New Sous Chef Joins Cafe Vicino Team

David King, former chef at The Modern Hotel & Bar in Boise, Idaho, joined the kitchen team at Cafe Vicino this month. Chef King was previously chef/co-owner of Toast in Portland, and has cooked in restaurants in New York and points beyond. He brings a wealth of experience from other markets to one of Boise’s favorite dining spots. Chef King’s culinary esthetic is ingredient-driven, letting the fresh local produce and meats speak for themselves. Working with Cafe Vicino’s owner, Chef Richard Langston, creates a dynamic pairing in Boise’s food world.

Chef King and Chef Langston are rolling out their late summer menu this week. Look for a local tomato appetizer “du jour”: a preparation that changes with the “chef’s whim” and as different heirloom tomatoes are available. A new salad of green beans, fingerling potatoes, smoked bacon, and tomatoes topped with a poached egg is a refreshing change from the typical lettuce salad. A fresh take on duck for summer is a pan-roasted duck breast and grilled local stone fruit with almonds and lentils. Several pasta dishes will highlight local produce in light preparations. And fresh fruit will appear on the dessert menu in delicious cobblers, featuring peaches, berries, apricots and other local favorites rotating throughout the season.

Café Vicino sources most of its beautiful produce from Idaho’s Bounty, which pulls together the offerings from Southern Idaho’s farms, such as Peaceful Belly, Waterwheel Gardens, Rice Family Farms, and Purple Sage, to name a few. These are some of the many of the local farmers who also sell at the Capital City Public Market.

Vicino (va-CHEE-no) is Italian for “neighborhood.” Drawing on influences from Italy, Spain and France, Café Vicino’s menu is innovative, ingredient-driven and flavorful, served in an intimate, elegant setting. Seasonal menus take advantage of locally sourced produce, fresh fish, meat and game. Daily specials add to the variety of choices for both lunch and dinner. The affordable wines on Café Vicino’s wine list are hand-selected by Chef Richard Langston to complement the menu. Selections are sourced from both the old and new worlds: Italy, France, Spain, Oregon, California, Idaho and Washington.  For more information, please visit http://www.cafevicino.com.