Basque restaurants have a long history of creating dishes using fresh and local ingredients. The high quality of meat, seafood and produce is something Basques are known for. This is true in the Basque Country and in the United States.
Food served in restaurants in the Basque Country is different from Basque food traditionally served in the US, but it is also very similar. Local and fresh ingredients are heavily emphasized and are influential to the menus of restaurants in both places.
However, in the western United States, the Basque boardinghouse serving style inspired the Basque family style dinners we have seen for years in restaurants in California and Nevada.
These boardinghouses typically catered to Basque sheepherders or agricultural workers who immigrated from the Basque Country. Because they were working laborious jobs, the hotels needed to feed them hearty meals that would sustain them for their long days of work. At these dinners, there would be a large number of dishes to choose from. Traditionally, the Basque boarders sat at long tables together and passed down dishes.
The boardinghouse dinners inspired Basque family style restaurants, which serve dishes in a similar style. Many of them offer a set-up and an entree option when serving customers. The set-up will usually include bread, cheese, and wine throughout the meal. The dinners also include courses of soup, basque beans, and salsa, a salad course, and the selected entree and usually more side dishes of vegetables. Diners love these meals with bountiful food. Often they can’t even believe how much food is served.
Wool Growers and Benji’s in Bakersfield, California reflect this traditional style. But this style of Basque cuisine is changing, possibly as a reflection of changes in the Basque Country cuisine.
Food in the Basque Country
Food in Euskal Herria has been elevated to a fine dining experience and has been treated as a place of exploration and experimentation.
The Basque Country has 26 Michelin-starred restaurants, according to the Michelin Guide. Donosti has one of the highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants globally, attracting guests from all over the world.
Renowned food critic and TV host Anthony Bourdain featured the Basque Country in three episodes of his television shows before he passed away. He loved Basque cuisine and his show attracted many food tourists to the Basque Country.
In the 1970s, a new style of cooking called “New Basque Cuisine” was introduced. This European culinary movement modernized traditional dishes by using new techniques. These techniques include sous-vide, molecular gastronomy and advanced emulsion techniques.
Today Basque cuisine is continuously evolving by utilizing advanced food technology, but still emphasizes fresh produce. Many local farmers markets with local fruits and vegetables show the pride Basque people take in their agricultural pursuits. Michelin-starred restaurants and pintxo bars continue to push the boundaries of food science while honoring Basque food traditions.
Boise Food Scene
In Boise, Idaho, the Basque food scene seems to be changing and is more reflective of newer food developments in the Basque Country. The city features four Basque restaurants as well as the Basque Market. Three of these restaurants are located in the Basque Block area.
Bar Gernika and the Basque Market resemble the pintxo scene made popular in the Basque Country. The Basque Market also features imported items from the Basque Country and serves fresh paella regularly. Leku Ona on the corner is more of a fine dining scene, led by chef Asier Garcia, who once worked with well-known Basque Country chef Martin Berasategui.
While I was in Boise for Jaialdi in 2015, I remember going to the Basque Market and being especially excited because they carried Kas Limón, a popular soda manufactured in the Basque Country. I wanted to take at least two cases back home with me, but I didn’t have room in my suitcase. The pintxos we ate included croquetas, a fried ball of bechamel flavored with different meats or cheeses, calamari and a bocadillo with patata tortilla.
Another Boise restaurant that reflects the newer food traditions of the Basque Country includes Ansots Basque Chorizos. This restaurant follows the Basque Country restaurant experience rather than the family style restaurant scene of Nevada and California.
Basque restaurateurs will continue to find ways to innovate in the United States and the Basque Country. We don’t know how these restaurants will evolve, but the public will likely continue to look forward to new delicious Basque food to try.
