406 burger showcases local flavors

There's something special about products that sport the "Made in Montana" sticker. The Wayside Bar and Grill in Trout Creek has recently introduced their own version of Made in Montana with a homegrown menu addition...the "406 Burger."

Chef Stefanie Martin is the creator, the mastermind behind the blissful burger.

"I want to feed people something local," Martin said, "so I can tell you who grew it." The revelation came to her after attending a food show in Polson. The show focused on regional sourcing, although many products featured came from not only Montana, but Washington, Idaho, and even some chicken she could get for 50 cents off each portion that came from Chile.

"Why would I want to do that?" Martin asked herself on the drive back from the show, while mulling over the Chilean chicken offer. "I kept saying to myself, 'How is it possible to focus on what's grown in Montana?'"

Joining these thoughts was how her family prides themselves on knowing where their food comes from and who grew it. At that moment, Martin found herself smack dab in front of Polson's Flathead Lake Cheese Company.

A quick visit to the cheese factory left little doubt about how she could make her dream a reality. When she visited with the owners, Martin realized that the company was not allowed to attend the food show because they were too small to join a chain of such large suppliers. This sealed the deal for Martin. She was impressed with the company and decided she would not sacrifice quality in order to have her distributor involved in the delivery process. From now on, she committed to picking up the cheese herself, and started contacting local gardeners and growers to supply ingredients for the 406.

It all starts with the shell, a ciabatta bun made by Grains of Montana in Billings, then fill the middle with a juicy, fresh bison burger patty from St. Igantius' Montrail Bison topped with Flathead Lake Cheese's Galiki Gouda, wild mushrooms from Sanders and Missoula counties and spruce-juniper (Martin collects the tips and berries herself) aioli from the Thompson River area. The result is a locally sourced, fresh, flavorful and delectable burger.

What she called a "slow percolation" of thoughts have come together supporting the area in which we live. "This is a reminder to locals that these are the local flavors surrounding you all the time," said Martin, who is working hard to find a way to always have locally sourced menu items available, joining currently served distilled favors from Whistling Andy Distillery in Bigfork.

The 406 Burger made its debut Friday, May 31. "We're all shocked by the reception," commented Martin. "We've already had to put in a desperate text message to our bison supplier for more... and tourist season has not really hit yet."