Best of Moscow 2014

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best rental agency

2014

Palouse

properties

“I have had zero problems with them!

We picked them because the rent is cheap and they had tons of options, apartment-wise. The location is super close to campus, but the parking is terrible. But we don’t pay for water or Internet, which is nice!”

Keeping it local

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Moscow Farmers Market is colorful, welcoming

Jessica Brock

“They’re good. Wish they hadn’t let a family who hated us making noise but let their child scream all it wanted move in downstairs but besides that all good.”

Kris Nitsche

“Lots of my friends go through them and they said they’re great, so I decided to use them and they’re so great!

My (future) roommate is abroad and they’ve been super accommodating about emailing the lease to her and including her in the whole process.”

Aaron Bharucha

“They were always great to me.”

Zach Brink

“I always had good experiences with them — the rent is inexpensive, you can pay hassle-free online and they respond quickly to maintenance requests.”

Britt Kiser

“They’re a good and reliable company. The rent is a bit high but they fix things without questioning.”

Blythe Ellen

a local Muscovite, but I’ve Having grown up in never met a soul who’s told Moscow, it’s really no surprise to me that the Moscow me they felt out of place or unwelcome at the market.

Farmers Market won Best This welcoming and Event in The Argonaut’s Best overwhelmingly pleasant of Moscow poll. atmosphere is what Moscow has makes this small always had a little town market so different culture special. Everyone than the rest of is invited whether Idaho thanks to they want to hippiethe presence of two dance in Friendfour-year universiship Square to that ties in the area, Kaitlyn Krasselt Argonaut weeks selected and the Moscow entertainment, Farmers Market is an event that truly captures purchase their weekly supply of locally grown produce that personality. or simply window shop The Moscow Farmers the downtown businesses.

Market was established Rain or shine, there’s always in 1977 in an effort to smiles and a bustling vibe celebrate local farmers, that’s contagious on a Saturartists, craftspeople and day morning. musicians by providing In addition to the generthem with an opportunity to interact directly with the ally pleasant atmosphere of community and its visitors, the market, the good brought to the City of Moscow couraccording to the market tesy of a local farmers market mission statement. is unparalleled.

Although it occurs Farmers markets are every weekend from May an important part of the to October, the market is effort to restructure the ever changing and a little food system in the United different each time you go.

States. The sale of locally From the produce sold to grown produce and handthe people you meet while crafted goods to consumperusing the handmade ers in the area supports the jewelry, the farmers market local economy, minimizes is never the same market twice. Maybe it’s because I’m the presence of inorganic

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More info The Farmers Market takes place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday from May-Oct. It is located on Main Street and in Friendship Square.

foods in the diets of those who shop at the market, and promotes a generally healthy lifestyle.

The Moscow Farmers Market is especially beneficial to area residents because it is accessible by people of all social classes.

With a program called Shop the Market, area families can use EBT or SNAP benefits to purchase fresh produce, bread, meat, eggs, honey, plant starts and other food items from market vendors. Shoppers can visit the City Tent at the market to receive “Market Money,” which is accepted for approved purchases by vendors.

If that’s not welcoming and supportive of a local economy, healthy lifestyle and organic farming, I don’t know what is.

Kaitlyn Krasselt can be reached at arg-news@uidaho.edu

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Best weekend in moscow

2014

File photo by Philip Vukelich | Argonaut

Homecoming Committee Member Sarah Vetsmany announces the beginning of the kick-off scavenger hunt at the VandalStore plaza during University of Idaho’s 2013 Homecoming week.

Vandal pride shines Erin Bamer Argonaut

The 2013 chair of the homecoming committee, Jim Martinez, said he was humbled — but not surprised — to hear Homecoming Weekend was voted the best weekend to be in Moscow by Argonaut readers.

“The 2013 committee was very humbled to have Homecoming Weekend selected,” Martinez said.

“We definitely put a lot of work into it. The planning started a week after the 2012 Homecoming ended.”

The population of Moscow doubles at the beginning of every school year with the sudden influx of students. But during Homecoming Week, the crowd expands even further when family members and alumni arrive to participate in the festive events.

Martinez said the committee plans the annual events for a large number of attendees regardless of external circumstances. He said although it rained during many of the major activities last year, the university still saw a massive amount of people in attendance.

“My favorite event that’s a tradition is the bonfire,” Martinez said.

“It was pouring rain, but we still filled the (Kibbie) Dome’s parking lot. I think it brings everyone together. It brings in Greek students, people that live in the residence halls and it brings off-campus students.”

UI freshman Courtney Church said she took Homecoming Weekend off at work to participate in the activities and that the homecoming football game was the only game she attended all year.

“That was the first time I ever saw the marching band,” Church said. “I was super impressed. The UI band is really cool and the Homecoming Halftime Show is probably the best part.”

Although UI’s football team doesn’t have a reputation for winning games, the 2013 homecoming football game was one where the Vandals came out victorious. When the clock ran out — and UI officially defeated Temple University — junior Kayla Stirm said the win fulfilled one of the goals she had as a college student.

“I remember it was exciting, because in the three years that I’ve been in college that was the first home game that I went to that we actually won,” Stirm said. “That was

great. I was looking forward to that.

I feel like my college experience is complete because I’ve been to a winning homecoming game.”

Win or lose — UI students continue to attend many football games. Martinez said he attributes the continually high attendance to Vandal pride.

“I’ve heard that phrase since before I became a student here,” Martinez said. “But it actually means something more when you start to call Moscow your home… I think that no matter what the sport is… I think that everyone can be proud about the work that other Vandals are doing.”

Church said there’s a certain merit with having Vandal pride, and defined it as standing behind a team that doesn’t always win.

Stirm agreed, but said Vandal pride goes deeper than that.

“Vandal pride is school spirit,” Stirm said. “It’s being a Vandal through and through, like being proud of your school even if our football team isn’t the greatest. Your school is more than football team.”

Erin Bamer can be reached at arg-news@uidaho.edu

Cinco De Mayo $3.00 Coronas $3.00 Bartender’s Choice Top Shelf Tequila $3.00 Margaritas on the rocks

Open to Close

Cinco De Casa Find us on Facebook

(208)883-0536 415 S. Main St. Moscow, ID 83843

Online menu at lacasalopez.com

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Best scenic view

2014

Spring 2014

Seven must-do activities at the Arboretum Picnic There is nothing more romantic or relaxing than sharing a home-cooked meal surrounded by lush vegetation and the rolling hills of the Palouse. Bring a blanket, picnic basket and a loaf of French bread to experience the best outdoor feast even five star restaurants can’t supply.

headphones and sit under one of the hundreds of trees to cram for final exams.

Workout

Whether it’s jogging the trails or reaching the full potential of your Warrior III Pose — the calmness that comes with the botanical gardens located at the south end of the Arboretum is nothing short of peaceful. Grab your Amber Emery Frisbee Argonaut yoga mat or dumbbells Anyone can toss a and head to the serene disk. Try mixing it up by expanse and learn a new meaning meeting with friends at the Arboof satisfaction. retum to play Ultimate Frisbee. If the hilly landscape isn’t challeng- Stargazing ing enough, the trees are bound to Away from all the noise and send you diving for the catch. lights of downtown Moscow lays

Photo shoot

With the many selfies posted on Instagram and Facebook, it’s a wonder why more don’t have an artistic background. Bring a camera and take some photos — whether they’re snapshots of your afternoon or senior portraits, the background is one of a kind. If you’re lucky, a rabbit might jump in and photo-bomb you.

Study Most of the academic year is cold and wet, which doesn’t make for an inspirational study session.

But when the snow melts, the sun comes out and the grass turns green, the Arboretum can have a soothing effect on stressed-out college students. Plug in your

a quiet place to study the constellations of the night sky. Whether you’re bringing a significant other, a group of friends or lying beneath the stars alone — the Arboretum offers a beautiful place to view the stellar happenings of the universe.

Travel the world A fact most don’t know about the Arboretum is that its plantings are arranged by geographic location. It’s separated into four sections: Asia, Europe, Eastern North America and Western North America. Take a stroll beneath the Asian lilacs, through the European roses and emerge at the Western Red Cedars overlooking a pond.

Amber Emery can be reached at arg-news@uidaho.edu

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best grocery store

2014

Operation:

WinCo

One woman dares to take on the aisles of Moscow’s favorite grocery Mission: Granny Smith grab a green basket from apples, elbow noodles, the stack. Staring me in the coffee. face are the rows of chips Time limit: six minutes. just begging to be snatched It is Friday afterup. The Flamin’ noon in Moscow.

Hot Cheetos are so As I’m driving tempting, but I’ve my green Chevy got a mission to Lumina toward complete and each WinCo, I mentally second wasted kick myself for deon deciding if I ciding I just can’t Emily Vaartstra should risk the Argonaut live without my calories, the longer afternoon cup of it takes for that home-brewed coffee. I’m hot, bold, satisfying cup of about to walk into one of coffee to hit my lips. the busiest grocery shopWithout looking back, I ping days at Moscow’s fa- continue left to the produce vorite grocery store. section where I find beautiBut I have to have my ful Granny Smith apples. I coffee and I’m not one to pick one up and carefully back out of a mission. examine it for any bruises, Just as I turn into the scabs or strange colors, parking lot, luck is already but the bright green skin on my side as a white truck is flawless. Since I eat one backs out of a prime parking a day — you know, to keep space. I pull my car in, shut the doctor away — I repeat of the engine and make a the ritual seven more times, beeline for the entrance. give the bag a spin and tie I check my phone for the the top in a knot before time — 3:52 p.m. That gives placing it in the basket and me six minutes to grab my heading to the pasta aisle. three items and be home by But, the aroma coming 4 p.m. to start brewing that from the deli is intoxicating cup of joe.

— it wouldn’t hurt to check I pass up the carts and it out. As I swiftly walk

Before I realize what is happening, I’m standing in a line, drooling over the heavenly scent of the roasted bird.

Emily Vaartstra

over, a WinCo employee is placing a full bin of baked chicken into the warmer.

Before I realize what is happening, I’m standing in a line, drooling over the heavenly scent of the roasted bird. When my turn arrives, I ask the man for one baked chicken thigh.

He plops it in a bag, weighs it and sends me on my way.

My phone reads 3:56 p.m. I’ve wasted too much time already. I weave my way through customers down the soup and pasta aisle to snatch a box

of elbow noodles for my peanut butter chicken pasta dish. In the distance, I can see the very top of the coffee bean display. Eye on the prize.

I force myself to ignore the ice cream freezers and finally arrive at the coffee.

Without an ounce of hesitation, I whip out a bag and place it under the Rocket Java bold roast blend, filling it until it can barely close.

Then I dump the beans in the grinder and let it work its magic. The mission is nearly complete.

With all three items (plus a chicken thigh) in my basket, I can almost hear the victory music. That is, until I approach the checkout and see the hordes of people — even the self-checkout has a line. The time on my phone changes from 3:58 to 3:59.

I’ve already lost.

What the heck. I head to the wine aisle, grab my favorite bottle of Moscato, find a line and wait.

Mission accomplished.

Emily Vaartstra can be reached at arg-news@uidaho.edu

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best off-campus study spot

best coffee shop

2014

2014

Nathan Romans | Argonaut

Libby Silva, a barista at One World Cafe, serves up a 12 ounce double mocha to a customer.

Local flavors, friendly faces Danielle Wiley Argonaut

It’s late in the afternoon, classes are over and all you need is a strong cup of coffee aand a good place to study. In Moscow, there’s a place on the corner that can give you both of those and more.

Located on Sixth Street and Main Street, One World Cafe serves locally roasted coffee from Troy, as well as wine, beer and local food from the Moscow Food Co-op and other stores in town. The front of the cafe is open with large windows that look out onto the street and the walls are covered in local art, while the building’s natural brick is exposed in the floor and walls.

According to Robin Tucker, a long-time employee of One World Cafe, the welcoming atmosphere makes the coffee shop unique and likable to patrons.

“I think it’s the people who come here, we get such a diverse crowd,” Tucker said. “We have churches that meet every week in the backroom … everyone

just feels welcomed here.”

Tucker has worked at One World Cafe for the last seven years. She’s been through college and is a single mom. Tucker said her bosses at the shop have been accommodating.

“I get to see hundreds of people every day. Basically, I work in a fishbowl,” she said. “I can always see what’s going on outside and the weather … and I love making coffee.”

One World Cafe opened in March 2005, after Brandy Sullivan and her husband Jack partnered with Nicole and Steffen Werner to open their dream coffee shop. Brandy said that at the time she, her husband and the Werner’s had young children.

The soon-to-be owners noticed there wasn’t a place in town where people could go work or see friends that was also child friendly.

“It just kind of happened over a dinner party one time, a bunch of us just came up with a vision of this place we’d like to see in Moscow,” Sullivan said. “We

never thought it was going to be something that we would do. But then some people we knew said ‘hey there’s this place for rent … they need tenants and it’d be a great place for a coffee shop.’”

Sullivan said over the past nine years in business, One World Cafe has evolved along with the rest of downtown Moscow.

“There are definitely things that we didn’t anticipate, but we are definitely happy with,” Sullivan said. “It meets the range of needs of the population … like high school students we didn’t have them in mind at all at first.”

Sullivan and Tucker both said there are a variety of people that enjoy themselves at the shop.

“It has a very accepting sort of vibe to it,” Sullivan said.

Tucker said she and the other employees try to read the shop and tune the atmosphere to fit the mood of its customers. If the customers seem to be mellow or studying, they play calm music.

If the crowd seems lively and chatty, playing new and upbeat

music is the way to go.

Sullivan and Tucker said the cafe’s coffee comes from LandGrove Coffee — a roaster located in Troy run by husband and wife Hannah and Jon Binninger.

“When we found the Binningers we loved the idea of them being so close and fresh,” Sullivan said.

Tucker ensured that all the coffee was both organic and fair trade for the conscious customer.

Brandy said One World Cafe also serves beer and local wines.

She said there’s a high demand for alcoholic drinks and that offering it creates an alternative to a bar, where adults can grab a drink and still bring their family or friends along.

The café hosts many events.

The first Thursday of every month there’s a live Irish band that plays. There are open mic nights, live events and art shows.

Tucker said the Master of Fine Arts program from UI does a reading event once a semester that is popular among UI students, staff and faculty.

Great food and a calm atmosphere aside, Sullivan and Tucker believe the real success of the cafe comes from the downtown community and its “neighboring businesses.” Tucker said there’s little competition among the different shops and restaurants, but instead a cooperation between everyone.

Sullivan said they’re always willing to help another business in need of supplies and that they’ve borrowed things from other stores and vice versa.

“We all try to support each other,” Tucker said. “It’s like calling your neighbor for a cup of sugar,” Sullivan added.

Students are welcomed with open arms at One World Cafe, along with the rest of the Moscow community.

“The thing about the students is … it keeps things always changing … they bring in different ideas, talents, arts and passions in here,” Sullivan said.

Danielle Wiley can be reached at arg-news@uidaho.edu

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A corner of Italy

best pizza

2014

Ryan Tarinelli Argonaut

When George Skandalos and Carly Lilly, co-owners and chefs at Maialina Pizzeria Napoletana, were tasked with developing a name for their new restaurant, they decided to name it after Lilly’s affectionate nickname — pig.

“Maialina means little female piglet,” Skandalos said. “She’s tiny, probably weighs 115 pounds, but she eats like a little piglet.”

Skandalos said the inspiration for the pizzeria came from his and Lilly’s passion for authentic Neapolitan pizza.

He said they saw a need in the community for a Neapolitan pizzeria that used local ingredients and gave diners an authentic experience.

“We wanted to do traditional Neapolitan pizza and everything that that entails,” Skandalos said.

Maialina makes its own pasta everyday, Skandalos said, and imports fresh meats and cheeses from Italy to add to the authentic nature.

Jesse Smith, a waiter and bartender at Maialina, said the pizzeria imports all of its wine from Italy, and has 150 different wines on its menu. He said it’s not uncommon for the chefs to design a menu item with a specific wine in mind to complement the meal.

Orin Ford, cuisine chef and general manager, said Maialina uses locally grown organic produce and works with seasonal ingredients from local farmers.

He said they work closely with the Moscow Farmers Market, and often buy herbs and plants from local foragers.

Skandalos said Maialina buys pigs from a farm in Colfax, Washington, to make their own Italian sausage, and

Katy Kithcart | Argonaut

Maialina Pizzeria Napoletana is best known for its pizza. Located off of Main Street, Maialina often has many customers. works in conjunction with local farmers to plan out specialized produce.

Skandalos said Maialina’s strong relationship with farmers allows them to use top quality ingredients.

“We literally have days when stuff is coming out of the ground and is going into the food that evening,” Skandalos said.

Skandalos said the biggest challenge Maialina has faced since opening is getting people to try a different style of pizza besides American pizza. He said Neapolitan pizzas are individual, have a thin crust and are not weighed down with toppings.

“It’s not super loaded with toppings, it’s more about really good quality ingredients,” Skandalos said. “Getting people to overcome their skepticism and just try it has been one of those things.”

Despite the initial uncertainty, Skandalos said the community response has been overwhelmingly positive and the restaurant has continued to stay busy

since its opening in January 2013.

Skandalos said Maialina chefs have done an extensive amount of research on how to create an authentic Neapolitan pizza. He said he traveled to Italy last summer to conduct further research.

Ford said Maialina chefs also ate at a several different wood-fire pizzerias in Seattle to be exposed to new pizzas and ingredients.

“We did a lot of work, because we wanted to do this thing justice,” Skandalos said.

Skandalos said when the corner location on Sixth Street and Main Street opened up, Lilly and he saw it as an opportunity to house their new restaurant, and renovate a key part of downtown Moscow.

“When this location became available about three years ago, we thought it had a lot of potential. Back then, the building was very dilapidated,” Skandalos said. “We could justify spending money on it to make it a restaurant, and

we could fix up this corner that was an eyesore in town.”

Skandalos said he and Lilly, who are also co-owners and chefs of the local Peruvian restaurant, Sangria Grill, spent two years renovating the building before opening Maialina.

Skandalos said Lilly repurposed many local materials in the construction process of Maialina. He said the bricks seen throughout the restaurant were repurposed from an old schoolhouse, and a large dinner table was carved out of an Elm tree that fell in a windstorm in East City Park years ago.

As for the future of Maialina, Skandalos said he hopes the pizzeria continues to make quality pizza using locally sourced produce.

“For us, we just want to keep doing what we are doing, and just get better,” Skandalos said.

Ryan Tarinelli can be reached at arg-news@uidaho.edu

best mexican food

2014

Jackson Flynn | Argonaut

Every Wednesday La Casa Lopez on Main Street has mouth-watering deals on their fantastic drinks.

Keeping it Casa Moscow’s La Casa Lopez takes the titles for best Mexican restaurant, best weekday drink special

Amber Emery Argonaut

The Argonaut-voted best Mexican restaurant in Moscow is home to complimentary bean dip, salsa and tortilla chips, as well as a birthday tradition of sombrero wearing. If that isn’t unique enough, there’s also enough food on each plate to warrant a take-home box.

La Casa Lopez is a family-owned restaurant that brings flavors and customs of Mexico to Moscow’s dinner table.

Mitchell Lopez is the manager and part owner of the establishment and said his parents opened up the restaurant years ago in hopes of offering authentic Mexican cuisine — which he said makes up three-fourths of the menu.

“Since my family has been in the restaurant business since the early ‘80s, we know food,” Lopez said. “There’s a lot of stuff (on the menu) that we eat at home and my grandma makes at home. For example, we serve Pozole. That’s my grandma’s recipe and she lives in Mexico.”

Lopez said they “rolled

Since my family has been in the restaurant business since the early ‘80s, we know food.

There’s a lot of stuff (on the menu) that we eat at home and my grandma makes at home.

Mitchell Lopez, Manager, Owner

the dice” upon opening, because his parents decided to give the community flavors that couldn’t be found at the local Taco Bell. Some of the most popular dishes include fajitas, carne asada, pollo crema and gringas.

In trying to create a fun and welcoming atmosphere, Lopez said his family focused on food,

customer service and consistency. He said it’s paid off, because people of all walks of life keep coming back.

“You have a party of eight college kids, but then you have a family sitting next to them,” Lopez said.

“We make sure we keep it as family-oriented as possible. Even in the bar, we don’t allow anybody to get really, really rowdy.”

The long-standing, rusty brick wall exposure paired with pottery and decor shipped straight from Mexico makes La Casa Lopez a truly Latin experience.

“All of the stuff literally came in a doublewide semi from Tonala, Jalisco, Mexico,” Lopez said. “It’s known throughout the entire country as the pottery-artisan mecca, and it’s literally an hour away from my grandma’s house.”

An interesting layout coupled with one-ofkind dishes makes for a well-known name in the Moscow community — where over half of its population lives on a comeand-go basis.

“The UI brings us about, normally about, a

More info La Casa Lopez is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

good 50 to 60 percent of our business,” Lopez said.

“About 30 percent is probably going to be WSU and the rest is the community.”

Lopez said he and his family are eternally grateful for all of the admiration the community gives to La Casa Lopez. In a town filled with small, locally owned businesses, Lopez said La Casa Lopez is only one of the many great restaurants occupying the Moscow area.

“All of the restaurant tours in the area, we’re really good friends,” Lopez said. “So we don’t believe we’re in competition with each other, we believe that the pie is big enough for everybody.

We just have to make sure to keep that pie and nobody else takes it.”

Amber Emery can be reached at arg-news@uidaho.edu

By the numbers

500-1,000

Number of margaritas La Casa Lopez sells on an average Wednesday

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flavors of margarita to chose from.

The most popular flavors are lime, strawberry and blackberry.

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best weekday drink special

2014

Margarita Wednesday The margaritas are made from scratch. La Casa Lopez does not use a generic mix.

Large vats are used to create La Casa Lopez margaritas. Once all of the ingredients are put into the vat, it sits for a day or two before serving, so the components chemically combine and ferment.

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Early morning community

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best breakfast

2014

The Breakfast Club cooks up best breakfast for another year George Wood Jr. Argonaut

The Breakfast Club has once again won the hearts of Vandals — it was voted “the best place to eat breakfast in Moscow.” Boasting a large selection of menu items including savory cinnamon roll pancakes, freshly baked huckleberry zucchini bread, hearty stuffed biscuits and gravy and even a plate with a smorgasbord of ingredients dubbed “the Kitchen Sink.”

The food is both delicious and creative in its execution. The atmosphere of the restaurant and the way it runs its business also played a role in why so many Argonaut readers choose The Breakfast Club as their breakfast destination.

Breakfast Club General Manager Griffin Rod said part of the restaurant’s success is how close the restaurant stays to Moscow’s roots.

“We are a tight-run business that works a lot with the local community,” Rod said. “To be continually on top of everyone’s list, I think that speaks volumes about the loyalty of our clientele, and the consistency at which we deliver a quality product.”

Rod said The Breakfast Club works with Sage Bakery Co. in Lewiston, the WinCo in Moscow and receives huckleberries from Bonners Ferry. Rod is also in contact with a farm in Vermont which supplies maple syrup and is close with a Moscow baker who delivers gluten-free bread that is an integral part of the

George Wood Jr. | Argonaut

Michael Salmon, a cook at The Breakfast Club, finishes a few dishes for servers to pick up and deliver to customers. The Breakfast Club has won Best Breakfast for the third year in a row in The Argonaut’s annual Best of Moscow survey. expansive gluten-free menu the restaurant offers to customers.

The restaurant gives their chefs creative freedom to surprise customers with a new, unique breakfast special daily.

The flexibility is also coupled with a menu that changes based on the season. Rod said whenever customers have requests for specials offered in the past — or wants a variation of current menu items — the restaurant will always accommodate.

The Breakfast Club also ups the ante for the Moscow breakfast scene by offering signature breakfast complements like the Vandal Pepper Sauce and Wild Huckleberry Syrup, which are exclusively created and sold in the restaurant.

“We make everything to order. If we have the ingredients in-house, we can create it,” Rod said.

The employees are friendly — greeting regular customers

by name — and Rod said this courtesy plays a huge role in the success of The Breakfast Club.

He said management strives to give its employees feelings of pride and loyalty in the business they work for.

“This place is great to work at, we’re like a family of brothers and sisters,” said Tabii Best, an employee at The Breakfast Club.

Linda Cronquist is a Breakfast Club regular, who dines there once or twice a week, she said

that while she enjoys the food, a big part of the restaurant’s appeal is how it includes the customers in the family as well.

“They greet me at the door and sit me down at my favorite spot and there have been times I have sat down and they had breakfast waiting for me,” Cronquist said. “You can find friends here.”

George Wood Jr. can be reached at arg-news@uidaho.edu

The Argonaut

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University of Idaho students Hunter Smith and Dylan Kinyon knock back some shots on this week’s Blue Monday. Blue Mondays are a weekly special at the Garden.

best bar

2014

Cheap drinks, games, comfy couches Andrew Deskins Argonaut

There are 77 reasons The Garden Lounge was voted the “best bar in Moscow” by Argonaut readers. You can find them all on the establishment’s menu and they’ll only cost you $2.75 each on Monday nights.

From old standbys like the Long Island Iced Tea, to shooters like the Red Headed Slut, you’ll find them all on the Blue Monday specials list at The Garden. The veteran bartenders — even the least experienced one still has seven years behind a bar — can make any drink you order with ease.

Blue Monday isn’t the only special during the week — there is top-shelf Tuesday, Wednesday happy hour and

thirsty Thursday. If you work in the service industry, or if Bloody Mary’s or Clam Diggers are your thing, check out the Sunday specials. Even a broke college student can afford to go to The Garden, as long as they schedule their drinking day accordingly.

Located in the historic Hotel Moscow building on Main Street, The Garden has an atmosphere one won’t find at any other bar in Moscow. The split-level layout is open and spacious, and it has a sophisticated feel to it. Simply put, most students agree The Garden is a cool place to hang out.

That being said, The Garden isn’t a place for dancing.

“We don’t have a dance floor, and we

only have two pool tables,” said Bill Cole, Garden manager and bartender. “What we focus on is providing you with great service — a great drink at a great price. The rest is kind of up to you.”

Complete with two bars and plenty of seating, The Garden is a great place to meet up with old friends or make new ones. Drinks flow freely and social interaction tends to be uninhibited and fun.

It doesn’t hurt that background music is never overpowering — if it is being played at all. If you do run out of things to talk about, head to the game cupboard and to play card games, Jenga or Battleship.

There is usually a range of ages on any given night. Students tend to be the majority of patrons but it isn’t uncommon to see

community members and even professors at The Garden. There is something charming about sitting down and having a drink with a professor and it can make for an interesting night out.

University of Idaho student Max Cowan said the people are the best part about a night at The Garden.

“Everyone’s a hoot,” Cowan said.

If you still aren’t sold on spending your hard-earned drinking money at The Garden, then consider this: they have a Lord of the Rings pinball machine. Can you really think of something better to do on Friday night then getting tipsy and saving Middle-Earth?

Andrew Deskins can be reached at arg-news@uidaho.edu

Best of Moscow

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Best rental agency: Palouse Properties

Best bar: The Garden Lounge

Best weekday drink special and best Mexican food: La Casa Lopez

Best place to study and best coffee: One World Cafe

Best late night snack: Moscow Bagel and Deli

Best breakfast: The Breakfast Club

Where the best are A visual guide to the Best of Moscow

Best lunch: Mikey’s Gyro

Best pizza: Maialinia Pizzeria Napoletana

Best event: Farmers Market

Spring 2014

Best grocery store: WinCo

Best movie theater: Village Centre Cinemas

The Argonaut

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Bagels:

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There are three phases of the Friday night scene in Moscow.

First, college students flock from their responsibilities to the bars.

Second, students gradually file out of bars, where smoking and socializing ensues. Third, there’s only one place — it would seem — where students want to round out their evening.

It’s 1:23 a.m. on a Saturday morning and Moscow Bagel and Deli is packed from wall to postercovered wall and out the front door.

At least half the patrons are sporting blankets and pajamas, while everyone is loud, talkative and in a great mood. It’s behind the tall counter where three men work at breakneck speed that the magic happens.

A bagel from the shop is a coveted delicacy. Meats, cheeses, veggies and sauce piled on toasty bagels in every conceivable combination. Running late to work?

Bagel for breakfast. Got an hour between classes? Bagel for lunch.

Hungry, bored, happy or sad, hanging out with friends, going on a date, showing your parents around town or entering phase three of the Moscow Friday night scene between 7 a.m. and 3 a.m.?

It’s a no-brainer — time to head to The Bagel Shop.

The Bagel Shop has been a Moscow favorite since it was founded in 2006, and there’s no shortage of reasons why. The bagel connoisseurs are always friendly.

It’s brightly lit, with the brick walls plastered with the posters of local bands and ears receive a steady stream of good music. There’s one reason students say they keep coming back to the shop — the Moscow Bagel.

There’s the Sweaty Teddy made

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Hannah Shirley Argonaut

Best late night snack

2014

with turkey, cream cheese, bacon, Colby cheese, smoked cheddar, lettuce, tomato, sprouts and mayo.

The Nicky Boy, made of meatballs, provolone, lettuce and tomato topped with parmesan peppercorn dressing.

The CLAYBOY is pieced together by turkey, muenster, sprouts, tomato, avocado and honey mustard.

The Donkey Punch is a sandwich of chicken salad, onions, BBQ sauce and smoked cheddar.

The Capt’n Larry — a student favorite — is a concoction of bacon, gouda, dill Havarti, muenster, mushrooms, tomato and avocado with parmesan peppercorn dressing.

There’s a bagel for everyone, tucked away somewhere on the shop’s overwhelmingly long menu. Moscow Bagel and Deli isn’t just a sandwich shop — it’s an experience. Leaving the Bagel Shop at 1:56 a.m. with not a single person in sight who isn’t talking, laughing or grinning from ear to ear — it’s the easiest thing in the world to see.

Hannah Shirley can be reached at arg-news@uidaho.edu

Hannah Shirley | Argonaut

Students like Beck Shepherd (bottom) enjoy a stop at Moscow Bagel and Deli early April 19. Locally referred to as “The Bagel Shop,” Moscow Bagel and Deli was voted Best Late Night Snack for 2014.

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Best place for lunch

Moscow’s best qualities intersect at Mikey’s Gyros

2014

Daniel Durand Argonaut

Gyro meat, tzatziki sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion on a pita — this is the formula for the gyro, a classic Greek sandwich that dates back to the 19th century according to “The Cambridge World History of Food, Volume 2.”

Mikey’s Gyros, located on 527 S. Main St., has been around since the 1980s. It’s put a unique spin on the timeless dish and the restaurant has built its own special place in the Moscow community.

“I think it’s definitely the combination of low prices and the quality of our food,” said Louise Todd, vice-president and manager of Mikey’s. “We use fresh ingredients, our soups are all homemade in-house, our dressing, we do like our big dishes like our spinach pie and baklava, so all of that stuff is made here.”

Todd said the menu has stayed simple —and more or less the same — since Mikey himself founded the restaurant as a gyro cart back in 1981. There have only been about 10 permanent menu items that didn’t stick, along with a few special items offered temporarily.

The restaurant emphasizes local ingredients and homemade foods. Mikey’s purchases all of its falafel from Moscow’s own MaryJanesFarm. Todd said Mikey’s was MaryJane’s first customer in the area.

As for the gyros themselves, some ingredients have to come from outside the community.

Mina Ashkannejhad, a

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Pita people

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Nathan Romans | Argonaut

Sliced gyro meat comes straight from the vertical broiler and into a pita at Mikey’s Gyros. The gyro meat is made off beef and lamb.

Mikey’s employee who calls herself a “gyro-slinger,” said the meat used in the restaurant’s gyros — a special combination of beef, lamb, and spices — is manufactured in only two places in the U.S., and has to be ordered. The meat comes in large

containers of about 30 pounds, of which Mikey’s can use at least two a day.

Ashkannejhad said it’s typical for there to be a line of eager customers that extends outside and into the street.

Although it’s popular, not

everyone is willing to try the gyro meat, Ashkannejhad said.

For those people, Mikey’s also offers other varieties of pita with chicken or vegetarian options, as well as hummus, spanakopita and Greek salads.

To wash it down, Mikey’s

serves the dishes alongside super-cheap beer from local breweries, such as Paradise Creek, McCall Brewing Company, Trickster and Laughing Dog. “My personal philosophy is not to carry beers from more than 300 miles away,” Todd said.

“I think in the Pacific Northwest we can be serviced by a lot of awesome beer selection and we don’t have to go outside and carry things like Sam Adams, and increase our carbon footprint.”

Mikey’s hosts good food and drinks with quality entertainment. The restaurant has a backroom used for live shows, and over the last few years has partnered with Stereopathic Presents to bring in musical talent like Angel Olsen and Cian Nugent, who performed on March 8.

“Once a month they can bring in bands or whatever, and that way, then I’m just basically renting out the space and it’s less of me trying to sort through bands that want to play here,” Todd said. “They get to take care of it all, and they have a specific sound that they cater to.”

Mikey’s is many things — a musical venue, a local business and a great lunch destination.

But whether a person eats there, works there or is just one of the many people Todd said use the restaurant as a thoroughfare to get from one street to the next, Mikey’s is a keystone for the Moscow community and place that people care about.

Daniel Durand can be reached at arg-news@uidaho.edu

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best movie theater

2014

More info Pricing Matinee’ prices for students in $7.50. Evening pricing for students is $9.50. There’s a $3.00 charge for all 3D movies.

Movies out right now The Other Woman Brick Mansions Disney’s Bears A Haunted House 2 Transcendence Heaven is for Real Rio 2 Draft Day Oculus Captain America: The Winter Soldier Muppets Most Wanted Noah Divergent Mr. Peabody

Hannah Sandoval | Argonaut

Hannah Larsen and Damian Thorton prepare the concessions before the first showing at the Village Centre Cinemas on Friday afternoon. The theater features newly released major motion pictures for the Moscow community.

Vandals head to the Village Danielle Wiley Argonaut

Summer is close and students can already taste the sunshine, freedom, ice cream and barbequed favorites. For students staying in Moscow, one of the highlights of summer will be all of Hollywood’s newest releases hitting the Village Centre Cinema.

The theater was voted as the “best place to catch a movie” by Argonaut readers. It’s the newest in the chain of movie theaters

2014 Best of Moscow

Runner Ups Best Moscow weekend

Mardi Gras Best off-campus

and there are two more located in Lewiston and Pullman. The theater is home to five screens and is run by 13 employees, many University of Idaho students.

Damian Thornton, the manager of the Village Centre Cinema, believes the theater was voted Moscow’s best because it releases the latest movies as they become available.

“Compared to the Kenworthy or the SUB on campus, we get movies in a little bit more timely, more new movies,”

study spot and best coffee shop

Bucer's Coffeehouse Pub Best bar

Corner Club Best movie theater

Kenworthy Theatre

Thornton said.

The Moscow Village Centre Cinema has been open since October 2010. It replaced an older movie theater, after the previous owners moved out.

Thornton said there are many specials the theater has that students are unaware of. On Tuesdays, students who bring their school ID receive matinee’ pricing throughout the evening.

Another special Thornton mentioned is the discounted pricing of older

Best scenic view

Moscow Mountain Best late night snack

Grub Truck Best rental agency

Hill Rental Properties

movies — the last three nights a movie plays in the theater the full ticket price drops.

Danielle Wiley can be reached at arg-news@uidaho.edu

Best Moscow event

Hemp Fest, Renaissance Fair and TabiKat Productions Drag Shows Best weekday drink special

Patty's Mexican Restaurant Best grocery store

Moscow Co-op

Best breakfast

Blue Monday at the Garden Lounge

Bloom

Best lunch and best Mexican food

Gambino’s

Best pizza

Best of Moscow

16

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