11 Idaho restaurants won Wine Spectator Awards in 2020. This year? Three

Michael Deeds
·2 min read

If you love dining out and sipping wine, you’re probably familiar with the Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards.

Each year, Wine Spectator — the self-described “world’s leading authority on wine” — highlights dining destinations with the best selections. Places that you know are going to have options for all palates.

And each year lately — if you live in Idaho — the number of restaurants on Wine Spectator’s list keeps shrinking.

First, the good news.

Three Gem State restaurants made the cut, including two in Boise.

Chandlers and Fork were honored again. Same for The Narrows Steakhouse in McCall.

The awards offer three levels of distinction: Award of Excellence (2,001 winners this year); the loftier Best of Award of Excellence (1,411) and the top-tier Grand Award (93).

Chandlers and The Narrows earned the middle-tier Best of Award of Excellence; Fork received the baseline Award of Excellence.

Overall, Idaho has trended downward this decade. In 2020, 11 Idaho restaurants earned honors. In 2021, only six Idaho restaurants won. In 2022, the number slipped to four.

Now — three?

The Gem State’s plummet doesn’t necessarily mean that our local restaurants’ wine selection has gone south precipitously. Instead, I’d venture that fewer Idaho restaurants are entering this “contest” now. Priorities changed at restaurants after the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards are pay-to-play. Restaurants submit an entry fee to be considered — $550 for this year’s awards. Not all restaurants make the cut, but you get the idea.

In 2022, I reached out to Capitol Cellars and Richard’s in Boise. Both had earned Wine Spectator Awards in past years but were notably absent. Both had decided not to participate.

That said, three winners in the entire state of Idaho feels a little depressing. As a comparison, Utah had 22 — with seven in Salt Lake City.

The latest Wine Spectator Awards recognized 3,505 dining destinations from all 50 states and more than 70 countries, according to a media release.

Best of Award of Excellence

▪ Chandlers Steakhouse, 981 W. Grove St., Boise.

▪ The Narrows Steakhouse at Shore Lodge, 501 W. Lake St., McCall.

Award of Excellence

▪ Fork, 199 N. 8th St., Boise.