Restaurants come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes, they might be in a space that wasn’t originally designed as a restaurant. That is the case with The Cellar. In fact, The Cellar is a restaurant in a converted, century-old Ammon homestead. This lends itself to a little different experience than a lot of other restaurants. The layout gives new meaning to “feeling at home.” This is something that the ownership and management of The Cellar pride themselves on. Ambiance and service are at the forefront of what they do. That, and great food.
Scott Hinschberger opened The Cellar over five years ago with the goal of sharing his passion for food as well as socializing and meeting people. In fact, it is not uncommon to find him at the restaurant just relaxing and mingling with the customers. None of that is lost in his son Bryan, who started out as the resident chef and then moved into the management position. He has recently handed the management reins off to explore opportunities and further his wine knowledge and expertise. (More on The Cellar and their excellent wine selection later). The new Operations Manager is Bart Day. With Bart’s lifelong involvement in restaurants, Bryan has definitely left the management duties in capable hands. Bart brings restaurant management experience from the Seattle area and has great hopes and expectations for The Cellar.
Some of those expectations are to be a supportive member of the community. A big part of this involves using as much local product as possible. This includes locally raised chicken, beef and bison, locally brewed beers and locally grown vegetables, among other things. In another effort to help the community, The Cellar has adopted a fairly comprehensive recycling program with Earthwise Curbside Recycling.
For our introduction to the food offered at The Cellar we were presented with three dishes. The first was an appetizer of “Ahi Tartar & Fried Avacado with spicy garlic dressing and house-pickled ginger.” We also had the “Fresh Alaskan Halibut with oyster mushroom cream sauce, wilted greens, and fingerling potatoes.” Finally, we had the “Local Sage Roasted Chicken with savory mushroom & sage bread pudding and roasted chicken jus.”
Each of these dishes showcased something in which The Cellar staff takes immense pride. For example, the fish dishes showcased that they serve only fresh fish. All of their fish comes fresh and not frozen. The chicken dish showcased their commitment to the locally grown poultry. Our sampling demonstrated the thought and effort that goes into each of The Cellar’s dishes. Their commitment to freshness and local products came through. Knowing that all of their dishes are served with the same care gives us ample reason to look forward to another visit.
For the more health-conscious patrons, The Cellar offers a substantial selection of gluten-free and vegetarian dishes. It’s just another example of the effort that goes into providing something for everyone.
Speaking of having something for everyone, the wine list at The Cellar boasts more than two hundred different wines. They have a separate “wines by the glass” list as well. This is easily the most extensive wine list in southeast Idaho. They don’t stop at just having a large selection of wines; they also have three sommeliers on staff. That’s right, three wine experts to share their knowledge with the rest of the staff in order to help you get exactly the right combination of food and drink where one complements the other.
In fact, they don’t just share that information with the staff, they also share it with their customers.
Every Monday night they have an education and tasting event. These evenings aren’t just about wines. They are about beverages in general. This gives their guests an opportunity to extend their understanding of beverage flavors and food pairings. Helping their customers understand the intricacies of food and beverage combinations is just one more way in which The Cellar aims to provide the absolute best dining experience possible.
If you are looking for a fine dining experience with great food and great people, be sure to spend an evening at The Cellar. You will feel right at home.
The Cellar
Location: 3520 East 17th St., Ammon
Website: thecellar.biz
Phone: (208) 525-9300
Dinner Hours
Reservations Suggested
Mon-Thur: 5 to 10 p.m.
Fri-Sat: 5 to 11 p.m.
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