The Humble Gourmand

Sure, there’s no other fine dining choice for 30 miles in any direction. But the food and wine choices at the rustic Chico Hot Springs resort are quite good.

The resort sits in Pray, Montana, just 30 miles north of Yellowstone Park in the Paradise Valley. There are lots of activities offered in the valley, from hiking and horseback riding to fly fishing, plus just relaxing in the resort’s hot spring. When you’re ready to refuel, be prepared for entrees priced a bit steeply (though on par with local fine dining restaurant costs in and nearby Yellowstone), and make a reservation.

The lamb chops, halibut & steaks (beef and bison) are all good choices here ($25-32). All come with a nice garden salad or baby spinach with blue cheese, bacon, and ranch dressing. The rack of lamb was crusted in rosemary and hazelnuts, served with a very good, clear basil-mint jelly.

The well-cooked crusted halibut was oven roasted and served with fresh mango salsa, rice, and a soy-based sauce (but could have used more of the mango salsa). The Gorgonzola filet mignon was cooked to order, but what was supposed to be a port reduction was just runny, warm red wine. A bison chop steak special, served with butter on top alongside mashed potatoes, was outstanding. Local game specials like this are available year-round.

In summer, fresh seasonal vegetables grown on-site garnish all the entree plates. I had tender whole green beans with all my entrees during a September visit.

Chico’s desserts are made in-house and presented at the end of the meal from a dessert cart wheeled tableside. I tried the mud pie with Oreo crust, which was very good, but most popular is the orange filled with ice cream/sherbet, topped with meringue and set aflame table-side with plenty of panache (check it out on their site).

The restaurant proudly displays Wine Spectator awards for having the most extensive, quality wine list around. There’s a special wine cellar room for group dining and another separate bar/lounge area at the back of the restaurant to linger pre- and post-dinner. You’ll be pushed to use the lounge on weekends in the summer season and when the restaurant is very busy and has trouble meeting reservation times. Expect a half hour or so wait in the lounge then — even with a reservation.

The cocktail list is nothing special and bartender skills are variable – just standard fare with not much in the way of fresh fruits or juice (or imagination). The martini list is the most extensive with about eight variations – the best of the lot being the Cosmopolitan (even if sometimes slack-filled to allow for a floating passion flower). The big disappointment was the $8.50 mojito, albeit large and with the requisite fresh mint — it was made with Sprite! (Say it ain’t so!)

The wine by the glass list has about eight choices each of nice red and white selections. Especially good is the Columbia Valley (WA) Riesling with a slight sweetness and also a middle-of-the-road medium Steele Wines (Mendocino, CA) Chardonnay Cuvee. After dinner the bar offers to warm your Benedictine and Brandy (B&B), which is a nice touch.

There are also two other food and drink locations on-site at Chico, both alongside the outdoor Hot Springs Pool: a standard snack bar/grill and a pool bar (actually a service window from the separate saloon bar). The beer selection is pretty good (e.g. Fat Tire Ale) and cheap, at about $3 a pop. They also offer $1 Olympia cans for poolside quaffing.

It’s all a pretty relaxed atmosphere which attracts a lot of locals with tattoos (especially the women). Fun fact: Dennis Quaid, who has a ranch nearby, is a regular who hangs out at the saloon and sometimes plays music there, too.