TH E BEST O F BISTRO ENZO
STAYIN G TH E COU RSE
BRIGHT, B O LD & BE AUTIFU L
Food + Drink O C TO B E R 2 022
LIFESTYLE LETTER
Feed the soul.
October 2022 PUBLISHER
Richard Boggs | Richard.Boggs@CityLifestyle.com EDITOR
Chelsea Lyn Agro | Chelsea.Agro@CityLifestyle.com
I am absolutely obsessed with food. The soft sizzle of a fresh farm egg hitting a cast iron pan might get top ranking on my list of sounds, next to Bowie and the dinner bell. The feeling you get when the timer goes off on that pot of chili that has been simmering since breakfast? Nothing like it. Food is an obvious cog in all of our lives. We all have to eat to stay alive, but it goes deeper than that, especially in Billings. This issue celebrates everyone who puts their heart in the kitchen, and I hope these stories will encourage you to support a local restaurant or taproom or coffee house. Donate your time at the food bank, cook a big pot of Sunday chili—everyone has to eat! As a former chef and continuing food enthusiast, it would be remiss of me to not thank the dozens of people who helped me along my way in the culinary world. Every single one of you shaped not only the chef, but the man that I still remain today. From the first exquisite special I enjoyed at Bistro Enzo many years ago, I knew that Billings was going to forever change my culinary career. I sincerely believe every cut and every burn made me stronger, faster, and more patient. Every special that rolled out of my kitchen was made with love and respect for the guest. And that's a trait I am proud to share with not only the businesses highlighted here, but every person in town who serves. It's my goal to continue to pour that same heart into this publication. Many thanks to the Billings service industry. You all are heroes!
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Proverbs 3:5-6 Billings City Lifestyle™ is published monthly by Lifestyle Publications LLC. It is distributed via the US Postal Service to some of the Billings area’s most affluent neighborhoods. Articles and advertisements do not necessarily reflect Lifestyle Publications’ opinions. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent. Lifestyle Publications does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. Information in Billings City Lifestyle™ is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but
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O C TO B E R 2 0 2 2
inside the issue The Food & Drink Issue
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16
12
F E ATU R E D
D E PA RTM E NTS
12 Staying the Course
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Lifestyle Letter
8
City Scene
10
Business Monthly
12
Our Town
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Locals Only
22
Hot Spot
28
Local Limelight
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Inspired By
The Montana Club's resiliency is a product of their devotion to customers.
16 Bright, Bold & Beautiful
Black Dog Coffee gives the ultimate coffee experience.
22 The Best of Bistro Enzo
Local commercial real estate agent and restaurant guru Tyler Samson gives Enzo new life.
O N T H E C OV E R
Photography: Chelsea Culp Photography Bistro Enzo offers a dining experience like no other. Find out what has changed and what's remained on page 22.
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O C TO B E R 2 0 2 2
city scene
Where neighbors can see and be seen. 1
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1-7: The Montana State Fair celebrated its 91st anniversary with another summer of family fun. Photography by Chelsea Culp Photography
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C I T Y SC E N E
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The NILE Stock Show & Rodeo Come on down to the First Interstate Arena on Friday, October 14 to witness the NILE (a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and embracing the western way of life through the promotion of livestock, young education, and respect for western agriculture). NILE stands for Northern International Livestock Expo. This week-long event includes four nights of rodeo.
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BILLINGS CITY LIFESTYLE™ 10
B USIN E SS M ON T H LY
Dog Tag Buddies Presents: 1st Annual Celebrity Chef Gala On October 1 at 5 p.m., join in for an evening of fine dining with Chef Andre Rush to provide service dogs for veterans. Dog Tag Buddies is teaming up with Chef Andre Rush to create an evening of fine dining and silent auctions to help continue the mission of helping those who have served our country. The event takes place at The Northern Hotel.
Billings Symphony 'Fire & Ice' On October 15 at 7:30 p.m., watch violinist Chee-Yun and the Billings Symphony take on the turbulent and intense Sibelius Violin Concerto. After leaving the icy Nordic landscape, enjoy every minute of Rachmaninoff's lush and expansive Symphony No. 2.
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THE MONTANA CLUB'S RESILIENCY IS A PRODUCT OF THEIR DEVOTION TO CUSTOMERS
ARTICLE BY CHELSEA LYN AGRO | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIKA SPAULDING
sta ying the course
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O UR TOWN | FOOD + BEVE RAGE
In 1999, the German-themed bistro “Heidelhaus” took on a new identity as The Montana Club when Bob Powell and Nick Alonzo took over the location on bustling Brooks Street. Since then, more Montana Clubs have popped up all across Montana, offering a culinary experience that caters to the customer despite unforeseen challenges. “The restaurant business is just a people business,” says Bob. “You have to like making people happy, and you have to like the hospitality part of it because it’s a grind.” And that perfect marriage between people and restaurants was jeopardized when the pandemic came into the picture, forcing community staples like The Montana Club to prove their adaptability. “The last couple of years have really been a challenge because, you know, we’ve had to deal with some of these issues from the pandemic, and my generation has never gone through anything like it,” says Bob. While most restaurants were struggling to keep up with the shifting mandates of one county, Bob was at the helm of multiple restaurants—juggling 60 to 80 employees at each location, all while remaining flexible and attentive to daily changes. “We’re in six or seven different counties throughout the state. Each county was different, and they were asking us to do different things.” But Bob kept his common sense sharp and at the ready for whatever each day presented. The challenges were bigger than anyone in the industry ever anticipated.
“We weren’t designed for take-out and delivery. We were designed to seat a couple hundred people and give them a real Montana experience. That’s always been our goal, and we wanted to maintain that,” says Bob. His day-to-day responsibilities became centered around being progressive. With industry experts telling Bob to scale back the menu, get toss-away menus, and ask customers to scan a bar code to see what was available, Bob had to rely on his own industry intelligence and local knowledge for the answers that made the most sense in our community.
“The restaurant business is just a people business,” says Bob. “You have to like making people happy, and you have to like the hospitality part of it because it’s a grind.” — Bob Powell
CONTINUED >
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“Our goal through it all was for our customers to have the least amount of change humanely possible when they came into our restaurants,” says Bob. “We spent a long time building these stores and building our clientele and building our brand, and so as we emerged out of COVID and people were able to come out and eat again, I didn’t want their experience to be any different than it was in the first 20 years we were here.” Thinking outside of the box and being innovative were no-brainers for Bob and his team. He admits that they ran all around town to fill the shortages from their wholesalers. Whatever didn’t come to them, they pursued through other local resources. His fear of having a waiter or
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O UR TOWN | FOOD + BEVE RAGE
waitress say “no” to a customer became his driving force to keep the culture they worked so hard to build stay intact. The two biggest challenges came cuffed together—staffing and sourcing—and Bob knew that he couldn’t think of them as separate entities in the overall success during this stressful, high-energy time. If a member of his staff has to say no, that position just became a lot less desirable. “Consumers wanted normalcy, and to me, normalcy in Montana Club is not choosing from 10 or 20 items—it’s to have the same experience,” says Bob. “If it means that we need to pay a little more for something that our wholesalers shorted us by going to Costco or by going to a different supplier, we’re going to do that.” Bob also admits that he had to remember the real reason people choose to come to The Montana Club. Why do customers come to dine here? “I put my consumer hat on, every day,” says Bob, who is proud to have been loyal to the feedback he’s received over the years. He’s listened to what people had to say, and it shows. “If you’re trying to make happy customers, you do whatever it takes and that’s what drives us,” says Bob. It’s not lost on him that our community has changed its perspective because of this pandemic. We’ve had to turn proven concepts on their heads and think creatively to keep our people and restaurants safe and thriving.
“I think we’re more appreciative of what we do have,” says Bob, thinking back at all the extra energy that went into the last few years and all the perspective those years have offered. He knows that he couldn’t have survived through the last couple of decades or this unprecedented time in our world without his family of a staff. “I want our staff to know that they work for real people and not a corporation—we’re a good-sized company, for sure—but we like to think that our culture is very different from corporate,” says Bob. He’s seen his employees celebrate each other’s birthdays and go camping or hiking together, and he is also proud to offer competitive advantages to his business family. “When customers see that our staff is treating each other like family members and we’re treating them like guests in our house, there’s a whole different approach and a different feel that an employee gets from that.” Catering to the culture that has remained a foundation of success for The Montana Club was the right recipe to overcome a trying time. And now that we’re back to “normal,” Bob is focusing on the really important things, like what he’d like for lunch, which is of course, a pint of Blue Moon, a steak and a baked potato, and some mud pie. “That’s the ultimate meal.”
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B R I G H T, BOLD & BE AU T I F U L Black Dog Coffee gives the ultimate coffee experience
ARTICLE BY CHELSEA LYN AGRO | PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILD CHILD PHOTOGRAPHS
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LOCA LS ON LY | FOOD + BE VE RAGE
A little black Lhasa Apso. Not a labrador, not a great dane, not some big and fluffy bear look-alike. Just a little Lhasa Apso named Dante. He's the inspiration behind Black Dog Coffee, which now sits at three locations around Billings with the most recent addition being the bakery, Harper + Madison. These shops are the babies of Mariah and Rob Carpenter, who coincidentally have their first human baby arriving this month. And between the businesses, the baby, and Dante, they know a thing or two about love, kindness, and doing something with intention. You see, Dante was gifted to Rob by his mother over 15 years ago after he tragically lost his best friend. This gnarly-toothed grinning companion followed Rob into his adulthood and into his marriage to Mariah, and thus, into their coffee shop business. What sets Black Dog Coffee apart is their loyalty to a quality experience—soaking in the lavish moment of delight, kind of like following a dog's philosophy.
They care deeply for their staff, and they know each person intimately. "No one is going to be a barista forever. If you can be someone in somebody's life, that makes a huge difference," says Mariah. And that same sentiment applies to their sustainability and sourcing preferences, too. "It shows through the quality of the product that we get, so taking care of the producers is super important. We picked brands like Stumptown and Revel...What really makes a business is the people, and so, how are we taking care of them?” She sees a major difference, a spark really, in the employees who wholeheartedly care about people, and she encourages that passion. Coffee growers in other parts of our world care for everyone who is part of the process from bean to bag. Mariah prides Black Dog Coffee on paying close attention to details through coffee and customer service. And she knows her coffee, right down to the last sip. So, what’s her preference for the perfect cup? CONTINUED >
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“I would have a pour-over from a Chemex, and single origin from Guatemala. This is always the scenario that I give—it’s like having this amazing glass of wine from a singular vineyard, versus having a blend. That’s kind of what a single-origin coffee would be. I love Guatemalan coffee because their flavor profile is usually citrus and chocolatey and bright. Pouring with a pour-over is going to be lighter because it's going through a paper filter. I love it because it's not just extracted—say it was drip or espresso, it's not just like squeezing a lemon really fast. It's this slow process, getting a little bit of everything. It leaves a brighter, lighter finish." Brighter and lighter feels like the perfect start (or finish) to any day of the week. Come on over, bring the dog.
OCTOB ER 2 0 2 2 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C O M / BI L L I N G S
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The Best of
Bistro Enzo Local commercial real estate agent and restaurant guru Tyler Samson gives Enzo new life
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H OT SP OT | FOOD + BEV E RAGE
ARTICLE BY CHELSEA LYN AGRO PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHELSEA CULP
You’d wince at the mention of anyone buying a restaurant in the spring of 2020. Heck, I winced just writing it. But Bistro Enzo wasn’t doomed by unlucky timing when it sold that June to Tyler Samson. In fact, it flourished once he sank his teeth into it. It’d be safe for someone to assume that taking over a business that’s been a successful staple in the Billings community would be, well, easy. A quick ‘change of rein’ as the western folk say. When in reality, the opposite is true—maintaining the success is a greater challenge once a change of ownership takes place, and the risk of failure is high under the watchful eye of regulars and newcomers alike. “If I do it, I want to do it right,” said Tyler. “Because I only get one chance. If I take over this iconic business, that’s been there—at the time— for 22 years, and fail, it just isn’t right.” The restaurant was stable and chugging along like a well-oiled machine when he made the purchase but Tyler wanted to breathe new life into it, spice things up a little bit. After owning the Edgar Bar for four years and selling his shares in September of 2019 to his business partner, he was ready for a challenge of his own—something he could have complete freedom of creativity with, since that’s also a large part of his professional life. Tyler has been a commercial real estate agent at NAI Business Properties for nine years and counting, specializing in sale and acquisitions of restaurants, bars, casinos, licenses, and other businesses across Montana. This passion and expertise coincidentally arms him with a wealth of knowledge when it comes to purchasing, renovating, and selecting someone to design a restaurant space. “I hired Ann Jackson. She was my interior designer who helped with a lot of things.” Ann Jackson is the owner and principal designer of Jackson & Company Design in Billings, who also has over a decade of commercial interior design experience. Tyler saw his vision take shape over this treasured space with new flooring, new carpet, and modifications to equipment, and he complimented those interior changes with a new website, new logo, all new social media, CONTINUED >
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“If I do it, I want to do it right,” said Tyler. “Because I only get one chance. If I take over this iconic business, that’s been there—at the time—for 22 years, and fail, it just isn’t right.” —Tyler Samson
and a fresh coat of interior and exterior paint by Matt the Painter to boot. The finishing touches included wall art and furniture that would give the restaurant a new conversation and feel. “I have Kira Fercho—she’s a local artist. All of her art’s in there. We have about 30 pieces right now, which kind of brought the space to life,” said Tyler. “I also had Moon Construction build me a beautiful bar. We only have ten seats at it, so that’s really manageable.” But the statement piece that is arguably the best addition is the eight-place chef’s table right in front of the kitchen, right off the main line. “Adding a bar and a chef’s table—as a single guy, if I’m going to go out to dinner by myself, Enzo was never on my radar unless it was a date night or with family or on holiday because I didn’t want to go in there and take up a table by myself.” Tyler wanted to change that internal dialogue—the one that makes us second
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H OT SP OT | FOOD + BEV E RAGE
guess whether we have on the right attire or are with or without others to justify the dining experience. He wants you in your flip-flops straight off the river, or in your button-up after a day at the office. And once this change of atmosphere shifted, Tyler noticed an influx of a younger crowd, which isn’t to say that the typical older crowd has fallen away. In fact, the regulars who once dined every other week are now coming one to three times weekly. Naturally, with more business comes a larger staff—a surprising twist in the wake of the pandemic. He’s more than doubled his staff since his purchase of Enzo, and he’s proud to consider each employee part of the family, right along with his loyal and adventurous guests who have undoubtedly supported this new venture. “There was no playbook designed for anything like this, but our staff didn’t miss a beat,” said Tyler. “We could have never done this without the support of all of our guests,
and we are so thankful and eager to give back as much as possible to show thanks to our community.” And speaking of family, Tyler’s son Myles brings that sentiment full circle, being born just two months before this big purchase. Tyler’s investments are not without heart and compassion, especially when it comes to the man at the helm of the kitchen—executive chef Alex Bean. “Even before I bought the place I said, ‘This is going to be your kitchen and I’m going to try to give you all the tools you need to make this a huge success’ but the important thing was basically enhancing what was already there. Bringing new energy,” said Tyler. He refers to Bistro Enzo as casual fine dining serving up Mediterranean/New American-inspired dishes. “I don’t want to be tied to one concept,” said Tyler. “We’ve won best romantic dinner and best seafood. This year we’re going for best seafood again.
CONTINUED >
“A miracle is just a shift in perspective from fear to hope.” 406-696-8704 | giamt.org | giagives@gmail.com OCTOB ER 2 0 2 2 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C O M / BI L L I N G S
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“My biggest belief, really, is I strongly believe the way you make people feel is the thing they remember the most. If you pair that with incredible food in a beautiful setting, I mean, that’s a winning combination.” —Tyler Samson
We’re flying in two to three hundred pounds of halibut every single week, fresh.” Winning a best seafood award with no sea in sight is an accomplishment in and of itself, and Tyler enjoys offering guests the element of surprise. He makes a great case for their steak. If you order it, chances are you won’t go anywhere else. So what’s next for the goal-achieving Tyler Samson? He’s glad you asked. “We’re overstaffed, Enzo’s doing extremely well—why don’t I buy another restaurant? I wouldn’t do a second Enzo location but I’m looking at another location,” said Tyler. With rafts in both pools—the commercial real estate business and the restaurant business—only time will tell what new life is brought to the Billings culinary scene. Odds are it’ll be another night out for all of us. “My biggest belief, really, is I strongly believe the way you make people feel is the thing they remember the most,” said Tyler. “If you pair that with incredible food in a beautiful setting, I mean, that’s a winning combination.” Indeed it is.
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H OT SP OT | FOOD + BEV E RAGE
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Brings Me Back
Travel the country or back in time at Bar MT ARTICLE BY CHELSEA LYN AGRO | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHELSEA CULP
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“It’s a tough job to do, but someone has to do it!” Amanda Beckers Sowden says this, of course, in reference to drinking beer on family vacations, because—undoubtedly—it’s important research for her labor of love, Bar MT. The bar had always been her favorite. In fact, she spent most of her twenties there, growing up on the patio during college, and watching it be revitalized during her childhood. It was constantly at the mercy of whomever was at its helm, and it nosedived a lot. It has had several different identities over the years and when it came available, Amanda jumped on the chance to be a steward of its historic value and treasure for the community. “I’m a big believer in timing,” says Amanda. And she should be because her story with Bar MT has really come full circle. “When I was in college, I actually met my husband at that location,” back before it was Bar MT. She also fell in love with the leather belted fans that squeaked if they weren’t oiled enough, and the old railroad posters, the old bar. The fact that “Far and Away” was shot there. “But it’s like the classy old, instead of just old,” laughs Amanda. The building is actually owned by the City of Billings and the Depot nonprofit rents it from the city, and then they rent it to Amanda. To save it from the constant change of hands, Amanda knew it needed to offer something different, and perhaps something ahead of its time. “Billings is always a good five to seven years behind,” says Amanda, and we love Billings for this. But the important work of leaving Billings to see what is out there, and what could be brought back to the bar, is crucial to its survival. There are about 28 beers on tap and nearly 100 regional beers that you can try, making it a hot tourist stop for a taste of this region. Since 2019, Bar MT has become a judgment-free zone. “If you like craft beer but your friend likes Bud Light, you can come here. If you like craft beer, or beer, and your wife only drinks wine, you can come here. It crosses some of those boundaries instead of just being this craft beer bar where you have to know too much.”
L A BOR
OF
LOV E
CONTINUED >
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FOOD for
THOUGHT
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I NSP IR E D BY | L IFE + CULTURE
ARTICLE BY SARIE MACKAY
Raspberries, corn stalks, fruit trees, gardens, wheat fields. These living things remind us of our place here. They know their own steady pace and imbue our lives with common sense. They even answer questions: Where am I? What time of year is it? And more often now, what is my effect on the world around me? The fields and orchards we see all around us have an impeccable sense of timing, abundantly bestowing their rewards when the hour arrives. Take, for example, the apple tree. In Arthurian legend, the mystical isle of Avalon translates to “island of apples,” and about 1,400 years ago, our favorite wizard, Merlin (once called Myrrdin), wrote an ode to his favorite apple tree. Setting aside the topic of apples as temptation, we find them everywhere in literature and mythology. The apple is one of the most sacred
trees and traditionally symbolizes good health and future happiness. Even the lore of Johnny Appleseed is true—this character was based on a 1700s American named John Chapman, who planted the types of apples used in making cider and ale, essential beverages in the colonial kitchen. In May the apple tree blooms, letting the bees dive and do their essential work. When the blizzard of petal fall occurs, the base of each flower begins to expand, making the fruit we eventually harvest. The apple tree self-thins, casting off some early fruit in order to promote the healthiest apples. We watch them grow from marbles to magnificence, and by September, nature’s work is near completion. Which brings us, of course, to the subject of pie. CONTINUED > OCTOB ER 2 0 2 2 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C O M / BI L L I N G S
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There are hundreds of varieties, and most cooks know that Cortlands, Granny Smiths, and Honeycrisps are good pie choices. But the older varieties have names that are as delectable as a piece of fruit: Pippin, Belle, Foxwhelp, Winesap, Northern Spy. Apple pie is often the subject of contemplation and sage wisdom. Jane Austen, in a private letter, opined: “Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness.” If anyone knew the meaning of domestic happiness, it was Jane. There is also this beautiful line of thought from astronomer Carl Sagan: “If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.” In other words, we don’t make the pie from scratch any more than we made the farmers, the truck drivers, and the grocers who brought us the apples. And even if we grew the apples and ground our own wheat flour, we still rely on many things we did not make—the soil, the sunlight, and the fundamental elements. As the leaves begin to fall, we might aspire to invent the universe in the form of an apple pie. Or we may have a moment to take a walk through an orchard, glimpsing a wider horizon through its sketchy branches. Autumn lends us the eyes of the stranger, and makes the world so different that we have to pause and look at it. The orchard is a room in our sacred universe, where the wizened apples share their waft of vinegar scent, and the chickadees whisper of coming winter.
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I NSP IR E D BY | L IFE + CULTURE
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