Bouncing checks, this Boise restaurant closed. ‘Happy crying,’ new owner to take over
When it closed unexpectedly in April, a restaurant in Boise’s Hyde Park was bouncing paychecks.
Now the place is bouncing back.
The former Hyde House, 1607 N. 13th St., is on track to be reborn. The restaurant, which looks like a North End home, is slated to become Apericena on 13th, an Italian-inspired concept. Under new ownership, the restaurant and wine bar plans to soft open this month, according to its website.
“I am honored to have the privilege of taking over the previous Hyde House and restoring such a beautiful piece of Hyde Park’s history, notwithstanding its unfortunate close,” chef Danielle Christine wrote on the restaurant’s Instagram page.
Christine is the founder of meal delivery service Haute Foods, which caters to “the gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian crowds,” and is now based in the the same space, according to a note on its website.
Apericena on 13th plans to provide “casual, upscale European dining with a focus on fresh, local ingredients and seasonality.” Dishes will include versions of Christine’s “favorite Italian and French classics” such as cioppino, braised lamb bolognese, boeuf bourguignon, and escargot, plus gluten-free options including pasta.
Christine describes herself as “an artist, writer, and chef who has dreamed of opening restaurants since I was a little girl.”
“I have been happy crying for at least a month,” she wrote. “THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for all of your support. We can’t wait to feed you!”
Most Boiseans probably won’t be familiar with the word “apericena.” But they might recognize “aperitivo” — essentially Italian happy hour. A good way to think of “apericena,” according to Italianfix.com, “is that it’s a cross between the aperitivo and cena (which means “dinner” in Italian). While aperitivo is really more about the cocktails, apericena is basically the perfect middle ground between a full-blown dinner and some nibbles.”
Can we get an Idaho translation? Yes. Apericena on 13th says it will offer “a relaxing evening meal involving aperitives and tapas-style cuisine intended to share.”
A menu is not yet available — but theoretically shouldn’t be far off. “Online ordering coming soon,” the website promises.
Either way, a reinvention would be exciting news for Hyde Park, a popular neighborhood food-and-drink zone.
The Hyde House’s abrupt closure drew a storm of media attention after stunned employees complained of bounced paychecks and a co-owner not returning calls and messages.
Online: Apericenaon13th.com.
