This summer we've been making excursions to a few out-of-the-way places to discover down home food. First, we visited Wilsall, pop. 237, and a gorgeous 30 mile drive north of Bozeman. Our destination was the Bank Bar and Cafe, the only restaurant in town.
An Adult Swimming Pool Party.
Across the street from the Bank Bar was a lot of kiddie wading pools. Our waitress explained that they were having a Swimming Pool Party, and the adults were invited to dip their feet and cool off. After she took our order--all beef, all raised in Wilsall--she suggested we take our wine outside and enjoy the pools.
We had reserved a table, but as a friend asked, Was it really necessary to make a reservation? Not really.
The highlight of the meal were the wading pools. Have you ever seen anything like that? I mean, for adults?
Our next excursion was a stop at the Cafe at the Inn on our way to hiking at Big Sky. We've passed this charming, tiny place a gazillion times on the Gallatin Gateway, and we never stopped until our friend, Tom, said it's his favorite place for breakfast. It's cute, old-fashioned, homey, and so small and so popular that unless you arrive really early you'll wait an hour for a table. The menu looks wonderful, and we'll return again but extra-early so we actually get to eat here.
From our home, Livingston is a short, interesting scenic drive across Jackson Creek. Before a hike at Pine Creek, we stopped at Gil's Cafe in Livingston for a bite. It's homey, casual, and my breakfast sandwich was just right.
This is Farm-to-Table the real deal. Last night we enjoyed a SeasonalMontana Farm-to-Table dinner at Gallatin Valley Botanical Farm prepared by chef Melissa Harrison. We've been attending Melissa's farm dinners since she started five years ago. What a delicious and friendly way to spend a lovely summer evening. Thank you, Melissa, for all your effort and hard work. It is appreciated.
