $4.
Some customers undoubtedly will skip the deli and purchase rib eyes, marinated tri-tip or high-quality pork chops for home use. Bluffside sells Snake River Farms meats — and gets the upper-tier, SRF Gold Label good stuff.
Having a modern butcher shop in the neighborhood will feel exciting for residents. When you gaze inside a glass case filled with huge, chilled slabs of aging beef at Bluffside, it’s hard not to salivate.
This story was originally published October 16, 2024 at 11:15 AM.