The Chef seems to not be aware, that to the best of my knowledge, many of the chains he listed are franchises.  This means they may have a big name but they are often owned by local people.  Those people that want to be in business for themselves but took the extra precaution of partnering with a large, well-known name.

Our system works on competition, if one location can obtain quality ingredients for less and in turn offer them to their guests for less, everybody wins.  There will always be a place for independent, non-chain locations but not at the expense of larger chains, especially when many of the locations are owned by entreprenuers.

The chef is aware.

There are still fine, sweet, crisp, black cherries in the orchards on the lake.  Apples, pears, plums, apricots, and peaches are hanging in the trees.  We garden these trees as tenderly as a fine lady with her favorite rose.  Local foods are filled with nourishment and not damaged and old from long transportation hauls.  Purchase your foods locally and contribute to the scenery, the economy, and the good local farming practices.  Get out there and buy locally.  Enjoy the bounty of the valley in and outside of the local restaurants. 
  This chef knows what he is talking about.  Your children will benefit so very much from the learning of these good practices.  Keep our are unique and lively, support the people who are creative and original.  Know your farmer.

Chef,  I get what your saying—-and I mostly agree and strive to support local business and locally grown foods.  However, I won’t be so single-minded as to exclude great food from my dining choices simply because the sign over the door is the same as in other states.

Case-in-point:  there is a burger joint in town with, in my opinion (as well as a local magazine’s) the best burgers on the planet.  They’re national, but this place even makes a point of posting the location from where the day’s pototoes for the frys came from (is that a big enough hint without actually naming the place?)

Even the chains, employ local people—-and we all know how important jobs are right now. 

I certainly love many “fully local” eateries and patronize them regularly, but some chains offer great taste in spite of a slightly smaller local footprint.  I won’t exclude them based solely on their ownership, as my taste buds are far better qualified to make that decision than my conscience.

OK, let me clarify: I did NOT say DON’T eat at these places. I suggested that you skip them occasionally in favor of a local restaurant. Nonetheless, I stand by my contention that despite employing local people (most earning at or below minimum wage), the non-stop proliferation of these national franchise operations is killing locally-owned independent restaurants.

I am with you Chef. I do not eat at franchises normally, but do on rare occasions. So lets talk about food and the joy of eating and adventure. When I travel I plan into my trip schedule the time to search out local flavor where ever I am. I normally stop in a town and look for a local non franchise restaurant where all the cars are parked. This year as I was watching the Food Network show Dinners, Drive Ins and Dives, I thought if I could get Guy’s list I would just highlight the eateries he visited on my map and plan my stops where I can make connections. So I went to the shows website and behold there was the list of over a hundred and fifty unique fabulous food establishments. So I downloaded Guys list and email it and the idea to my wife, we are schedule for a long trip in October. She emailed back and said as long as she doesn’t have to eat bugs and other weird food she was onboard. I assured her it wasn’t the Bizarre Foods list with Andrew Z, but just good eats. Get your copy of the list here..
http://www.foodnetwork.com/diners-drive-ins-and-dives/index.html

Man I am hungry and ready for adventure.

Sorry ChefJim, didn’t mean to lessen your valid point that buying local is vitally important.  Although I OCCAISIONALLY partake of the franchise variety…my preference is for, and the majority of my dining budget is spent in entirely local establishments. I can always be heard to groan loudly when a local shuts it’s doors (any business—-not just dining) and cheer when one is reported to be suceeding or valiantly fighting and winning the battle this economy shoves at us. 

I think we are 98% in agreement, with only my fondness for a certain burger that gets between us.  At the risk of “blowing your cover”, have you tried one?

David E:  Thanks for the link…  It’s dissappointing to find that Guy has apparently never visited a Montana D,D or D, as MT is mysteriously absent of the list.  Perhaps someone could steer (no pun intended) him in this direction.  On the other hand, maybe we’d just as soon remain undiscovered.

Firebeam, you can recommend your best pick to guy on the same site. What your favorite local place to eat?

I always liked Gordy’s Drive-in before they knocked it down and Frenchy’s before it burned down.

Oh my, how about read local?

This newspaper fit right into your storyline.

avid E:  Thanks for the link…  It’s dissappointing to find that Guy has apparently never visited a Montana D,D or D, as MT is mysteriously absent of the list.  Perhaps someone could steer (no pun intended) him in this direction.  On the other hand, maybe we’d just as soon remain undiscovered.


Is there anywhere in the Flathead that would be good enough for a visit to Diners, Dives, and Drive-throughs? I mean, cooked from scratch with fresh ingredients- Non of the Sysco crap that everyone uses, but claims to be home made. I don’t eat out very often, because my wife is the best cook in Montana, as far as I’m concerned- seriously, she’s good. I know everything she makes is fresh, unlike most of the restaurants I’ve been to here. So, hopefully someone can enlighten me, and recommend an honest to goodness, fresh ingredients restaurant.- Preferably a Diner, dive or Drive through!

blood gulch, don’t you think your wife should invite us to dinner? What’s the best thing she makes?

The Food Network has featured the Lolo Steak House near Missoula and Man Vs. Food was in Butte recently. I’m comfortable with that being as discovered as we get.

I’ve said this before, but I really enjoy the chef’s column. My question is why the Beacon doesn’t include some bio information on its columnists or at least a link to their bios. We don’t know anything about where they are or what their qualifications are.

//I’ve said this before, but I really enjoy the chef’s column. My question is why the Beacon doesn’t include some bio information on its columnists or at least a link to their bios. We don’t know anything about where they are or what their qualifications are.//

I agree!  How about a short bio on each columnist FB?? It should be attached to each of their columns.

Almost everything you need to know about me is on my website: http://kitchenguy.biz Thank.s for asking.

No matter which place you decided to eat & what is on the menu or how many calories each item has…..ITS SMALL POTATO’S TO THE FOREIGN MADE PRODUCTS….killing small manufacturing and EXPORTING PROFITS.
Be it McDonalds owned by locals or a ma & pa eatery….least a large portion of the prfofits stay local.
Now…time you all to figure out how you will be able to pay for the choices of good food….in 5-10 years with all good jobs lost due to plant closings and jobs taken by someone in a foreign country willing to work for $0.50 an hour….hoping to save some enough money for their family to come to the USA…and start a new life with government handouts to get started & then can’t find a job other than dumpster diving….basically, its time to bring back small business tax breaks & incentives to help with expansion here instead of closing a plant and move the jobs to ??????

If….and I say IF….what if Applied Materials was to announce the whole factory is closing….and being set up in India or South Korea…..how many eating places do you think will be left in the dust of AM closing…..50% less I’d guess….so look at the whole picture….not just which place to eat your food.

Why not take this one step further and have the Beacon write an article (food review, not necessarily a critique of the food) of local eateries?  That would certainly help me, since I do take friends, clients and colleagues out on occasion (actually more often than not).

I dine exclusively in local places.  That being said, I have found only around 25% of the places have anything palatable.  The most lacking trait I have found locally is the ineptness of the waitstaff.  Fine dining experiences should not be left in the hands of teenagers.  I can’t count the times I have asked “What’s the best thing on the menu?” only to be told, “I dunno,....I don’t eat here…” or “some people like the (insert dish), but I’ve never had it”.  And if you charge $40 for a steak, you had better have linen tableclothes and napkins!  Spicy foreign foods should have FLAVOR as well as heat!  Servers should not have hair falling in their eyes!  So far, Whitefish dining establishments get most of my votes (my votes= dollars$$)  Just sayin’....

Thanks for all of your comments.

First, to JB: The Beacon publishes a great list of area restaurants in the paper edition. You should pick up the paper because I’m not sure where it might be in the online edition.

To ICallB.S.: My column has often pointed out shortcomings in training, conduct both in the front and back of the house and other things that restaurateurs overlook and shouldn’t.

@chefjim:  Will do.  Thanks for the tip.

The “Eating Out” section online can be found at:

http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/eatingout/

Thanks