New York Ritchie's

Overview

The Place: New York Ritchie's Pizza and Cheesesteaks on Glenwood
The Price: ~$36.00
Overall Rating:  4/5
Whose Turn It Was to Pick:  Josie

Sarin (the mom)

Meal: slice of combo pizza
Rating: 4/5 stars
Commentary: One of the best slices of pizza in Boise.

Jeremy (the dad)

Meal:  Philly Cheesteak
Rating: 4/5 stars
Commentary: Best Philly Cheesesteak in Boise. The bun is chewy but not tough, the meat was tender, and whatever seasoning they're using works really well.

Josie (age 12)

Meal:  slice of combo pizza
Rating: 4/5 stars
Commentary: Very delicious crust and nice variety of toppings.

Mia (age 9)

Meal:  A slice of pepperoni and a slice of combo pizza
Rating: 4/5 stars
Commentary: Really good pizza, but it kind of has too much cheese and I can't taste the red sauce.

Sylvia (age 7)

Meal: slice of combo pizza
Rating: 4/5 stars
Commentary: It was really good because it had mushrooms and I love mushrooms and there's lots of cheese.

Photos

Pizza:

Cheesesteak:

Tango's

Overview

The Place: Tango's on Orchard. Boise's home of Argentinian empanadas and sandwiches.
The Price: ~$32.00
Overall Rating:  3.8/5
Whose Turn It Was to Pick:  Jeremy

Sarin (the mom)

Meal: gardel (chicken) empanada, chocolate empanada
Rating: 4/5 stars
Commentary: Unique and awesome.

Jeremy (the dad)

Meal:  Hawaiian empanada, barbecue brisket empanada, coconut empanada
Rating: 4/5 stars
Commentary: The combination of a fried shell and super tasty fillings gives your meal a variety of tastes that you don't get too often. This is one of the most unique eateries in Boise. Also, it is run by an extremely nice Argentinian-American couple.

Josie (age 12)

Meal:  chili embanada, caramelo empanada
Rating: 3/5 stars
Commentary: The dessert empanada is so sweet and the chili one was pretty good too.

Mia (age 9)

Meal:  el puerde (pork) empanada, caramelo empanada
Rating: 4/5 stars
Commentary: I think that the main dish one is very flavorful. It tastes like chiles and the dessert one is very very sweet and almost has too much caramel.

Sylvia (age 7)

Meal:  gardel (chicken) empanada, chocolate empanada
Rating: 4/5 stars
Commentary: The crust was awesome, and the meat was really good and the dessert was super delicious.

Photos

Savory empanadas:

Dessert empanadas:

Idaho Pizza

Overview

The Place: Idaho Pizza on Overland. The local chain that split off from Round Table in the late 80s, and in the meantime has far surpassed them both in quality and in originality.
The Price: ~$27.00
Overall Rating:  4.4/5
Whose Turn It Was to Pick:  Sarin

Sarin (the mom)

Meal: Veggie Sandwich, Potato Salad, Soda
Rating: 4/5 stars
Commentary: The best veggie sandwich in Boise. The sauce on the sandwich is really good, and they use the perfect amount.

Jeremy (the dad)

Meal:  pizza, soda
Rating: 4/5 stars
Commentary: Lots of varieties to choose from and they're all really good. Best lunch bargain in the Treasure Valley.

Josie (age 12)

Meal:  Albuquerque Turkey sandwich, Lay's original chips, soda
Rating: 5/5 stars
Commentary: Best bread ever. Everything was great: the turkey, chiles, and sauce.

Mia (age 9)

Meal:  pizza, soda
Rating: 5/5 stars
Commentary: The pizza melts in your mouth, and the salad is really crunchy and the vegetables are fresh.

Sylvia (age 7)

Meal:  pizza, soda, cinnamon breadsticks
Rating: 4/5 stars
Commentary: It was good, but I'm not going to tell you why it was good.

Pollo Rey

Overview

The Place: Pollo Rey on 8th street in downtown Boise. Our Mexican mainstay.
The Price: ~$32.00
Overall Rating:  3/5
Whose Turn It Was to Pick:  Mia

Sarin (the mom)

Meal: steak quesadilla, chips, salsa, water
Rating: 3/5 stars
Commentary: The beef wasn't even seasoned. I wanted more flavoring in my meat, and it was greasy from the cheese, but the salsa made up for it.

Jeremy (the dad)

Meal: steak burrito, chips, salsa, water
Rating: 3/5 stars
Commentary: It was perfectly fine. I just don't think you should have to pay extra for cheese on a $7 burrito. Their salsa is very good.

Josie (age 12)

Meal: supreme nachos, chips, salsa, water
Rating: 3/5 stars
Commentary: They have good guacamole. There was too much salsa and i don't like chunky salsa. I love their dipping salsa though.

Mia (age 9)

Meal: large steak quesadilla, chips, salsa, water
Rating: 4/5 stars
Commentary: It was really good, but if you can't eat very much get the small instead.

Sylvia (age 7)

Meal: chicken quesadilla, chips, salsa, water
Rating: 2/5 stars
Commentary: I didn't like it because I get it every single time and it's getting boring.

Yokozuna Teriyaki

Overview

The Place: Yokozuna Teriyaki - our favorite teriyaki joint in Boise
The Price: ~$37.00
Overall Rating:  3.8/5
Whose Turn It Was to Pick:  Jeremy

Sarin (age 40)

Meal: Beef Spicy Peanut Noodle, Gyoza
Rating: 2/5 stars
Commentary: Gummy noodles. Unseasoned meat. I've liked this place a lot in the past, but I did not like this dish.

 

Jeremy (age 37)

Meal:  Beef Sweet Onion Bowl, Gyoza
Rating: 4/5 stars
Commentary: Tender beef, carmelized onions, delicious teriyaki sauce, and the gyoza (kind of a fried potsticker) is amazing. I especially love the sauce it comes with.

Josie (age 12)

Meal:  Chicken Katsu, Gyoza
Rating: 4/5 stars
Commentary: The chicken was nice and crispy and I like the sauce.

Mia (age 9)

Meal:  Beef Yakisoba, Gyoza
Rating: 4/5 stars
Commentary: I like how it was sweet and spicy, but don't eat the ginger. The ginger is weird.

Sylvia (age 7)

Meal: Beef Noodle Kids meal, gyoza
Rating: 5/5 stars
Commentary: The gyoza was delicious and the noodles were good.

Here's the gyoza that everyone loved

 

Mazzah Mediterranean Grill

Overview

The Place: Mazzah Mediterranean Grill
The Price: ~$37.00
Overall Rating:  4/5
Whose Turn It Was to Pick:  Sarin

Sarin (age 40)

Meal: gyro, french fries, Diet Pepsi
Rating: 4/5 stars
Commentary: The tzatziki was perfect. The gyro had too many raw onions. Otherwise, delicious.

Jeremy (age 37)

Meal:  falafel platter w/baba ganoush, hummus, and pita; shish kabob; Mountain Dew
Rating: 4/5 stars
Commentary: The shish and the baba ganoush were just perfect. The pita was soft and warm. Their falafel is Boise's best. It doesn't get much better than this.

Josie (age 11)

Meal:  grilled cheese, fries
Rating: 3/5 stars
Commentary: The fries were too squishy, but the grilled cheese was good.

Mia (age 9)

Meal:  gyro and fries
Rating: 4/5 stars
Commentary: It was really, really good, but it's really messy.

Sylvia (age 7)

Meal:  chicken strips, fries
Rating: 5/5 stars
Commentary: The texture and taste were delicious.

Panda Express

Overview

The Place: Panda Express on Overland. Ubiquitous Chinese chain.
The Price: ~$24.00
Overall Rating:  3.4/5
Whose Turn It Was to Pick:  Sylvia

Sarin (age 40)

Meal: string bean chicken, chow mein
Rating: 4/5 stars
Commentary: I love the soy sauce on the string bean chicken and it was really satisfying. No bad bites. 

Jeremy (age 37)

Meal:  string bean chicken, sweet fire chicken, chow mein, potstickers
Rating: 3/5 stars
Commentary: The chicken at Panda Express never has that gross chicken-y flavor you can sometime get with inexpensive Chinese food. The chow mein is quite nice with their chili sauce. Solid, but didn't blow me away.

Josie (age 11)

Meal:  sweet fire chicken, chow mein
Rating: 4/5 stars
Commentary: Good ol' Panda express.

Mia (age 9)

Meal:  pepper chicken, chow mein
Rating: 3/5 stars
Commentary: It was very interesting and the textures and the taste blended in a kind of weird way.

Sylvia (age 7)

Meal:  orange chicken, chow mein
Rating: 3/5 stars
Commentary: It was really good, but I believe it could be better.