Choteau, Montana - Snow Geese and Good Food

It is usually this time of the year that I make my way to Choteau, Montana with several of my birding friends –Jo Martin, Carol Reifschneider and Cathy Jamruszka -  for our annual trip to Freezeout Lake to welcome the snow geese  to one of their annual stops on their migration route back to their nesting grounds in the arctic.  It’s also my time to meet college friends Patricia McLaughlin, Glenn Violette, Mary Meister and Doug Anderson for the weekend of glorious early morning liftoffs of hundreds of thousands of snow geese….Ross’s geese…

 

This is a time of good food at the local restaurants in the small town along “the front” up next to the famous Bob Marshall Wilderness.

I like to plan Friday evening dinner at:

Elk Country Grill

925 Main Street

Choteau, Montana

(406) 466-3311

Hours:  Monday – Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

www.elkcountrygrill.com

Prime Rib every Saturday night

I am usually traveling with Jo Martin.  My traditional favorite is the Hamburger Steak with baked potato from the Seniors Menu.  It is served with very tasty onions and mushrooms in a brown gravy...and a cucumber coleslaw (I really like because it doesn’t have a lot of dressing on it.)

Jo likes the Ribeye off the Seniors Menu..the very large piece of meat is served about an 1-1.5” thick... she also has the baked potato and the cucumber coleslaw.

We both choose the Seafood Chowder over the salad.  It is a tasty…homemade...thin cream broth with lots of carrots and potato chunks…and includes a small loaf of wheat bread with butter.

Our favorite appetizers include the Fried Dill Pickle… served with a Wasabi-Ranch Dip…it has quite the bite to it,  the onion rings…huge order…served with a dip…almost like a fry sauce, or the Chili Cheese Rangoons…a stuffed type of wantons.

And of course the “must” - Homemade  Coconut Cream Pie…loaded with lots of coconut and the crust is always thin and perfect.

 

We can always be found enjoying an early morning breakfast at:

John Henry’s Family Restaurant

215 Main Avenue

Choteau, Montana

(406) 466-5642

Hours:  6:00 a.m  - 9:00 p.m.

Tuesday 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Open until 10:00 p.m. on Friday

Jo Martin, Carol Reifschneider, and Cathy Jamruszka  will traditionally order the  “huge” Breakfast Burrito.  My favorites are either the stack of Two Pancakes and Bacon or the Two Eggs, Crisp Bacon, Crisp Hashbrowns and Rye Toast.

We are known to never miss a meal either at:

Log Cabin Cafe

102 S. Main

Chouteau, Montana

Hours:  11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Tuesday – Friday

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Saturday

Restaurant Motto:  Blue Jean Cuisine

Jo Martin and I like the Patty Melt.  The rye bread tastes almost sweet…the meat patty is loaded with grilled onions and Swiss Cheese.  I enjoy the Tomato Bisque…Jo’s favorite is the Zuni Vegetable.  The French Fries are always crisp and hot.

 Jo and I also have a favorite breakfast served in the log cabin -  Biscuits and Gravy, Hashbrowns, Eggs,  choice of Bacon or Sausage.  The biscuits are soft and perfectly shaped…served  withwhite gravy.  Our choice of gravy... has to be a white gravy with bits of sausage.

This year we will not be making the trip.  Jo and I are both not feeling well…to say nothing of the cold, snowy weather.  Darn!  I am going to miss the great food…to say nothing of the sound of the early morning lift off.  It is like no other sound you will ever hear.