Buffalo Café: Montana’s Last Best Place for Breakfast

Buffalo Café
514 E. 3rd St.
Whitefish, MT





Stand on a mountaintop in nearby Glacier National Park and you begin to understand this state’s famous moniker. The blue Big Sky stretches from horizon to distant horizon seeming to crush the earth.

As the 4th largest state in America by land mass, Montana is a pretty diverse place.

From the oil field rough necks on the barren eastern plaines to the unemployed union workers in gritty Butte to the Blackfoot Indians across the flat north country to the celebrity Hollywood refugees in bucolic Bozeman and Helena, Montana means a lot of different things to a lot of different people.

But for those of us who don’t live here, when we close our eyes and think of Montana, an image of Whitefish is what comes to mind.

Whitefish is the quintessential small Rocky Mountain town.

Nestled in the shadow of Big Mountain carved up with high priced ski slopes, Whitefish’s Central Avenue is lined with quaint shops selling western gear and fun watering holes like the Great Northern Bar and Grill.

Sure, Whitefish is a bit touristy, but it still has the feel of a real place.

That sense of Rocky Mountain authenticity hasn’t yet been subjugated to the tourist shops selling t-shirts that proclaim Montana “The Last Best Place.”

But that is an apt slogan for Montana -- and Whitefish specifically.

As I strolled through town on a sunny Saturday morning searching for breakfast, I couldn’t help but sense how fleeting Montana’s greatness can seem.

“You call something paradise, kiss it goodbye,” Don Henley once sang.

Whether it is the proliferation of Montana’s cheesy roadside casinos or the influx of California leftists like Henley, you can’t help but simultaneously admire the beauty of this small town while fearing it can’t possibly stay this quaint.

All I can say is enjoy Montana’s “Last Best Place” while you can.

When you do come to Whitefish, you have to stop by for breakfast at the Buffalo Café.

You’ll be treated to a vacation highlight Montana meal well worth the wait for a table.

While the gourmet specials on the blackboard such as the local huckleberry French toast were mighty tempting, I have a Suit757 rule about dining.

If a place is “famous” for something, order that something.

In the case of Buffalo Café, that “something” is their famous “Buffalo Pie”.

Since 1979, the Buffalo Café has been piling plates high with eggs, hash browns and various breakfast meats in delicious combinations.

The decision making was agonizing. They all sounded so good.

Sausage? Bacon? Ham? Fancy Kansas City bacon? Smoked cheddar? Green Chili? Cream gravy? Spinach? Onions? Peppers?

I was as conflicted as Barack Obama facing a foreign policy crisis.

Eventually I settled upon the Morning Glory Pie.

Epic.

That’s all I have to say.

Of course the Buffalo Pie is nothing like a pie.

There is no crust. I thought maybe the hash browns would serve as the base with the mountain of other ingredients serving as the pie filling, but that’s not the case either.

The base of this “pie” is a savory and slightly spicy patty of country sausage which added just the right amount of kick to the pile of goodness on top.

The next layer is the Buffalo Café’s famous hash browns, topped with grilled onions and spinach, topped with a couple eggs over easy, topped with a hearty covering of peppery cream gravy.

Holy heart attack, Batman!

This just might be one of the greatest breakfasts to grace Suit757’s taste buds.

The spice from the sausage, the pepper from the gravy, the sweetness from the onions, the crunch from the fried potatoes and the runny goodness of the eggs produced a kaleidoscope of flavors, textures and colors in every bite.

I even savored every bite of the buttered local nine-grain toast served on the side.

Normally I toss aside bread as a distraction to the main attraction. But not at the Buffalo Café.

Of course I couldn’t help but suffer a bit of buyer’s remorse -- not from dissatisfaction with my purchase. But from regret from just thinking about what else on the menu I might be missing.

I relieved a bit of my angst by ordering a side of Buffalo’s famous “Kansas City bacon”.

A Suit can never have too much meat after all.

Good call.

More like a cross between Canadian bacon and country ham, Buffalo’s Kansas City bacon was thick and smoky, an ideal accompaniment to a hall of fame breakfast.

I left Buffalo Café and Montana feeling like I had discovered something special.

You should too.

But hurry. It indeed just might be the last best place.

Rating: Bought the Shirt!

Craft Beer and Gourmet Food In An Airport!?!?!

Root Down
Denver International Airport
C Concourse
Denver, CO





Airport food is usually just so disappointing…

I mean, only in an airport can you be served sub-par fast food, pay twice for it, all just minutes after getting groped by a government agent.

Fast food is already not the greatest experience when you get it not at the airport, but at least you aren’t paying an arm and a leg for a sub-par version of the same thing.

And let’s be serious, that is really the only option that most travelers have, as we are usually running for our lives to get to our gate.

But there are those rare instances where that half hour delay on your flight actually becomes at a blessing, as it allows you to slow down and explore some of the more interesting options at the airport.

Very rarely has this happened to me.

But, alas, it did happen for me and at a convenient time, and it turned out well.

Situated in the “C” concourse at Denver International Airport, Root Down provides weary travelers comfortable seating, delicious food, and a decent craft beer selection.

I must say, though, it is a little intimidating at first glance. All the “cool” people hanging out and waiting for a seat, while disco music is blaring in the background, it makes one wonder if he is about to walk into an airport restaurant or a dance club.

Once past the façade, though, it is actually quite a cozy place. And once I noticed that they had my favorite beer from O’Dell Brewing, a Chocolate Milk Stout called “Lugene”, on tap, I wasn't going anywhere else.

As is common with most airport restaurants, the menu was small, but provided a decent variety of options, while also providing their own take on the classic.

I went with the half pound burger, complete with bacon, sriracha mayo, and a pretzel bun. It also came with a side of sweet potato waffle fries, along with two dipping sauces.

The burger was absolutely delicious and actually paired well with the Chocolate Milk Stout. Of course, I would probably drink Lugene with any dish, but that is beside the point…

The sweet potato fries were good as well, but what really made the fries were the dipping sauces.  One sauce was called “Elevated ketchup.” I’m not really sure what that means, but that stuff was like candy. It had a pumpkin spice flavor to it that went very well with the sweet potato taste. The other dipping sauce was like a mustard and curry combination, or something like that. It was good as well, but the Elevated ketchup won the day.

Overall, this was a great experience. Of course, it cost an arm and a leg, but that’s airport food. At least it was money well spent on a good meal, rather than paying twice as much at a fast food joint serving death on a bun.

Rating: Seriously Thought About Buying Shirt.

Too Much is Never Enough at Maple Street Biscuit Company

Maple Street Biscuit Company
2004 San Marco Blvd.
Jacksonville, FL





You ever meet one of those stick-in-the-mud type people who complain, “Oh, that’s too much for me?”

Yeah. Me neither.

I don’t hang out with people like that.

For me, there’s no such thing as too much of a good thing.

Lots of people who agree with me crowd into Maple Street Biscuit Company every day for ludicrous gastronomical combinations of good food.

The vibe at Maple Street Biscuit Company is one of a place trying to keep things upbeat and fun.

Aforementioned stick-in-the-muds need not apply.

Instead of giving you a number to remember when you place your order, the perky girls at the order counter ask you a question.

Every customer gets the same question -- but the question changes every day.

Today it was “What is your favorite game?”

Apparently I just looked at her blankly.

“Huh? Game?”

“You know, video game, computer game, card game,” my order taker explained cheerfully.

Um, Suit757 doesn’t have time for games.

“Okay, well, what was the last game you remember playing?”

Followed by a perky, patient head tilt.

Uhhhh. Monopoly? During the Carter Administration, maybe?

“Great! When we call Monopoly, come get your order!”

More perky smiling.

Look, you better be in a good mood when you come in here. Because a meal at Maple Street Biscuit Company is like a trip to Disney World for your taste buds and arteries.

Everything here is cheerfully over-the-top.

Such as my “Five and Dime”, a teetering tower of heart-clogging comfort food.

As the name on the door implies, the specialty at Maple Street Biscuit Company is…

…well…

…biscuits.

And I’m sure Maple Street Biscuit Company makes fantastic biscuits…

…it’s just kinda hard to tell for sure with all that other goodness piled on top on my Five and Dime Biscuit.

Fried chicken.

Melted cheese.

Pecan smoked bacon.

A drippy over-easy egg.

Whew!

All topped off with a healthy ladling of sausage gravy!

Holy quadruple bypass, Batman, this just might be the single most over-the-top concoction to ever slide by my taste buds!

If you are disgusted, well…

…why exactly are you even reading this website?

If you are thinking, “Well, Suit757, does the Five and Dime taste as good as it sounds?”…

…the answer is a resounding YES!

What might be a tad over-whelming in the hands of mere mortals turns into delicious at Maple Street Biscuit Company because this place takes each and every one of the components of its culinary creations seriously.

Fluffy but firm biscuits, all-natural fried chicken, organic eggs, gourmet thick-cut bacon, quality real cheese.

All smothered with an off-the-hook sausage gravy.

Some sausage gravies served at those little chain joints along Southern interstate exit ramps camouflage the bits of sausage in a bland cream gravy.

There’s nothing subtle about the sausage in Maple Street’s sausage gravy.

This place doesn’t do subtle.

Generous chunks of zesty sausage make their presence known in every delicious forkful of creamy gravy.

And with a nice hint of spicy kick, this sausage gravy perfectly complements the smoky flavor of the bacon and the earthy warmth of the scratch-made biscuit.

Likewise, the runny egg lends a nice textural contrast to its crispy fried chicken kissin’ cousin.

Needless to say, this isn’t a Hardee’s biscuit sandwich you could eat one handed driving down I-95.

Even with a knife and a fork, there is no conceivable way to get even a small sampling of all the various components onto one forkful. Thus every bite offers a new and different thrill ride for the taste buds.

Most folks who come here don’t have much room for the side dishes.

Most folks are missing out.

And Suit757 definitely isn’t most folks.

The macaroni and cheese is a crock of melty cheesy goodness topped with crumbled Cheese Itz crackers. Like everything else here -- over-the-top good.

The collard greens deserve a spot in the vegetable Hall of Fame.

Both sweeter and spicier than any greens that have ever before graced my taste buds, these collards were swimming in a wicked broth of flavor and seasoning.

Biscuits, fried chicken, eggs, cheese, bacon, sausage gravy, collard greens and mac and cheese?

All for one suit’s lunch?

Too much?

Nope. If it’s good, there’s no such thing.

Rating: Bought the Shirt!

Bacon Flavored Beer? Oh, Yeah!

Red Rock Brewing Company
254 South 200 West
Salt Lake City, UT
Visited September 8, 2010

Beer selection: Wide variety of Utah law-abiding low alcohol brews.

Food: Lots of good stuff that can be baked in a brick oven.


It was Wednesday night. I was hungry and thirsty.

My Tuesday began at 5am when I donned my suit and headed for the airport. My Tuesday ended at 3am – 22 hours later -- when I checked into my hotel and finally got out of that suit.


During those 22 hours, I traipsed through four airports, took three flights, rented two cars, took one cab ride, conducted one important meeting, drove four hours, visited five states, and touched ground in all four time zones.

My Wednesday? I started the whole thing all over again at 6:30am.

By 7pm, I had been wearing my suit for 38 hours straight – except for the couple hours I got to sleep Tuesday night.

Just another typical day in the life of Suit757.

So by the time I got to Salt Lake City, I wanted two things. To get the heck out of that suit.

And I needed a beer.

Bad.

What better place to get a desperately needed brew than a place called “Red Rock Brewing Company”?

I’ve always found it ironic that a state where supposedly 70% of the population consists of tee totaling Mormons, brews so much good beer.

Maybe the remaining 30% in some way feel obligated to make up the difference.

I don’t know.

But I do know Red Rock Brewing Company carries on the tradition of excellent Utah beer making – even though none of it can exceed 4% alcohol, by state law.

Tasty low-alcohol beer? I know what you are thinking. Why bother?

But you know what? Red Rocks pulls it off.

I sat at the bar and ordered myself a much deserved Oatmeal Stout while I looked over the menu.

Like most breweries, Red Rock doesn’t try to get too creative with its stout. After all, a stout is a stout is a stout. But it was a good way to kick off the meal.

It also gave me the opportunity to plan my next move.

I asked my bartender about the “Bamberg Rauch Beer”.

He said it is a German style smoked lager.

A smoked lager?

Wow. This smoked beer thing is really starting to catch on, I thought.

It was just a few weeks ago at the last brew pub I patronized in Omaha that I enjoyed a smoked porter, the more common variation on smoked beer.

As I explain in that post, smoked beer is created by smoking the malt in the brewing process.

While a smoked porter is perfect for kicking back in front of a fire on a cold Alaskan winter night, a smoked lager is best suited for a blistering Texas Labor Day backyard bar-b-que.


In fact, the only other smoked lager I’ve ever had was Shiner Smokehaus, the seasonal summer brew by that famous little brewery down in Shiner, Texas (I’ve done the brewery tour twice, a story for another day).

I loved how my bartender described Red Rock’s smoky version. “People either love it or hate it. If you like bacon, you’ll love it.”

Like bacon?

Is there someone who doesn’t like bacon?

I’ve long held the belief that the best foods in the world can always be improved by either frying or adding a layer of bacon.

I’ve never figured out a way to fry beer. But beer that tastes like bacon?

Yeah, we just might be on to something there.

Sure enough, as I lifted the Rauch Bier to my lips, I smelled the smoke before I even tasted it.

Unlike the smoked porter in Omaha, these crazy Mormon brew masters in Utah don’t skimp on the smoke.

Yet, as a lager, it tastes lighter than the more typical dark smoked porters. I could definitely see downing a few of these in the back yard while plowing through a rack of hickory smoked ribs.


But, alas, I wasn’t in my back yard. And wasn’t about to trust a brewpub in Utah to the sacred art of rib smoking.

One look at the well worn, charred brick oven and I knew pizza was the thing to get here. I picked the special “pizza of the day” – prosciutto with sun dried tomatoes, yellow peppers and hazel nuts.

Hazel nuts on a pizza?

Yeah, well, while I can’t say they added much to the flavor, it was certainly different.

The pizza was excellent. The ham and tomatoes blended well and the red brick toasted crust was a perfect companion to the star of the meal, my smoked German lager.

I had a perfect view from my perch at the bar to observe the surprisingly high percentage of the menu that came out of that brick oven. Burgers, sandwiches, deserts, you name it.

While I would have liked to have stayed and sampled a few more beers, I really needed to get some sleep. My wake-up call for Thursday morning was set for 4am.

My brief suit-free reprieve was over.

Yeah, another glamorous day of 6am flights, three planes, two rental cars, a cab ride, three more time zones and 17 hours of wearing that damn suit was awaiting me beginning in another six hours.

Which reminds me, if I ever do get home, I really need to pay my dry cleaner a visit.

Rating: Bought the Shirt!