It’s a Portland thing. Biden ate there. Now it will open at Village at Meridian

An artisanal ice cream chain with a cult-like following has put the Boise area in its crosshairs.

Salt & Straw plans to open a store in the fourth quarter of this year at The Village at Meridian, general manager Hugh Crawford said Wednesday. The Portland-based chain will take over the building vacated by Bodovino restaurant and wine bar, which will close at the end of May at 3630 E. Monarch Sky Lane.

Founded in 2011, Salt & Straw has grown into a sought-after dessert powerhouse, thanks to its wild flavors and ideas. (Craving $65 edible perfume to spritz on ice cream, anyone?)

Salt & Straw’s original store, on Portland’s hipster-friendly Northeast Alberta Street, has racked up nearly 2,000 Yelp reviews with a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars. In 2014, a sunglasses-wearing, then-Vice-President Joe Biden even popped into the shop. “What’s the closest you have to chocolate?” he asked, according to The Oregonian, which added: “He wound up with a scoop of Chocolate Woodblock and a scoop of Double-Fold Vanilla.”

What? No Fish Sauce Caramel? Or Pear and Blue Cheese?

“At Salt & Straw, anything is possible,” the chain explains on its website. “Crafted with unthinkable care, our team cooks, freezes, candies, smashes, drizzles, ribbons, spoons, and sprinkles, creating flavor profiles that awaken taste buds. Using ice cream as a blank slate for storytelling, we fearlessly explore ingredients, discover emerging artisans, and share inspiring, unifying experiences.”

Idaho will be a new conquest for the Oregon-based operation. Salt & Straw operates dozens of locations in eight states, according to its website.

The state with the most shops by far? California.

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.