Off
the beaten path, laced with history and quality food. That about sums up Ekstrom’s Stage Station, 20 miles east of
Missoula, Montana, off Interstate 90 and the Rock Creek exit.
She
said:
This is just like eating in your grandma’s kitchen. And I mean that in the best
of ways. Everything just tastes home cooked. My trout was perfectly cooked. It
had a nice lightly breaded coating and was tender and flaky. The tartar sauce
and my fish came out even—which is a thing for me. The mashed potatoes tasted
just like home—not too smooth and not too chunky—but just right. You know your
grandma wants you to get your vegetables so broccoli and carrots came on the
side. They were also cooked just right. Did I mention that a salad bar came
with the meal? It also was just like home. Not too fancy but did you right. The
portion sizes were huge! Unfortunately, we didn’t have room for dessert but I
think a return trip for huckleberry crumble might be in order.He
said: “So
tell me about the German schnitzel,” I inquired of the server. Honestly, I had
no idea what that was. After a brief explanation, I thought, “Why not?” That
turned out to be a good decision. Schnitzel is basically breaded pork that
looked like chicken fried steak. While it didn’t cover my entire plate, it was
pretty darn close to doing so. Served with potatoes, gravy and steamed veggies
was a nice touch. And then there’s the salad bar! Talk about a home-cooked
experience. I’d go back (and probably will) just for the salad bar.
Among other things, I’m a sucker for homemade bread and there were 2-3 kinds. Couple that with homemade jam and man oh man. I must’ve had three pieces. Other salad bar goodies included several different types of salad and other side dishes. And yeah, like Lori said, it was like eating at grandma’s.
By
the way…Ekstrom’s
Stage Station is living history. The restaurant building itself has been around
for more than one and a half centuries. It was originally located 15 miles to
the east in the Clark Fork Valley. It made it to its current location after
being hauled log by log and reconstructed along with a handful of other
homesteader cabins and outbuildings. Though not large inside, it is both
extremely homey and rustic with moose, elk, deer and other big game mounts
lining the walls. And the Ekstroms add another layer of family history to the
equation. After all, the family’s been satisfying appetites in western Montana
for five generations dating back to 1883. Great food, great service, great
surroundings. Ekstrom’s Stage Station has it all.
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