Traditionally, there’s a certain order to a nice meal: order a drink, then an appetizer, but the real star of the evening is usually the entrée.
But as the Flathead’s food culture continues to mature, so do the appetizer options. In some places, they’re one of the draws, just as popular as the mouthwatering dinner options.
In Kalispell, the crew at Scottibelli’s Ristorante Italiano says the most popular appetizer is easy to pick out, because it’s ordered so many times each night. The vongole marinate – “marinated clams” in Italian – tends to sell itself, Chef Brian Scottibelli said.
It starts with fresh clams, shipped in three times each week from Seattle, which are cooked in a simple-yet-delicious lemon-wine-garlic sauce, with some pepper flakes for a little kick.
Once the clams are opened up, Scottibelli adds a piece of handmade pizza dough to the top and pops it in the oven for about 90 seconds. When it comes out, the dough has transformed into a gorgeous bubble of bread, hiding the seafood treasures inside.
With some garlic, parmesan, and parsley sprinkled on top, the final product is delivered to the table and cut open, allowing the steam to pour out with the scent of the sauce and clams, tending to elicit a round of oohs and ahhs.
Whenever the concoction is delivered to a table, the diners seated nearby rubberneck as the server cuts open the bread, and usually leads to more orders, Scottibelli said.
“It’s very popular,” he said.
Across the valley, restaurants have started offering extensive appetizer menus to supply the growing demand for smaller dishes, which allow for more variety in a meal.
Latitude 48 Bistro and the Red Room offer entire share-plate menus, with a selection of plates of meats, vegetables, and cheeses to give the diner a wider selection for their meal. Other local restaurants, such as The Craggy Range Bar & Grill and Tupelo Grill have taken on the popular traditionally Canadian dish of poutine, which consists of gravy and cheese curds on top of French fries.
In Whitefish, Tupelo Grille Executive Chef Cecilie Andersson said her customers enjoy a wide range of appetizers, from catfish to ahi tuna, but the most popular tends to fall under the category of comfort food: the elk meatloaf slider.
“We almost can’t make enough meatloaf, that’s how many we sell,” Andersson said.
The recipe uses Tupelo’s homemade meatloaf, which consists of ground elk, fresh ground beef made from the trimmings of the restaurant’s steaks, and spicy Italian sausage.
Meatloaf is great on its own, she said, but adding Tabasco crispy onions and the restaurant’s low country steak sauce brings the dish to a new level.
Another popular appetizer incorporates fresh seafood: the shrimp and crawfish cakes. These delightful creations are made like crab cakes, but using shrimp and crawfish instead, along with roasted red pepper coulis sauce, sweet pepper relish, and a tarragon aioli.
While going to dinner will always be a popular option, more people are eating from the appetizer menus, like the Spanish do with tapas, Andersson said. Live music, drinks, and appetizers can make for a great evening out, she added.
So next time you venture out for a meal, consider changing up the traditional order and eating a selection of appetizers for dinner. Bon appetit!