Blue Canyon Kitchen and Tavern

Mural over the Kitchen at Blue Canyon Kitchen and Tavern in Missoula

I've always said its funny how we take for granted what is right in our own backyards.  I found this to be true upon my first trip to the Blue Canyon Kitchen and Tavern.  Located on N. Reserve in Missoula, Blue Canyon is tucked away among chain hotels and big box stores.  From the outside it appears as nothing special, just another restaurant occupying space in a strip mall.  Further camouflaging Blue Canyon's aim at fine dining is the fact that it is connected to a casino.

This is one of the truly odd, from the point of view of a midwesterner, aspects of life in the west.  It seems you can't walk a block without coming face to face with one of the 100's of casinos in Missoula. Even stranger, each casino is also a bar and a liquor store.  It's kind of like one stop shopping, you can lose your money and buy  bottle to drown your sorrows all in one convenient location.  My only conclusion is that the numerous casinos are some holdover of Montana's wild west past.  A sense of independence and danger that still permeates the character of the area.  You find it in the casinos, in the daredevil sense of adventure, even feel it in the soaring peaks of the Bitteroot Mountains.  It is something that was bled out of the east long ago.

Back to the Blue Canyon, it appears as nothing special on the outside, but quickly dazzles when you enter through the front door.  It's beautifully appointed with rough hewn beams and various western memorabilia.  On one wall hangs the head of a moose, above the kitchen is a fabulous mural depicting Montana's frontier history.  The kitchen of Blue Canyon is open in the style of many modern fine dining establishments.  

Pretzel Crusted Trout over Fingerling Potatoes and Spinach

The Menu at Blue Canyon is after the tradition of a fine dining restaurant, with traditional favorites like steaks, lobster pasta, salmon, and wood-fired pizzas.  Sprinkled among these expected dishes  are some that reflect the local flavor, and even a few playful attempts at creative fare. For this particular evening, we were a complete family.  This meant a certain relief at discovering they had a kid's menu.  This is always a concern when you enjoy fine dining, but have pre-teen children.  Ours are at the age and level of maturity where they understand proper behavior, yet are still too young to leave at home alone.  It was certainly refreshing to see our young men welcomed and not forced into ordering off a menu that includes only entrees above $20.  

After reviewing the menu and wine list, we began with an appetizer of Elk meatballs with a huckleberry BBQ sauce, dusted with kettle corn.  The Elk meatballs were very lean, to be expected, and surprisingly spongy.  Not sure about this, but I would guess the lean meat required copious amounts of egg to produce this effect.  The huckleberry BBQ sauce was probably the star of the plate.  Equal parts sweet and tangy, it's something I wanted to eat more of.  To go with our Elk meatballs we were served out drinks, a nice Malbec for my wife, while I enjoyed a local Bitteroot Brewing Nut Brown Ale.

Petite Filet at Blue Canyon Grill

In a reasonable amount of time, our entrees arrived.  After much debate, and even a table wide poll, I  chose the pretzel crusted trout over the bacon wrapped meatloaf.  In the end, it was a good decision.  The trout was well cooked with a flavorful crust.  It was served over roasted fingerling potatoes and spinach with a caper berry sauce.  All the elements of the dish worked well together.  Kelly ordered a steak.  The cooking was about a notch off (medium as opposed her order of medium rare) but overall it was a flavorful steak.

Open Kitchen at Blue Canyon

Dessert at Blue Canyon carries on their habit of combining traditional fine dining with a local influence.  We split two desserts, cheesecake with a huckleberry sauce, and a chocolate bomb,  The chocolate bomb was a chocolate crust filled with mousse.  

Overall, the experience was a good one.  This isn't a bad place to find yourself if you appreciate great presentation and tasty food.  It's also a good option if you have different types of eaters in your group.  There is something for those who are a little adventurous as well as traditional favorites for those who aren't.  If you find yourself in Missoula, and especially if you are on the city's big box outskirts, Blue Canyon Kitchen and Tavern is a good option.