"If you’ve ever attended Boise’s annual Russian Food Festival, you’ve likely tasted Elena DeYoung’s culinary creations. She now offers them year-round at her restaurant, Alyonka Russian Cuisine. Elena grew up in Kazakhstan and her team hails from Armenia and Ukraine, providing a broad range of fresh takes on traditional fare such as cabbage rolls, beef stroganoff, piroshkis, and blinis in a modern space. She also serves vegetarian borscht and shuba with smoked salmon (instead of the typical herring) layered with shredded potatoes, carrots, and beets — a dish you’re unlikely to taste elsewhere in Boise." - Scott Ki, Scott Wink