Bleubird serves up happiness, Monday through Friday
story by Liza Long
photography by John Webster
If you happen by Tenth Street and Bannock on a weekday, you may see a line of people snaking around the block. They’re waiting for one of the freshest and tastiest lunches in town, served on a butcher-paper lined wooden slab at Bleubird. The brainchild of husband and wife team Sarak Kornfeld (aka “Boss Lady”) and David (“DK”) Kelly, Bleubird’s self –described mission is sandwich love. According to their website, the pair met when David was the bartender and Sarah was a cook in a Vail, Colorado kitchen. And make no mistake: when it comes to food and drink, these two know what they are doing.
Bleubird’s central downtown location—close to both the Capitol and the Linen District’s free parking—makes it the lunch place of choice for pretty much everyone who lives and works in downtown Boise. While their pastrami Reuben sandwich doesn’t quite meet the melt-in-your mouth standard of Soho’s iconic Katz’s Deli (made famous by Meg Ryan in “When Harry Met Sally”), it’s still one of the best sandwiches I’ve eaten in Boise, Idaho.
My kids love Bleubird’s inexpensive classic peanut butter and honey on flavorful wheat bread. The vegetarian sandwich highlights seasonal local produce, bursting with color and flavor. The grilled cheese is a grown-up take on a classic kid’s favorite, with brie, gruyere, cheddar, and carmelized onions. But my favorite Bleubird menu item is the turkey and brie sandwich complemented with shaved apples, crisp greens, fig jam, and Dijon mustard. Served on soft focaccia bread, the sandwich literally sings in your mouth as the textures and flavors combine in unexpected, delightful ways.
Sandwiches come with your choice of kettle chips, simple salad, or house-made bacon-bleu potato salad, bringing a whole new meaning to comfort food. You can also add a delicious bowl of soup, perfect for brisk winter days, for just $2. All of the sandwiches are large enough to satisfy two healthy appetites. And I highly recommend the truffle-oil-complemented beet salad: simple, colorful, earthy, will take you back to your roots.
While three-martini lunches died out with “Madmen,” many Boiseans still enjoy a beverage with their mid-day meal. Bleubird’s house-made soda flavors include pomegranate sage, ginger lime, basil lemonade (my favorite), and grapefruit rosemary. You can also enjoy a glass of wine or beer from their rotating list, or sip one of their refreshing signature mimosas.
Bleubird offers catered boxed lunches for just $9.00 each. Local offices can call six or more orders in a day ahead of time (48 hours for orders larger than 15) and share the sweet taste of lunchtime happiness with coworkers. They also cater larger events, both on and off-site, though with grown-up goodies like lamb lollipops and truffle parmesan popcorn, their holiday party schedule is probably filling up fast.
This holiday season, treat yourself to one of Boise’s best culinary adventures. A lunch with friends at Bleubird will leave you singing in happiness.
For more information:
Phone: (208)345-1055
Address: 224 N. 10th St. Boise, ID 83702
OPEN MONDAY-FRIDAY: 11AM – 4:30PM
For catering and office lunches, visit www.bleubirdboise.com
