The Yurt

By Ian Novak

A small dusting of snow falls around the cabin-like yurt.  I look outside one of the clear plastic windows into the snowy wilderness In the yurt there is very little light, like waiting in a cave with only headlamps, a fire, and those 18^th century lamps to see.  All sorts of small items scatter across the table including some okra pickles, tasting sour and vinegary, which are being snatched from the jar. 

People move about freely around the yurt’s interior and the chef stands right next to the table while the spaghetti and tomato sauce cook.  The chef brings a fresh glass of orangey Tang out for the meal.  Small chocolate filled Mother’s cookies, are set upon the table and are instantly grabbed by many hands.  The other family, the Byorths, are staying in the yurt with our family and chatter constantly to fill the silence that the wilderness is continually singing. The mother, Susan, and the son, Teagan, play a heated game of checkers on the table.  My father, Mark, pops the champagne cork with the sound of a large sucker fish taking away its lips from the glass, and all the adults cheer.  The smoky smell from the fire fills the room and a small fan atop the fireplace spins relentlessly, clanka, clanka, clanka. My two roommates bicker off in one corner of the table and the boys’ coughing detracts from the overall comfort.  The smell of noodles mix with the smell of propane and smoke.  A dog named Stella, who longs to be petted, is always rubbing against someone’s leg, wagging her tail.

Now that you know a bit about the setting of the yurt, it may do you well to know how our family and the Byorths came to be here.   We were taking the last weekend of Christmas break to continue the tradition that we started 2 years ago with the Byorths.  This time we were getting one last time before we had to get back to our normal schedule. 

The salad container is ripped open with the sound of plastic on plastic.   Two large pots are placed in the center of the table and the two heavily used cauldrons are steaming with our dinner: spaghetti and red sauce.  Susan dishes out a large helping of noodles and a splattering of sauce on my plate.  My meal looks like a pile of wires with a blob of red goop on top.  The appearance of the dinner distracts from the feeling of the meal, though the smell of the banquet is extremely mouth-wateringly good.

The noodles are perfectly warm and the bit of meat in the red sauce tastes just like after a long ski and your fingers are freezing, that you sit next to a warm fire.  The dinner reminds me of a wooden cabin in the 18^th century; what a small family would have in that time, but still amazingly delicious.  My taste buds can taste a hint of smokiness in the noodles which has seeped into the spaghetti’s interior.  Some bites contain a large blob of tomato which completely overwhelms the taste of noodle or meat.  

Susan dishes out a spoonful of noodles and sauce to everyone having cheery small talk all the while.  The table is most certainly not clean.  I must clear room to make an area for my meal, which is not particularly pleasing.  The hard wooden chair which I sit upon is cold and takes at least 10 minutes to warm up.  It took the whole of twenty- five minutes for the delightful meal to be served.

The warm rustic feast and setting was perhaps my favorite part of the meal.  Eating out in the wilderness in a yurt is quite a unique experience. 

The next time I eat here, and I most certainly will, I would want, at least, for the table to be clean.  The table was already crowded with the people but with all the extra assortment of ski wax, candles, and lighters on the table, it was especially uncomfortable.  

I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who likes the outdoors. You must ski in and out, but the warm and comforting spaghetti was wonderful for anyone who wants a hardy, tasty meal. 

Cateye Cafe

By Chloe Watson

I walk down mainstreet and approach a bright yellow building called the Cateye Cafe. If you know anything about me and my preferences, you would know that the cat on the sign would immediately catch my attention. It’s 10:45 AM and the cafe is open, so I go inside. The restaurant is long and narrow with signs pointing to the “litterboxes.”  I am greeted by a woman named Cookie. She gives my mom and I menus and seats us. She offers coffee, however I decline and ask for orange juice. My mom on the other hand, happily accepts

We are given a few minutes to look at the menu when a woman named Sassy approaches our table claiming she is going to be our waitress. She sets down a strange substance in the form of a liquid (also known as coffee) for my mom, and orange juice served in a boot shaped glass for me. She asks if we are ready to order; we ask for a couple more minutes. 

After looking at the menu, I contemplate which dish to order. It was between the banana bread french toast and the buttermilk pancakes. Well, as you may know, I like the classics so I go with the buttermilk pancakes, without yogurt, and eggs. My mom orders the eggs benedict without ham. After we order, I play the game Trivial Pursuit that is sitting on the windowsill along with a lamp and a couple pairs of cateye glasses. 

About 15-20 minutes later, our food arrived. Two frisbee-sized pancakes with a pat of butter melting and a mountain of whipped cream on top, and eggs on the side. My mom’s egg benedict topped with the perfect amount of hollandaise sauce and roasted potatoes on the side. I cut a piece of my pancake, my expectations high because the menu claims the pancakes melt in your mouth. As the pancakes get closer to my mouth, I can smell the sweet, sticky, syrup, I love maple syrup. I take a bite and chew the pancake. It is crispy on the outside but soft and doughy on the inside. Bite after bite I take, each one better than the last. After I finish most of my meal, I try my mom’s egg benedict. I take a bite of the biscuit topped with hollandaise sauce. The sauce coats my taste buds while the biscuit crunches between my teeth. The hollandaise sauce was not too bland and not too rich. I then take a bite of the golden roasted potatoes. They are well seasoned and spiced but have a texture almost exactly like sand. Not just any sand, very, very dry sand. Not the texture I’m looking for in a potato. I ate a few more too make sure it wasn’t the one bad potato, but alas, the other potatoes were just as dry. Yuck. I put that aside and take a bite of the poached egg. Even though I think that runny yolks are absolutely repulsive, I have to admit, it was cooked perfectly. 

Overall, the restaurant was most definitely the cat’s meow. The only thing that I didn’t like was the grotesque potatoes. The other food was the a-maz-ing, especially the pancakes. The restaurant had such a comforting (and catty) atmosphere that makes you feel right at home. I give this restaurant and good ole’ five stars. 

Chef Geoff’s

By Bonnie Dana

Over Christmas break, my family and I went to Washington DC to visit my almost eighty year old grandmother.  We went to an Italian restaurant called Chef Geoff’s. I immediately noticed how dark the restaurant was which made it feel calm and peaceful. In addition, I noticed how quiet the restaurant was even though there were hard wood floors and many people. We were seated very quickly in a corner of the restaurant. The waiter handed us a tall menu with small type. I noticed my grandmother used a flashlight to read the menu because it was so dark in the restaurant. 

Chef Geoff’s reminded me of an old-fashioned train: The main room of the restaurant was long and narrow; the velvety seats were blood red and the walls were an ivory color; on the walls, there were old pictures of Washington DC and the monuments, along with many mirrors. The tables seemed very close together. They were set up formally, with two plates and two glasses. There was also a wine bottle, a candle, and salt and pepper, making the table feel small and cluttered. The table we were sitting at was wobbly and the “table cloth” was paper which seemed  strange for a nice restaurant.

After a few minutes, our waitress brought a shiny, silver bucket of bread with some whipped butter. In the bucket, there were only four golden-brown dinner rolls; enough for our table but no more. However, the rolls were warm and freshly baked; they were very good.

A short time later, the waitress came up to take our orders. I ordered ‘straight up’, a basic cheese pizza.

After about fifteen to twenty minutes, our food was served. My pizza, like most pizza, was mostly red and had green basil on top. The pizza seemed oily with a crispy crust. The pizza looked like a flattened rose with small parts of leaves on top. Presented on a small plate and with the basil unevenly spread on the pizza, the food lacked visual appeal. 

However, as I brought the pizza to my mouth, the smells wafted around my nose. I could smell the basil on top of the pizza, which made my mouth water with anticipation.  The basil smelled like a cup of tea containing herbs and healing plants.

The pizza tasted as fabulous as it smelled.  When I took a bite, the tomato sauce exploded in my mouth along with the distinct taste of Mozzarella cheese. As I chewed, the dough, tomato sauce, and the 

Mozzarella cheese made a wonderful blend of flavor. The crispy crust was sharp and hard to chew but was a good contrast to the soft inside part of the pizza. The crust tasted like freshly toasted bread. The pizza was a great temperature: not too hot, but not cold either. The serving size was just right to satisfy my hunger.

The service was very helpful and fast. All the waiters, but one, were very respectful. As I mentioned earlier, we were seated very quickly, within 5 minutes of entering. One of the only unpleasant aspects of the service was that halfway through dinner, our candle went out. My mother asked a waiter if we could have it relit. The waiter acknowledged the request and walked away but didn’t come back. Our main waitress came to check on us throughout dinner about four times but didn’t notice the candle was out. 

Although the restaurant was great, I do have some suggestions. I would suggest that the restaurant have more light and that they think about where the tables are and their proximity to each other. In addition, I would say that the waiters should follow up with the customers. Furthermore, I think the chef should at least show that he cares about what the food looks like. 

Despite minor flaws in the service, I would recommend Chef Geoff’s when visiting Washington DC. While in the restaurant, I felt relaxed and safe. I really enjoyed being in a quiet restaurant with decent service. The atmosphere was quiet and cozy. I also thought the pizza was one of the best I have ever had! Even though the restaurant could use some minor improvements, I really enjoyed Chef Geoff’s. 

Chef Geoff’s: 4 Stars

Plonk

By Rachael Smuts

Coming from Los Angeles, I am accustomed to a diverse selection of cuisine.  In Bozeman, the choices are far more limited.  Therefore, when I had a night at Plonk, a urban and contemporary restaurant, I knew it was nothing like any other restaurant in Bozeman.  

Tonight, my family and I were looking for delicious food to celebrate a skiing victory, and Plonk is a perfect atmosphere to be relaxed and eat good, global food.

As I walk into Plonk for the seventh time, I am enveloped in an urban feeling.  Plonk has a laid back ambiance, with soft, dim lights and the smell of delicious food wafting through the air. It is an intimate space with a balance of formal and comfortable. The loud buzz of people’s chatter fills my ears.  My family and I walk past the bar and the towering, narrow tables.  We walk all the way to the back, where you can find a big array of gray couches with large contemporary paintings looming overhead.  The couches surround small wooden coffee tables.   Taking a seat on the couch, it felt like I was sitting on a cloud of slightly stale marshmallows.  As soon as we were seated, I was handed a menu and a leggy, slim glass of water. 

The menus at Plonk change seasonally allowing the chef to use the products being grown locally.  Therefore, if you have a memorable dish one month, it might not be here the next.  

As I read the new, winter menu, I was surprised to see such a variety of options: escargot to scallop sliders to duck confit.  Our waitress guided us through all of her favorite dishes and the most popular ones.  We put our order in and then waited in excitement and talked about the ski races we had just won!  As we talked, my nose was filled with the smell of decadent food and quite a bit of aged wine, but I would have to smell the wine because 4ft tall wine bottles lined the walls.

As our appetizers arrived, I was astonished at how beautifully the food was plated. Everything was on a geometric plate with a lot of elegant swipes, drizzles and dots of sauces. 

Our first appetizer was scallop and foie gras sliders with lobster salad in the middle.  The plate had 3 focal points, the two sliders and the lobster salad.  The sliders looked delicious with the golden,buttery brioche and the plump pearl white scallops in between the brioche.  The lobster salad added the needed amount of color to the plate.  As I took a bite of the slider all of the flavors fit together perfectly. The slider was very rich, but the richness was cut through with the citrus lobster salad.  The brioche bun was soft like a pillow and it melted in my mouth.  Everything on the plate was cooked to perfection. On the bottom of the sliders was a dark, flavorful duck based sauce, the sauce adding a great depth to the appetizer.

Our second appetizer was a crab cake with a citrussy guacamole. On the top of the crab cake was a bird’s nest of fried rice noodles.  The crab cake was in the middle of a ring of the guacamole.  A good contrast of colors between the golden brown crab cake and bright green guacamole.This appetizer was extremely light and flavorful with lots of citrus and summer filled flavors.  The crab was briny and sweet with a good amount of salt.  The crab cake was cooked perfectly and was crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.  The crunchy noodles were a great contributing aspect to the texture of the plate.  

The final appetizer was a duck leg confit with a black eyed pea and bacon hash. The enormous duck leg was in the center of the hash, this appetizer was my least favorite because there was nothing to cut the rich and heaviness of it, after I ate a bite of it I felt like a bowling ball dropped in my stomach. 

After we ate the appetizers, I was very satisfied, but my entree was still to arrive with plenty more flavor.   Soon, my entree arrived of New Zealand red deer with mushroom sage spaetzle and caramelized apple gastrique.  Next to this was a small pile of garlic braised greens.  The deer was very gamey and the apple gastrique balanced out the gamey flavor.  The deer was rare in the middle with only a sear on the outside.  The spaetzle and greens were a perfect combination of carbs and sauce and greens.  All in all it was a very balanced dish.

Overall, I would say that Plonk is a comfortable, urban feeling restaurant with plenty of decadent contemporary food.  The food is put together with such care and precision and there is countless unexpected flavor combinations; you can't help being satisfied.  I had a spectacular night at Plonk and the food was extremely excellent. 

           

Plonk: 4.5 stars

Wasabi

By Nina Coppolillo

Walking from the parking lot to Wasabi, I admit, I expected a chain restaurant. The building was sort of low and nondescript. However, I was surprised when I opened the doors. The restaurant was filled with live bamboo. The atmosphere was lively. To my right there was a large blue tub filled with goldfish. Emerging from the tub was the Wasabi logo covered in a layer of water. 

We were seated almost immediately. Above our table was a small peach colored light. Although I expected a fishy smell from a sushi restaurant, the air smelled clean and fresh. As we waited for our waiter, I noticed that Ke$ha music was playing very quietly; a strange choice for a sushi restaurant. Our waiter came and we asked for water. She was back almost immediately. We then opened our brown burlap menus and ordered. As I waited for my food, I looked more closely at the details of the restaurant. 

There seemed to be a sort of blue-green color scheme: green bamboo; blue carpet; green and blue fake fish swimming in the blue water behind the bar; the green Wasabi logo. The restaurant is packed with people. Although the amount of noise is plentiful, the space still seems personal and almost quiet. 

About ten minutes later, our appetizers arrived. The edamame was warm but could have been saltier. The seaweed salad was delicious: It was crunchy and not too slimy. Then the calamari came. It was served with a maraschino cherry. How is squid related to cherries? Also the plate looked like it was loaded with onion rings, not calamari. The dish was covered in grease. And most notably, it had no taste. This was a substantial disappointment. 

Ten minutes after the appetizers were delivered, out comes nigiri, (A piece of fish draped over a little mound of rice.) The tuna was a little bit too slimy. The salmon was smooth and gooey. It was the most flavorful fish of the meal. The yellowtail was like butter: smooth, rich, and almost creamy. Much to my disappointment, the eel we ordered never arrived. Lastly I tasted the sea urchin. The fish was a dark brown-black. It had a repulsive texture but a pleasing taste. 

Next, came our sushi rolls. I started by biting into a roll called, “The Bozeman”. It had a wonderful crunchy outer layer. The salmon on the inside complemented the thick cream cheese. I then tried a roll called “The Volcano.” Despite the name, this was not a very spicy experience. The inside of this roll was firm and satisfying. The “Spicy Killer” made up for the lack of heat. This roll was a volcano. Topped with jalapenos and a hot BBQ sauce, it made the inside of my mouth prickly and warm. However, this feeling left almost immediately when I took a bite of the “Mango Tango.” Covered in unique half-dried mango slices and drenched in a sweet sauce, the fish inside this roll was almost lost in the fruity sweetness. Although the fish could have been more present, the roll, overall, was outstanding. This part of the meal was a highlight. I then finished up with the sweet potato roll. It did not really match the rest of the tastes at the table. It was simple with just sweet potatoes and rice wrapped in a thin layer of nori. Not a horrible taste, but not what we had been experiencing. 

I did notice that the rolls were just a tiny bit too big. Most pieces of sushi are eaten in one or two bites. These were eaten in two or three bites. Because of the size, some of the pieces would become more of a scramble. Also, the cherries made it onto some of the sushi rolls. Again, WHAT DOES FISH HAVE TO DO WITH CHEERIES? It was also a disappointment when our eel never arrived. We almost walked out the door without ever tasting it! And what we did taste was almost always covered in just a little too much sauce. 

Besides these issues the restaurant was nice. The tables were clean and the white leather chairs were comfortable. The waitress was helpful and the food came quickly. The wait for our food seemed to go by so fast as I stared at all the interesting things to look at. From the real fish in the entry to the fake fish behind the bar, I always had something to stare at. 

I think I would recommend Wasabi. The service is fast, the atmosphere is interesting and although the sushi was not as good as some of the other sushi restaurants in town, it was still pretty tasty. Plus, if we can look past the cherries, the food looked almost as good as the restaurant.  

Bryan's Black Mountain Barbecue

By Klara Jacobs 

It’s finally winter break, time for Arizona; palm trees and sun here I come!  We walk through a rusty,"meant to look authentic", gate stating: ENTER in the color of red wine. I touch it and feel the sticky residue from the many hands smothered in barbecue sauce. I walk through, and something catches my eye: a saguaro cactus surrounded by a circular  brightly colored tile table paired with tall bar stools with hard wooden seats. We go into the restaurant to order, the smell shrouding my clouded senses due to a week-long cold. The smell of sweat and barbecue sauce; unfortunately, this describes the food that we will be served. A boy, about 18 years old, takes our order, clearly annoyed with my family's indecisive ordering. We are finally almost done! My mom orders “the Big Pig" (the restaurants special) and the waiter rings a giant triangle and you can hear the cooks in the back kitchen yelling and shouting in excitement. We finish ordering our meal and get our waters out of an automatic soda machine; then we walk outside again into the heat, and through the enter gate once more. The table is shaded and rough, made out of stone and covered in the same sticky substance as the gate that we entered through. The table is circular and has a centerpiece: a tin container, a few napkins and basic condiments such as ketchup, as well as "lemon-scented moist towelettes."

After waiting for a substantial amount of time, my mother and grandparents leave to get our food. They bring it out and I sigh...exactly what I expected.  The smell overwhelmed my clouded senses:  spicy, old jalapenos and a mixture of sweat and cheap barbeque sauce, hardly enjoyable.

The food (at least my order) consists of three ribs smothered in canyon red barbecue sauce laying on top of a small portion of chicken, and under this mess of meats is a small thin piece of white wonder bread. On the side, are two styrofoam containers: one with an immensely large portion of cooked beans, and in the other are seven large saggy jalapenos. I decided to start with the ribs. As I look at them, ready to start eating, I realize that their surface looks rather burnt, being the color of the night sky. My plastic silverware cannot be expected to penetrate the surface of these tough ribs. 

I take my plastic fork and tear into the tender meat of the ribs to take my first bite. There is a very substantial amount of fat that dissolves in my mouth, leaving me wanting more. Aside from the decent taste, the ribs are, unfortunately, very cold. After a few more bites, my taste buds collide with the spice of the chilled sauce, gradually getting spicier. 

"Stop eating my fries!" shouts my brother, as my wandering hand goes to grab another from his food tray. 

I return to scraping the small amount of meat off of my ribs. Tired of the ribs, I move onto the chicken. It tastes extremely bland and is the color of a white washed fence. 

"Have you eaten all of your fries?" asks my mom. 

"Klara's helping me," replies my brother. 

I refrain from eating the jalapenos and move onto the beans. I jab at them with my fork to penetrate the film of grease. I raise them to my mouth, take a bite, and quickly regret it. They taste of dirt and an array of spices. I refrain from taking another bite. Although the taste was not desirable, the portions are fairly large and in need of a to-go box. 

Looking back on the service, the staff did not even bring out the food, and we needed to walk up to order. We had to seat ourselves, and the tables were in desperate need of attention. The food came rather slow and it was annoying to have to go and get it. Although the service was poor, the atmosphere was very comfortable , casual, and welcoming. Along with the laidback family feeling, the scenery including a beautiful cactus was very nice. One suggestion that I have for the improvement of this restaurant is mainly to take their time. There was not a lot of business, which allows for the cooking staff to spend more time preparing the food. Also, it would be very beneficial to the restaurants popularity if they had a warm and welcoming staff that would seat you, take your order, and deliver your food. I ended up bringing the leftovers home and throwing them away three days later.

Due to the poor service, uncleanliness, and poor quality of food, I do not recommend this restaurant at all. I give this restaurant one out of five stars.

Montana's Rib and Chop House

By Jonas Webster

The drive to Livingston, MT, home of Montana’s Rib & Chop House and my destination, takes me through a beautiful mountain pass. Since I am coming from Bozeman it is a pleasant, but short drive. I arrive at the restaurant around 1pm, park in a mostly empty lot, and walk towards the faded brick building. I open the door and am shot with a pleasant gust of warm air which makes me blink. I observe that the restaurant gives off a private vibe. I proceed to twist my head around and try to pinpoint what makes this restaurant exhibit the private feel. I decide this vibe is created by dim lights, quite music in the background and plenty of room between the tables. First impressions over, I ask for a table and am whisked off to be seated and given a menu.

The waiter arrives as I scan the lunch menu which consists mainly of burgers, as well as sandwiches, and soup with meat. As suggested by the name of the Restaurant, the selections are best suited for the carnivore lover. As I read the menu more thoroughly, I see fish tacos, a departure from the meat theme, and decide to order them along with a side of mash potatoes and a calamari appetizer.

After a long wait, the calamari finally arrives. The golden calamari is delicately arranged around a light pink sauce that sits in the center of a dull yellow plate. Provided with my calamari are small appetizer plates and with my spoon. I deliver the delectable dipping sauce and crispy calamari to my plate. The calamari is encrusted in a thinly textured skin. My first bite is without sauce. I feel the skin crunch under my teeth and am rewarded with a stringy, bland chewy inside. The golden promise was a lie. I try another bite, but this time with sauce. This time the flavor is apparent and delicious and I conclude that the calamari should come pre-sauced.

After a painfully long wait, my fish tacos and mash potatoes arrived. Two tacos lay side by side on a long rectangular plate and next to them chips, messily plopped down without any plan. The tacos are beautifully made with a deep purple cabbage on top; under the dark purple canopy there are deep fried chunks of fish covered with a festive red and yellow pineapple salsa. I pick the taco up and take a tentative bite, not wanting to intrude upon its beauty. My teeth puncture my prey, biting through the soft slightly over cooked shell and reaching the crispy golden nuggets of fish covered in salsa. This is when the adventure begins. The fish makes a salty journey through my mouth and down my throat. The salsa on the other-hand is sweet, tangy and spicy and is a definite meal maker. I take another bite slicing through the cabbage, it is as juicy as a cabbage can be and is delicious. I turn to the heavenly white clouds sitting in a bowl just a few inches away. I take my spoon and scoop up the mash potatoes in a colossal sized bite. The moment before the spoon enters my mouth, I am full of excited anticipation. The potatoes are just as smooth as they looked and are a small, creamy, buttery sanctuary. After eating my mash potatoes I determine I am full and request a box to hide away the remainder of the meal for a later rediscovery.

In review, the restaurant had a nice, quiet ambiance. Although the service was slow, the waiters were friendly. The menu was varied and a provided many choices for those who savor meat. The portions were ample and for a restaurant in the middle of nowhere, the food was satisfying, but not overly memorable. I give this restaurant three solid stars.