Kansas City and Memphis are probably the two best cities for BBQ in the country, and Arthur Bryant's is certainly the most famous, especially sine Calvin Trillen named it his favorite restaurant in America. There are other great names like the Smokestack, and Gates and Sons, but Bryant's is the one you really can't miss. The standards, ribs, pulled pork, sliced and mounded beef, burnt ends, are all available as well as hot crisp side of hand cut fries, dripping with fat and ready to melt in your mouth. I had a combo of pork and burnt ends (the bits and pieces that fall of the brisket during cooking) and it was legendary as always. Sometimes they have and mutton(lamb)which is a rarely seen outside of Kentucky and when they do have it, get it.

They have two locations but I like the one on Brooklyn, two blocks off of I70. Easy off and back on if you are just passing through. If you are spending the night, check out Stroud's for some of the best fried chicken in America.

ARTHUR BRYANT'S

Just completed a 69999 mile road trip from here to Miami and back to see friends relatives, do some fishing, and eat at great out of the way road food stops. Here are a few of my favorites along the way in the order of my trip.

EL MIRADOR
630 W Bridge St.
Blackfoot, ID


Blackfoot is about the halfway mark between Bozeman, MT. where I started, and Salt Lake so I always try to hit it just about lunch time. Blackfoot has at least 5 or 6 Mexican restaurants and although the others may be good I have never been able to try them. The El Mirador is just too damn good!

It's the kind of place that you know you will love as soon as the chips hit the table. Crisp, fresh and hot, served with a great salsa and some of the smoothest most flaovorful ( lots of lard ) refried beans I've ever had. Although the menu is extensive and authentic, look no further than the pork chile verdi. It's, what can I say, perfect! The pork and chilis create a wonderful menage of pure flavor, braised to perfection and accompanied with more of those refried beans and amazingly good rice.

If you want to be brave and order something elase on the menu I'm sure it will be outstanding, but me, I can't get past the chili verde. Don't pass this one by.

THIS IS ME DOING ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS--FISHING! As you can tell eating and food are right up there too. Hope you enjoy our blog and be sure and come and see us at The Mint. Jay

Labels: OUR FOUNDER

On Jan 27, 2010 I am taking a trip from Montana to Florida and back through Tucson and Scottsdale. During the trip I will be passing through the states of MT,UT,CO,KS,MO,AK,TN,MS,LA,AL,FL,TX,AZ,and back to MT. I am finishing up a cookbook project looking for new ideas, checking out Roadfood stops, and seeking out great regional, ethnic, and out of the way eateries. That's the plan. I will post pictures and comments for you foodie voyeurs and lovers of the roots of American cuisine. Great BBQ in Memphis and KC, steaks in the Mississippi delta at Doe's Eat Place and whatever food gems I can uncover along the way, There is still a lot of great food out there beyond the golden arches and other temples of mediocracy, so stay tuned

Labels: FOODIE TRAVELS

The Grandfather of Montana Cattle

Before all of the "new" breeds that have thrived on Montana's range over the last 130years, the "Longhorn" was the first. Driven north from Texas in the 1870's by Nelson Story, an incredible feat roughly chronicled by the TV series "Lonesome Dove", the forebears of this hearty breed made the thousand mile drive that began Montana's love affair with beef, ranches, and the cowboy way.

Tough, strong, and semi-wild, these stout beasts, like the people who drove them, formed the beginnings of a beef industry and way of life that still persists today.

Walk into our dining room, and you can't help but see the great Tim Crawford photographs that appear on our wall. Take a close look at those faces and you will see the kind of strength and determination that made this wonderful place the way it is. The next time you bite into one of our great steaks, please tip your hat to the "Longhorn" that started it all.

We are very happy to announce a new source for all of our salmon. We have chosen Chris and Heather Maxcy,residents of Bozeman and owners and operators of their own fishing boat in Alaska, to be our sole supplier of wild salmon. They operate a small, very hands on operation, and their quality control is legendary.

They have agreed to supply us with all of our salmon, primarily Sockeye ( known as Copper River Reds) and Coho from the famous Copper River. The Copper River area of Alaska is renowned for producing fish that are very high in fat content and meat that has the beautiful shade of red.

Contrary to common belief, fresh fish, particularly salmon, can be very inconsistent in quality, taste and appearance. These variables are mainly due to the shipping process which, because of delays, scheduling problems, poor storage, overheating, and inferior packing, can often result in bad quality and even health problems.

According to Chris, as far as quality,its all about what happens right after the fish is boated. The fish is immediately "bled out" and put in a slurry of ice and salt water, transported to a processor who cuts and trims the fish into sides, removes the pin bones,immediately flash freezes the fish, and packs it for shipping. Unlike the big producers, Chris and Heather actually follow their fish through every step of the way to insure that the product they are shipping is only the very highest quality, from his boat to our restaurant.

Chris really is a great believer in the benefits of flash frozen which is why we have decided to go in that direction. I have tried both their Coho and Sockeye and believe me it is as good as it gets! You may have had some of their salmon at the Bozeman Coop where is sells in the neighborhood of $14.00 to $16.00 a pound.

Labels: OUR SALMON GUYS

VACA FRITA

Vaca Frita, which means fried cow in Spanish, would seem to be the last thing you would find on the menu of a steak and potatoes place like the Mint. After all Havana is a long way from Montana but,that seems to make no difference to our customers who literally gobble up this Cuban beef classic whenever we have it as a special on our menu.

Be sure and shred the beef as finely as you can, fry it extra crispy, and serve with black beans and rice on the side and topped with fried onions. We do it with our famous deep fried onion rings to give this dish our own special treatment.

2 lbs. Flank steak or tri tip trimmed of fat.
1 onion
6 cloves fresh garlic
2 T beef base or 3 cubes beef bouillon
6-8 cups water

Combine all of these ingredients and simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours until the beef is very tender. Set aside the broth for soup and cool the meat. With a fork, or your fingers, shred the beef along the grain as thinly as possible and marinate for at least 3 hours, or preferably overnight.

Marinade:
4 cloves fresh garlic minced
4 T fresh limejuice
2 T concentrated frozen orange juice undiluted
1 t sea salt
½ t red pepper flakes

To Finish:
½ C olive oil
1 onion very thinly sliced

Heat ½ the oil in a non-stick frying pan until smoking. Carefully add the meat (the hot oil will splatter) and sauté over high heat until crisp, about 5 or six minutes. Remove the meat to a serving platter with a slotted spoon. Add the rest of the oil. When hot add the onion and fry until slightly brown. Top the meat with the onions and serve with black beans and rice. If you want more spice, add more red pepper flakes.