An under-the-radar Rocky Mountains resort town – with a name traditionally associated with a New York deli staple – is poised to land on the culinary map, at least that’s the hope of famed chef Todd English.
Whitefish, a boomtown in northwest Montana, has become a magnet filled with one-percenters and celebrities looking to escape the show-and-tell vibe of glam ski areas like Aspen.
Last week, English welcomed some of the nation’s best up-and-coming chefs and foodies to the scenic village, about 30 minutes from Glacier National Park, as he launched the inaugural Whitefish Food and Wine Festival.
“There’s a real food culture here,” English, a four-time James Beard award winner, told Side Dish.
“Chefs come here after working for Jean-Georges [Vongerichten], Daniel [Boulud] and Eric Ripert.”
Whitefish gained popularity during the pandemic as wealthy folks, especially from California and Texas, bought second homes in the area. Seasonal residents include singer John Mayer, comedian Dave Chappelle and NFL legend Drew Brees.
One of its main allures is that “you don’t see a lot of corporate entities,” said Andy Blanton, the executive chef at the Culinary Institute of Montana in Whitefish.
The institute, based at Flathead Valley Community College, will honor the cooking styles of Ripert and Boulud as part of its “Modernist Dinner Series” with events slated for Nov. 1 and Nov. 15, respectively.
Blanton made his name with the celebrated restaurant Kandahar, on top of Big Mountain in Whitefish, where he had been the chef for 24 years and the owner for 17 years. The restaurant is currently for sale.
“There are a lot of locally owned restaurants,” said Blanton, who participated in the Whitefish festival. “It’s a resort destination in summer and winter, and more people are discovering its charm, which includes legitimate chefs and restaurant operations that have diversified and expanded.”
English – the restaurateur behind the Olives brand who participated in the formative days of food festivals in Aspen, Colo., South Beach and Nantucket, Mass. – partnered with Axcess Entertainment’s Ryan Heil and Whitefish-based entrepreneur Joe Hess on the new event.
“I had been going to the Aspen Food and Wine Festival for years and thought, we need something like that here,” Hess said.
The festival took place at Haskill Creek Farms, and included “grand tasting” events and a trip up Big Mountain. Many of the dishes included the famed huckleberry, an edible fruit found on shrubs that grow across Montana.
“It’s really a superberry,” Blanton said. “It’s tart like a raspberry but with the texture of a blueberry and it has no seeds. It is remarkably versatile and can work in dishes that are sweet or savory.”
Locals and visitors pick the berries themselves on Big Mountain — but they need to bring their own bear spray or risk becoming dinner for the grizzlies that roam the area.
Next year’s festival planning is already in the works, English said, adding that a growing budget means more top chefs will be participating.
“We really need to promote young culinary talent, and that’s what places like this are all about,” he said.
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