Bigfork
Bigfork, MT · Food & Drink
KPAX
Montana Coffee Traders permanently closes downtown Kalispell location
montanaliving.com
Whitefish food, wine event celebrates innovative cuisine
One of Montana's top culinary events is growing. After a soldout year in its debut last year, Whitefish Food and Wine is back for its second year Sept. 8–14. The Whitefish food festival returns to Haskill Creek Farms with a program that’s bigger, bolder, and more immersive. What began as an ambitious idea to bring together local flavors and national talent has quickly evolved into one of the region’s most anticipated annual events.
Local Business Spotlight
Kalispell couple runs an orchard and cidery that serves house-made cuisine worth traveling for
Just west of Kalispell city limits, nestled on 40 acres of orchard with sweeping views of Big Mountain, sits Big Mountain Ciderworks—a true family-owned labor of love. Opened in October 2020 by Jennifer and her husband, the cidery and restaurant has quickly become a community favorite, blending crisp, handcrafted ciders with hearty, house-made food in a setting that feels both welcoming and distinctly Montana.
The Western News
Libby Senior Center Menu for September 2025
Here is the menu for September at the Libby Senior Center. Staff asks 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. Tuesday, Sept. 2: chicken parmesan w/rice, kaiser roll, green beans, apricots, salad – lettuce, tomato, cucumber & carrot, pineapple cake, milk Wednesday, Sept. 3: beef hot dog w/bun, onion, relish, ketchup, mustard, chili w/crackers, fruit cocktail, peanut butter cookie, milk Friday, Sept. 5 : lasagna – ground beef in homemade tomato-based sauce, cottage cheese, egg and lasagna noodles, garlic bread (margarine), cream corn, peaches, salad – lettuce, tomato, cucumber & carrot, M&M cookie, milk. Tues. Sept. 9: oven cooked breaded chicken breast fillet, biscuit, mashed potatoes made with sour cream & country white gravy, peas & carrots, apricots, salad – lettuce, tomato, cucumber & carrot, chocolate cake with cream cheese icing, milk. Wednesday, Sept. 10: hamburger w/bun, tomato, onion, lettuce & dill pickle chips, minestrone soup w/crackers, apricots, sugar cookie, milk. Friday, Sept. 12: breaded fish fillet, macaroni
KPAX
Salute to Service: Bias Brewing to host block party benefiting local preforming arts
kalispell.com
Kalispell Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update at Bias Brewing Tomorrow
You're Invited to Bias Brewing for a fun Discussion about Parks and Recreation in Kalispell. Kalispell Parks & Recreation Master Plan Open House #2. Location: Bias Brewing, 412 S Main Street, Kalispell, MT. Admission: Free & open to the public. Help shape the future of Kalispell’s parks, trails, and recreation...
Lake County Leader
Spring Creek Kitchen comes to fruition
The Spring Creek Kitchen is in the process of becoming a reality thanks to a 2024 Montana Department of Commerce grant for $100,000, according to Jan Tusick, executive director of Mission West Community Development Partners. The current kitchen, located at Mission West’s Food Enterprise Center in Ronan, is small, and it’s used mainly by food trucks for prep work, Tusick said. The funding will be used to convert the east wing into one big open space and to add a side entrance. They’ll be adding more kitchen equipment, including a fryer and a mason oven. Tusick’s “down the road vision” includes food trucks taking turns cooking for a night, with an interactive web presence so people can call in orders or eat in the space. Funding still frozen The shake-up in federal government funding has impacted MWCDP, Tusick said, although future ramifications are hard to assess. “It’s definitely affected us, since a lot of things were frozen and have yet to be released,” she said. The USDA Rural Co-op Development Program grants have been a big piece of MWCDP’s infrastructure; those grants are usually released in May and still have not arrived, she said. But the food processing center is
Flathead Beacon
Bonsai Brewing to Keep the Vibes Going with New Owners
Nearly 12 years after Keela Smith and her husband Graham Hart launched Bonsai Brewing Project in Whitefish, the founders last month passed the torch to new owners, who plan to keep pouring unique brews while maintaining community vibes for its loyal customers. At its Wisconsin Avenue location north of the...
Lake County Leader
Boots, grit, and super nachos: Pioneer Days rodeo and big parade
Dust flies as Josh Skunkcap chases a calf through the arena, the rope in the air and then around the calf's neck. Quickly he’s off his horse and down on the ground tying its legs. Pioneer Days was a packed weekend with a fishing derby, live music, classic cars and two open rodeos, plus Bulls and Broncs on Friday. Jamie Buhr, a member of the Pioneer Days group, said it’s been a good year with all activities being well attended. “The events have been great. The softball, basketball, all that, it’s been well attended, Buhr said while grilling burgers behind the grandstands. “We’re really happy this year.” Sunday’s Big Parade was a hit, featuring local business floats, first responder rigs and a line of classic cars. The kids ran from the sidewalk to the edge of the street catching and collecting candy while parents and grandparents enjoyed the shade along Main Street. Lennie and Lisa Hales from Ronan brought their grandkids to the parade, the first event they had attended throughout the weekend. “We miss the old days when Pioneer Days was the same week as the fair. We missed those days because you could do everything and go see
kgez.com
Hops Downtown Grill Featured On America’s Best Restaurants
Kalispell’s Hops Downtown Grill will be featured in an upcoming episode of America’s Best Restaurants Roadshow. The show, featured on social media platforms like YouTube and Facebook, was launched during the COVID Pandemic as a lifeline to small-town culinary establishments who were fighting to stay in business. We’re told they feature about 10-episodes each week on their YouTube channel. The air-date for the Hops episode hasn’t been determined. Hops Downtown Grill has been a landmark at 121 Main Street in Kalispell for over 30-years, evolving into an upscale casual restaurant, best known for a variety of burgers.
Lake County Leader
JourneyBe plans to reopen soup kitchen
JourneyBe, a church/gathering place in Polson, welcomes people of all faiths, for services at 11 a.m. Sundays, led by Pastor Wendy Kinsolving. Prior to the COVID pandemic, JourneyBe was also a soup kitchen that served free lunches, usually soup, bread and a dessert. Sandy Farrell came up with the idea, and then-Pastor John Payne loved it. Lunches were available four days a week, and those who could afford to put a donation in the jar. Volunteers, many from other churches, made a huge batch of their favorite soup. Other volunteers served lunch, made dessert, and cleaned up. Everyone visited with lunch-goers, and the ambiance was warm and friendly. JourneyBe participates in the Friday night dinners churches around the community provide, taking a turn on the last Friday of the month. Laura Reynolds and Megan Fogle have settled in as cooks with other members providing ingredients, desserts and helping hands. The congregation is planning to serve lunch again, especially since funding for SNAP (food stamps) benefits and Meals on Wheels face significant cuts in federal funding and food insecurity might become more of a problem in the community. However, to do so, JourneyBe needs help, including new members and volunteers. “Our
Whitefish Pilot
Commuter coffee and donuts on the viaduct
Connect Whitefish will serve coffee and donuts to cyclists and pedestrians traveling on the viaduct to celebrate the completion of the viaduct improvement project. This free event, open to the public, supports Connect Whitefish’s effort to advocate walking, biking, or rolling to downtown Whitefish. Come celebrate the completion of the viaduct improvement project on Wednesday, July 30, between 7:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. Bike, walk or roll to town and enjoy some coffee and donut holes on the viaduct. The community benefits of human-powered transportation are many, including less traffic congestion, a stronger sense of community, safer streets and healthier habits. All of these are great reasons to ditch the car and Walk N’ Roll your way to downtown Whitefish. Connect Whitefish is a community‐based group engaged in advocacy, education, awareness and promotion of biking and walking in Whitefish. If interested in learning more about Connect Whitefish or in joining the group, contact Whitefish Parks and Recreation Department at 406‐863‐2473.
Flathead Beacon
Fresh Flavors at Backslope Brewing
At the end of last summer, the Backslope Brewing crew was exhausted. That could be said for just about any summer and at just about any restaurant in the Flathead Valley, which deals with an onslaught of summer visitors almost non-stop from Memorial Day to Labor Day (and often a little before and after as well). However, last summer was especially challenging, and owner Carla Fisher along with head chef Kenneth Smith knew that something needed to change.
Lake County Leader
New bakery offers coffee, sourdough bread, and treats
The smells of baking bread and cinnamon mixed with whiffs of good coffee greet customers as they enter Stendal’s Espresso and Bakery on Third Ave. W. in Polson. Then they see crusty big rounds of sourdough bread and a case filled with cookies, scones, cupcakes and enormous cinnamon rolls, just begging to be eaten. “Everything we offer, I’ve invented,” said co-owner Ruthie Stendal. She and husband Dylan Stendal opened their bakery about three weeks ago. A bakery has been Ruthie’s dream since she was child so after they married last year, they decided to make the dream a reality. “I was one of the first in my family who aggressively likes baking,” she said. Since she was homeschooled, she had more time to practice and perfect her culinary skills. Waking at 4:30 in the morning, the Stendals arrive at their shop early to get cookies and scones mixed and cinnamon rolls rising. The young couple splits the workload. Ruthie bakes; Dylan keeps the tables neat and fills orders; and they both make espresso, run the till and greet customers. “He’s the taste tester, too,” Ruthie said. Using a sourdough starter that’s been around for a long time (“the best kind”),
Lake County Leader
Ronan Bread Basket receives refrigeration grant
The Bread Basket in Ronan received a grant from AgWest Farm Credit to replace and increase refrigerator and freezer capacity at the food bank. The Bread Basket was among 55 organizations to receive donations recommended by AgWest’s Local Advisory Committees (LAC). More than $3,068,100 was awarded in communities across the West. Over the past several months, LAC members identified worthy organizations in their local communities, compiled and reviewed a robust list of impactful projects and recommended local organizations to receive awards. In addition to enhancing food storage at Ronan’s food bank, funds will be used for a wide range of community projects, including improving and expanding fairgrounds facilities and replacing or upgrading equipment for rural volunteer firefighters.