Grove Street between Capitol and 6th houses one of the most improbable ethnic enclaves in the American West. Boise's Basque community — descendants of Pyrenean shepherds who came to Idaho in the late 1800s — has maintained a tight cultural presence here for more than a century.
The block centres on the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, which tells the story of Basque immigration to Idaho and preserves a restored 1864 boarding house. Across the street, Bar Gernika serves cured meats and Rioja by the glass in a setting that feels more San Sebastián than Idaho. The Basque Market sells imported foods, and the outdoor fronton court where pelota is still played adds an unmistakably Pyrenean note to the streetscape.