Meal: Scotty’s Table
Friday, March 12th, 2004529 South Higgins
Missoula, MT
The University of Montana’s steady influx of visitors favors Missoula restaurants, and makes the city a home of eclectic, quality cuisine. For our first trip to Missoula, we asked our Grizzly graduate friends for places where we could treat ourselves before my legal ethics exam. Scotty’s, settled among several other popular restaurants in a row of turn-of-the-century storefronts, made everyone’s list.
A dramatic glass-walled entrance greeted us, but the architecture soon gave way to a cozy bar and a room next door with stylish, comfortable banquettes. Our servers were as helpful as we have had anywhere, prompt with an explanation of the specials, and knowledgable about ingredients and the wines. The maitre d’ even offered us a halibut special he had tried, even though the kitchen was saving it for a later seating. The menu was impressive for a small bistro, with a mix of standard steak and fish dishes, along with the kind of fusion and vegetarian dishes you expect to find in a college town. Every item emphasized fresh, often organic, ingredients, and the wine list focused on smaller American wineries.
We ordered a representative meal, me with coq au vin, and Autumn with a mediterranean chicken dish. First we shared a slice of coarse country pate, seasoned enough so we didn’t miss the mustard. The coq au vin was a comforting classic: thick, smoky mushroom gravy on top, and pleasantly lumpy garlic mashed potatoes. My only complaint was the rooster (chicken?) itself: more skin and bones than meat. Maybe I got the leftovers when they prepared Autumn’s boneless grilled chicken breast with an herb rub. We didn’t get a chance to share much after filling up on our own dishes, but Autumn had no complaints.
I had to get a little more ethics cramming in, and we were too full for dessert, so we had to pass up the cheesecake. But we hope to get back to Missoula enough to work our way through more of the menu.