Side Tracks: Culture in Northwest Montana
Home Ranch Bottoms: The Story Behind Polebridge's Off the Grid Gem up the North Fork
A few miles south of Polebridge, past pavement, past cell service, sits a bar, restaurant and music venue running almost entirely on solar power - and serving some of the best food in the Flathead. In this episode of Side Tracks, Daily Inter Lake reporter Taylor Inman visits Home Ranch Bottoms to talk with owners Flannery and Dan what it takes to run a business at the end of the North Fork Road. Inside the kitchen, chef Gabby walks Taylor through the Montana Bowl, a vegan farro and lentil dish built from herbs, produce and even stevia sourced from neighbors up the North Fork Road - a reflection of how much the restaurant leans on what the North Fork itself can provide. Flannery and Dan bought Home Ranch Bottoms on a New Year's Day tip in 2021, betting that music and baking - the two things they already knew - could turn a stalled pandemic year into something worth building. Six years later, that bet has grown into a gathering spot for a community Flannery describes as bound together by remoteness and self-sufficiency: neighbors who trade rhubarb and herbs for meals, touring musicians who stop for multiple nights just to disconnect, and locals who show up because the team knows their names. Along the way, Flannery shares the property's most infamous chapter - a grizzly bear named Stahr who tore through the building's walls in the 1990s and left claw marks still visible today - and what it means to run a kitchen 90 percent off the grid, where every menu depends on what the North Fork can provide that day. This episode is proudly sponsored by Heritage Knife Shop. A speakeasy-inspired knife boutique located in downtown Whitefish, built for people who appreciate true craftsmanship. From culinary knives to hunting and everyday carry blades, every piece is thoughtfully selected with purpose and style. They also teamed up with Whitefish's James Beard nominated Chef Earl Reynolds and bladesmith Corey Dunlap to create “The Earl,” a limited-edition knife crafted with the same intention and artistry Earl brings to the kitchen. Learn more at https://www.heritageknifeshop.com/ Northwest Montana deserves strong news reporting. Your donation helps continue work like this possible. Learn more at dailyinterlake.com/support Visit DailyInterLake.com to stay up-to-date with the latest breaking news from the Flathead Valley and beyond. Support local journalism and subscribe to us! Watch this podcast and more on our YouTube Channel . Find us on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter . Got a news tip, want to place an ad, or sponsor this podcast? Contact us!
