Lex Eats Local: Pop-Up Kula + Nosh Brings ‘Side-by-Side’ Dinners to Boise

Vegan jackfruit “corned beef” from Kula + Nosh.

Step inside Michelle Russell’s head and imagine this: a vegan deli in West Boise dedicated almost entirely to mushrooms.

Picture clusters of live mushrooms growing in the window and a psychedelic purple spotlight illuminating the sign out front. Inside, guests spoon up mushroom broth or sip mugs of house-made mushroom coffee with a view of Silver Lake.

That was Russell’s dream until late February, when a $82 million ponzi scheme brought the plan crashing down.

Russell was working with Bradley R. Heinrichs of Anthology real estate in Boise. He helped her find and secure a location in the Lake Harbor business center (3100 N. Lake Harbor Lane, Suite 190) for her café. They went so far as signing a lease. Then, Russell found out Heinrichs had been indicted by the Arizona Attorney General for scamming investors out of $82 million … and could face up to 69 years in prison.

With the move-in date for her deli more than a month behind schedule, Russell felt the need to start over. Fortunately, she wasn’t alone: Chef and sommelier Zachary Greatting had also lost his shot at kitchen space in the fiasco, and the pair decided to reinvent themselves together.

Russell’s vegan foods brand, Kula Connection, partnered up with Greatting’s non-vegan catering startup, Nosh. They launched a brand-new series of four-course pop-up dinners called Kula + Nosh on the top floor of downtown Boise’s Adelmann building. “It’s maybe an unlikely pairing, but we like each other,” Russell said.

Russell (left) and Greatting (right) outside of the Adelmann building. (Courtesy Kula + Nosh)

Kula + Nosh offers what Russell calls “side-by-side protein dinners” for vegans, carnivores and everyone in between. Diners choose between vegan and “standard” menus. The side dishes and garnishes for both menus are vegan and gluten-free, but Greatting prepares animal proteins for the standard entrees.

“This sounds maybe a little idealistic, but I am idealistic. I haven’t given up on the world. And I think working with someone and offering side-by-side protein dinners, to me, is kind of like a microcosm of how food can bring people together and you can maybe put aside your political differences,” Russell said. “ … Let’s come together and realize what we have in common, and then we work on the other stuff.”

At Kula + Nosh’s debut pop-up on Saint Patrick’s Day, vegan diners chowed down on smoked jackfruit “corned beef” while meat lovers enjoyed the traditional version of the dish. For the “shepherd’s pie,” Kula chef Abby Green served up savory lentils and mushrooms in place of meat. Neither vegan dish would have passed for the original, but both were flavorful, nuanced and satisfying.

“My real hope is that the mushrooms will be so pretty on the plate next to the tri-tip or whatever it is that this carnivore will reach over and just try it,” Russell said. “I win if they try it.”

Kula + Nosh isn’t Russell’s first business partnership. Kula is currently sharing kitchen space in the Adelmann building with five other startups, including Nosh, Chicana Foods and KB’s Cookie Co. Russell said she feels called to help other “scrappy” small businesses, particularly those run by women entrepreneurs.

“I really think that’s the future. I really think, especially as women, we are stronger together,” she said.

Greatting is equally excited about the collaboration. “[Russell] is going to learn from me about scaling a business, catering and going after corporate catering, and I can learn a whole new style of cooking and cuisine from her that I don’t know much about,” Greatting said.

Greatting behind the Kula + Nosh bar.

Greatting moved from Chicago to Boise in 2020, and still helps run the catering company he founded, Brix Catering & Events, in the Windy City. Nosh is his second venture in Boise. Before that, he spent a year and a half operating the Boise Bite food truck.

On Saint Patrick’s Day, roughly 50 diners filled the top floor of the Adelmann building at 204 N. Capitol Blvd. for the first Kula + Nosh dinner. They forked up ramp fritters and colcannon, and sipped Baileys Irish cream and orange liqueur cocktails alongside vegan bread pudding. If Russell and Greatting’s hopes pan out, diners will return for the remaining themed dinners on Thursday nights: “From the Land” on March 31, “From the Sea” on April 14, and “Idaho Local” on April 28.

Tickets for the four-course meals cost $75, with the option to add alcoholic ($35) or nonalcoholic ($25) beverage pairings. Guests can also book the 10-person chef’s table ($1,500) for a private dining room experience with additional courses, pairings, and more.

Kula + Nosh’s vegan bread pudding.

Depending on the success of Kula + Nosh, Russell and Greatting could extend their partnership to more pop-ups. However, Russell hasn’t given up on her mushroom deli dream. She already has her eye on a downtown Boise space for the future “Kula Kaffe.” With luck, the new address won’t be far from the Kula + Nosh dining room.

To watch the progress of Kula Kaffe, follow Russell on Instagram at @thekulaconnection.

Did you miss last month’s “Lex Eats Local”? Read it here.

This story was originally published by Boise Weekly. Read the original here.