Page 32 - Flathead Beacon // 9.2.15

TRANSACTIONS 33 BUSINESS IS PERSONAL 34
Business
Rockabilly Barbecue
THE DESOTO GRILL IN KALISPELL OFFERS A NEW TAKE ON CLASSIC MEALS BY MOLLY PRIDDY
Willie and Shawnna Steele, owners of Desoto Grill at The Forge.
GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
It’s 9 a.m. on a Friday, and Wil- lie Steele lifts the metal door to the massive Traeger grill parked beside the Desoto Grill in downtown Kalispell.
The smile on his face says he’s excited to see the end result of the wood-pellet grill’s work.
“Cookies!” he says to a visitor, showing off a few pans of the scratch-made choco- late chip desserts.
Willie and his wife Shawnna Steele have a knack for the unexpected, which
has served them well in their new venture as barbecue restaurateurs at The Forge, an historic building in Kalispell’s down- town that has seen many iterations of businesses in its lifetime.
For the Steeles, who moved back to the Flathead Valley after 17 years in Portland, Oregon, The Forge is exactly where they wanted to build the foundations for their brand of easygoing, rockabilly barbecue.
“It’s beautiful,” Willie said of the building. “This has our heart. It screams downtown Kalispell.”
Inside, the music is grooving, dirty blues and deep-rooted rock and roll sere- nading the staff as they get to work creat- ing the building blocks of that day’s menu. Brisket, smoked for 14 hours, needs slic- ing, cheese needs grating, and, of course, cookies need baking.
“Not all of our cookies are baked in the Traeger,” Shawnna said. “But the corn- bread is always made on it.”
A veteran of the restaurant and cater- ing industry for 22 years, Shawnna knew it was time to open her own place when
she saw a beer and wine license for sale in Kalispell. She and Willie had been think- ing of coming back, having paid their big- city dues.
Willie grew up here, and Shawnna in Rudyard, along the Hi-Line. Married for 20 years, the couple wanted to get back to where the people are nice and the ski- ing is great. Once she found out The Forge was up for lease, that sealed it.
“We knew if we could take this beer and wine license and the Traeger in The Forge, we’d be successful,” Shawnna said.
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SEPTEMBER 2, 2015 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM