As most of my readers/followers know, I enjoy good
food, open-minded conversation, and culture. I was elated when I was
able to find all of these in one spot in Bozeman, MT. Earlier this week,
my husband and I traveled to Bozeman for a small vacation. I explained
to my husband that Bozeman is an odd cross roads of Montanans, college
students (MSU) who think they know everything, ski bums, tourists, Jews
(largest Jewish population in the state), and the VERY wealthy (the
Gates & Timberlakes have houses in the area). So this mini-vacation
should be interesting to say the least. Tonight we dined at South 9th
Bistro.
Last night I got to eat some good food
but had to overhear an impaired college student (you could smell the
marijuana coming off him) try to mansplain (I say this because he kept
hushing his female date when she attempted to engage in conversation
about the topic) about how bad it was that Trump acknowledged Jerusalem
as being the Capital of Israel and Zionism would be the downfall of
humankind. When his date asked about his thoughts on the implications of
Trump's acknowledgement in relation to the fact that it was the Brits
who essentially decided historical land would be Arab (Palestine) vs
Jewish (Israel), he shushed her and said she was politically
incompetent.
I tell you this backstory because
tonight I was able to enjoy upscale and delicious food while over
hearing intellectual and open-minded conversations by both
the restaurant personnel and customers. We started our evening by being
hosted by the owner who was pleasant and ensured we understood that it
meant a lot to him that we chose to spend our evening in his
establishment. We were seated next to a lovely older couple who recently
moved from Park City, Utah (but were originally from AZ and NJ)
and considered the Bistro their "#1 place to eat in Bozeman." I was
asked about where I got my my Sorel snow boots (it had snowed at least
an additional 3-4" today) as her husband had been teasing her to get
boots higher than ankle height.
So during a
conversation that started over snow boots I learned about where they
were originally from, where they just moved from, that they loved
eastern Montana from years of attending horse sales, what their favorite
foods were at the Bistro, and that the owner also baked the desserts
for the restaurant (more on that later).
On the
other side of the room I could here a table discussing llamas seen
downtown that they took pictures of. They were in fact alpacas as my
husband and I saw them earlier as well. They were ridiculously soft and I
wanted to take home Cpt Jack Sparrow (the pirate colored one) to snuggle and make blankets from
his soft coat.The other nearby table of four was an interesting group of four, whose conversations, besides the food dialogue intrigued me. The Russian perceptions of the world which came from a man whose appearance said East Asian but whose accent said British. His understanding and first hand account of the USSR and Putin was interesting to hear. They also discussed the Arabic lands of the Middle East/Levant, as well as the British overtaking of the America's and it's impact on the "Indian People". Those conversations all happened while also talking about the wine, the lamb shank, the scallops, and beef bourguignon! It also happened in a polite polite and respectful way (unlike the prior night).
THIS
my friends is why I love food! It is while engaging in the act of
breaking bread and sharing wine where our human differences but most
importantly our similarities become so apparent!
To
be able to order perfectly prepared garlic buttery escargot from a
waitress who could recommend Californian, Italian, or French wines from
personal understanding and has an accent that ringed as if she was from
either Ireland/Tasmania/South Africa with a bit of time in New York or
New Jersey was just what my heart and mind needed. And the atmosphere of
the Bistro told me it would be okay if I asked the owner or her
where she was from. Her accent sounded of various locations, which to me
meant a more vast experience in our amazing world.Obviously a food blog has to discuss the analysis of the food as well so for those who are not into delicious snails...here goes. My husband ordered the 160z Cognac marinated ribeye with fresh made mac & cheese and sautéed spinach. I ordered the bone in 22oz rosemary and red wine demi glace lamb shank with garlic mashed red potatoes and grilled asparagus.
The
ribeye was ordered medium rare (the standard in MT) and had a buttery
mouth feel. From an earlier post, my regulars know my husband has a
thing for mac & cheese. He said this was tasty but had a bit of
"tang" too it, so he asked me to taste. I could tell the cheese (at
least tonight) was a bit nutty, had some white cheddar tang with some
sweetness. My guess would be a Dubliner cheese. It is not a "typical"
mac but none the less delicious. The spinach had a fresh green color and
taste. My preference would be a squeeze of fresh lemon to the spinach
to compete with the richness of the ribeye and mac. For me, richness is
the nuanced intense flavour created by the properly cooked fatty ribeye
or the cheese in the mac. So this nuance could mean that my want for
lemon is unnecessary for others.
The lamb shank was cooked to perfection. The rosemary and red wine demi glace wasn't over powering so you could still taste
the flavor of the meat, which to me is important. I am not a fan of
soft asparagus and these still had their crispness which I enjoyed.
They were lightly coated in the olive oil they were prepared in with
just a hint of salt and pepper. The potatoes were garlic creamy
goodness.
Now for the desserts. They are
hand prepared by the owner, Hank. We had a pleasant conversation about
learning family recipes and keeping on those traditions through cooking
and baking for others. When you taste the desserts you can tell they are
prepared with a caring and appreciative heart.
We ordered "The Black
Beast" because my husband is an immense chocolate fan. For those who
might be like me and not a fan of chocolate or marzapan let me tell you
that neither were overwhelming. The flavors presented did not fight each
other on the palette.
I would be remiss if I
did not to tell you about the muffled oohs, aahs, & mmmms that could
be heard from the other tables as they enjoyed their "Crack Tart",
"Brioche Bread Pudding", and the "Chocolate Espresso Mousse."
If you are in the Bozeman area I highly recommend you make your way over to the South 9th Bistro.
