As long as humans have gathered in groups, the question of what’s to eat has been a serious topic of conversation—from a freshly killed wooly mammoth to the prixe fixe menu and matching wine flight at the French Laundry. With the growth of cities and global migration, our ability to decide what we’re in the mood for has exploded. It’s a food and drink revolution that has reached every part of the country.
A recent visit to the Flathead Valley in Montana and the town of Kalispell proved an excellent example of how far we’ve come from the days when waitresses called you “Sweetie” and poured black coffee for 50 cents a cup with endless refills to today, when you’re more likely to hear some nose-pierced barista shouting out, “one skinny-vanilla-oat-milk-latte for Heidi!”
That being said, I must admit a love for those classic roadside diners with gingham tablecloths, chicken fried steak, bottomless cups of coffee and waitresses with charm to spare. So it was a pleasure to explore the diverse menus Kalispell and the surrounding valley have to offer.
If hearty food and drink served in a congenial atmosphere is what you’re after, head directly to DeSoto Grill—a former blacksmith’s shed in Kalispell where the rafters are black and hung with hundreds of horseshoes. The portions are generous (to say the least), whether it’s an in-house smoked item from the Rockabilly BBQ, any one of the local craft beers on draught, to DeSoto’s notorious Stuffed Baked Potato, “as big as a ‘59 Cadillac.”
Early morning in Kalispell there’s no spot like The Spot. It’s a white little box of a place with a drive-up window. The house specialties feature the freshest baked-that-morning doughnuts you can imagine: Vanilla Bean, Maple, Chocolate, Vanilla Chai Glaze, Oreo Crumble, White Chocolate Crispies and Maple Bacon (my favorite). If a fresh made bagel is more to your fancy, The Spot offers almost as many varieties of those. It’s hard to drive away without buying a dozen.
If game is your thing, the best game in town is Hops Downtown Grill, where the craft beers on tap are many and so are the game dishes on the menu: the Elk Bratwurst and Ale House Pretzel, Bison Frites and Back Country Trout, along with The Hunter’s Trio of Elk, Bison and Yak. It’s one of those places that’s warm, cozy and exceedingly family friendly.
It is, however, possible to push the culinary/spirits envelope too far. The adventurous cuisine at Alchemy proved that.The attempt to focus a menu on a Mediterranean flavor profile with tapas-style (meant-to-share) portions, along with a curated wine and whiskey list could not find a sustainable audience. It was forced to close only weeks after my visit. Too bad. Maybe it was the right idea at the wrong time? As the owner discovered, the people of Kalispell weren’t comfortable ordering things they couldn’t pronounce.
Food offerings have expanded so much it’s almost impossible to find a town without a sushi bar, and in Kalispell it’s the exceedingly popular Blue Samurai Sushi Bar & Grill. Their largest orders are literally large enough to fill a table-size wooden boat.
At the same time there has been an amazing growth of interest in wines, hard ciders and distilled spirits. MontaVino Winery is a fine example in Kalispell. The winery sources its grapes from the Columbia Gorge and Yakima Valley of Washington state, which provide a drier climate and more abundant sun than the Flathead Valley. Among their worthy offerings is a Rhone-influenced blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc, petit verdot and malbec. And be sure to order the accompanying charcuterie plate.
Off the beaten trail in rolling farm country near Flathead Lake you'll find Big Mountain Ciderworks. Housed in a massive metal barn, you can sit at the long bar or at tables and sample ciders made from a wide variety of apples and pears that come directly from the family’s orchards.
Head on up the road to Coram (gateway to Glacier National Park on U.S. Highway 2) and you'll find a highly spirited treasure, the Glacier Distilling Co., where the T-shirts declare, “Real Women Drink Whiskey!” If you’ve never been to a distillery tasting room, Glacier Distilling is a great place to start. Your tasting flight can include a wide variety of distilled and flavor-infused bourbon whiskeys and rye. A favorite of mine is the Fireweed Bourbon Whiskey made with a blend of cherry brandy made from locally sourced cherries. The vibe is welcoming and the spirits are warming, especially on a snowy midwinter afternoon. Just follow the sign to the tasting room.
