High Note Cafe has long been an important part of the Downtown Boise community, and with its doors closed for a remodel, the This Is Boise crew has been wishing for a speedy return! Well, the moment is finally at hand, and High Note Cafe is open and back at the top of its game!
Sitting right beside Guido’s Pizza and The Flying M Coffee House on 5th and Idaho, High Note Cafe has a wonderful little location in downtown Old Boise that feels cozy without feeling cramped. I had the opportunity to chat with the owner, Maria, and even stopped by for a bite to eat and to check out the new changes for myself. “I had been planning upgrades that were due to start in 2020 but then COVID hit, and all the plans went on the back burner,” Maria recalled to me. “By the time I was ready to begin repairs, it was easier to just shut down completely and redo the entire space.”
Before the remodel, the dining area had a view of the kitchen line, which anyone who remembers will be quick to agree: that kitchen was very small. Now, the kitchen has been walled off from the dining area, giving the chefs some much-needed elbow room – but it’s not just more room in the kitchen. Brand new lighting, electrical, plumbing, floors, and ceiling were included in the remodel, as well as a newly built server station by the entrance. “This has been amazing since reopening,” Maria explained. “My staff and I can now work in a space that is so much more efficient, completing just about every task in less time. Everyone is happy with the ease the remodel has brought for us, on the cook side and the server side.”
Before the remodel, the dining area had a view of the kitchen line, which anyone who remembers will be quick to agree: that kitchen was very small. Now, the kitchen has been walled off from the dining area, cutting down on food prep noise and giving the chefs some much-needed elbow room – but it’s not just more room in the kitchen. Brand new lighting, electrical, plumbing, floors, and ceiling were included in the remodel, as well as a newly built server station by the entrance. “This has been amazing since reopening,” Maria explained. “ My staff and I can now work in a space that is so much more efficient, completing just about every task in less time. Everyone is happy with the ease the remodel has brought for us, on the cook side and the server side.”
High Note Cafe’s menu, which has had some slight tweaks since the remodel, offers a wide variety of delicious, vegan dishes with something for all taste bud tendencies. What’s more, a new dinner menu is planned for later this summer/early fall, and tweaks to the current menu will continue, with additional dishes such as a French dip, habanero hominy quesadilla, and chimichurri chicken taco in the works to be added to the brunch menu. Maria explained to me that this farm season she’s focusing on “spray-free and locally grown produce, herbs, and mushrooms, which I try to keep as unprocessed as possible, and takes the flavors to the next level.” Those next-level flavors are something I can absolutely attest to from my visit!
I stopped by High Note Cafe on my lunch break and ordered the black bean quesadilla, which was delightful and included a particularly delicious cilantro-lime green salsa. I’m not a vegan myself, but during my meal, I overheard several patrons at different tables express to the waiters not only how tasty their meals were, but how wonderful it felt for them as vegans to visit a restaurant and order anything on the menu without having feel like a bother to the chef and waiters asking for custom dish changes.
If you haven’t tried High Note Cafe for yourself, make sure to stop by. Check out the information below to find out when you can grab a drink and meal.
High Note Cafe
225 N 5th St
Boise, Idaho
Hours Of Operation
Mon, Tu, Thu: 11am-4pm
Friday: 11am-4pm & 5pm-10pm
Saturday: 9:30am-4pm & 5pm-10pm
Sunday: 9:30am-4pm
Website:
highnotecafeboise.com