Bigfork
Bigfork, MT · Food & Drink
NBCMontana
Kalispell chef Stephen Kina brings taste of Montana to Food Network
KALISPELL, Mont. — A Kalispell chef is bringing a taste of Montana to one of cooking’s biggest stages. Chef Stephen Kina owns 406 BBQ in Kalispell and is bringing the flavors and lifestyle of Montana to Food Network’s upcoming competition series: “Chopped Castaways.”. Kina is originally...
KPAX
Kalispell Farmers Market kicks off its 52nd season
Flathead Beacon
Freezer-Based Paneer Tikka Masala
I learned to make paneer tikka masala several years ago, when the Flathead Valley had no Indian restaurants. My recipe features both Fresh Paneer and flavors I otherwise found only when I traveled. Authentic, locally available options now satisfy my cravings for saucy spiced Indian dishes, but I still enjoy...
Whitefish Pilot
The Minor behind the bar
On a weekday afternoon, there’s a comforting buzz at the Pin & Cue. Behind the bar, Ashley Minor is shaking up two Caesars – one of her specialties – when another customer comes in and orders four drinks. Minor smiles, giving each customer deserving attention. An employee of 10 years, she handles multitasking with grace. She pauses mid-serving. A customer lends her some lip gloss and from behind the bar, and she poses for a portrait to celebrate winning best bartender in the annual Best of Whitefish competition. “Ashley!” Cheers an eavesdropping regular. “You won! Congratulations!” The friendly patron swoops in front of the camera with a huge hug. Minor later said, “I have a lot of regulars. They’re like family. We’re all so close here. And when a business is run this way, it makes it easier to be here.” Minor has lived here since she was 15, when she moved from Chicago. She has a 12 and a 14-year-old who also find home at the Pin & Cue. Her mom Debbie is a long-time Pin & Cue employee as well. “They’re great with my kids,” Minor said. “They’re the best people I could ever imagine working for, ever.
Flathead Beacon
Cooking For Community at Columbia Cafe
Last year, Tommy Truong moved from Las Vegas to Northwest Montana to help his brother and sister-in-law expand their successful Asian takeout restaurant in downtown Columbia Falls to new communities across the state. Opening restaurants was in his blood after working for a Korean barbecue chain, helping launch new locations nationwide and managing the operations at the company’s Las Vegas locations.
Bigfork Eagle
Award-winning farm-to-table chef plants roots in Somers
Sarah Manuel is passionate about the flavors of Montana. Her culinary inspiration comes from beef raised on prairie pastures, crops grown under a wide-open sky and berries foraged from the slopes of the Rocky Mountains. “To taste the place where you are” is her guiding philosophy. As the chef and owner of the catering company Farmer Meets Foodie, Manuel sources her ingredients from Montana farms and ranches, and was named Best Farm-to-Table Company in Montana by the state in 2024. She relocated her business to the Flathead Valley last year and will open a cafe in Somers this summer. The move made sense for Manuel, who found herself traveling frequently to the Flathead Valley to cater weddings. It’s also a full circle moment in her career: After graduating high school, Manuel attended the Culinary Institute of Montana at Flathead Valley Community College and studied French culinary techniques under Chef Howard Karp. From there, she worked as a line cook at Split Rock Cafe before stints as a personal chef and at a farm in Hawaii. But Manuel’s heart was in Montana, and she returned to her family’s ranch in Havre, where her parents raised grass-fed cattle and organic grains. Her
travelmag.com
This Tiny Montana Bakery Is Winning Hearts With Its Cinnamon Rolls
Your appetite will open when you think about this place. Montana is full of scenic stops, but every once in a while, a small bakery manages to steal the spotlight without even trying. It is not big, not flashy, and not built for crowds, yet people keep showing up with...
Flathead Beacon
Whitefish Restaurant Week Returns May 16–22
Whitefish Restaurant Week returns May 16–22, 2026, inviting locals and visitors to experience a weeklong celebration of Whitefish’s culinary scene while supporting a cause that strengthens the community year-round. The annual event highlights the creativity and hospitality of Whitefish’s restaurant community through great deals on special menus, chef-driven...
KPAX
Whitefish's Earl Reynolds named James Beard Award Finalist
NBCMontana
FVCC culinary students launch Mediterranean pop-up restaurant in Kalispell
MISSOULA, Mont. — Graduating students from Flathead Valley Community College’s Culinary Institute of Montana are inviting the public to enjoy a Mediterranean-inspired lunch pop-up, “Mezze!,” opening this week on campus. The restaurant will operate from 10:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., Wednesday through Friday, April 8–24, inside the Arts & Technology Building.
businessdailynetwork.com
Coffee Connect @ Daily Inter Lake on April 24, 2026
Coffee Connect is the Flathead Valley's premier morning networking and relationship-building business meeting. We grow relationships, promote doing business locally, exchange connections, and support each other. The program features a host, a spotlight speaker, testimonials for Chamber members, and 'pass the mic' to meet each other. Non-member guests are welcome...
Whitefish Pilot
Casual eatery Grouchy Grizzly to open in Whitefish this summer
Whitefish’s Last Chair Kitchen and Bar, a restaurant at Lakeshore Drive and Reservoir Road, will undergo a phased transformation, into a casual, fun-focused eatery called Grouchy Grizzly. The restaurant was purchased by Barrett Rinzler, an experienced Arizona-based restauranter who’s part of a hospitality group. Rinzler has been frequenting Whitefish for about 20 years and is a part-time resident. He is excited for an opportunity to finally dip his toes into the Whitefish culinary scene. “I like the opportunity, want to do something fun and casual, and want to create a cool place for people to hang out, and drink good beer and wine, since we won’t have a full liquor license,” Rinzler said. “It’s going to be a whimsical, tongue-in-cheek, don’t take yourself too seriously kind of place.” Rinzler said his philosophy to running restaurants is to think like a customer. “To think, what’s missing? What would I like that I can’t find in a certain area?” he said. Hence the choice to go casual — not that there aren’t great places in Whitefish already, but that there could be something more experiential, he said. The growth into the full concept of the restaurant will come in phases. The first
myfamilytravels.com
This Mountain Lake Town In Montana Has Built A Surprisingly Strong Dining Scene
A mountain lake town is not supposed to sneak up on you by becoming the place where dinner steals the whole trip, but this Montana spot absolutely does. At first, it looks like the kind of destination people choose for the scenery, the fresh air, and the easy excuse to spend more time outside.
The Western News
Libby Senior Center Menu for April 2026
Here is the menu for April at the Libby Senior Center. Staff is asking those that want to reserve a meal call the center 24 hours in advance. The number is 293-7222. Meals are available in house, home delivery or grab and go. Meals are ready from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday or 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. Wed., April 1: turkey & Swiss w/mayo, lettuce, pickles & tomato on wheat bread, cheesy broccoli soup, crackers, pears, peanut butter cookie, milk Fri., April 3: sweet & sour chicken, rice, green beans, Hawaiian macaroni salad – macaroni, vinegar, green onion, celery, carrots, sourdough roll, fruit cocktail, coffee cake, milk Tues., April 7: barbeque beef tips with rice, corn, fruit cocktail, coleslaw, sourdough roll, cinnamon roll, milk Wed., April 8: grilled cheese w/bacon sandwich, margarine, tomato soup, crackers, peaches, chocolate chip cookie, milk Fri., April 10: pork chop in cream of mushroom soup, mashed potatoes made with sour cream, pork gravy, applesauce, green beans, cornbread, cucumber salad, chocolate brownie, milk. Tues., April 14: oven cooked breaded chicken breast fillet, mashed potatoes made with sour cream, country gravy, biscuit, peas & carrots, apricots, salad – lettuce, tomato, cucumber
Flathead Beacon
Bird and Billy’s ‘Bergen Airport’ Sandwich
The Bergen Airport, a menu staple at Bird and Billy Coffee House in downtown Kalispell, is a simple masterpiece achievable by the artistry and care put into its five ingredients. The bocadillo style sandwich is made with a generous spread of salted New Zealand grass fed butter, a drizzle of sweet fruit preserves, and thick slices of creamy Normandy brie layered on top of each other. These layers are then topped with several strips of cured bacon from Olympia Provisions, a Portland artisanal charcuterie company, and housed in one of Bird and Billy’s signature baguettes.
cspdailynews.com
Town Pump developing standalone coffee kiosks outside its locations
Convenience-store chain Town Pump Inc. and Russo Modular are partnering on the development of Stonehouse Coffee Shots, compact, 400-square-foot modular coffee kiosks designed to be placed outside existing Town Pump convenience stores and truck stops. The kiosk name is a nod to Stone House Coffee Co., Butte, Montana-based Town Pump’s...