With ‘show stopper’ food, new restaurant opens at long-awaited, historic Boise hotel

A long-running renovation project downtown finally will start its own new chapter in Boise history.

The four-story Avery Hotel and Brasserie, commonly known as the old Bouquet building, has partially opened to the public.

The fine-dining restaurant quietly debuted at 1010 Main St. last week. Diners were treated to a French-inspired menu of cote de boeuf, cassoulet, rabbit and more. Tiner’s Alley, a late-night gastrotavern in the rear, also is serving drinks in a similar soft-opening mode. Offering an English pub vibe, it will add food service with a separate menu in the coming weeks.

The boutique hotel’s 39 rooms can be booked, but only for Sept. 1 and afterward. Right now, the historic structure — built in the early 1900s — has only its ground-floor occupancy permit.

“It’s all about the elevator,” explains Cal Elliott, The Avery’s founder and executive chef. “We’ve been waiting on an elevator part for a year and a half.”

Elliott has climbed a few stairs — and ladder rungs — over the past eight years. Leading a rebirth of the long-neglected building, he has worked diligently toward this moment.

Old becomes new

A Boise native, Elliott left for New York City in 1993 to spend the next 28 years as a chef. Upon returning to Idaho, he had an ambitious vision for the future Avery building. Locals remember the first floor as various iterations of The Bouquet, a live-music and dance club for decades. It closed in 2015. That’s when Elliott became involved.

The upper stories hadn’t been relevant for more than half a century. A former hotel and theater, the prominent building on Main Street was in serious disrepair.

That’s all been changed.

The Avery’s rooms are “comfy” and “elegant,” its website boasts. This is a place where “old-­world charm meets contemporary comfort ... romantic, functional and stylish — perfect for a night in, enjoying our onsite amenities or for inspiring discoveries in downtown Boise and beyond.”

For now, though? Fine-dining enthusiasts can salivate over Elliott’s newly opened, high-end restaurant.

As a New York chef, Elliott helped earn a Michelin star for the now-defunct Brooklyn restaurant Dressler. He went on to launch his own Williamsburg eatery, Rye — a Michelin Bib Gourmand pick — before closing it in 2018.

‘Thought-out’ menu

After returning to Boise and diving into The Avery project, Elliott opened the popular Little Pearl Oyster Bar, 160 N. 8th St., in 2020. It was a way, he explained to the Statesman, “to keep my knives sharp, so to speak.”

So it should come as no surprise that The Avery’s seasonal menu is “pretty thought-out,” Elliott says.

“I want to be accessible and approachable,” he explains, “but also provide something that is maybe unique.

“It’s a small menu, but it’s a ton of work, because we do everything in-house.”

The Avery’s starters are tempting and diverse. They range from Scallupi Crudo ($21) and Duck and Rabbit Rillette ($15) to Yellowtail Nicoise ($24) and Grilled Quail ($24).

But there’s no resisting the seven entrees, including one designed specifically to serve two: Dry-Aged Cote de Boeuf (bone-in rib-eye steak, $4.50 per ounce). Craving a variety of satisfying meats? Order the rich Cassoulet ($49) with lamb, duck, housemade sausage, pork belly and rabbit, served with a baguette. (It, too, will serve two diners, Elliott says.)

Seafood fans will enjoy Pan-Roasted Sole Meuniere ($34) with haricots verts (French green beans), potatoes, toasted pecans and beurre blanc. Or lean Italian with Handmade Ricotta Ravioli ($28), featuring parmesan broth, fava beans, morels, English peas, pea shoots and parmesan.

If there’s an entree that Elliott would recommend to impress, it is Black Rabbit ($42), which he describes as a “show stopper.” It features a bacon-wrapped, stuffed saddle — and 52-ingredient mole. The rabbit is served with a summer vegetable.

With a full liquor license, The Avery offers wine, beer and cocktails in both its main restaurant and Tiner’s Alley.

‘Approachable to everyone’

Despite its upscale ambiance and cuisine, The Avery Brasserie does not have a formal dress code.

“Everybody can come in,” Elliott says, “We’re approachable to everyone. But we put a lot of work into it.”

During the soft opening, customers have dined “wearing whatever they want,” Elliott says. “It’s summertime. There were sandals. We love it. It’s no big deal. Nobody’s gonna shame you.

“But,” he adds, “the staff is going to look good.”

Feel underdressed? Visit Tiner’s Alley. It will have an alleyway entrance, but also will be reachable from The Avery. Tiner’s will center on the elegant 1905 Brunswick bar repurposed from The Bouquet. And a pool table. And fireplace. “The Avery’s fine dining,” Elliott explains, “and the back is casual.”

Breakfast and lunch soon

The Avery Brasserie is open from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Reservations are recommended through Resy.com, but the restaurant also accepts walk-ins at its communal table and bar.

When Tiner’s Alley opens fully, it will operate from 6 p.m. to midnight Tuesdays through Saturdays.

And when The Avery Hotel makes its official grand-opening debut, the Brasserie will add breakfast and lunch, Elliott says. “That’ll happen sometime in August.”

For now, he’s focused on maintaining high-quality dinner service.

Boise is not New York. That makes things challenging when you’re an experienced New York City chef simultaneously unleashing two new restaurants, and menus, in the same hotel.

“You try to offer two very different experiences,” Elliott explains, “but then you have to think about cost control and what you can get in, and how much labor is involved. It’s a process, for sure, putting a menu together, especially in a short amount of time with people you haven’t cooked with before.

“It’s been a ton of work, but it’s been super satisfying. Everyone in our kitchen’s working really hard and is really eager to learn. We have a great kitchen staff. They’re a little green and a little young and a little underexperienced, but they’re super eager.”