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Caroline Eubanks. The clock strikes 11 on a breezy Tuesday morning, marking the start of another busy lunch shift at Ansots, a Basque restaurant in Boise, Idaho. The spot is a cornerstone of the local Basque immigrant community. 

As soon as the doors open, crowds shuffle inside to grab a coffee and a house-baked pastry to-go, or to take a seat and fill their table with small plates of croquetas, Spanish olives with anchovies. The restaurant’s prized chorizo hangs in a refrigerated case next to a row of tables, a reminder to diners as to why they’re likely there: the traditional dried sausages.

Dan Ansotegui, the 66-year-old proprietor, comes by each table to greet regulars who stop by for a quick bite or to spend a few hours lingering over a glass of Rioja. Ansotegui’s chorizo is the smoky emblem of his lifelong mission to preserve the culinary traditions of the Basque Country in the American West.

The Basque people hail from a region that encompasses northern Spain and southwestern France. The American diaspora dates more than a century, as people came to find work in sheepherding. Ansotegui’s grandfather, Santiago, arrived for this reason, taking work as a sheep ranch foreman in Nampa, Idaho. 

Ansotegui’s father, Domingo, traveled the region as an accordion player. He performed at Basque community events, where their traditions were shared through music, dancing, and, of course, food. Eventually, Ansotegui, his four siblings, and his mother joined the trips.

As a teenager, Ansotegui was introduced to Basque cuisine in full regalia at these events. Cooks would slowly turn lambs by hand on outdoor spits, drenching them in garlic, olive oil, white wine, and rosemary. 

“It made a huge impression on me in a lot of different ways,” says Ansotegui.

When he was older, Ansotegui worked as a waiter at The Boarding House, a bygone Basque restaurant in downtown Boise. As he worked his way up and traveled back to visit his homeland, Ansotegui was inspired to open a place of his own. 

He opened Bar Gernika in 1991, a casual Basque pub concept, and the Basque Market in 2000, which specialized in croquetas and bread baked in-house.

He has since sold both businesses, but they remain anchors of Boise’s Basque Block, a historic district shaped by generations of immigrants. Boarding houses, restaurants, and social clubs helped newcomers preserve their language and traditions far from home. 

At the core of this neighborhood is the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, which offers exhibits, Basque language classes, wine tastings, and community events.

In 2018, a friend approached Ansotegui about opening a tapas restaurant. The result, Txikiteo, closed during the pandemic, but Ansotegui revived the idea as Ansots, located on the Basque Block. He runs it with his wife, Tamara, and daughter, Ellie. 

The casual café focuses on dishes from his childhood and experience through his travels in the Basque Country. It’s been a smash hit. Ansots has earned national recognition that includes a 2026 James Beard nomination for Outstanding Hospitality. The café is stocked with baked goods, a variety of croquetas, Iberian presa (a tender pork shoulder steak), and Basque cheesecake. 

But Ansots is especially known for its traditional Basque chorizos crafted from hand-butchered regional pork and prepared differently from the fresh, Mexican-style chorizo that many Americans know. 

Mexican-style chorizo uses pork and sometimes, beef. It incorporates chile peppers, and it’s cooked fresh because the warm climate makes other types of preservation nearly impossible. 

In Spain, says Ansotegui, the peppers are sweet and the pork shoulder sausage is partially cured, which extends its shelf life in a manner similar to salami. 

Ansots sells half a dozen chorizo varieties that include a Basque bacon called urdaixa, and txistorrak, a slightly spicy version that’s typically sliced thin and served with eggs and in bocadillos (Spanish sandwiches). Each variety can be enjoyed immediately, or they can be vacuum-sealed to take home. 

Ansotegui replicates those memorable early lamb roasts for special events like Treefort, an annual music and arts festival in Boise. Lamb remains an integral part of Idaho’s culture. It’s honored with events like the annual Trailing of the Sheep Festival in nearby Sun Valley, in which hundreds of sheep are moved to winter grazing areas. 

To prepare the lamb, Ansotegui uses the same marinade of olive oil, garlic, and rosemary that he was introduced to as a teen. After the marinade is applied, the lamb is cooked over a spit for about four-and-a-half hours. 

“I've done probably in the neighborhood of 20 whole lambs on a spit,” says Ansotegui. “I just really enjoy carrying that tradition on.”