At Majordomo, a Celebrity Chef Proves Himself to Los Angeles

Dave Chang is possibly the most famous chef in America. His cookbook Momofuku sits in our kitchens. His sassy Netflix show graces our television screens. His podcast rattles around in our ears.

When a chef is this influential, I’m compelled to visit their restaurant. Many of us are familiar with Dave Chang’s larger theory of food, but do his restaurants properly realize that vision?

I mean, could you really understand Guy Fieri until you ate at his Times Square restaurant?

I finally got the chance to take a bite of the Dave Chang empire when I visited Majordomo in Los Angeles.

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I created an instant burrito button for my iPhone. You can too.

Technology should make your life easier.

Burritos are my go-to quick bite. But I always order ahead by phone so I can speed things up and jam some beans into my commute.

But I grew tired of looking up Baja Fresh’s number over and over again. I found myself wondering, was there a better way?

There was.

That’s why today I’m teaching you how to turn your iPhone into an instant burrito ordering machine.

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What Happened to Boise’s Most Ambitious Restaurant?

Update: In the wake of Epek’s closing, its chef has teased something called “Arcane” on Facebook. Is that a new restaurant? A pop-up dinner? It’s not yet clear. 

Epek, the bold successor to State & Lemp, is closing its doors.

When founders Remi McManus and Kris Komori sold State & Lemp, the new ownership refashioned it as a more traditional restaurant. When I reviewed it in December, I thought the new iteration was good, but it was overshadowed by its predecessor’s achievements. 

That review quickly became irrelevant. In late March, chef Christian Phernetton closed State & Lemp, reopening it a few weeks later under a new name — Epek. 

Epek adopted a bold, perhaps unprecedented, business model. It served $2.50 tacos on Tuesday. It served three-course dinners for $55 per person on Wednesday and Thursdays. It served fifteen-course feasts for $111 per person on the weekends. 

Was Epek ungainly and confused? Or did it create a clever sliding scale that democratized high-concept eating? 

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The Secrets Behind Goody’s Oreo Ice Cream

At this very moment, the Boise Ice Cream Festival is scooping epic, cutting-edge ice cream all over town. Check out the schedule before everything is sold out!

In preparation for the sweet onslaught, I visited beloved local landmark Goody’s to get in touch with Boise’s ice cream roots. Manager Kati Durkin was kind enough to take me through the ice cream making process, which was both entertaining and educational.

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Restaurant News Roundup for May 2019

Like all hungry people, I spend a lot of time looking forward to the new restaurants in town. Here are some quick thoughts on coming attractions:

RamaPong has arrived. The ultimate destination for ping pong and ramen is now open under Boise Fry Company on Capitol Boulevard. It’s nice to see a brilliant idea come to fruition, and ping pong is so fun that the ramen doesn’t have to be especially good for this place to succeed. That said, Boise is lacking in great ramen spots, and I’ll be very curious to see what sort of offerings Boise Fry Company and Co. have cooked up. 

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The Best Restaurant for Every Graduation Celebration

You did it. You’re finally graduating from college! You’re living out millions of people’s dream!

But there’s one problem, you have to entertain your parents for an entire weekend. What will you do?

And where will you take them to eat?

Luckily for Boise State graduates, I’ve got restaurant recommendations for every type of family:

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Good Burger Claims It Serves the Best Fries in Idaho. How Do They Stack Up?

Good Burger just entered the downtown marketplace, and they didn’t do it quietly. The founder of the burgeoning burger chain recently claimed that they serve “the best fries in Idaho.”

Now, any time you declare yourself the best at anything, you’re probably wrong. Good Burger’s audacious claim is nothing more than shrewd marketing.

But it’s a marketing trap that I will gladly fall for! Enticed by Good Burger’s confidence, I decided to compare it to competing local chain (and member of many a “best French fries” listicle) Boise Fry Company.

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Foodfort Changes Lanes With “Street Eats”

Treefort descends on Boise once a year, but I think Foodfort’s Street Eats should be a monthly occurrence.

Inspired by the night markets of Asia, the Street Eats event brought together eight of Boise’s finest restaurateurs. They set up shop in the Basque Center and served up killer small plates for 300 lucky people.

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