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Feast event a sample of best Whitefish food, drinks

by Daniel McKay
Whitefish Pilot | May 2, 2017 3:13 PM

Whitefish’s “foodies” can start gearing up for a week of delicious meals and drinks during the second annual Feast Whitefish.

The Feast, presented by the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce, runs from May 12 to May 20 and will include a variety of events to satisfy every part of a food lover’s flavor palate.

“It’s a great opportunity for local folks to come together and enjoy all that the Whitefish food scene has to offer — our restaurants, bars, breweries and distilleries — before the busy summer season arrives,” Chamber director Kevin Gartland said.

The week kicks off with the Distiller’s Fest on Friday, May 12, an opening night cocktail party at Grouse Mountain Lodge. The night will feature specialty cocktails and spirits from 10 Montana micro-distilleries, including Spotted Bear Spirits, Glacier Distilling Company and Whistling Andy’s, along with a selection of appetizers from top Whitefish restaurants. Last year the event sold out with 150 people participating.

Between May 15-19 it’s going to be Restaurant Week, a five-day culinary event where locally owned and operated restaurants are encouraged to offer special menus and dishes for everyone to enjoy. Each night, participating restaurants will offer a special, fixed-price Feast Week dinner menu.

Some competition will start cooking on Friday, May 19, as Bonsai Brewing Company will host the first ever Great Bonsai Burger Battle in their beer garden on Wisconsin Avenue. Local restaurants and bars will compete for the ultimate burger, decided by judges. Bonsai brews will be available and there will be live music.

The festival concludes on Saturday with the Grand Gala at Cafe Kandahar and the Kandahar Lodge. This will be a one-of-a-kind dining experience with five top local chefs and a special guest chef from Seattle, who will collaborate to create a delicious six-course dinner, with each course paired with unique wines from the West Coast.

Feast Whitefish began last year after the Taste of Whitefish, a similar event intended to ramp up tourism in the fall shoulder season, was ditched in favor of a spring food festival. New this year are the Restaurant Week, the Grand Gala and the Burger Battle.

“If you’re alive and breathing, you know that one of the crazes that’s been growing is the food connoisseur and the amateur chefs,” Gartland said. “There’s a whole new class of travel that looks for these events, the food and wine and drink events, and they plan vacations around them. It’s a growing group and one we’re trying to tap into.”

Tickets for the Distiller’s Fest and the Burger Battle are $30 apiece and include food and alcohol tastings. Gala tickets are $125 and include the meal, tastings, tax and tip. Gartland noted how fast tickets sold during the inaugural event last year and recommended buying tickets ahead of time.

Feast Whitefish is presented by the Whitefish Chamber and supported by Kalispell Toyota, the Pine Lodge/Best Western Rocky Mountain Lodge, Whitefish Credit Union, the Flathead Beacon and dozens of local restaurants, catering companies, bars, breweries, distilleries and distributors.

For more information, call the Whitefish Chamber at 862-3501 or visit the event website at www.feastwhitefish.com.