Taste Our Place | Montana

Montana is known for many things – mountains, prairies, stunning landscapes, wildlife, Native American culture, western heritage, dude ranches, cattle and sheep ranches and more. What remains in the background is the unique cuisine found throughout the state, much of which is grown locally.

The Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development has created a program called Taste Our Place which recognizes establishments in Montana serving ready to consume meals or beverages made with Montana ingredients. There is no minimum ingredient or percentage requirement. It can also be seasonal – fresh vegetables from a garden in the summer, preserved pickles in the winter.  If you own a Montana business it’s free to join Taste our Place; an interested establishment applies through the Made in Montana program. There is a link on the Taste our Place website that takes a person to the membership application as well as a list of establishments that are members of the Taste Our Place program.

If you are traveling by car through Montana on the way to your ranch vacation be sure to go to the website and plan your meals along the way!

The Montana Dude Ranchers’ Association ranches are not members and here is the reason. Only paying guests have the privilege of enjoying the meals at a guest ranch. But not to worry, the ingredients in the fare served at ranches are often home grown if not at the ranch, then from a local grower. Having enjoyed meals at different member ranches I can vouch for that! The chefs really know how to vary the menus daily and create a range of delicious meals to be enjoyed by the guests.  From cowboy coffee to decadent desserts (including s’mores with marshmallows roasted over a campfire) you will not be disappointed!

Rather than writing endlessly about ranch cuisine, this blog will now convert to images of food served at our member ranches that will make your mouth water!