Local couple grateful to their loyal customers and team By Jillian Chandler Syringa Japanese Café + Sushi Bar has been a favorite among locals since opening in 2006. Owners Viljo and Autumn Basso couldn’t be prouder of what they’ve built, and accomplished, since first opening their doors in that small, intimate space on Fourth Street.
With a flair for originality and excellence, Syringa, located in Coeur d’Alene’s midtown, has established itself as a restaurant destination for visitors. Always delivering the best in sushi and modern American cuisine, they’ve set the bar high and continue to deliver. Due to the restaurant’s success, they moved Syringa to a much larger location just north of the original space, and Syringa has only continued to flourish.
The couple’s second restaurant, The Bluebird - A Midtown Eatery, opened its doors in 2016. Inspired by the couple’s culinary travels and world adventures, the menu is seasonal as much as possible, with weekly specials, allowing diners to try something new each time they visit. The menu includes an array of items including a rotating scallop special. In addition, weekends always offer dinner specials. They have an excellent wine list (you’ll want to join their monthly wine club, which Autumn oversees and manages), and a great selection of beer, ciders and sours. And don’t forget to stop in for their daily happy hour.
From late spring to early autumn, both restaurants offer outdoor dining to take in the sunshine while enjoying a beautiful meal out. At Syringa, their outdoor patio can seat 16 to 20 patrons, while The Bluebird’s sidewalk dining can accommodate 12 to 16. Guests can also enjoy a glass of wine in the private space next to The Bluebird while waiting to be seated.
The Bassos are excited to share that they recently purchased the building that houses The Bluebird and spent early spring remodeling the space. “Since the building is ours now, we were able to update and elevate the interior. It’s like having a brand-new restaurant,” smiles Autumn. The Bluebird celebrated its seventh anniversary in May.
“We are just so grateful that our community has continued to support our restaurants. Being in business this long, we’ve seen families grow up, we have created so many friendships with our customers,” shares Autumn. “None of this could have been done without our employees. The crew we have is amazing. We have a couple people who have been with us for more than 10 years, a few people over 15 years. We are pretty blessed to have an incredible core crew.”
Longtime employee Sarah Champagne has recently taken over as manager for both restaurants, which allows for continuity between both locations.
As all restaurants in the Inland Northwest have experienced over the past three years, not only as a result of the pandemic but the rising costs of living in this beautiful place, Viljo and Autumn have still found it difficult to maintain a full staff but are grateful for the team they have.
Over the years, the Bassos have been dedicated to serving their guests the best in cuisine. They are proud to have been given the opportunity to provide each guest a unique—and delicious—meal, no matter where they choose to take a seat.
To explore their menus, and find their current hours, be sure to visit their restaurant websites. And don’t forget to follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Syringa Japanese Café + Sushi Bar 1710 N. Fourth St., Coeur d’Alene, ID 208.664.2718 | SyringaSushi.com
The Bluebird - A Midtown Eatery 816 N. Fourth St., Coeur d’Alene, ID 208.665.3777 | MidtownBluebird.com
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