BIG SKY, Montana -- Hugging the banks of the Gallatin River, where snow and ice nearly cover the stream where Brad Pitt's flyfishing scenes were filmed in "A River Runs Through It," is Rainbow Ranch, an oasis of charm and luxury in an otherwise rough-hewn corner of western Montana wilderness.
Where else, one wonders, can an afternoon of downhill or cross-country-skiing on nearby Lone Mountain be topped off by sitting down to a dinner that begins with an ounce of Missouri River caviar, warm blini and crème fraiche, along with an ice cold glass of vodka?
The answer to that would be pretty much nowhere in this spectacularly beautiful valley where food more often than not is often termed "grub."
For those seeking winter adventures in the Big Sky valley and whose palates are not attuned to more pedestrian fare, Rainbow's chef, Tommy Donohoe, offers a splendid nightly menu.
Specialties include grass-fed, grass-finished Montana Scottish Highland beef ravioli, Black Canyon Ranch elk chops, Montana buffalo rib-eyes and unbelievably tender Montana lamb shank.
The dining experience at the ranch, situated on U.S. Highway 191 about eight miles south of the Big Sky ski resort, is one of the finest in the area and has come a long way from the early 1900s when the ranch was called the Halfway Inn (because it was midway between Bozeman and the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park) and the restaurant was called the Eat Here Cafe.
The upward climb of the cuisine really took off in 1995 when proprietor Patrick Hurd, who was running a restaurant in Vermont, followed "a brunette" to Bozeman. "My girlfriend at the time came out here to work on her PhD and I followed her," Hurd said. "The brunette is gone. I stayed."
Rainbow is one of three ranches in the Big Sky area where diners are treated to extraordinary fare and where many full-time residents as well as vacationers flock during the winter and summer months. Lone Mountain Ranch, located near the ski resorts of Big Sky and Moonlight Basin, as well as Big EZ Lodge, situated just a few miles into the mountains from the ski resorts, also feature gourmet dining experiences.
Hurd picks his staff with the same care that his chef chooses ingredients and the same meticulous study that has gone into building the ranch's 800 selections of wines. For a unique dining experience, Hurd offers a dining area for private parties in the well-appointed, subterranean wine cellar.
"My goal is not necessarily to be the best restaurant in Montana," he said. "My goal is to have people who live either in Manhattan or Big Sandy, Montana, come in and have a dining experience that, when they walk out, will have them saying: "Who would have guessed that something this good would be here?"
Hurd, 38, runs the restaurant--indeed, the entire ranch--with an understated elegance that radiates the sort of serenity and calm that can transform "a vacation into an experience. At the end of the day, I get my satisfaction by knowing that people who come here to stay or just to dine have a good experience. I take it very seriously," Hurd said.
Want your coffee and warm blackberry or chocolate muffin in your room? Just call and one of Hurd's always-cheerful staff will be knocking on your door within minutes.
Want to end the day with a soak in the outdoor hot tub, savoring a warm drink and the prickle of falling snow? Pull the robe out of the closet and pad over where a staff member is already feeding a fire that crackles in the outdoor fireplace next to the hot tub.
Want reservations for dog sledding, cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing, snowmobiling, a downhill ski lesson? Just ask.
The guest rooms are comfortable, cozy, and those with fireplaces are a wonderful respite from a day in the cold. Bathrooms come with Jacuzzi tubs and rosemary-scented bath salts.
A basket of goodies for sale includes bear repellent ($49.50, not necessary when bears are hibernating), huckleberry chocolate bars ($4), locally made beef jerky ($4.25) and designer shampoo, conditioner and body wash imported from England ($19 a bottle). Sliding glass doors lead to a small deck that overlooks the Gallatin--a perfect spot to enjoy the winter sun and listen to the mutterings of ravens perched nearby.
The fireplace by the bar in the shadow of a huge antlered moose head is a perfect spot to read a book or play a game of Scrabble and enjoy one of the house specialties--a "Stoli Doli," a sweet and potent martini made by fermenting Stolychnaya vodka in a glass urn filled to the brim with inch-thick fresh pineapple slices.
Not up to tromping, shuffling or zipping through the snow?
Take a sleigh ride dinner (prime rib) at the Lone Mountain Ranch for an experience that manages to be magical even if you are with a group of strangers. It sounds like tourist hokum, but it's really not.
A recent moonlit night, as Belgian draft horses pulled a sleigh up the mountain in the muffled stillness of towering pines, was evocative of a scene from Tolkien's land of the fairies.
With Bruce Anfinson, a modern day western troubador who provided after-dinner entertainment, at the reins, the evening provided a moment of such quiet and beauty that passengers spoke in low murmurs or whispers--almost as if they were in church.
Civilization never seemed so far away.
The ranch is just an hour's drive--weather permitting--from West Yellowstone, Mont., the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Only snowcoaches--vans and beetle-shaped coaches equipped with snow treads--and snowmobiles are allowed into the park during the winter. (Next year, snowmobiles will be banned entirely if a judge's ruling last year holds up.)
"There is not a better time to come to Yellowstone," said Rick Hoeninghausen, director of sale and marketing for Xanterra Parks & Resorts, which operates the Old Faithful Snow Lodge in the park. "There are no sold-out days."
Winter visitors to the park are treated to an entirely different landscape from summer visitors with bison, trumpeter swans, bald eagles, elk, coyotes, and an occasional wolf visible from the snow-packed road.
"The cross-country skiing has not been so good as this year for a number of years," Hoeninghausen said. "We have gotten so much snow. I was out the other day and spent an hour watching an incredible show put on by river otters."
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IF YOU GO
GETTING THERE
Big Sky is 45 miles south of Bozeman and can be reached from Chicago via Northwest Airlines (800-225-2525), which connects through Minneapolis; Delta Air Lines (800-221-1212) through Salt Lake City; and United Airlines (800-241-6522) through Denver. There are no non-stop flights.
LODGING
(Unless otherwise noted, prices are per room per day for double occupancy in the winter high season.)
Rainbow Ranch: 16 guest rooms, some with fireplaces; $180-$215 per night. 800-937-4132; www.rainbowranch.com; 42950 Gallatin Road, Gallatin Gateway, MT 59730.
Big EZ Lodge: 12 guest rooms, two with fireplaces; $275-$395; one suite with fireplace; $900. 877-244-3299; www.bigezlodge.com; 7000 Beaver Creek Rd., Big Sky, MT 59716.
Lone Mountain Ranch: 23 cabins, one house and six guest rooms in the lodge. Week-long packages include three meals daily, ski passes and transportation from Bozeman Airport and range from $4,590 to $5,990 per couple. 800-514-4644; www.lmranch.com; 750 Lone Mountain Ranch Rd., Big Sky, MT 59716.
Old Faithful Snow Lodge: 95 lodge rooms and 43 cabins; $76-$150. Round-trip snowcoach from west entrance approximately $98 per person. 307-344-7311; www.travelyellowstone.com.
DINING
Rainbow Ranch: Entrees range from $21 to $38 and include Black Canyon Elk, buffalo rib-eye and a personal favorite--Montana Scottish Highland Beef Ravioli.
Big EZ Lodge: Only guests of the lodge are served--no walk-ins. Recent selections included rabbit, elk, rainbow trout, caribou, pompano, and duck.
Lone Mountain Ranch: Dinner is $45 for adults, $12 for children. Five selections daily that can include fresh seafood, venison, lamb, bison and duck as well as prime rib, steaks and pasta. Sleigh ride dinners are $69 for adults and $64 for children 4-12.
Moonlight Lodge: The cornerstone of the Moonlight Basin resort, the lodge's Great Room is a delightful place to read a book, people watch and sip an Irish coffee from the Timbers Bar and Lounge while embracing the warmth of the fireplace.
M.R. Hummers: Named after its signature drink, a Moose River Hummer (Galiano, peppermint schnapps and rum), this restaurant in the Big Sky Mountain Village mall transforms at 5 p.m. daily from a lively bar to a noisy, but relaxing place for skiers just off the slopes; entrees range from $15 to $38. (406) 995-4543.
ACTIVITIES:
Big Sky Resort: Daily adult ski pass is $59. 800-548-4486 www.bigskyresort.com
Moonlight Basin: Daily adult ski pass is $39. 800-845-4428; www.moonlightbasin.com
Spirit of the North Sled Dog Adventures: Adults $106; children 7-12 $76; children under 6 free. 406-995-3424.
Snowmobiling, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing: There are several rental shops to rent equipment and miles and miles of trails. Lone Mountain Ranch, for example, has more than 43 miles of cross-country trails that are groomed daily. The ranch charges $15 for a full day's trail use and rents snowshoes or cross-country skis, boots and poles for a full day for $18