Yearn to Wander

Tom's Osso Bucco

Eureka, Montana is eight miles south of the Canadian border and the last town on the road before crossing. Because the US side is less expensive we stopped, and were very glad we did.

Jax Restaurant, a local family restaurant that advertised "breakfast all day" and Huckleberry shakes, a typical small town restaurant advert, looked like a place for an ordinary dinner. How wrong we were. Our dinner was as enjoyable as one we had in a roadside diner in Germany that sported four Michelin stars. What a thriller. Tom had Osso Bucco and I had Wild Salmon with Scotch Sauce. The delicious entrees were enhanced by the chef's beautiful presentations. The Osso Bucco was topped with a blooming sprig of Oregano and the Salmon with a blooming umbel of Dill, both complemented with medleys of fresh local vegetables.

The chef is the delightful twenty-six year old daughter of the owners. She left home at eighteen, after working in the restaurant for four years, to train for two years in the Piedmont in Italy. She learned a lot! So if you're through Eureka in the summertime, enjoy one of the best dinners of your life. It's on our return route. And even if we miss her, I bet her mother's a pretty good cook, too.