Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1527954
SIGNATURE MONTANA | 81 e butcher shop features a rotating selection of beef, lamb, and pork cuts, along with sausages and charcuterie, while the restaurant serves as a full- fledged meat theater. A large open-fire grill dominates the scene, cooking all the entrees and engaging the senses. e air carries a hint of smoke, reinforced by the occasional crackle and pop of the live fire. Glowing embers ascend while hot coals fall, providing heat. Steel wheels adjust the grates, regulating temperature and cook times, adding a mechanical artistry to the culinary experience. Despite being a meat company, many of the must-try dishes are vegetable-based, a point founder Cole Mannix likes to joke about. "ey've got these vegetable dishes that are vying for popularity with the meat." He adds, "is can't happen. It was a negotiation just to get vegetables on the menu in the first place." One standout dish is the Beef Fat-Fried Onions, an elevated take on an American classic. e tempura-style beer baer is light and fried to a golden brown in pure animal fat, never seed oils. Each crunchy crescent gets a touch of sweetness from the so onion inside. e perfectly crisp petals make traditional onion rings seem soggy by comparison, and the charred scallion dipping sauce adds a cool, flavorful finish. Inspired by Italian tradition, the air-dried beef is cured in red wine and spices for a couple of weeks before being hung to dry slowly for another month. e result is so, delicate beef sliced thin enough to see through. It boasts a deep pink color and a balanced flavor that is not overly salty. Served with a slab of fluffy focaccia and finished with a drizzle of bright olive oil, it offers a peppery kick that lingers pleasantly on the palate. The retail butcher shop inside the restaurant allows guests to explore the Old Salt offerings at home. The Old Salt Outpost across the street serves smash-style burgers. "Life is change. And if you constantly have to adapt to survive, then the status quo, in many ways is riskier than anything we could try. And ultimately, that gives you a lot of freedom," says Cole Mannix.