This new Eagle restaurant’s transformation is ‘insane.’ Its four-season patio? ‘Perfect’
When Bella Aquila closed in 2021, Eagle lost not just an upscale restaurant, but one of the area’s best outdoor patios with a view of the Boise River.
Four years later, the dining destination is back — reinvented as Pig Latin, 775 S. Rivershore Lane. A welcoming, Latin-vibed concept, the overhauled restaurant beckons with a four-season patio.
After soft-opening over the holidays, Pig Latin officially will open Saturday. Based on Google reviews, minds already are being blown.
“The transformation of the space is insane!” wrote one diner.
“I didn’t even recognize it!” added another. “Congratulations on creating a space, menu and bar experience that is fun, funky and delicious!”
Has Mahmood — who also co-owns the recently opened Sick Stag cocktail bar in Nampa — spent about two years turning Pig Latin into a reality.
“Everyone remembers Bella Aquila primarily for the location and the patio,” he says. “It feels good to kind of continue that tradition.”
‘Tropical meets local’
Pig Latin describes itself as “Eagle’s vibrant hub for Latin-inspired cuisine, tapas, tacos and handcrafted margaritas. Immerse yourself in a tropical-meets-local paradise with bold Latin flavors, creative cocktails, and a lively atmosphere perfect for happy hours, dinner dates or special occasions.”
During a recent preview, beers poured from a pink cactus behind the bar. Colorful wall murals were filled with everything from an exotic leopard to a cocktail-sipping skeleton.
But, arguably, the most striking change was the covered patio — the place I was seated.
‘Perfect’ patio glamping
About two-thirds of Bella Aquila’s former outdoor oasis is now enclosed. Long, vegetation-filled planters create lushness next to tables. Huge windows provide a view of the Greenbelt.
Pig Latin’s outdoor patio area still includes the familiar cascading waterfall fountain, along with fire features, tables and sun-shading umbrellas.
Mahmood says the decision to cover a significant section of Bella Aquila’s former “really massive” patio was to create an optimal year-round space.
“Al fresco dining is cool and all, but it has to be perfect — perfect conditions to have the most enjoyable time,” he says. “We wanted to get that feeling. I compare it to glamping. You’re camping out there, but you still have the comforts.”
Pig Latin’s sizable menu will allow nearly any diner to get comfortable. The imagined vision behind it is “pretty much an American chef who has traveled through South America,” Mahmood says.
Latin cuisine and more
Early customer favorites have included Skirt Steak & Chimichurri ($25) — a flavorful standout — Halibut Tacos ($18 for three) and Lollipop Lamb Chops ($35).
Although the Latin taste-bud journey winds through most of the menu, there are detours. Soup options ($8) include, wait — New England-style Clam Chowder? Pig Latin’s chef, Kevin Hildebrandt, promised it will be “the best in Idaho,” Mahmood explains with a laugh.
“As long as it tastes good, who cares?” Mahmood says good-naturedly, adding that the menu “doesn’t have to be a genre, or in a box.”
Steakhouse aficionados will find classics such as Prime Filet Mignon (6 ounces, $49) or a Prime Bone-In Cowboy Ribeye (24 ounces, $95).
Feeling more casual? Mexican-food fans can gravitate to a Carne Asada taco plate ($20).
“Bella Aquila was white tablecloth,” Mahmood says. “We wanted to have an approach to a menu where you don’t have to spend a lot of money to go there, but you have the option should you want to.”
“If you’re in for all,” he adds, you can drop big bucks on a bottle of Opus One wine and a 32-ounce Prime Tomahawk steak — over $500.
(With a side of Clam Chowder? Mmm.)
Pig Latin offers an enticing menu of signature cocktails, too, with five different margaritas. Or order a playful, pisco-based creation such as the Foam Party ($16, a frothy drink served on a tiny, inflatable pool float. You get to keep the pink flamingo!)
Brunch in spring
To keep the mood energetic inside the 250-capacity restaurant, Pig Latin will feature both live and DJ music when weekends roll around.
And this spring, brunch is planned, Mahmood says.
For now, hours are 5-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 5-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, and 5-10 p.m. Sunday.
Pig Latin plans to open at 11 a.m. starting Jan. 22.
With a long winter ahead in Boise, Pig Latin’s covered patio should be an attraction. But when warmer weather rolls around? Diners will be able to sit outdoors while watching bikers and joggers on the Greenbelt, too.
Still, sitting near a huge open window in the covered area might be hard to resist. Mahmood has discovered that himself.
“One day it was raining,” he remembers, “and with the windows open, just hanging out there working on your computer with the noise of the rain — it was one of the most memorable things of the last six months for me.”