Distinctly Montana Magazine

48 D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 3 - 2 4 E VERY SMALL MONTANA TOWN HAS ONE: the iconic café that draws in locals for time-honored traditions, serving as the community's central gathering place. In Havre it is likely to be the Mediterranean Room. In Valier, it is the Panther Café. Until he died a few years back, it was Bob's Riv- erfront Café in Fort Benton. Even amid the glitz and glamor of Bozeman, Montana's most expensive city with its high-end bou- tiques, art galleries and trendy gear shops on Main Street, there is still room for the Western Café. It is no beauty queen. But with customers outside awaiting their turn at a four-top or cramped counter seating it underscores the essential food outlet allure: good food at good prices accompanied by good service. Over in Glendive, GiGi's Café makes the list. So does Shellie's Country Café in Helena, open 24 hours. Jordan has its Summit Cor- ral. Even tiny Lima has Jan's Café. And though there is not a tree anywhere nearby, Denton boasts its Shade Tree Café. Then there is the Nite Owl and Backroom in Columbia Falls. Nite Owl is old-themed, built on a successful business model: hearty food at modest prices, comfortable seating without pre- tension and a downright wholesome atmosphere. In so many replicated ways, Nite Owl-type cafés have been feeding Mon- tana folks all across the state as the local go-to food gathering place for conversation and companionship. The final measure of any town's local eatery is not always centered on the number of meals served or deposits at the end of shifts. Sometimes it is just a warm place for pie and coffee on a cold winter day and an equally warm smile. A good laugh. A listening ear. There's a Nite Owl in just about everybody's town. It's a deeply layered place. On the east side is the small but quintessential casino. In the back is, well, the "Back Room," opened in 1984, catering to eve- ning patrons with a yearning for barbeque menu items. In fact, the kitchen is designed with two serving lines, one for the Back Room and one for the Nite Owl. Then there is a lively take-out option popular with tourists and locals alike. But it is the Nite Owl dining room itself that forms the central core of the whole operation, the Mother Ship. On the walls behind the counter are the traditional plaques certifying sponsorship for the 4-H by MICHAEL J. OBER JANA PRICE The staff of the Nite Owl Dishing Up Community at Montana's Diners

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