Local Eats

COME DINE WITH Naomi Boutz!

Owner of Vine & Olive and Vicino Pizza

idea for a pizzeria during the stay at home order in April of 2020 once he realized there was an empty restaurant space with a wood fire pizza oven. My first response was “I am not opening another f’kn restaurant.”

I got my start in hospitality in 2006 at the iconic Wine Cellar in downtown Coeur d’Alene after going back to work part time while I finished my business degree. As a single mom raising two boys , I always assumed once I graduated, I would move on to a different career. But everytime I considered an opportunity outside of hospitality, it felt like the oxygen left my lungs. I knew when my boys were close to being out of high school, I would open my own place. I love everything about the restaurant industry. The energy in the room. Meeting new people everyday. The sounds of a bustling kitchen. I even enjoy the business side. Food and wine have a unique way of connecting us and creating memories unlike anything else.

In 2016, I started brainstorming ideas for my own restaurant and wine bar. Those ideas became Vine & Olive. I was naive enough to believe there was a huge need for a thoughtful restaurant and wine bar in Coeur d’Alene, more specifically in Riverstone. I wanted to provide an elevated space that was like Cheers except for a wine bar. Thankfully, the community’s response exceeded my expectations and we will celebrate our five year anniversary in November of 2022.

Vicino Neapolitan Style Pizza opened in October of 2020. Vicino means near or close by in Italian, which is fitting given it is just around the corner from Vine & Olive. My Executive Chef, Josh Peebles, is the one who pitched the Ultimately, the opportunity to diversify wasn’t one I could turn down. Vicino is very casual but still thoughtful with an all - Italian wine list. Chef did an awesome job with the menu including creating the best gluten free pizza crust you will ever taste (a non negotiable for me).

Owning a business is definitely a lifestyle and it’s not a Monday through Friday operation. There are ebbs and flows and several periods throughout the year when I feel like my life is dominated by work. But because this is my passion, I walk into these spaces with gratitude and hope. I think balance looks different to everyone and I do make it a priority to protect my mental and physical health. You can’t fill from an empty cup. I’ve found that giving myself quiet moments does wonders for resetting my spirit.

While it wasn’t tougher opening the restaurant being a woman, I was treated differently as a female entrepreneur. I hate talking about it because it’s uncomfortable calling out sexism but there were plenty of comments and questions the first few years, I know my male counterparts didn’t have to deal with it. I got so sick of the surprise of finding out I was the owner and being asked where I got the money to open. When I opened Vicino, these comments were minimal so we’re making progress.

The team I have surrounded myself with is the biggest factor in my success and have stuck with me through arguably some of the toughest years for restaurant

owners. I’ve made plenty of mistakes throughout this journey. Last summer, during the labor shortage and supply chain woes during a record setting tourist season, I made the mistake of not realizing that the level of business was not going to slow down. Constantly running at full steam ahead is not a sustainable way to operate any business. Going into this summer, I am not fighting the fact that the demand is going to be greater than the supply. I have greater respect for our limits and my focus will be keeping business at a manageable level for our teams.

To my 25 year old self, I would say, your time will come. Stop putting so much energy into proving yourself. Do the work. Trust your gut, your time will come. w

NAOMI’S FAVORITES:

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Vicino: The meatballs are ridiculous. We don’t need to talk about how many of those I’ve eaten over the past year. My favorite pizza is the Spicy Coppa or Margherita paired with a glass of Barbera.

Vine & Olive: it’s hands down the escargot paired with a glass of Bordeaux Blanc. Ours is a classic French execution.

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Move at Home

WITH JOYA!

Joya, owner of Sweat Nourish Bloom,

is a nutritionist and personal trainer who’s passion is helping people become all they were created to be. She believes that by incorporating sweat (movement), nourishment (mind, body, and spirit), then you will B L O O M in every area of your life.

I have created a training ebook called SWEAT that incorporates weight lifting and high intensity interval training in only 20 minutes or less a day. I think many of us can become overwhelmed with the thought of adding an hour of exercise every day after everything else going on in our lives if we want to see any progress which is just not true! I used to be that person who thought they needed hours of exercise to see progress until I became a mother and that simply was just not possible.. at least without sacrificing sleep, which wasn’t going to happen!! This is why I created this program, for mothers and other people who are busy! It can be done at home or the gym which is also convenient for mothers. 20 minutes of HIIT and weightlifting will help you get your SWEAT on so that you can get back to snuggling your babies, and/ or grinding in all the other areas of your lives.

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Challenge Yourself!

TRY THIS WORKOUT // THE 600 REP CHALLENGE

100x Alternating Lunges 100x Squats

100x Donkey Kicks

100x Plank with Side Toe Taps 100x Bridge Ups

25x Burpees

25x Jump Lunges 25x Jump Squats

kara’s corner

On a journey to feed me & my family whole food and live a more natural lifestyle & inspire YOU too!

@kara_thewholemomma

Being a mom to my 3 kiddos is by far

the most important and fulfilling job I could ever ask for. All 3 of them have such different personalities and each one is so wonderfully unique. They make my heart burst. I’m always trying to find new ways to create memories together while also encouraging healthy eating habits and having fun being active.

I don’t know about your kiddos, but mine are growing so quickly and it seems to come with an endless appetite. Whenever I put together a fun and colorful snack plate, it always gets gobbled up. They may not ask for carrots as a snack, but if they are out and available, they always get eaten! Here’s a fun snack plate we all enjoyed while playing a little (long) game of Monopoly.

Grocery shopping can be a fun way to have good conversations with your kids about why we put certain things in our cart over others. When I have a kiddo tag along I get asked at least once or twice if we can get something we normally don’t. It’s a great opportunity to explain why we make the healthiest choices we can, but that there is still room for fun extras here and there.

Making lunches for the kids has gotten easier over the years now that they know what to expect. I really try to prioritize making well balanced lunches for them. There’s always a fun little treat of some kind that they know they can have after everything else is finished. I always include fresh fruit and veggies that I know they will eat and like.

Being active and enjoying all the beauty that this area has to offer isn’t very hard. With lakes in every direction, we love to soak up lake time in the warm summer months. I try my best as a mom to encourage being active whether it’s hanging out with friends, participating in sports or just enjoying the beautiful area we live in. w