Grape Escape, downtown Boise

Rating:
There is no doubt that Grape Escape Wine Bar gets my vote for Best Brunch in Boise.

Situated at the corner of 8th and Idaho St., this is a great place to be for people watching because of the busy streets and its strategic location. If you want to sip wine or dine al fresco, they've got patio seats with fleece blankets under outdoor heaters that looked really inviting-- however it was a pretty cold morning for my standards (specially when the wind blew) and so I opted for indoor warmth and headed straight to a table by the window where the the sun was shining its beautiful heat directly on my seat.

Inside, the place is charming. It had an old-school feel to it with bottles of wine everywhere! It was an interesting design as instead of the usual bar lining one side of the place, this one had it smack in the middle with the bar stools and dining tables all around it. Im sure this place would be lovely lit up at night but I'll save that for another review-- this one's all about Sunday brunch!

I tried their mimosa (my first time!) which is just champagne with orange juice. My entree was the chicken omelette with fresh fruit but I also tried their fresh salad with salmon. Plus points for the raisin bread from the Zeppole Baking Company that accompanied the salad-- I wanted to buy a whole loaf to bring home but they were closed on the day I visited!

I chatted with Gus, the proprietor who was a very affable man and his stories about politics, his various restaurant endeavours, and the general state of downtown Boise just enhanced the homey "welcome-back-give-me-the-usual" feel of this place.

Five pawikan points for my Best Sunday Brunch in Boise!