‘It’s fire’: Boise chain revives ‘cult favorite’ menu item, opens 6th restaurant

When Paddles Up Poke launched downtown nine years ago, it was the start of a local success story — for a proud Boise State alum.

Dan Landucci’s business secret? Raw, marinated fish called poke (”POH-kay”), a Hawaiian word meaning “to slice.” A river-sports marketing tack. Tons of BSU pride. And a genuine commitment to community involvement.

On Friday, Paddles Up Poke’s sixth Treasure Valley location will open at 150 S. Ten Mile Road, suite 140, in Meridian. Starting at 11 a.m., the new restaurant will celebrate with giveaways and entertainment.

The store’s debut also will mark the launch of a retooled menu for the chain. Adding five more bowls — using the Idaho brand’s signature health-oriented, high-quality ingredients — Paddles Up Poke is riding the crest of a wave into the future.

All the new entrees have Idaho-inspired names and include their own blend of protein-based deliciousness. Don’t want a bowl? Each also is available as a salad. There’s the Jeramiah Dickey, named after BSU’s athletic director. The Matt Bauscher, paying tribute to the former Broncos basketball player turned real estate agent. There’s also the Trainer Mike, aka Mike Hildebrandt, a Boise health and fitness trainer. And the Off the Field, a nod to the training gym in Meridian. (With spicy tuna, salmon and chicken, that one is described as a “beast of a bowl.”)

But perhaps most exciting? At least for gourmet nachos fans? A new entree that isn’t new at all: Ten Mile Nachos, paying tribute to the Meridian store’s location. This dish is simply a renamed version of Idaho State Capital Nachos, which have been absent from the menu for years.

“We’re bringing back the poke nachos,” Landucci says, “which were like a cult favorite pretty much from 2017 to 2020.”

Priced at $15 flat, the nachos contain the same amount of protein as a medium bowl. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Landucci removed them from the menu, and “a lot of people were upset,” he admits. “There were people that only came for the nachos.”

The reason he axed them? Nachos don’t age well when they rest extensively before being eaten. With takeout dominating during the pandemic, “the waits on delivery were a lot longer,” Landucci says. “They get soggy pretty quickly.”

Now it’s time to feast again. “Our poke nachos are not like any poke nachos that you get,” he says. “It’s fire with all the drizzles and stuff. Once you have them, you’ll be like, ‘Oh, I get it. These are good.’ ”

The Meridian store’s grand opening party will last all day, but most of the action will happen during the lunch window. The first 50 customers through the door will get an Idaho Livin hat and free ice cream from The STIL. Boise State cheerleaders are scheduled to be on site. Landucci plans to give away vouchers for pairs of tickets to Idaho Steelheads and Boise State football games.

For Landucci, who owns all the Paddles Up Poke restaurants himself (none are franchises), it’s an exciting time to open another store.

“With this sixth one,” he says, “I think it’s going to be a grand slam.”

Michael Deeds

Idaho Statesman

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Michael Deeds is a long-serving entertainment reporter and opinion columnist at the Idaho Statesman, where he chronicles the Boise good life: restaurants, concerts, culture, cool stuff. He started as a summer intern after graduating from the University of Nebraska with a news-editorial journalism degree. Deeds’ prior Statesman roles have included sportswriter, music critic and features editor. His other writing has ranged from freelancing album reviews for The Washington Post to bragging about Boise in that inflight magazine you left on the plane.