Boise State Alum Dan Ansotegui is a Master of Basque Cuisine, Language and Music

While a sophomore at Boise State, Ansotegui (BA, elementary education, 1982) took part in Professor Pat Bieter’s study-abroad program in the Basque Country. “That one year over there changed my life forever,” Ansotegui said. Owner of Boise's Ansots restaurant, Ansotegui has been nominated for the James Beard culinary arts award. He received the Governor’s Award for Excellence in 2004. In 2019, he was one of just nine recipients in the U.S. of the National Heritage Fellowship, which the National Endowment for the Arts bestows to masters of folk and traditional arts.