Jan House, owner
Bistro @ BoDo (formerly Koffee Klasch)
409 S 8th Street
Boise, Idaho 83702
Dear Ms. House,
I was born and raised in California, but I visit Idaho frequently, as my parents live there. For several years, one of the highlights of a trip to Boise was a meal at the Koffee Klatsch. My husband and I are vegetarians, and it was a place that we could go with my non-vegetarian parents and each find something we enjoyed. It reminded me of the Bay Area in many ways, with plants and paintings everywhere, live music and a generally laid-back atmosphere.
I almost did not believe my folks when they said the restaurant was closed for renovation. I was truly flabbergasted when they reported to me that it had reopened under new ownership as a bistro with wild game on the menu.
People often become vegetarians for environmental or ethical reasons. I have heard the argument made that focusing on locally grown food, including meat, is better for the environment than vegetarianism is. I have also heard it said that hunting is “good” for animals as a form of population control. I am a bit suspicious of the latter reasoning, and I simply can’t wrap my brain around the need or desire to kill creatures for food, display or profit when it is not necessary.
Leaving the debate on vegetarianism aside, I am left with a question. A review of your restaurant from a couple of months back cites a comment you made that you would like to sever the location’s associations with veggie food. You apparently are tired of people asking you about it. Why, I wonder, did you not simply open a Bistro in a different location and let the Koffee Klatsch retain the elements that made it special?
Alas, it looks as though my next meal out in Boise will be the old standby, veggie pizza.
Truly,
Liz Mann
