Page 32 - Flathead Beacon // 5.20.2015

32 | MAY 20, 2015
BUSINESS
FLATHEADBEACON.COM
A TRADITION OF  TRUBY’S
Beloved restaurant set to return to original location in downtown Whitefish
BY TRISTAN SCOTT
Truby’s owner Kristin Voisin.
GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
WHITEFISH – Truby’s is coming home.
Next month, the beloved eatery and brick-oven pizzeria will return to its Whitefish roots after completing a full-circle orbit of the val- ley, re-opening in the precise downtown location where it all began nearly 20 years ago.
In 1996, Kristin Voisin opened what was then one of the only wood-fired piz- zerias in downtown Whitefish, trans- forming the homegrown restaurant into a community staple and quickly adopt- ing a devoted clutch of locals who have tracked and taken part in the journey of Truby’s Restaurant, supporting the family-style eatery in all its iterations, through its brief spell as a pizza trailer to its current location at The Meadow Lake Golf Course in Columbia Falls.
And now, with the orbit almost com- plete, they’ll soon converge on a familiar venue at 115 Central Ave. in downtown Whitefish, where Voisin intends to ten- tatively open June 10.
“With the timing and this space be- coming available again, it just feels right. It feels really good,” she said.
Through the years, Voisin has court- ed customers from far-flung regions and, in particular, Canadians who regu-
larly visit the Flathead Valley. But, she says, it’s the locals to whom she’s most indebted.
“Local is what carried us,” she said. “The relationships I’ve built within the community have been amazing.”
Some steadfast customers still or- der unlisted items off Truby’s original menu, and Voisin caters to food-sensi- tive diners by offering gluten-free piz- za crusts and pasta while encouraging them to bring their own ingredients – soy cheese, for example.
In keeping Truby’s solvent through a tumultuous economy, Voisin has em- ployed an adaptive approach, guided as much by intuition as innate business in- stincts.
In 2006, the specter of a struggling economy prompted Voisin to close her Whitefish location and peddle pies from a pizza trailer for two years until she was approached by Meadow Lake and, after checking out the digs and remodeling the resort’s restaurant, she re-opened Truby’s to much fanfare.
And while she says it’s a bittersweet feeling knowing that she’ll close the Meadow Lake restaurant May 31, none of Truby’s signature laidback atmo- sphere will be eroded in the transition to downtown Whitefish.
“I’ve always worked to create a space
where people feel comfortable. We are so much more than pizza, we are a com- munity,” she said.
The restaurant has always been a dining draw for families, including her own – Voisin’s four children grew up in the restaurant, and she was pregnant with twins Maggie and Tucker, who were fixtures in the original location, running around and playing, and lend- ing an ambiance that encouraged other families to do the same.
Although Truby’s offers beer, wine and cocktails, it’s more a restaurant than a bar, and more a living room than a restaurant.
“People can come and have a glass of wine or a beer and a meal, but it is a place where you can bring your family, sit and relax and visit,” Voisin said.
Truby’s is famous for its brick-oven pizzas, but the restaurant offers a full menu brimming with local favorites like the Caesar salad with orange ginger dressing, the Truby’s linguini, calamari, and mussels. The Al “Pie” Cino, with ge- noa salami, capers, red onions and Fon- tina cheese is a tangy, salty delight, while the New Ragin’ Cajun, with Andouille sausage, shrimp, blackened chicken breast, bell peppers, red onion, pepper jack cheese on a Cajun alfredo sauce gar- nished with scallions and chili oil, fea-
tures the best of the Bayou.
She’ll also feature a market pizza
on every Tuesday while the Whitefish Farmers Market is in swing, topping the specialty pizzas with an array of fresh, rotating veggies.
Voisin gives ample credit to the build- ing’s owners, Dave and Janet Leishman, who also own Bar W Guest Ranch and who encouraged Voisin to recreate Tru- by’s singular atmosphere in a space that has hosted numerous restaurants, most recently Cooper’s Eatery and Drinkery.
Having undergone significant remod- els and expansions through the years, the Whitefish space is much larger than both the Meadow Lake location and the origi- nal restaurant. With a bar, dining room and patio, Voisin estimates she can seat upwards of 170 customers, but she’s con- fident that with her loyal kitchen and wait staff and familiar bartenders – her chef and head bartender are following her to the new venue – she won’t suffer through anything but the usual growing pains.
“I was born and raised in Whitefish,” Voisin said. “It feels like I’m coming back.”
Truby’s will be open for dinner sev- en days a week from 5 p.m. until close. Learn more about Truby’s at www. trubysrestaurant.com.
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