Buck’s T-4 Restaurant Reopens for the Summer: Taste the New Menu

June 11, 2011 by builtbygcommerce

I can’t believe that it’s already June, the off-season over and Buck’s T-4 is reopening its restaurant doors tonight. The weather is still wet and spring like but our reward for enduring all the moisture is our own chlorophyll infused oasis. It’s so green, you’re afraid it might rub off on you. We’ve spent the past week at Buck’s in high gear preparing for what is sure to be an exciting summer season. From planting flowerbeds to spring cleaning we’re ready to go.

The highlight of this week for myself and the rest of the serving staff was definitely the menu tasting. Chef Todd Christensen and Food and Beverage Director Chuck Schommer were busy this spring coming up with a truly exceptional summer menu appealing to a wide variety of tastes and palettes. The new menu holds true to Buck’s T-4’s history of catering to both the wild game and steak enthusiast, as well as those desiring something a bit lighter or just plain good comfort food. Of course, we still have our famous New Zealand Red Deer served with port wine butter sauce (liquid heaven) but we’ve created a summer inspired pheasant dish, added coffee crusted Montana elk, and now we’re serving the ultimate summer salad—a mix of yellow and red watermelon. Oh and instead of Buffalo wings, Todd’s done one better with Thunder Thighs—you can thank owner Mike Scholz for the name. They’re chicken thigh strips tossed in Buck’s own sweet, smoky hot sauce. Folks, I’m not even especially fond of Buffalo wings and I’m hooked on these Thunder Thighs. And that’s just to name a few, everything we tried was just so, so, so, delicious.

With so many terrific additions to the menu, I’m not even sure where to start. You have to try the watermelon salad especially on a hot day. It looks so pretty you might not want to eat it, but trust me when I say it would be a mistake not to. Since I’m a bit overwhelmed by all the delciousness in one place I figure I’ll just share with you my current personal favorite dinner at Buck’s T-4 along with a few pictures to get your mouth watering.

To be tempted by the whole summer menu click here, and you can download our menu.

Warm Appetizer to Start:

Thunder Thighs – Boneless fried chicken thigh strips tossed with Buck’s own sweet, smoky hot sauce. Blue cheese dipping sauce, celery sticks.

Followed by:

The Summer Salad – Yellow watermelon topped with a salad of red watermelon, red onion, citrus ginger vinaigrette, arugula, Mexican cotija cheese.

Dinner:

Pheasant and Toasted Orzo – Pan roasted pheasant breast, yellow pepper coulis, orzo pasta with fresh vegetables, pancetta crisp.

Side:

Macaroni and Cheese – Cavatappi pasta, gruyere, white truffle, tarragon. Yum!

Dessert:

Baby Cake – Mini spiced whole wheat cake, lemon curd, honeyed berries.

We hope to see you soon at Buck’s T-4.
Tori

We’re located one mile south of the Big Sky stoplight on highway 191. Our hours of operation are:
Pub: 5pm – 9:30pm daily
Main Dining Room: 6pm – 9pm daily
Bar: 5pm til’ late daily
Call (406) 995-4111 for reservations and questions.

[su_row]
[su_column size="1/4"][/su_column]
[su_column size="1/4"][/su_column]
[su_column size="1/4"][/su_column]
[su_column size="1/4"][/su_column]
[/su_row]
[su_row]
[su_column size="1/3"][/su_column]
[su_column size="1/3"][/su_column]
[su_column size="1/3"][/su_column]
[/su_row]

Recipes | Russian Cream with Raspberries

June 1, 2011 by builtbygcommerce

I have something new and exciting for you this week. Recipes! Periodically, we will sharing some of our favorite Buck’s T-4 recipes from both past and present. We hope to give you a deeper look into our kitchens, the minds that work the culinary magic and allow you to make at home what you have enjoyed at Buck’s. To start off, I picked one of my favorite T-4 traditions, Russian Cream with Raspberries.

To my dismay, I tried this delightful dessert in my first week at Buck’s and since have never really given the other desserts the time of day. I’m not the only one who has suffered from this problem because when I asked Mike, Chuck and Dave when this dish first appeared on the menu, none could quite remember–it was so many years ago. Before Dave’s time, before Chuck’s too and Mike’s best guess, 1980. That was 31 years ago and the most incredible detail is that it has never left the menu. Sometime around 1980 a new pastry chef who’d come from Jackson brought the recipe with them and while many subsequent chefs have tried to contemporize the sweet, they've never succeeded. If you've tried this dessert at Buck’s before then you know why failure was inevitable. And if you haven’t had the privilege of indulging in Russian Cream, make this very soon (tomorrow?) and you’ll know why, too.

Enjoy,
Tori

Russian Cream with Raspberries
Yield: 8-6 oz servings

1 ½ tsp Gelatin (Knox, e.g.)
¼ Cup Water
2 ½ Cups Regular Whipping Cream
1 ¼ Cups Sugar
2 1/4 tsp Vanilla
20 oz sour cream
Frozen Unsweetened Raspberries, slightly thawed (Or other berries of choice)*

Place gelatin in water and dissolve over low flame until clear. In a large saucepan, heat cream and sugar over low flame until sugar melts and mixture is hot. Add vanilla, then gelatin. Stir mixture vigorously with wire whisk until gelatin is thoroughly dissolved and well-mixed. Remove from heat and add sour cream, mixing continuously with whisk. Place in large container and cool until firm (preferably over night).

Alternate layers of cream blend with your frozen raspberries or other berries of choice in 8 parfait glasses, wine glasses or other clear glass of choice. Top with fresh whipped cream and garnish with a sprig of mint.

If not serving immediately, skip the whip cream step and cover individual portions and refrigerate until ready to serve.

*Eek, frozen berries? Really? Yes, really. The beauty of using frozen unsweetened berries in this dish is that as they thaw the juice that is released has a nice slightly sweet but still tart flavor that mixes with your cream. It is the balance you are looking for. If you have fresh berries on hand or the ones at the store can’t be resisted then I recommend doing a blend of fresh and frozen so you still have that juice. But, be creative and tell us what combinations you come up with.

22 Chefs, 22 Pizzas, 22 Smiling Faces

April 2, 2010 by builtbygcommerce

Recently, we had 22 miniature guest chefs on premises at Buck’s T-4. We had the privilege of hosting a field trip for the second graders from Ophir school in Buck’s kitchen. It was one big pizza party where all the students had the opportunity to create personal pizzas.

Doug Starz, Todd’s right hand man in Buck’s pub came up with the idea while reading to his son’s class at Ophir School. He asked if the kids would like to do something different during his reading time in the future and came up with a couple suggestions. The make your own pizza party at Buck’s was a unanimous hit. The children’s teacher, Miss Ellis, found creative ways to incorporate the fieldtrip into her lesson plan.

In preparation for the fieldtrip the kids used pizza toppings to practice their multiplication tables. They also learned about steps in a process, just like when you build a pizza from the crust up. And probably the best lesson was the Pizza Pokey, a twist on the classic Hokey Pokey song. It goes something like, “You put some sauce on, you take some sauce off…” Jayne, the hotel manager, heard all the little voices singing from all over Buck’s property.

Each student was assigned their own chef’s uniform, consisting of a big white apron and a tall chef’s hat. Executive Chef Todd Christensen made up the pizza dough and Doug cut up an assortment of toppings for the children to choose from. Each student made their own personal pizza with the help of Todd and Doug. The best part was having a big party where all the kids enjoyed eating their creations.

“The whole field trip was amazing,” Miss Ellis told me. “I had no idea it would be such a blast. Everyone at Buck’s was so generous with their time and resources. The kids just had a wonderful time.”

When Doug approached Todd and Buck’s Food and Beverage Director Chuck Schommer with the pizza party idea, they were immediately on board. Buck’s is always happy and open to participating in the community in any way it can. Besides, it’s usually a great deal of fun. Just look at these pictures of Todd, Chuck and Doug. Who’s having more fun, the kids or them? Hard to tell if you ask me.

Cheers,

Tori

[su_row]
[su_column size="1/3"][/su_column]
[su_column size="1/3"][/su_column]
[su_column size="1/3"][/su_column]
[/su_row]
[su_row]
[su_column size="1/3"][/su_column]
[su_column size="1/3"][/su_column]
[su_column size="1/3"][/su_column]
[/su_row]
[su_row]
[su_column size="1/3"][/su_column]
[su_column size="1/3"][/su_column]
[su_column size="1/3"] [/su_column]
[/su_row]

Buck’s T-4 Restaurant Reopens for the Summer: Taste the New Menu

Recipes | Russian Cream with Raspberries

22 Chefs, 22 Pizzas, 22 Smiling Faces

Experience a Big Sky summer

Hike & Learn Series Every Tuesday

Chef Cat Cora to Appear as Judge for Belgrade ProStart Fundraiser at Big Sky’s Buck’s T-4 Lodge