Good grub

Montana eateries we heard about or sampled on our recent visit:

• Buck's T-4, on Rte. 191, a mile south of the turnoff to Big Sky, is a dining must. Their specialty: wild game, from pan-seared elk chop and bison tenderloin to antelope pot roast. Chef Schommer has displayed his talents at New York's James Beard Foundation, and proprietor Mike Schloz runs an impressive operation. Not cheap but worth the price.
• Chatham's Livingston Bar & Grille, in the quaint village of Livingston at the head of the Paradise Valley, was a big surprise. The mood is set with a modern decor: the impressive art of well-known Western painter Russell Chatham (the owner) and a big, ornate bar reputedly from the St. Louis World's Fair. The food and a good, value-oriented wine list take the honors.
• The Gallatin Gateway Inn, a stop for Yellowstone-bound railroad passengers in the early 1900s, is a historic (if incongruous), Mexican hacienda-style edifice. Located on the road between Bozeman and Big Sky, its public areas and dining room are grand, if a bit faded; the food was good and the service excellent.

Fall 2000