Mmm, smell it, Boise? Upscale new charcoal-fire restaurant opens, beckoning on Greenbelt
Taste is the sensory engine that powers restaurants.
But your tongue isn’t the body part first tempted at House of the Little Pig, an upscale yet approachable new dining destination at Barber Valley’s Barber Station.
With the exception of salads, pasta and house-cured charcuterie, everything on the menu touches a Josper Basque Grill, the open-flame centerpiece of a proudly visible kitchen. The scent of searing meats and vegetables lingers relentlessly in the background. The invisible force is a powerful, primal motivator.
Your awoken nose’s battle cry to your triggered taste buds? Let’s. Freaking. Do. This.
“We want that smell,” says Edward Higgins, culinary director for Lively Locale, House of the Little Pig’s ownership group. “It’s a charcoal fire. It’s the same as if you’re sitting around a campfire. It’s got that kind of real, tangible sort of all-permeating aspect that we want in the restaurant.”
The Lively’s owners
Focusing on farm-to-table cuisine and in-house butchery, House of the Little Pig combines the sophistication of modern, full-service dining with the simplicity of grilled meat and vegetables. Unveiled to the public Wednesday at 3083 E. Barber Valley Drive, it’s the latest venture from restaurateurs Greg and Kari Strimple, who opened The Lively in downtown Boise just over four years ago.
During a soft-opening preview, House of the Little Pig hit many enticing notes. Striving for a Tuscan vibe, the decor featured clean lines with rustic touches and natural light. Pop music from the 1970s played inconspicuously in the background.
Between bites, diners enjoyed conversation in a room clearly designed with sound quality in mind. “We want it to have an energy,” Higgins explained. “We want it to be convivial. But we don’t want it to be to the point where you have to lean in just to speak to the person in front of you.”
Many dishes are served family-style — meant to be shared. Pairing brings rewards. A forkful of Endive Salad ($21, goat cheese, citrus, shallot vinaigrette) nicely offsets the rich fattiness of the Charcuterie Board ($25, prosciutto, salami, duck rillettes, grilled bread).
At the risk of sounding pathetically Idahoan, Fingerling Potatoes ($9, with chorizo and béarnaise sauce) are brain-meltingly good — as decadent as the ingredients sound. Akin to “Dutch french fries on steroids,” Higgins agreed.
‘Morphing’ menu
Pulling from Mediterranean influences, House of the Little Pig’s menu is a single page. The “Charcoal Fired” section contained two entrees this night: Local Hanger Steak (market price, with gremolata) and a succulent Pork Chop ($45, with apricot glaze). In four days of soft-opening events, that section changed two or three times, according to Higgins.
Executive Chef Kevin Posada’s menu won’t be huge, but it will be “dynamic” and “constantly morphing,” Higgins said.
“That’s part of what we hope makes this thing fun for the neighborhood,” he explained.
Also fun? A Build Your Own Sundae Bar for dessert ($8). But if you’re looking for something in that mind-blowing category again, opt for a Profiterole ($9). The crunchy, hard-caramel shell filled with orange whipped cream inside — and salted pistachio on top — is, well, yeah.
House of the Little Pig seats roughly 70, more intimate than the original plan revealed in 2021. About the same number will fill the outdoor patio overlooking the Boise Greenbelt and a large, tranquil pond surrounded by vegetation. A bar stocked with liquor takes up one side of the restaurant’s interior, not far from the bustling kitchen. Hulking hunks of protein dangle inside two dry-age refrigerators.
Coming: Brunch, lunch
For now, the restaurant is open 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, and 4 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Brunch on Saturday and Sunday is planned by late spring or early summer. Lunch during the week will be rolled out after that.
Higgins thinks House of the Little Pig’s cooking simplicity lends itself to lunch — especially for diners seeking something beyond a typical burger-or-sandwich choice.
“Obviously, not like a lamb’s neck or a whole branzino,” he said, “but half a branzino with a salad — I think it has the potential, for sure. We think there’s an underserved community over there in terms of having access to any options ... .”
Just remember. If you love something, prepare for the possibility it might vanish from the menu next time. Then again, you might discover something to devour even more enthusiastically.
House of the Little Pig regularly will bring in animals for Posada to prepare. Perhaps they arrive as whole animals, maybe they’re quarter. A small pig might spend two days on the menu. A lamb? A week. Cow? Maybe two, Higgins said.
“We’re just going to be pulling in from farmers and ranchers in the area — what they have seasonally in their fields and in their lots — and just kind of work with it,” he said. “In the cycle of nature. Kevin will take care of that. ... The idea is to get in animals that we butcher in-house and then make do with everything.”
This story was originally published March 6, 2025 at 4:00 AM.