Savor a ‘generous’ 4-course meal at intimate new Boise restaurant: Nobody’s ‘rushing you’
If you’re going to dine at newly opened Boise restaurant Susina, plan to relax, carve out a little time and savor your food and surroundings.
The small, stylish eatery at 1621 N. Orchard St. is the latest venture from husband-and-wife team Alex Cardoza and Tara Morgan, who have run Wild Plum Events catering service at the space since late 2016.
Launched May 30, it’s a breath of fresh air in a restaurant landscape dominated by “fast-casual” and “quick-service” concepts. With Susina in full swing, a downsized version of Wild Plum continues to operate with drop-off catering options for “grazing tables” and charcuterie boards. But it no longer offers full-service catering.
Describing Susina as “a love letter to leisurely European-style dining,” the duo is offering four-course, prix-fixe dinners priced at $75. Chef Cardoza’s menu “highlights Idaho ingredients with a wink to American comfort classics and a nod to European simplicity,” a media release explains. “Think house-cured meats, local preserves, farm-fresh produce and housemade pastas. Generous portions, cozy vintage vibes and no one rushing you out the door.”
“We have 11 tables inside,” Tara Morgan added in an email, “so we’re super intimate to start, but we’ll eventually open up patio seating, as well.”
Food is served Thursdays through Saturdays with start times between the hours of 6 and 8 p.m.
The menu at Susina (“wild plum” in Italian) will change seasonally. But, already, it offers a good deal of variety, whether it’s starters, entrees or desserts. Diners have six options for each course, including vegan and gluten-free choices. Currently, main course selections are Pork Milanese, Osso Buco, Baked Steelhead, Tuscan Vinegar Chicken, Beef Tenderloin Au Poivre and Chicken Fried Cauliflower.
Drinks, which cost extra, include wine, beer, “low ABV” cocktails and non-alcoholic options.
Online reservations are recommended: at susinaboise.com. If space allows, walk-ins are accepted, too.
After Cardoza and Morgan settle into a groove in the dining room, a la carte dining also is planned on the porch and patio.
It, too, undoubtedly will be a non-rushed experience — at this “European American comfort kitchen.”
“After hosting pop-up events and greenhouse dinners over the last few years, we’re finally taking the leap into becoming a full restaurant,” Morgan said. “We’re excited to offer a new dining destination for our friends and neighbors on the Bench.”
