Photo courtesy: Owen Aird.
“We feel so blessed to be a part of this amazing community.”
Husband-and-wife team Viljo and Autumn Basso have been bringing unique and distinct flavors to the Coeur d’Alene area since 2007, when they opened Syringa Japanese Café and Sushi Bar. Satisfying customers for more than a decade, Viljo and Autumn have been serving guests the best sushi and modern Japanese cuisine North Idaho has to offer! Using only fresh high-quality ingredients and wonderful flavors in each dish they serve, guests will taste the difference. And with a flair for originality and excellence, Syringa continues to stand apart from the rest.
Down the street from Syringa is where you will find The Bluebird, a midtown eatery, which the husband-and-wife team opened in 2016. It quickly gained a large following that continues to flourish. In their endeavor, Viljo and Autumn have delivered a casual neighborhood bistro-style restaurant. The Bluebird is an eclectic Northwest bistro—the menu inspired by the couple’s 20-plus years of culinary travels and adventures. Seasonal as much as possible, the menu items change frequently with specials offered weekly, allowing diners to try something new each time they visit. And lunch is now served six days a week.
To accompany the deliciously unique menu, The Bluebird has an outstanding wine list offering incredible selections from all over the world. In addition to the wine, they have a great selection of beer, ciders and sours.
The Bluebird has found its home in Coeur d’Alene’s midtown, and the neighborhood couldn’t be happier. “Our goal was to open the kind of restaurant we like to dine at and bring more dining variety to Coeur d’Alene,” says Autumn.
When dining options offered by the couple seemed like they couldn’t get any better, the Bassos added yet another restaurant to the mix—Monarch Ramen + Noodle House. Opened fall of 2019 at 1401 North Fourth Street, the intimate and casual 42-seat restaurant features a menu of house-specialty ramen and noodle dishes (including “build-your-own” ramen), as well as a variety of small plate options. “We are most excited to fill the void and bring new flavor to town,” states Autumn, adding that “the Monarch complements Syringa … in that we are taking dishes we have done at Syringa and putting a Monarch twist on them.”
The restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday, 11am to 8pm. Viljo and Autumn are also the duo behind The White Pine, midtown’s favorite coffee café. Serving up DOMA Coffee, all syrups are house made with no artificial ingredients, and the delicious fresh pastries are baked in-house daily. From croissants and scones to macarons and more, it's the perfectly quaint little spot to warm you up on a cold winter's day.
When it comes to what makes their restaurants distinctive among the rest, Viljo says, “At each place, we’ve had the ability to create a friendly local neighborhood vibe. The food is unique, the customers are unique, and the employees are unique.”
“We are really proud of our crew at each of the places,” adds Autumn. “They help make each place special.”
Whether you take a seat at Syringa, The Bluebird, Monarch or White Pine, Viljo, Autumn and their staff are ready to serve you and help create a dining experience you’ll savor.
Monarch Ramen + Noodle House
Coeur d'Alene 1401 N. Fourth St. 208.966.4230 The White Pine
Midtown Coeur d'Alene 814 N. Fourth St. 208.966.4131
The Bluebird
Midtown Coeur d’Alene 816 N. Fourth St. 208.665.3777 MidtownBluebird.com
Syringa Japanese Café & Sushi Bar Coeur d’Alene 1710 N. Fourth St. 208.664.2718 SyringaSushi.com
