6 minute read
Boise Chef Danielle Christine on Fear, Fine Food, and Following Your Dreams
Wild-caught smoked salmon dressed in a white wine, lemon, and dill sauce, served over jammy eggs, sweet cherry tomatoes, garden cress, and pea shoots. PHOTO BY KAREN DAY
By April Neale
Life’s curveballs can sometimes yield delicious dividends. A near-death experience forced Chef Danielle Christine to face her fear of opening a restaurant, a dream she was dissuaded from at every turn. “Every restaurant owner I have ever interacted with has deterred me from moving in that direction. Their reasoning was, don’t do it; it’s like a marriage you don’t want. If you open a restaurant, you’ll never get away from it. Those fears became mine for a very long time,” she explained.
Instead, Christine studied architecture and fine arts, eventually working at an organic Nicaraguan farm. Then, she studied nutrition and exercise science. “But that desire to open restaurants never went away,” she said. “I have been an artist from a young age, whether that be charcoal drawing, mixed media, painting, ceramics, graphic design, web design, and more—eventually going on to study fine arts at the University of Idaho. Notwithstanding all of that, there has always been something about the art of cooking that truly brings me an unmatched source of joy.”
Christine was inspired from her early years to get into the kitchen and create meals. “Sitting down and enjoying a meal together around the dinner table wasn’t the norm. If I wasn’t the one preparing the meal, I often didn’t eat. Though I acknowledge my passion for cooking blossomed from this place of scarcity, it has become so much more than that for me.” And though cooking wasn’t the career path she initially set out toward, it found her again anyway.
“My desire to open restaurants never faltered,” Christine said.
Then, at age 26, she had a heart attack. “I was on life support, with tubes breathing on my behalf, and was just starting to become familiar with life again and what had happened. I have little recollection of that interim period. I could only think of everything I didn’t do. I promised myself that if I survived and my health was good, I would open a restaurant the next year,” Christine explained. “Contrary to popular belief, there is a period where you are conscious and still on life support after medical emergencies like this. I spent most of that time thinking about my aspirations and the dreams I had yet to accomplish. There was no path but forward from there.”
She recovered and opened Apericena, a restaurant in the former Hyde House that honors European-inspired dishes emphasizing health and organic ingredients.
But finding your people isn’t always easy. Christine loves FX’s “The Bear,” and like the fictional chef in the series, has worked hard to find those who share her vision. “I look for a more collaborative approach and people who share the same passion and values as me—not just wanting a job that you have to show up to every day, but a place that you love to come to every day. The first two years were the hardest, and people filter themselves out if they carry that old restaurant mindset,” she said.
And, despite being underestimated, Christine has harnessed her artistic background, academic studies, work ethic, and vision of epicurean dishes to propel Apericena into one of the hottest spots for Boise dining—and she’s doing it all again.
Apericena embodies real food and everything we as Americans have forgotten about eating at the dinner table—
In the same neighborhood, Christine is set to open Bistro D’Hélène, a French-inspired bistro named for her grandmother in the previous Fort Street Station. “Apericena embodies real food and everything we as Americans have forgotten about eating at the dinner table—spending time with loved ones, enjoying food from your region, putting the phone away, conversing, and mindfully enjoying a meal,” she said. “While Apericena is a meld of European influences, what if we could create something solely French within this new space and keep the same foundations we built with Apericena? And that’s what we’re doing.”
What Christine called the “French-esque” menu is inspired by input from her friend and sous chef, Christian LaMotte, featuring dishes from the heart of France and the Mediterranean region, with a healthy dose of Pacific Northwest influence. The menu begins with a strong selection of artisanal breads and traditional spreads, followed by wide-ranging apps and mains that touch on a slew of French and Mediterranean flavors. Christine said that the menu will feature a strong charcuterie selection, small plates, and main dishes that emphasize the Mediterranean’s best flavors. “Think comforting lobster simplissime, aromatic black truffle cavatelli, chicken vol au vent, and grass-fed filet mignon with a black peppercorn sauce,” Christine said.
I’m determined to show other women that there is a place for them in this industry, too.
While the new endeavor will certainly not be without its challenges, Christine remains committed to maintaining her vision and values. “The greatest challenges I have faced in this industry, hands down, have been my identity as a young woman who refuses to change anything about herself to fit the mold of a chef,” she said. “No matter my age, appearance, or gender, I’m determined to show other women that there is a place for them in this industry, too. And creating safe spaces for people to exist as they want is why we’ve built such a strong team.”
