Black Canyon Cafe opened Nov. 1 near exit 13 on Interstate 84 north of Caldwell, and owner Kay Lundy, 56, hopes the cafe will soon be known for its “good home cooking, with everything made from scratch.”

Lundy, a Nampa resident, has owned and operated several restaurants in the past, she said, including Lundy Ranch Cafe in Caldwell from 2000 to 2006.

Her latest venture, Black Canyon Cafe, features the staples — extra bacon burgers, fried chicken and pies — all made in-house and to order. Lundy herself works on the grill and oversees all cooking.

The two most popular items on the menu are her biscuits and gravy and fried chicken, she said.

While downtown Caldwell has drawn much of the development buzz with a new Reel Theatre coming and the construction of the Indian Creek Plaza, Lundy decided to open her new cafe away from the buzz. She looked for places closer to both Nampa and Caldwell’s downtown before deciding to move out near the freeway.

Despite the distance — about a 20-minute commute from downtown Caldwell — Lundy is hopeful her new cafe will become a place for families to go out to dine together.

“I just want to see it grow to a popular family place,” she said. “I want everyone to come out here to enjoy our good home cooking.”

Before opening the cafe, Lundy said she cooked “for a bunch of sailors” for eight years, working for the Coast Guard in the Gulf of Mexico. She now hopes to retire from the cafe when the time comes, she said.

The cafe, at 5240 Black Canyon Road, can seat 80 people and is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.