I’ve been living in Moscow, Idaho since August of 2012, so I guess that makes 6 years. I think I might be able to write a few things about what is cool in this town. Here’s an on-the-fly, non-proofread blog post!
Let’s talk about: Sights, food, entertainment
Sights!
UI Stuff:
The prettiest thing we’ve got in this town, 
besides architecture, is the University of Idaho Arboretum. Located on the south side of campus off Nez Perce Drive, this place is just the shit. Parking on campus sucks, so you may prefer to check out the south entrance at 1200 West Palouse River Drive. Any season is fantastic.
Admin Building Clock Tower
Buildings at the University of Idaho:
If you are going to tour the campus, you’d be a fool to not visit the
Admin Building Auditorium
Administration Building, the Memorial Gym, and Ridenbaugh Hall. (But, Hays, Forney, Brink, Phinney, much of old greek row on Elm street, and all the others constructed in a collegiate gothic style are worth a visit).
Other:
Gorgeous Downtown Moscow! Drive your butt to Main Street, find some parking, and just check it out. We’ve got a lot of wonderful local businesses, and this is a great place to check out food. Where do I go?
- The Garden Lounge (bar, really just a bar) great for a cool cocktail or a beer (21+ only)
- The Storm Cellar, Moscow’s consignment shop
- One World Cafe or Bucer’s Coffee House Pub, both of these places have quite a unique atmosphere. Light food available, good coffee
- Prichard Art Gallery. Operated by the UofI, this gallery features rotating displays
- Essential Art Gallery and Fine Gifts, wonderful mostly handmade items
Food
I love food. A lot. Moscow’s eating scene is… different. Warning, I don’t take pictures of food because I believe the habit is just wrong.
Fancy and expensive, most favorite to not as favorites but still great:
- Bloom, for breakfast and brunch. Like local? Organic? A chef that knows how to cook? While portions here aren’t huge, menu selection is a little limited, and the prices are a bit high, I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
- Sangria Grille, for peruvian and other very exciting cuisine. Impress your lover with fancy cocktails and food different from what you’ve had already.
- Nectar Restaurant and Wine, everyone has mixed views on this place but all agree that it is one of the few places where it might be acceptable to order meatloaf from a restaurant
- Maialina Pizzeria Napoletana, the place everyone I know loves. I still disagree that grapes belong on pizza…
Reasonable, but nice:
- La Casa Lopez, your greatest destination for [kind of americanized] mexican food. Hands down one of the best restaurants in town. Wonderful service. Huge portions. You won’t know what to do!
- Moscow Ale House, for your best burgers, beer, and fries. Oh, how you will love this place. Full service bar for all you drinkers out there. Did I mention burgers, beer, and fries? Gets a little loud on busy nights, but family friendly during the day.
- Gambinos, a slight taste of italy. Well loved by all, I recommend ordering the #71 if you love ham and a shit ton of pasta.
Eat the cheap! See what the college students are eating
- Mikey’s Gyros. Like gyros? Tabouli? Good soup? INEXPENSIVE BEER? You can walk away with a full sized gyro and a craft beer for less than $9 here. You won’t regret it. This has been a classic hangout for years.
- Mad Greek. Like Mikey’s, but a little more expensive with a wider selection of food items. I may be in love with this place.
Entertainment
I hear people say, “this town is too small, there’s nothing to do!” on a regular basis. But those jokers are wrong. Check it out:
- Live jazz Thursday nights at Bucer’s, other music throughout the week, local artists
- Live music at One World Cafe various nights, local artists
- Live music Friday nights at John’s Alley and some other nights, artists from everywhere (including, you’ll never guess… Afroman!) 21+ only
- Farmers Market every Saturday until 1pm from May until October. It has everything (food, produce, handmade crafts, and MORE MUSIC!) Very family friendly, but if you have young kids I’d suggest going in the morning before it gets busy
- Live music everywhere! My god, does this town know when to stop?
- The Kenworthy Performing Arts Center. If you are visiting, it might not make sense to go see a movie, but hey for $7 for a film (and $4 for a popcorn and a soda) you can’t say there wasn’t anything to do. Films play Thursday through Sunday. I love this place. Oh, did I mention it is non-profit?
- Every freaking business in this town has local artwork up for viewing. Just go check it out!
- Like bookstores? Book People of Moscow might be a good stop for you.
Bonus picture! The Casavant pipe organ (3/26) in the Lionel Hampton School of Music at the University of Idaho
