Orchard House Restaurant in Caldwell caught my eye as I was driving on an afternoon trip to some of the Sunnyslope wineries. A busy parking lot was a good sign, with an even better sign the large ‘Fresh Baked Pies’ sign next to the front door. Inside, you passed through the bakery area to a comfortable, homey dining area. A quick perusal of the menu told me all I needed to know—they had Idaho’s own special dish, Finger Steaks.
The smiling server mentioned that the soup of the day was a Mushroom Bisque and highly recommended it. The bisque came in a nice cup, the thick bisque with its dark rich color broken by plenty of chunks of fresh mushrooms in it. The bisque was very tasty, certainly one of the better ones I’ve had. It was a good start to a nice meal.
The Finger Steaks, as do most of the other dishes, come with fries, tots or potato wedges. An optional upgrade gets you onion rings, sweet potato fries, a garden salad or a cup of soup. The wedges are not a usual item on most menus so they were the side of choice. Shortly, a nice basket was served, with the finger steaks, a nice slab of garlic toast and the requisite cocktail sauce. The Orchard House Restaurant in Caldwell hand cuts their finger steaks from a flatiron steak and hand breads them. As opposed to many places, they use an actual breading instead of just dipping them in batter.
The finger steaks at the Orchard House Restaurant in Caldwell were very good. The breading was nice, the panko crumbs adding a nice crunch. The breading did fall off some more than some other places, but this was balanced by the steak being juicy and not overcooked like many places do to try to keep the breading on. The flavor on the finger steaks was also very nice when dipped into the cocktail sauce. The potato wedges were excellent, nicely seasoned and crisp on the outside with a creamy, hot center.
The Seared Salmon Salad at the Orchard House Restaurant in Caldwell was a delicious mélange of nice leafy greens, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, scallions and crumbled feta cheese. It came with a nice balsamic vinegar dressing. Topping the salad was a nice filet of wild Alaskan salmon, cooked perfectly to medium so it flaked nicely but still was juicy. The salmon was simply seasoned with salt and pepper so the flavor of the fish really came out. This was a very impressive salad and a must if you love salmon.
Even before I had walked in, that ‘Fresh Baked Pies’ sign was calling to me. Being a big fan of fresh pies, I knew I had to try a slice. My guest suggested we share a slice, but I really wanted a whole one. I ordered the fresh pear pie, which my server said was their best seller. I also asked about the cherry pie, which is made with a blend of fresh cherries as well as packaged cherries. A tough decision, but the idea of an unusual pear pie that’s the favorite at the Orchard House Restaurant in Caldwell made my decision for me. My guest ordered one of their other popular pies, the coconut cream pie. The server said it was her personal favorite, so it was hard to beat that recommendation.
A few minutes later, my server came out with a sad face. The pear pies had sold out and the new ones had come out of the oven, but needed an hour or so of cooling. I ordered the cherry pie and prepared for eating my favorite type of pie. A few minutes later, she returned with two nice slices of pie. The coconut pie was rich and creamy, with a nice custard that wasn’t too sweet.
The cherry pie was excellent, the combination of the different cherries adding great flavor and texture. The lattice crust was perfect, crispy and yet tender. On the way out, I asked about the pear pie. They brought one out for a photograph for me. On my next trip, I hope to have a slice of the fresh pear pie. Or maybe two!
The Orchard House Restaurant in Caldwell is open seven days for lunch and dinner and six days for breakfast. The menu has a nice selection of breakfast items including a breakfast sandwich, omelets, pancakes and Swedish Pancakes, several variations of Eggs Benedict and a Flatiron Steak and Eggs. Lunch items include several burgers, a Grilled Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, Fish Tacos, and a house-made Meatloaf Sandwich. Dinner tends towards some nice entrees, including Idaho Red Trout, a Marinated Portabello Mushroom (vegetarian friendly), a Rib Eye Steak, Spinach and Shrimp Salad, pastas and a Chicken Fried Steak. Their location in the middle of the Sunnyslope Wine Trail makes it a great place to stop before, during or after some wine tasting. They also carry several Snake River Valley AVA wines to enjoy with your meal.
Orchard House Restaurant
14949 Sunnyslope Road
Caldwell, ID 83607
(208) 459-8200
