Seattle pasta restaurant, wine and outdoor shop to open in Boise near Basque Blocks
Those who never stray past the Basque Blocks may have missed that just one block over lies an area primed to be the city’s next hot spot. While construction is still underway, developers are finally ready to announce some of what’s coming.
City officials have described efforts to renew the area as a return to Grove Street’s past life as a residential and commercial hub.
The Lucy and Thomas Logan, two adjacent buildings on the corners of 5th and 6th Streets, sprang up last year. The developers marketed the projects as mixed-use, with businesses on the lower floors and apartment housing above.
Developer Clay Carley of Old Boise LLC, who built the projects in partnership with Dean Pape of deChase Miksis and Bill Truax of Galena Equity Partners, said bringing people back to the east end of Grove Street has long been a dream of his. He recalled first envisioning its potential in 2000, when the area had become mostly surface parking.
“There were attractive buildings and it was an interesting place and clean,” Carley said. “But it was somewhat underdeveloped. A lot of parking lots. That’s what used to be there. It needed to grow up and become more urbanized.”
Both buildings have begun leasing apartments, but the commercial area has been slower to come together, and the question of who would move in remained a mystery until now.
While the ground floors are still under construction, developers have confirmed five commercial tenants.
Here’s what’s coming:
Tavolàta
Tavolàta, a Seattle restaurant brand from Ethan Stowell Restaurants, will open its first restaurant outside Washington on the first floor of The Lucy with Northwest-inspired Italian food.
“It is centered around fresh pasta using Northwest ingredients,” Sennen David, Ethan Stowell vice president of marketing said in a phone interview. “We make all our pasta in house. We love using things from from the sea, and we do a lot of foraged ingredients.”
Like its famous Seattle counterparts, the Boise location’s interior will be “simple, modern and warm” with reclaimed wood and cement walls that utilize an “industrial minimalist palette,” according to David. Tavolàta’s name comes from the Italian word for “table,” and the Boise location will include long tables for large groups.
David called Boise a “dynamic, growing culinary scene,” which played a role in winning Tavolàta’s first out-of-state spot over larger cities.
“I know a lot of people want to go to really big cities,” David said. “But (Boise) is so much more exciting, and it’s so much more in our history of us coming up in Seattle. There’s so many similarities to the growth that Seattle has seen, while still staying very grounded and full of very real people.”
Stio
Wilderness lovers can look forward to Stio, a retail store that will sell clothing and limited gear for the outdoors. Stio will offer hiking pants, jackets, backpacks and more. It will come at a price, however, with mostly high-end items. Those looking to pick up a hoodie should be ready to spend more than $100. The store launched in Jackson, Wyoming, and has since expanded to five locations.
Seasonal wine restaurant
Another restaurant will be coming to the first floor of the Thomas Logan. DeChase Miksis has so far declined to name it. Pape did hint about its nature, saying it will be “wine-friendly” and “seasonal ingredient-focused.” He said it will “provide customers with an elevated experience with a casual atmosphere.”
Stretch Zone
An assisted-stretching franchise with locations across the country also plans to make its newest home the ground floor of the Thomas Logan. Stretch Zone professionals will help stretch customers’ muscles. The company advocates deep stretching as a way to relieve pain, soreness, increase mobility and improve athletic performance.
Pivot North Architecture
This Boise-based architectural firm will rent the entire second floor of the Thomas Logan as its new home. It worked on both Grove Street apartment buildings. Pivot North’s other local projects include Water Bear Bar, the Matlack’s Boise building and a number of new apartment buildings.
This story was originally published June 12, 2022 at 4:00 AM.
