By Marissa Kozma, 303Magazine.com

Stereotypes suggest that bearded, beanie-donned coffee aficionados crave the cozy corner coastal city of Seattle, tattoed activists adore Portland’s funky, farm-to-table food scene and rock-climbing, weed-smoking, rugged dudes desire Denver. But what about Boise?

Sure, we know it’s close to Oregon, so there’s got to be some trees, and Sun Valley is known for skiing, but ask someone to name something specific about Idaho and they’ll probably just say potatoes. In fact, the Boise tourism office has specifically requested we do not use the headline, “Boise: It’s More Than Just Potatoes.”

According to Forbes, Boise was named the #1 fastest growing city in 2018 and it’s only gotten crazier. Today, Boise’s a booming city with influence from the Pacific Northwest and the Rocky Mountain range. It’s situated in a high desert with nearby mountains to climb, but also takes pride in offering gorgeous green spaces that help it earn the nickname “City of Trees.” And don’t forget the river. It’s the city’s soul and seems to be where locals spend 90% of their time after indulging in farm-to-table fare, fishing or drinking beer at a festival.

Boise seems to have a little bit of everything, which makes it just right.

The good news for us Denverites is that Boise is a short, cheap flight away from the Mile High, so you can experience it for yourself. We took a trip to learn more about the city everyone’s suddenly talking about.

Fork (Dinner)

Where: 199 North 8th St., Boise
Cost: $30 and under

The Lowdown:
Fine dining is somewhat affordable in the City of Trees, and your first stop for a nice dinner should be Fork. This creative, farm-to-table restaurant offers delicious Northwestern cuisine like fire-grilled artichokes you can peel yourself and dip in lemon-tarragon sauce, Idaho rainbow trout served atop buttery farro and heavenly butter cake with fresh berries for dessert.