How being a foodie has changed since moving to a small town

What Nobody Told Me About Being a Foodie in a Small Town

My husband and I are unapologetic food people.

We plan trips around restaurant reservations, get way too excited about tasting menus, and have never met a wine pairing dinner we didn't want to attend. Before moving to Montana, grabbing dinner wasn't just something we did, it was one of our favorite hobbies.

Coming from a larger city, I don't think we fully understood how much that part of our life would change.

If you're not a foodie, this might sound a little dramatic. "It's just restaurants," right?

But imagine if your favorite hobby suddenly had 75% fewer options. That's kind of what it felt like. For us, trying new cuisines, discovering hidden gems, and experiencing different atmospheres was something we genuinely looked forward to every week.

Here's what I wish I had known about the food scene before moving to a small town, and how it's changed our lifestyle for the better (mostly).

There Are Fewer Restaurants and Much Less Variety

BOY, do I miss Thai food.

As we started exploring the restaurant scene in Whitefish and Kalispell, we quickly realized there were only a handful of places we'd consistently return to. That's not to say there isn't good food here, there absolutely is, but the options are far more limited than what we were used to.

And somehow everything feels more expensive. Maybe it's the tourism. Maybe it's the logistics of getting ingredients to the middle of the mountains. Maybe it's both.

What we miss most, though, is the variety. Thai, Venezuelan, Cuban, authentic Mexican, ramen, hole-in-the-wall sushi spots- you don't realize how much you take those things for granted until they're gone.

I would trade at least three burger joints for one great pad thai.

Travel Has Become a Culinary Event

We always cared about food when we traveled, but now it's practically a competitive sport.

Restaurant research begins weeks before departure. Reservations are made with military precision. Entire afternoons are built around where we're having dinner that night.

Turns out, dining out less often has made dining out feel more special. Who would've thought...

When we leave Montana, we're not ordering the steak or burger. We can get those at home. We're chasing the dishes we can't easily find here- the weird, adventurous, authentic, and memorable meals that remind us why we love food in the first place.

We've Become Surprisingly Great Cooks

As it turns out, necessity really is the mother of invention.

Since eating out isn't as frequent, we've spent a lot more time cooking at home, and we've gotten significantly better because of it.

Thankfully, we have a group of friends who are just as enthusiastic about food as we are. Instead of meeting at restaurants, we'll spend entire evenings cooking wildly overcomplicated dishes together, opening good bottles of wine, and pretending we're contestants on a cooking show.

Before moving here, cooking was something we did.

Now it's an experience.

We're trying recipes we'd never have attempted before, learning techniques, experimenting with wine pairings, and recreating dishes from our favorite restaurants. Some turn out incredible. Others become lessons in humility.

Either way, it's become one of our favorite parts of living here.

The Unexpected Upside

Would I still love a few more ethnic food options nearby? Absolutely.

Would I cry tears of joy if someone opened a phenomenal Thai or Venezuelan restaurant tomorrow? Without question.

But while Montana's food scene is smaller than what we were used to, it's also pushed us to be more intentional. We travel differently, cook differently, and appreciate great meals more than ever.

And honestly, that's not such a bad trade-off.

So now I know you've all got to be DYING to know what our favorite restaurants are since we clearly have impeccable taste... Here are our favorite spots!

When we're feeling fancy:

Woods Bay Wine - ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL wine options and a menu that changes frequently

Abruzzo- Delicious Italian food and pizza

Blue Samurai- Most authentic sushi you'll find in the valley

Buchanans- Favorite steakhouse

Casual and "inexpensive":

Mama Ev's Pizza- Fantastic pizza and insane wine list

Beldi (specifically on Wednesdays)- all night happy hour with small plates and wine deals. This one is best for a girls night out!

Moose's Pizza- Saloon vibe with classic greasy delicious pizza

Agave- the most authentic Mexican food in the valley

Food truck favs:

Mountain berry bowls- delish acai bowls

Wild Child- poke bowls

Wagyu Wagon- best smash burgers