I’ve got a confession to make: this past weekend I ate an 11-course meal. And let me tell you, that is a lot of food. Luckily for me, they were 11 of the tastiest dishes I’ve ever had the pleasure of sending across my palate. But these weren’t just any 11 dishes; each was prepared by Chef Andy Blanton (a multi-time James Beard semifinalist) at Cafe Kandahar, his restaurant inside Kandahar Lodge on Big Mountain in Whitefish, Montana.
Chef Andy at his kitchen in Whitefish.
From the moment I stepped inside his restaurant on Saturday night, I knew we were in for a delightful evening. No detail went unnoticed and his staff is some of the best (if not the best) in Montana. But instead of telling you about his mouth-watering dishes, I thought I’d show you.
Warning: viewing these images may cause you to book a trip to Whitefish, Montana ASAP.
Included on the menu: Yellowstone caviar, white truffles and huckleberries.
Quail egg. In one word: delightful.
Halibut lox.
Dungeness crab. No words for how tasty this was.
Sablefish. SO good!
Forest mushrooms. This girl loved this dish.
Alba white truffle risotto. This dish literally melted in my mouth.
Foie gras torchon. PS: put huckleberry on anything and I’ll eat it. But for real, this foie gras was decadent.
Yak carpaccio.
Buffalo tenderloin.
Pork belly confit. Hands down, my favorite dish of the night (though it was close).
Washington rack of lamb.
Ending the night: a dessert sampler that included crème brûlée, a huckleberry tart and chocolate.
Me + huckleberries = two Montana BFFs.
If you plan on dining at Cafe Kandahar, here are a few things to keep in mind:
-Cafe Kandahar is open during summer and winter. Their seasons run from mid-December through the end of March and mid-June through the end of September.
-To ensure a table, make a reservation.
-The Snug Bar (located in the lobby of Kandahar Lodge) is also owned by Cafe Kandahar and serves up tapas and small plates.
-Plan to spend the night at Kandahar Lodge. Sidenote: it was nice to have direct access to my room after dinner.
Happy dining,
TT
