Ling & Louie’s Asian Bar and Grill

Whether you are looking for somewhere to spend a spooky day in Boise or  places to eat in Meridian  for a warming cocktail, the Treasure Valley offers excellent ways to welcome fall. Here are five festive ways to celebrate the fall season in the Treasure Valley.  Stay Warm with Happy Hour The temperature drops quickly in fall, after the blazing heat of summer. While a welcome change, sometimes you need to a way to combat the cold. What better way of warming up than going to  happy hour in Meridian ? Restaurants like Ling & Louie’s Asian Bar and Grill offer cocktail specials and discounts on appetizers. Warm up with sake and a spicy California roll or hand-wrapped potstickers. Go to a Pumpkin Patch Wrap a scarf around your neck and visit one of the Treasure Valley’s many pumpkin patches. They’re fun afternoons out where you’ll find pumpkins, gourds, or flint corn for decorations. If you have kids (or are a kid at heart), some offer hay rides, pig races, or ...

Summer is coming to an end, but there’s still time to hit the grill and have a BBQ. Whether you are grilling in the Eagle Island Park or finding a way to add BBQ to your happy hour in Eagle ID , use these ideas to close out the summer in BBQ style.  Grill at the Park There are a few options in the Treasure Valley for enjoying a BBQ in the park. Downtown, try Julia Davis Park. In Eagle, go to Eagle Island State Park and use one of the public charcoal grills. Enjoy BBQing outside and jump in the water to combat the last hot days of summer. Have a picnic with friends and enjoy the outdoors before the weather changes and pumpkins replace watermelons. Throw a ball around, go swimming, or play a trivia game. Whether you are grilling hot dogs, hamburgers, or something more exotic, throwing a BBQ party can serve as the perfect capstone to another fantastic summer. Just don’t forget the sunscreen and stay in the shade! Try New BBQ Styles Looking to add a little spi...

If you are craving sushi in Eagle Idaho , you might be wondering how sushi came to be in Japan, and how it jumped the ocean to America. These fun facts will give you an insight into the history of sushi and give you the perfect trivia for happy hour.  Sushi’s Chinese Origins: Fermented Rice and Fish The story of sushi starts in China, according to PBS, with a fourth-century dictionary mentioning salted fish placed in cooked rice to go through fermentation for preservation. As Buddhism spread from China to nearby Japan, the Buddhists took this preservation method with them. Buddhists abstain from meat, and so fish was a staple food. Instead of throwing out the rice after the fish fermented, they ate it all together, calling it narezushi, “aged sushi.” Waste not, want not. HanayaYohei Offers the First Modern Sushi as “Fast Food” Sushi as we know it didn’t come about until the 1800s. As PBS notes, in 1824, HanayaYohei opened a sushi stall in the Ryogoku district...

Woks, sauté pans, and skillets have similar purposes, but approach cooking in very different ways. Your favorite places to eat in Meridian might even use all three. Woks are predominantly used in Asian cuisine, offered at restaurants such as Ling & Louie’s Asian Bar and Grill in Meridian. While sauté pans and skillets can sometimes be used interchangeably, cooking with a wok is a very specific activity.  Sauté Pans Are for Searing, Sautéing, and Sauces Sauté pans are characterized by straight, high sides. They are typically larger than a frying pan or skillet. Sauté pans have a large surface area and cook evenly through the bottom surface. They are commonly used for searing, sautéing, or reducing a pan sauce. Their high sides make it easier to keep the food within contained. Skillets Are for Frying and Cooking Quickly A skillet is roughly the same size as a sautépan but has less surface area as it features sloped sides. Skillets are often referred to as ...

The Treasure Valley is home to a great number of places where one can have a culinary adventure. For some, exploring the creative restaurants and happy hours around town are part of what makes a trip to Meridian or Eagle so great. If you’re looking to try something new on your next culinary outing, consider these suggestions of flavor experiences to seek out in the Treasure Valley.               Something with a Twist Why order the same old thing over and over again when you can experience a classic with a twist? Have the best of both worlds by enjoying a comforting, familiar meal while stepping outside of your culinary comfort zone and taking a risk. How can one experience this, you might ask? Homemade meatloaf with a side of wasabi mashed potatoes just might be the answer. Something Even More Refreshing On that note, why order the same drink every time you head to a happy hour in Eagle ID ? Grab a ...

Do you feel like you just want to get away this weekend? If you’re getting a little cabin fever and don't want to spend another weekend doing yard work or sitting around the house, you're in luck. The Treasure Valley is near a bunch of day trip adventures that are perfect for quick experiences that will help you recharge, relax, and unwind. Here are a few local favorites. Head Up to Bogus Basin A bustling hillside retreat for skiers and snowboarders in the winter is still alive and well during the summer and fall months. Bogus Basin is super close to Boise at only a 45-minute drive away, and during the summer you can explore the network of hiking trails, mountain bike paths, live music, and the mountain coaster. The view from the hill of Boise and the rest of the valley is worth the drive on its own. Explore the Treasure Valley’s Culinary Scene One of the reasons that so many people love the Treasure Valley is its bustling culinary scene, where flavors and tastes from all ...

It's officially summer here in the Treasure Valley, and it seems like the weather finally got the memo as well. The good news is that while the outside temperature is making its climb toward triple digits, there are tons of ways to beat the heat here in the Boise, Meridian, and Eagle areas while having fun too. Here are a few local favorites. Find a Pool, Lake, or Anywhere to Take a Splash For being a highland desert environment, there are surprisingly many wet and wild opportunities in the Treasure Valley. If you're one that likes thrills and wants to make a day out of the hydro-ventures, you should head to Roaring Springs Water Park, a local summer destination. There, you can spend hours flying down the waterslides and testing your adrenaline on the Avalanche and other attractions. Plus, if you're more of a kick back and relax person, the Endless River and its quarter-mile loop are calling your name. Besides the water park, there are many different natural and m...