Day 10 and 11 – Goodbye Montana…..Ugg….the drive back to Texas

Forest Fire

The next morning, after a puffy eyed wakeup of regretting the amount of alcohol consumption from the night before, we said our good byes and set out to make the long trek back to Texas, but before we leave this great state, we stopped to have lunch in Butte at Trimbo’s Pizza. Back on the road and in the middle of Montana, we saw a pretty nasty forest fire with helicopters flying over to dump water on it, and a few fire trucks driving towards it. It was pretty crazy! I hope they got it out before it caused too much damage. A few hours later, while driving through Wyoming, we hit a few patches of rain and experienced the most beautiful and full half moon rainbow that I’ve ever seen! Another Awwww moment! It was incredible! Then, dinner was had in Casper Wyoming at Lime Leaf Asian Bistro. I made a late breakfast in Oklahoma, and then we were home in McKinney by 2:30pm. My rear end was quite sore from sitting on it for 28+ hours, so I had to exercise. Also, our good friend from Houston was coming to stay with us that night because he had a meeting in Irving the next morning, and our fridge was empty, so I made a trip to the store. I was craving something spicy and Latin, so I made Arepas! Delicious as always!

Rainbow

Trimbo’s Off the Hook Pizza

Rating: Hmmm….Not too shabby

Location: 43 West Park Street, Butte, MT‎

Category: Pizza

Favorites: Italian Beef Sandwich, Capresi Panini

Pricing: Inexpensive

Comments:

Trimbo's Off the Hook Pizza

We chose Trimbo’s because it was just visited by Adam Richman, the host of Man V. Food for their 5 pound Stromboli challenge. They had a picture of him at the order counter, but he was not on the Wall of Shame or the empty Fame, which is probably due to the fact that the show hasn’t aired yet. Their menu was filled with your basic pizzeria choices but they had the addition of calzones, strombolis, and sandwiches. All of which are made from scratch. I chose the Capresi Panini, consisting of home-made focaccia bread, mozzarella, tomatoes, and fresh pesto…..Yum! MT got the Special Sandwich of the day, Italian Beef. The service was a little slow, but well worth it. My Panini was nicely toasted with a nice spread of pesto and the mozzarella oozing out of the sides! MT couldn’t stop moaning over his sandwich…..which I believe is called a Food-gasm….so I had a taste….. I concurred. We enjoyed every minute of our last meal in Montana.

Capresi Panini

Italian Beef Sandwich

Lime Leaf Asian Bistro

Rating: Hmmm….Not too shabby

Location: 845 E 2nd St, Casper, WY

Category: Asian

Favorites: Pork Pot Stickers, War WonTon Soup

Pricing: Inexpensive

Comments:

Casper, WY does not have many choices for restaurants that aren’t a national chain, serves alcohol and open on Sundays for dinner. Considering that 4 of the top 10 Urbanspoon rated restaurants were Chinese, one of them ended up being the only place I could find that was worth trying. The place was actually quite nice inside with a modern décor, and the menu was fairly extensive. The wine list on the other hand was not, but I opted for a glass anyway. We started with Steamed Pork Pot Stickers, which were decent, and then shared a big bowl of War WonTon soup, filled with steaming clear broth, shrimp, slices of pork, mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, ginger, and pork wontons. Everything came out quick and was fairly good for an Asian restaurant in Casper Wyoming. We definitely lucked out on our restaurant choices throughout this entire trip. I have been nothing but impressed!

Pork Potstickers

War Won Ton Soup

Day 9 – MT’s Cousin’s Wedding

The Waterfall

The day of the wedding, we had a late family breakfast at Don Betty’s Cabin because she made Golden Rod Eggs for everyone, which is a family favorite breakfast dish that she always prepares. It’s also something that I would never try to recreate because it would never be the same if it wasn’t made by her. After that, MT and I went on a long 6 mile long hike to the Morrel Creek Water Fall, which was a beautiful sight! Back at the cabin, we changed into our swim suits and walked down to the beach where most everyone else was for the time being. Some of the kids were also out on MT’s uncle’s boat tubing, skiing, and wake boarding. We drank a few beers; I tried to wade my way into the frigid water, but didn’t make it very far, went kayaking, and then headed back in to get ready for the wedding.

The wedding site was beautiful among the trees with a backdrop of the lake, and the ceremony was short and sweet, just how they should be. We then followed the bag piper in a procession to the reception, where we had cocktails and hor d’ erves, and then continued with a sit down dinner catered by another one of their family’s restaurants, which adhered more toward an international flare. The food was great, the drinks kept flowing, and because of that I worked my way to the dance floor thinking I was a solid pick for a role in the movie Flash Dance. Why drinking does that to me or anyone else for that matter is beyond me, and this is also when people start to think, including myself, that YouTube was a horrible invention. No evidence please! The night was amazing, but I was sad that this was the last of our vacation in Montana.

Part of Wedding Site

Day 8 – Side Excursion to the Cabin and Seely Lake

The Cabin

To begin our weekend, we opted to take a little side trip to MT’s Family cabin in Wolf Creek because we hadn’t been there since Christmas and wanted to check out the property, and the damage that the beetles were causing to the trees up there. Montana is experiencing an epidemic with these beetles that borrow their way inside pine trees and feed off of them, eventually killing the trees, which turn a brownish red color once they are dead. They act almost like a contagious disease because they end up destroying every tree around the first infected one. On a side note, the different colored trees make for a beautiful landscape, similar to fall leaves turning, but it’s really depressing to see and know what’s happening. Upon arriving at the Cabin, we first took some pics of the property inside and out for the insurance, and next went for a long hike with the dogs, which then we were sadly proven that many of the trees around it had been infested with these nasty beetles. MT’s family is worried sick about a forest fire that could potentially wipe out the place…….so to be proactive, we upped the insurance! I made sandwiches for lunch, which we enjoyed on the front porch soaking in the mountain air and the beautiful scenery. It’s so peaceful and relaxing being out of touch from almost all technology.

Next, we made our way to Seely Lake for a one of MT’s cousin’s wedding, but on the way we made a couple of touristy stops. First, Matt had to show me Roger’s Pass at the Continental Divide, which has the Record Coldest Spot in the U.S……please….a mere 70 degrees below zero…..weaklings! Just kidding, I despise the cold…….give me the hot, sweltering, fry an egg on the pavement heat over shivering bone chilling cold anyday! Next, we stopped at the Hi-Country Beef Jerky Facility for some great Montana souveniers, and of course, beef jerky….the best road trip food you can find! After that was Stoney’s Kwik Stop to take a picture in front of the Giant Steer……Yes, it’s Cheesy, but we had to do it. Our final stop was a quick side trip to Trail Creek Winery for some tastings, which weren’t really that great, but we bought a bottle anyway to support the local economy. Now, for our destination, Lake Seely! We were staying with the rest of MT’s family on the wedding site at a place called Tamaracks and my jaw almost dropped when we arrived. The lake is so incredibly beautiful with sparkling blue water, surrounded by tall green pine trees (mostly unaffected by the beetles), and a backdrop of majestic mountains. Wow! Our cabin was right on the lake as well. I know I keep repeating this awe inspiring scenery, but Montana really is that magnificent.

Trail Creek Winery

The first night of the weekend, began with some incredibly delicious pizza, which was made by the groom, who works in one of restaurants that the bride’s family owns. They brought some portable pizza ovens to the site and the groom was cooking up a delicious storm. I had the pineapple chutney pizza with caramelized onions, and I was pleasantly delighted by it! The salty cheese was a wonderful contrast to the sweet chutney and onions, but, the best part……the crust…. was chewy on the inside and a little crispy on the outside. I couldn’t stop eating it. Delicious! I then attempted to play volleyball with SB, and a few other of MT’s family. We drank, changed into warmer clothes because it was freezing, drank more, and ended the night by taking over a campfire that was surrounded by some other wedding attendees, who left not too long after we arrived…..probably due to our belligerence. What a night!

View from Tamarack Cabin

Day 7 – A Day with my Niece

On Top of Mt. Helena with my Niece

I wanted to dedicate a day with my one and only niece from my husband’s side, who I will call SB, short for Social Butterfly because she is definitely that, including one of the most well-rounded, smart, tall and beautiful 12 year olds I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. She is such an amazing girl in more ways than I can explain. I gave her a list of options for things we could do with our day together such as a nice lunch, movie, shopping or hiking, and she chose hiking. So we grabbed the dogs, our backpack filled with water, sunscreen and snacks, had a pit stop at Great Harvest to grab a sandwich for lunch (their freshly baked bread is incredible), which was added to the backpack, and made our way to Mt. Helena for our hike. Yep, it’s my second trip up there this visit, but she had never hiked up that mountain. I know…..I was shocked when I heard that she hadn’t been up there, considering she’s lived in Helena her entire life, but sometimes you never stop to be a tourist in your own town. Once again, a beautiful hike and I think she enjoyed it immensely, especially eating our lunch at the top with that spectacular view. After our hike, she raved about this Frozen Yogurt place called Mo’ Berry, so that’s where we went next. She ordered the Green Tea Frozen Yogurt with no toppings, I had a bite and she was right. It was really good! Following that, we went on a little shopping spree to get her some new shoes at Famous Footwear. I don’t get to see her that much, so I wonderful thought a little Auntie Spoiling would do the trick to make up for our little time together. I was splendidly surprised with her shopping technique, which is exactly like mine……quick. She found the shoes she wanted within 5 minutes; we got some socks, and were out the door in no time. That’s my kind of shopping……I despise lingering. We then made our way home, so I could shower and make our grocery list because she wanted to help me make dinner that night. I suggested tacos, mostly because Montanans don’t get to eat good Tex-Mex, she agreed, so we went to the store, bought our ingredients, and made some delicious tacos with a side Charred Corn, Tomato and Black Bean Salad. Finally, SB made a wonderful dessert with some of my leftover strawberry frosting (from cupcakes that I made for the weekend in Seely), tortillas, chocolate pudding, and chocolate sauce. Sounds crazy, but they were really very good! The day was remarkable, and I was so glad to share it with SB.

Charred Corn Tomato Black Bean Salad

Tacos

SB's Dessert

Great Harvest

Rating: Yummm…..Impressive

Location: 1133 Helena Avenue, Helena, MT‎

Category: Bakery

Favorites: Dakota Bread, Sandwiches

Pricing: Inexpensive

Comments:

Great Harvest has some of the best baked bread I’ve ever tasted, and you have the ability to buy their flour in the store, along with a few other goodies. The employees are so incredibly nice, offering a free very large sample of your choosing, which ranges from different flavored breads of the day to cookies. I absolutely love their multigrain Dakota bread because it’s so hearty, nutty, and good for you, so I ordered that for my peanut butter honey sandwich. SB chose the Dakota bread as well, but with Turkey and Swiss. It ended up being the perfect meal to enjoy on top of Mt. Helena!

Day 6 – A Hidden Pink Gem, Music, Beer and Thai Food

Live at Five

While conversing with one of MT’s sister’s about great places to eat in Helena, she mentioned a place called The Flamingo Grill in a KOA campsite about 25 miles outside of town that had great burgers, fries and the best Reuben in Montana. My first reaction was one of reluctance of the KOA part, but I proceeded to look it up online and fell in love with the place. First, it really is in a KOA campsite right next to a huge lake, but the best part is you can eat in an old pink bus! I had to check it out, so we went there for lunch. Then, every Wednesday in the summer Helena has an event called Live at 5, which is basically a social gathering outside that consists of a band, beer, and food, so MT, MT’s parents and I decided to go for a little while before dinner. This week, it was barricaded in the newer part of downtown, near Silver Star. The music was great, the beer was flowing, and we even had some great dancing entertainment. Final stop…..Toi’s Thai for dinner, which is a place we were able to try about 3 years ago, and just raved about, but haven’t been able to return because it is either closed or Toi is in Thailand visiting family. We were ecstatic to be able to make it there this year!

The Flamingo Grill

Rating: Yummm…..Impressive

Location: 81 Silos Road, Townsend, MT‎

Category: Burgers, Fries, Sandwiches

Favorites: French Fries, Pulled Pork Sandwich

Pricing: Cheap

Comments:

Definitely don’t go to this place for a quick lunch, but more for a leisurely and scenic meal out of town. Great for a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Once you are at the KOA site, it sticks out like a sore thumb with the pink bus, flamingos and large plastic palm trees everywhere, so you can’t miss it. The little shack in the middle is where you place your order, and the menu was incredible. Milk shakes galore, sandwiches and burgers (all made with Montana Wheat bread) fries, onion rings and breakfast foods. I am a big lover of pulled pork sandwiches, so I had to try theirs, MT ordered the Summer Special, which was a Philly Cheese steak, and our other passenger, MT’s uncle, chose the Turkey Melt. We placed our requests, got our drinks, and went to sit in the pink bus. Little tables filled with condiments and napkins, flamingos, and a side table with a guest book loaded up the bus along with a little radio for background music. It was quite lovely and the view of the lake and mountains was spectacular! Our food was soon brought out to us, and the portions are huge, so come hungry. My pulled pork was not the best I’ve had, but it was still really really good, and the Montana Wheat bread was delicious. I tried MT’s Philly Cheese steak and I’m no cheese steak connoisseur, but theirs was tasty. The big winner of the day was their French fries, which come with every sandwich….Wow…..super crispy on the outside with a soft and tender inside. The best I’ve ever had, and I don’t even like fries that much! After polishing off most of my sandwich, we left with our bellies very very full. Time for a walk!

Pulled Pork Sandwich

Philly Cheese Steak

Toi’s Thai

Rating: Yummm…..Impressive

Location: 423 North Last Chance Gulch Street, Helena, MT‎

Category: Thai

Favorites: The Spiciness!, Green Curry, Banana Sticky Rice, BYOB

Pricing: Affordable

Comments:

I was so glad that Toi’s Thai was open this visit to Montana because we have wanted to go back for years because this woman knows her Thai food and how to spice it up! I know…..good Thai food in Montana? It’s true……some of the best! She didn’t let us down during this pop in either. Also, a big plus……it’s BYOB, considering most of our bill is mostly from alcohol. Not here! Following the opening of our first bottle of wine, MT’s parents both ordered the Dinners, which was a 4 course meal including soup, salad, a main course, and dessert. MT and I didn’t choose the Dinner, so we started off with some Chicken Satay….yum…our favorite. I then ordered a Veggie Stir Fry, extra thai spicy, and MT ordered his regular, Pad Thai, extra chicken, extra spicy. When MT’s parent’s soups came out, I was able to have a sip…good clean flavors. My veggie dish was great swimming in wonderful Thai spices and sauce. Matt’s Pad Thai was a bit too dry, and needed more peanuts, but overall still good. I don’t quite recall everything that was on MT’s parent’s main course plates, but MT’s mom had a side of Green Curry, which she let me try, and I was astounded by it. It had Just the right amount of curry spice with a wonderful contrasting rich creaminess from the coconut milk. Absolutely delicious! Finally, MT’s parents Dinners ended with their dessert, a Banana Sticky Rice, which I gladly took a bite of, and oh my goodness gracious…..so good, sweet and milky! Definitely, do not skip out on dessert at this place. I was impressed!

The Dinner with side of Green Curry

Pad Thai

Banana Sticky Rice

Day 5 – The Airport and Dinner at Silver Star

Montana Capitol

This was a pretty relaxing day….I started off by going for a run across town with one of our dogs. Grandma Don lives right down the street from the Montana State Capitol, which is also where MT’s father works, and I get to run by the gorgeous building any time I please. The campus is so pretty at this time of year, with beautiful red and white flowers spelling out “Montana” in front of the statue of Thomas Meagher (pronounced Mar) on his horse, tall green trees towering over to provide shade for pedestrians, and the every so lovely (snow free) lady Montana that stands on top of the capitol’s large copper dome looking down upon us. It’s a beautiful sight to see! Then, I keep running and reach the other side of town where I trek up the big hill in Reeder’s Village and turn around at the top……ahhhhhh……what a spectacular view of Helena! When I return to the house, we get ready because MT’s uncle is flying in from Salt Lake City via Dallas, TX, which is one of maybe 3 flights that day at Helena Airport. When we arrive the place is packed and it’s not hard to locate MT’s uncle with his bright red hair near the one and only gate at the airport. One of MT’s aunts, which is his uncle’s twin, is also there with him to pick him up. We make our greetings and leave the airport within minutes. I think our trip to, from, in and out of the airport was a total of 15 minutes, where as in Dallas it would have taken at least 1 ½ hours. By now, I’m thinking Helena is not a bad place to live…..but then I remember the cold winters…….Brrrrrr. The next few hours will basically just sit and visit with everyone, and finally we make our way to dinner at another nice establishment in Helena, Silver Star Steakhouse. Needless to say, it was a very un-rushed day. One of many in this town!

Silver Star Steakhouse

Rating: Hmmm…..Not too shabby

Location: 833 Great Northern Boulevard, Helena, MT 59601

Category: Steakhouse

Favorites: Filet, Outdoor Seating, Wine List

Pricing: Pricey

Comments:

Silver Star had been our go-to restaurant in Helena, since I made my first trip here about 5 years ago. It’s located in the newest section of downtown right next to the Great Northern Hotel and the movie theatre. They also have a fantastic patio for outdoor seating and the night was perfect for just that. We ordered a bottle of wine and then pondered over an appetizer, choosing the Seafood Tower. My initial thought before reading the description was an assortment of oysters, shrimp, crab claws, and clams brought out on a cascading ice tower, but then I looked at the low price, and considered there was a catch, but in actuality it is more like a crab, shrimp, avocado and egg salad shaped into a cylinder. Not a tower at all……they need to rename this dish. I wasn’t too sure about the egg in this before I tried it, and my instincts proved me right because it really wasn’t too appetizing. I had one bite and pushed it aside to MT, who proceeded to eat most of it. He loved the eggs in it. I advanced on to deciding on our main course…..the filet, which this time we ordered rare and blackened on the outside, with a side of white plate screaming for some sort of garnish, but after cutting into the beautiful piece of meat and tasting the wonderful blackened crust….I was in heaven…..mmmm…..I don’t understand vegetarians! The mushrooms were not bad, but the broccoli was boring. Just steamed and no seasoning in sight. I had to order a little side of dressing to make them edible. No dessert. Overall, I wasn’t that impressed with this round of Silver Star, but at least they are still getting their meat right.

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Filet with Mushrooms and Broccoli

Seafood Tower???

Day 4 –Mt. Helena, a Movie, and let’s get Chubby!

View from Top of Mt. Helena

Monday morning we chose to take our young cousin Peanut and our two dogs on a hike up Mt. Helena to get some exercise and a nice view of the town. It’s definitely a good trek up with a nice mixture of shade and sunshine, along with a good stopping point half way at “the cave”. The path isn’t too extensive, so it’s a trail for just about everyone, and the view at the top is completely worth it. I do suggest wearing sunscreen, and bringing a backpack with few bottles of water in it. You could even bring your lunch and have a nice picnic at the top! After our hike, we were starving, and I’ve been wanting to try Planet Gyro’s, so we stopped there for a quick bite to eat on our way back to Grandma’s house. Then, having more time to kill between lunch and dinner, MT and I settled on going to see the movie Inception at the only theatre in town. If anyone knows me well, they are very familiar with the fact that I continuously criticize two major subjects that are significant in my life, food and movies. As you can see, I have already analyzed food, so now look forward to your first movie review! Following the movie, we went back to Grandma Don’s house to meet up with one of his aunt’s, his mom and a good friend. Then we made our way to another restaurant/bar that I’ve been hearing good reviews about…..Chubby’s in Clancy, which is about 10 minutes outside of Helena, and any Helenian would say that’s far!

Cave on the hike

Walking Down Mt. Helena

Movie: Inception

Rating: Not too shabby…..but long!

Category: Action/Drama

Comments:

I thought the overall idea of prying into people’s dreams to extract secret information was really clever, and the actual Inception, which is planting an idea in someone’s head that they think is their own by intercepting their dreams was sheer genius, and I followed the movie most of the way…. up until the very end…..if you are still watching it by then because it’s long….., which is never good for MT because his ADD kicks in. Nevertheless, I was enticed because I was trying to figure out what the frick was going on. On another note, this movie is definitely worth seeing at the theatre because the graphics are incredible and the acting is quite good, but the plot was a little confusing, and man did I just want the movie to end after the second hour! I have to say that DiCaprio, who plays Cobb, is consistently placing himself in good movies and is it me or does he look better as he gets older? Maybe because he resembles more of a man than a skinny boy, like he did in Titanic. Also, I love the always gorgeous, Marion Cotillard, who plays Mal, Cobb’s deceased crazy wife, who keeps sabotaging his dreams and, therefore, missions. She definitely is superb in that role! Ellen Page, the Architect, even still impresses me with her young talent, but I didn’t like her character as the one who “understands” Cobb and steers him away from Mal’s evil tendencies to destroy operation Inception. What a joke…..she basically just enrolled in college for crying out loud. What the heck does she know about love and the inner demons that it can create?  On the contrary, I was quite amused by the Eames’ and Arthur and Saito even got a warm place in my heart in the end. Overall, I enjoyed the movie because of the brilliant story, but they dragged it on way too long!

Chubby’s

Rating: Ehhh…..Not that great

Location: 9 N Main St, Clancy, MT, 59634

Category: Bar and Grill

Pricing: Inexpensive

Comments:

MT and I have been hearing about this place from his relatives for a little while now, and we tried to go this past Christmas trip, but were shooed away when we arrived because of a work party that was reserved there for the night. We finally were able to go this time around and I was pulled in two different directions by the experience. The inside is definitely your typical bar atmosphere, so nothing to go into detail there, but the food is what we were there for. MT and I ordered the Jalapeno burger with Onion Rings and MT’s friends split the Prime Rib with French Fries. Both meals came with a salad, which wasn’t anything to brag about, some Bibb lettuce with shredded cheddar on top, and a side of dressing. The burger came out and I was so excited because it looked really appetizing with the Ciabatta bun and the massive burger patty. I cut it in half to split with MT and was sorely disappointed because no juice came spilling out and it was almost well done. There is almost nothing worse than getting a piece of meat or burger that’s overdone. I was so upset, but I still ate it because I was ravenous from our eventful day. On the other hand, the giant sized onion rings that came with it were delicious! The sweet soft onions were a nice contrast to the crispy fried bread on the outside. MT’s friends seemed to enjoy their prime rib, and by the looks of it, their meat was cooked medium rare, which is perfect for prime rib. They were generous and gave me a bite, and I was hitting myself over the fact that we ordered the burger and not the prime rib. It wasn’t the greatest, but it was better than the dry burger. Oh well….we drank our food sorrows away with some great beer and ventured outside to enjoy the cool crisp Montana air. It still ended up being a great night with good some friends!

Burger and Onion Rings

Prime Rib with Mushrooms

Day 2 - Fine Dining at Lucca's

Lucca’s

Rating: Yummm….Impressive!
Location: 56 North Last Chance Gulch Street
Helena, MT 59601
Category: Italian
Pricing: Pricey
Favorites: Lamb Chops, Roasted Chicken, Wine List

Comments:
If you are ever in Helena, Montana and want to impress your honey by wining and dining the night away…..well Lucca’s is the place to go. The ambience is quite romantic with the faux candle lighting, small intimate tables, and attractive Tuscan décor. On top of that, the service is impeccable. It’s a beer and wine only establishment, but have no fear because the list is quite extensive. Foodie??? This place is perfect for you! They start you off with an Amuse Bouche, which is basically a complimentary petite bite from the chef to “amuse” the palate. During this visit with MT’s parents, it was a mini goat cheese and tomato relish bruschetta….mmmm…..we were very amused! After choosing a bottle of wine, we ordered the Spinach Artichoke Dip as our appetizer and our waiter brought us some fresh bread made from Park Avenue, a local bakery nearby, accompanied with a balsamic dip and herb butter, all of which were quite tasty. The second you grab a spoonful of the dip you are hit with the wonderful aromas of garlic and parmesan, essentially enticing your taste buds before it touches your mouth….yum. Moving on to our entrees, MT’s parents ordered the Lamb Chops, and we chose the Roasted Chicken, both of which were split between us two couples, respectively, but before I delve into the flavors of our entrees I must digress about the salad that comes with your meal. After setting the table with chilled plates and forks, the waiter brings the salad out in a large bowl with tongs for everyone to serve themselves. It was a toss of mixed greens, dried cranberries, and candied pecans with a balsamic mustard dressing. Absolutely fantastic, but we had to save room for our main course. Our chicken was incredibly juicy and tender inside with a ton of flavor, and served with a side of Cremini mushroom pan jus, which was to die for! I couldn’t stop dipping my chicken into it and my side items, which consisted of steamed veggies, and crispy grilled polenta! My one and only complaint about the chicken was the fact that I yearned for a more crispy skin. It was a little too limp for my taste. I didn’t try the lamb chops because MT and I ordered them during our last visit to Montana in December, and they were extremely good. Perfectly tender, moist, with a nice drizzle of the feta-rosemary dressing to compliment the flavors. After our main course and completely stuffed, we reluctantly decided to order a dessert to divide amongst the table and coffees. When at an Italian restaurant you always order the tiramisu, so we did. The layered flavors of coffee, cream, and chocolate were all there, but I thought the cake was a little dry. Yes, they used yellow cake instead of lady fingers, which is fine by me, but it just didn’t cut it. The coffees were incredible because they bring each person a mini-French press for each cup of coffee, and it was goooood! Just don’t expect to fall asleep anytime soon after that cup because it’s strong as well, but don’t order decaf because it’s just a sin, so suck it up! Overall, come hungry, thirsty, and hopefully tired, so you can catch some Zzzzz’s after that Cup o’ Joe!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Roasted Chicken

Lamb Chops

Tiramisu

Day 3 – A Patio of Cheese and a Family Meal

On Sunday afternoon after making our usual route around town to discover any new retail or old business that closed, MT and I had some time to kill, so we decided to grab a drink and a snack at Bert and Ernie’s because it was a beautiful day and they have a great patio. Later that evening, we enjoyed a wonderful family dinner at MT’s sister’s house in East Helena, which consisted of his moms’ absolutely incredible Cowboy Caviar and my favorite Broccoli Salad. Then his sister made delicious moist and tender roasted bbq pork. For dessert, MT’s mom had gathered some fresh raspberries from their cabin up in Wolf Creek, and made a Raspberry Crumble….yummmm….I couldn’t stop eating the crust! Everything was so amazing! MT’s family has such a wonderful talent for cooking and all of the dishes had me begging for more!

Bert and Ernie’s

Rating: Mmm….Not too shabby!

Location: 361 North Last Chance Gulch Street

Helena, MT 59601

Category: Bar and Grill

Pricing: Affordable

Favorites: Outdoor Seating, Wine List, Cheese board

Comments:

We ordered a half bottle of Prosecco and a Mini-Mega cheese board. After a few minutes, the waitress came back to tell us they were out of the Prosecco, so we ordered a half bottle of Gruet Sparkling Wine, which wasn’t too bad being from New Mexico. Our cheese board, on the other hand, was a massive smorgasbord of cheeses, meats, bread and a blue cheese dip on a large bamboo cutting board. My eyes about popped out of my head when I saw this gi-normous concoction. All of the cheese were quite colorful and very pleasing to our taste buds. I highly recommend ordering this, but bring another couple with you to finish it….not the Gruet!

Mini Mega Cheese Board

Patio