Jerry’s State Court Cafe, Boise
Chris Butler / cbutler@idahostatesman.com Waiter Jesse Martinez checks on customers Tom Johnston and his wife Diane recently at Jerry's State Court Cafe in Boise.
What I remember most about the original State Court Cafe isn’t the food. It’s the sound. In its heyday, that shoebox of a State Street diner was filled with the clatter of plates and silverware, shouts of “Order up!” and the constant hum of a clientele packed belly to counter and shoulder to shoulder. The place was funky, authentic and fun.
At the new Jerry’s State Court Cafe on Fairview Avenue, the sound you’ll hear first is easy-listening jazz. Like a grunge band gone all Kenny G, it’s a sonic tip-off that the State Court Cafe has not merely moved but morphed. This room is sedate and feels as generic as the Elmer’s Pancake House it once housed.
That’s too bad, because the food at Jerry’s was seldom as memorable as the space in which it was served. Untethered from its former location, that food falls into the vast and forgettable sea of middling, family-style fare that already floods the Treasure Valley.
That’s not to say enjoyable dishes don’t bob to the surface, especially during breakfast. The German pancake ($7.95), for instance, is worth a try. An Elmer’s favorite adopted by Jerry’s, it’s kind of an open-face crepe curled up around the edges to form a shallow, edible bowl. Inside sits a snowstorm of powdered sugar, a generous dollop of butter and several lemon wedges. That lemon is key. A good squeeze and you’ve got a remarkably simple but sure-fire triad of tart, sweet and buttery oozing over a foundation of soft and chewy.
I’d even suffer the Muzak for a repeat taste.
Another pancake, the amoeba-shaped potato pancake ($5.95), is also a winner (although our waitress admitted some customers think it’s a little odd). A slightly tangy potato foundation holds chunks of bacon, onion and sharp cheddar. A side of sour cream and apple sauce adds the same tart/sweet counterpoint that sparks the German pancake.
Other breakfast items don’t rise above the average. A Western omelette I ordered ($7.95) was bursting with slices of onion, green and red pepper and the same flavorful cheddar that spiked the potato pancake. Yet, apart from the cheese, it had an indistinct, oily taste. The cook wasn’t concerned about crisp hash browns either: they arrived pale and unappealing.
I tried the diced home-style potatoes on my next visit, but they also were unloved, having loitered too long on a warming tray. Sadly, the kitchen was far more generous with those tired spuds than the decent corn beef hash ($7.95) they accompanied.
A lunchtime burger was better. Jerry’s offers nine variations from BBQ bacon and Hawaiian to veggie and American classic. The half pound of beef in my bleu cheese burger ($7.95) was perfectly seared while leaving an interior both cheese-spiked and juicy. An order of panko-crusted finger steaks ($7.95) was far less flavorful, with its under-salted fries leaning toward limp.
I should mention, in this clearly mixed review, that the wait staff is efficient and fast, nearly all of them having honed their skills during Elmer’s era. The interior, which hasn’t changed a speck since then, may have a chain vibe, but the Idaho-centric posters and comfortable booths clearly appeal to patrons. The place buzzes at breakfast and lunch.
Less busy was a Saturday dinner that included entrees of dry, “flame-broiled” chicken ($9.95) and flavorless salmon ($13.95).
I realize you can’t cling to the past. But passing by photos of the original State Court Cafe on the way out, I couldn’t help but give a nostalgic little sigh.
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