Hemlock aims to be the best restaurant in the Treasure Valley. “And we’re knocking it out of the park,” said Scott Slater, who also owns Spitfire Tacos + Tequila in Eagle. “We’re striving to be the most beautiful restaurant with the best cocktail program, the best steaks, the best menu—the best food you can find—and the best experience.”
With Todd Ketlinski, Slater seeks to offer top tier dining—timeless elegance alongside a modern culinary sensibility that Slater credits in part to his wife, Thai Slater. “She was instrumental to the menu and design,” he said.
Slater explained that steakhouses tend to have a more limited menu because diners expect a certain kind of food. “But we can risk it a little bit more,” he said. “Our steaks are classic, but we’ve tried to be creative—to go off script a bit. A steakhouse has salt and fat, but we’ve tried to introduce heat and acid to present a well-rounded menu.”
Chef Nick Fisher, the sous chef at Richard’s, who formerly occupied the space, has stayed on as Hemlock’s sous chef. He joins executive chef Mike Anderson, who was the executive chef at Spitfire, and Drew Bent, a chef Slater has worked with previously.
With touches like tableside baked potato service and steak flights, the menu maintains a sense of joy that more traditional steakhouses may lack. Don’t miss the 8 oz Wagyu Zabuton, from Snake River Farms. Slater said the Zabuton is pretty much a Denver cut, which is a little nontraditional for a steakhouse. “But it has everything—good mouth feel, marbled fattiness, tons of flavor,” Slater said.
If you’re looking for something besides steak, try the chicken fried lobster tail or tartar, and don’t skip the carrots, broccolini, or mashed potatoes, which are innovatively spiced and buttery.
Feeling spirited? Enjoy a creative cocktail in an inspired atmosphere with art from Boise’s Sector 17 and fixtures from Boise Art Glass. Led by Tyler Armstrong, the cocktail program is as thoughtful as the larger menu and invites guests to consider the cocktail as a beginning and end to their meal (diners typically pair their steaks with wine).
“We’ve spent hours—and sobriety—to make these cocktails perfect,” laughed Slater. “In each cocktail, you’re going to experience a depth of flavor—a complete and complex experience.”
The restaurant, which seats 100, features live music seven nights a week and also offers banquet space and catering, with a rooftop patio and bar available for special events and is named in tribute to the Idaho native hemlock tree, which reflects a commitment to Idaho tradition. It is also a reference to the hemlock poison Socrates consumed to stay true to his values of wisdom, justice, and truth.
“There are so many awesome restaurateurs starting to bring the food scene to the next generation here,” said Slater. “We’re just the next one to push it over the edge.”
