Kathleen Moon - Laughing Horse Lodge, Swan Lake, MT

     For years in the corporate world, Kathleen Moon traveled worldwide.  Ultimately, she would break out of the work a day and enjoy the cuisine around the globe finding magic in restaurant kitchens.  Food was all about the culture around you and a way to savor life to its fullest.  Little did she realize her culinary experiences would take her into a second career as the owner/chef of the Laughing Horse Lodge in Swan Lake, Montana.

     Since May 2000, food has provided endless inspiration for Moon from everyday lunches to Saturday night dinners at the lodge.  The allure of her excellent dining has brought her recognition throughout the  Flathead Valley and beyond.  On Saturday, May 14, Moon will bring her gourmet skills to the University of Great Falls as the Executive Chef for the Taste of Montana evening.

     As she looks forward to bringing new ideas from her kitchen to the table, Moon prepares to cater the fourth annual event at UGF.  Admittedly, she plans to start the sumptuous meal with a cabernet poached pear salad she “stole from a five star chef.”  That will lead into a slow braised pork tenderloin entree sitting on top of a stone ground mustard Jack Daniels whiskey sauce. Her grand finale will be an exquisite huckleberry dessert.

     Sprinkled here and there throughout the courses, Moon may insert some specialties from her winter experience.  Having just returned from Panama, she gushes about her travels with a ceaseless sense of food discovery.

     “Wherever I go, cooking is involved,” she says.

       As the season slows down, Moon closes the lodge and spends the winter away.  Each year, she travels to a different spot.  This winter, in Panama, she used her Spanish language, volunteered at a resort, taught health safety to the kitchen staff, and sometimes, she relieved the chef.

      Drawn to Montana by a guy she fell in love with at the age of 38, there was no second guessing, he wanted to move to Big Sky country.  After two years in San Diego, they came and stayed at the old Alpine Lodge in Swan Lake. In need of much repair, it had been closed for some time.  When the owners  dropped the price twenty-five per cent, Moon and her partner bought it. She continued with her corporate job, until the CEO closed the entire operation.

     “At age 42, I started to laugh,” she says, “I’m going to Montana to become a cook.”  “This was not a play, it was serendipidous!”

     After months of renovation, the lodge reopened as a small restaurant and Bed and Breakfast.  She describes the place like a European road house.  “Enter as a stranger, and in five minutes, you know everybody.  Guests discover that one to two nights here is like a week anywhere else; a welcome place to have a glass of wine, and decompress. “

     Located along Highway 83, in the woodsy town of Swan Lake, The Laughing Horse Lodge is ranked #1 by tripadvisor.com.  Locals, tourists and many regulars enjoy the cozy environment one feels upon entering the establishment.  You can’t help but notice the hanging picture of “Jake,” Moon’s old cowboy ranch horse who she claims would roll around the paddock laughing when she told him he was ugly as sin.  Sure enough, there he is on his back with that farcical look.

     Moon has a passion for food with style and rules. 

     “You have to love what you cook.  That allows me to be really creative.  Never cook something you wouldn’t eat yourself.”

     Moon strives to serve what is fresh: from farm to table.

      Her eclectic staff contribute food ideas, too: Eastern Europe, South America, Sicily, Turkey Argentina, Polynesia, Tasmania.  Every Tuesday she features a different region bringing history and customs of the country to her clientele.

    Guests are never disappointed, returning frequently to enjoy the never ending food options.

     Some of the finest flavors you’ll ever taste are echoed by Shirley Wilson who frequents the Laughing Horse dining room every summer.

     “The food, it’s incredible,” says Wilson, “probably one of the best restaurants in the state.”

“I like everything there, but my favorite is the Mango Ahi Steak.”

     Laughing Horse Lodge is open Wednesday – Sunday for lunch and dinner.  Call: 406-886-2080, www.laughinghorselodge.com. Reservations please.

     The Taste of Montana evening at the University of Great Falls includes the gourmet dinner with wine pairings.  Tickets are $100 per person and seating is limited.  For more information or to reserve your tickets, call: 791-5290.

Photo Op:  I am forwarding pictures of Kathleen Moon which she sent to me.