(No Steak Involved)
A decade or so ago, we were at a Chinese restaurant in Montana. The wonton soup was pretty good, but we laughed that it was served with Saltine crackers. From our most recent trip, I will say that things have changed.
This was not anticipated as a foodie tour. We drove from the west coast to visit family, planning to stop for microbrews along the way. (We do a lot of that–see About for more details.) But an epicurean delight it was.
First stop: Missoula. This is craft brew heaven, and there’s at least a half dozen brewpubs within walking distance of downtown, so we got a hotel in the middle and spent the evening on foot. Draught Works has an amazing lineup of sours — a highlight for me. (The blood orange gose was especially good.) This is a family-friendly, relaxed space and patio. No food is served, but there are food trucks nearby and a lot of people had pizza boxes at their tables.
On our way to the next stop, we stumbled upon Gild Brewing on Higgins Street–much more of a hipster vibe. This was not even on our radar, and Bob was impressed with the quality of the drafts. But the beer of the night is “Brett Rain” at the Kettlehouse. (We went to the Myrtle Street taproom, but there is a location on First Street as well.)
A long walk seemed like a good idea after so many taster flights, and we kept our eyes open for a light dinner venue. Wait…Brazilian food? If you live in Big Sky country, then you might know Five on Black as a regional chain of restaurants. But since we don’t have them in the Pacific Northwest, this was an unexpected find. Think Chipotle from South America—a meal in a bowl, with your choice of protein, grain, veggies, toppings and sauce. I recommend the feijoada (stew), sweet potatoes, collard greens, coconut sauce and farofa (toasted cassava flour)–delicious. Be good to yourself and get the Brazilian cheese bread on the side (pao de queijo). I can only hope this mini-chain expands further west.
Next: Korean cuisine in Bozeman. Now full disclosure, my niece is friends with the owners of the Whistle Pig, and she picked the restaurant. But this was the best bibimbap I’ve ever had. Pay the extra $1 and get a dolsot: your food will be served in a sizzling hot stone bowl that keeps your lunch warm.
Bozeman brew stop: Bridger Brewing. (Yes, I could not resist the alliteration.) Thumbs up to another great gose.
Spearfish has three breweries. Sawyer has the best beer, but Spearfish Brewing has better beer puns, and outstanding food. Although very western traditional (burgers, mac and cheese) the side salads had super fresh greens and veggies.
In Rapid City, we opted for the Mystery Meal at Enigma. They have a menu, but they also offer a fixed price, four course meal that the chef dreams up. This includes two glasses of wine specifically paired with your meal. We had no idea what to expect, but were delighted with the results. Hats off to the chef who thought of grilling watermelon. We’ll definitely dine here again next time we’re in Rapid.
There are more great brewpub options in Rapid City. We visited Lost Cabin (Bob’s favorite) and Dakota Point. And on the way home, another overnight in Missoula let us try Lolo Peak and Bayern Brewing. The beer of the day was a tie: Lolo has an awesome porter, but the rauchbier at Bayern was a close contender.
Food and beer places we visited
One of the benefits of travel is to put our stereotypes under a microscope. This trip killed my assumptions of steak and hamburgers (and Bud Light) in the small towns and cities of the west.