Travel: Visit the Basque World in Boise

Boise, Idaho, like all American cities, has its ethnic groups—Germans, Irish, Mexicans, Greeks, and more. But unlike almost all other American cities, its main ethnic group is one much less familiar to most of us—Basques.

Boise is home to the only Basque-language immersion preschool in the United States, as well as a college-level Basque studies program at the local state university. The current mayor, David Bieter, has Basque ancestors, and so does Ben Ysursa, the Idaho secretary of state. The city has one of North America’s largest concentrations of people who can trace their heritage to the Basque country of northern Spain, and their hospitality beguiles visitors. A stretch of Grove Street between Capitol Boulevard and 6th Street downtown is the heart of the community. Locally known as “the Basque Block,” it offers Basque-themed bars and restaurants, a museum, take-out food, and even a boarding house.

The 48-foot-long mural behind the Bank of America at Capitol Boulevard and Front Street is a good place to begin a visit. Designed by Bill Hueg and painted in just four days in July 2000, it recalls how Basques came to Idaho to work as sheepherders, and it pays homage to Gernika, Boise’s sister city in Euskadi, the Basque region. (Spelled as Guernica, it’s familiar as the city painted by Pablo Picasso after it was bombed by Nazi Germany in 1937.) The brightly costumed dancers in the mural are the Oinkari troupe, part of the North American Basque Organization. The accordion player is Jimmy Jausoro, a famed local musician who died in 2005.

From the mural, stroll up Capitol Boulevard toward the state capitol, then turn right onto Grove Street. On the corner, Gernika Basque Pub and Eatery has anchored the Basque Block since 1991. Dan Ansotegui runs the friendly spot, where you can enjoy savory croquetas and solomo sandwiches of marinated pork loin topped with pimientos.

The Basque Block is also graced by two large sculptures by the artist Ward Hooper. Somewhat resembling flags, these “laiak” actually represent farming implements. Grove Street is paved in muted shades of the red and green Basque country colors, and the sidewalks include engravings of Basque surnames, songs, poems and symbols.

Continuing away from Capitol Boulevard, peek into the Fronton Building at 619 Grove Street, which takes its name from the court where local Basques still play pelota, their version of handball. At 611 Grove Street, the Basque Museum and Cultural Center (open Tuesday through Saturday) offers interpretive exhibits on the Basque people. They have a strong seafaring heritage, and a new exhibit starting in late July will showcase sixteenth-century whalers who hunted their prey off the coasts of Labrador and Newfoundland. While you’re there, don’t miss the museum’s gift shop, with a wide variety of Basque-related items.

The museum also includes the house next door at 607 Grove Street, the Cyrus Jacobs-Uberuaga Boarding House, which dates back to 1864, the year Boise was founded. It’s the oldest brick building in town, though it wasn’t used as a boarding house until 1910. At one time, as many as 17 boarding houses catered to Basque immigrants, mostly along Grove and Idaho streets.

The boarding house tradition continues today at Leku Ona, at the corner of Grove and 6th streets. Leku ona means good place in Basque, and there’s a lively bar on the ground floor; fine dining upstairs featuring Basque specialties like paella and beef tongue; and five rooms priced from $65 to $85 across a courtyard. Next door, at 608 Grove Street, the Basque Market offers fine takeout food and wine from the Iberian Peninsula.

Not every business on the Basque Block is Basque. Midway between Grove and 6th streets, Bardenay, at 610 Grove Street, is a popular restaurant and distillery where small batches of vodka, rum, and gin are made on the premises. Another restaurant space nearby has had incarnations serving everything from pan-Asian fusion food to gourmet pizza. Right now it’s an upscale taqueria.

Nor is Boise’s modern Basque culture confined to the Block. Basque flags and bumper stickers are all around town, and the booming suburb of Meridian has its own Basque eatery, Epi’s. In fact, the Basque spirit of welcome is strong throughout southwest Idaho.

For more information on Boise’s Basque community, visit www.basquemuseum.com. General visitor information is available at www.boise.org or 800-635-5240.