New restaurant The Lively adds big-city energy to Boise with creative, delicious food

For a long time, upscale dining in Boise, and around Idaho, focused on what the state is known best for: meat and potatoes.

As someone who considers himself an Idahoan (albeit an adopted one), I love a good steak and spud as much as my red-blooded American neighbors do. A perfectly fatty ribeye, medium-rare, and mashed Yukon Golds hit a spot in my soul that is usually reserved for God.

That being said, Boise is going, growing and, as the kids say, “glowing” up. As the city becomes more metropolitan and diverse, so do its palate and the desires of its inhabitants. Here is where The Lively enters the stage.

The Lively is the brainchild of Greg and Kari Strimple, who missed the bustling and energetic restaurant and bar scene in Washington, D.C., where they used to reside (as did I). They were pining for the urban, upscale — but approachable — dinner and cocktail experience you would often find in the Georgetown or Logan Circle neighborhoods. So instead of dreaming and waxing poetic about food in other places, the Strimples decided to bring what they wanted to Boise.

When starting this project, they searched for a partner to help them enact a vision, and that search led to acclaimed chef Edward Higgins, who has been around the world working and learning in kitchens that shaped his creative take on a menu. Prior to Boise, his work took him to New York, Tokyo, Hawaii, California and Portland. During his time as the executive chef at Insieme in New York City, the now-defunct restaurant earned its first Michelin star.

The Lively, located at 505 W. Bannock St. in downtown Boise, immediately catches one’s eye with its sophisticated look and large, inviting windows. Its design — from the custom wallpaper to the furniture, from the finishings to the dinnerware — was the vision of Kari Strimple. The current dining space will become the bar area when the open-kitchen dining room upstairs is finished. The space also features a speakeasy and champagne room that bring a little more big-city feel to this town.

The menu highlights the history of Chef Higgins’ Italian roots and his travels, while celebrating the culinary traditions of Idaho and the Pacific Northwest. We wanted to get a full-spectrum picture when I dined with a friend, so we got several things to share.

We started off with the Snake River Pastrami Gougère and the Croques Des Bois. Even as a food enthusiast, I wasn’t totally sure what to expect, but both were pleasant surprises. The gougère is a small, semi-sweet puff pastry filled with a red onion jam that has a mousse-like consistency; lovely, tangy red onion and pickled mustard seed; and the smoked brisket, which has a savory woodiness. You’re able to consume this whole thing in one bite, and it’s a bit overwhelming on the senses — but in a good way.

The Croques Des Bois were lovely little ham-and-cheese sandwiches that had a nice balance, with the sweetness of apple butter mixed with a spicy cheddar and pickled jalapeno. It’s a wonderful bite that I hope will be served in some form at every wedding I attend from now on.

We were informed by our very attentive waiter that the kitchen was still getting its sea legs in coordinating the timing of dishes They were a bit off the night we were there, so to accompany our clam chowder, they gave us a complimentary starter to fill a gap in timing: Gin Cured Salmon.

Clam chowder has never impressed me. This experience changed that. The chowder came out very warm and had a wonderfully rich, creamy consistency. It coated my palate with a buttery and comforting texture, and ended with a pleasantly salty chew from the potato and Manila clams brought in from Washington state. The croutons added a nice crunch to break up the texture.

The salmon starter was, like the rest of the dishes, extremely pleasing to the eyes. The little morsels were delicate, alluring and complex. The base was a small potato pancake. The salmon itself was garnished with a cucumber raita (a refreshing Indian yogurt-based dip similar to tzatziki), salmon row and dill. The dish had a savory crisp from the potato, a pleasant and fresh zest from the cured salmon, and a refreshing sour tinge from the raita and dill — with a salty touch from the salmon row. It was a clean, sophisticated dish.

For the main course, we had the Roasted Chicken and Idaho Trout Rockefeller. The chicken was served with house fries and creamed spinach. (It’s usually served with mashed potatoes, but they were out). It was wonderfully juicy and maintained a delightfully salty skin that had a golden crisp. It was coated in a sherry vinegar sauce that complemented the natural chicken flavor with a piquant tang.

The trout was buttery and had a delicate flavor that was heightened by a chunky salsa, which brightened up the subtlety of the fish with a fresh and bright pop. Delicious.

We finished the meal with the Dark Chocolate Budino (a custard-like pudding), which hit a chocolate lover’s deep desire for a great balance of bitter and sweet. A nice end to a fantastic meal.

The Lively is not inexpensive — the trout was $25, the chicken $23, the bundino $9, the starters $10-$15 — but you get high-quality food, and it is a wonderful spot for a celebration dinner or a lovely night out. It has a great cocktail list and a wonderful menu, making it a delightful addition to the Boise food scene.

This story was originally published February 26, 2021 at 6:00 AM.