"Where do you want to eat?"

"Where do you want to eat?" generally followed by a responding "I don't know" is an exchange that is a little too familiar for a lot of today's diners. With an abundance of restaurants to choose from, deciding on one common restaurant to satisfy the desire for a good meal can seem daunting. Now enter the motivation behind this blog. The city of Great Falls has a multitude of restaurants to choose from, offering a wide variety of options depending on the dining experience you seek. A good number of these restaurants are "chains", corporate giants offering the same menus in a variety of locations throughout the country. Nothing personal against these chain restaurants, but especially in today's economy, it is incredibly important to support local businesses. When the public invests in locally-owned buisnesses, the money is recycled back into the local community. Therefore, this blog will only feature the locally-owned restaurants of Great Falls. Each week, one local restaurant will be featured and reviewed, with the intent that the next time "where do you want to eat?" is proposed, a locally-owned business will be supported.



Sunday, September 12, 2010

Ryan's Station

  Alongside the railroad tracks just north of the Sun River lies Ryan's Station, a moderately sized restaurant, bustling with activity.  This modest establishment almost has a pub-like feel to it, with the subdued tones and modern artwork adorning the walls.  The soft lighting creates a complimenting ambiance, giving you a relaxing environment with which to enjoy your meal.  The noise level is kept to a minimum:  the acoustics of the restaurant minimize any background chatter by other diners so as not to drown your own conversations out.


Upon entry to this restaurant, the friendly staff, dressed in matching black polo's, greet you instantaneously with a smile and lead you to a seat, thus eliminating any kind of wait time.  Creating a sense of neighborly friendship, the servers maintain a casual relationship with their patrons.  Carrying on conversations, joking and laughing when appropriate, they add to the overall "at-home" feel of the place.


Boasting with variety, the menu offers a wide selection of dishes to choose from.  Depending on your appetite, Ryan's Station offers options such as salads, paninis, tacos, pasta and steaks, among other entrees.  Beer is available on tap as well as bottled, and an extensive list of cocktails adult diners can peruse.  Prices are modest:  most sandwiches are marked around $7.95, including the Portobello Mushroom sandwich (a portobello mushroom grilled with onions and peppers, topped with lettuce, tomato, Swiss cheese, and a red wine vinaigrette, all on a grilled bun).  The Baked Seafood Penne (rock crab, shrimp and artichoke hearts mixed in with alfredo sauce and penne pasta, topped with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs) comes in at the top of the price spectrum at $15.95.  Unfortunately, there are little to no healthy meal options available at this establishment.  If healthy dining is your intention, Ryan's Station does offer a Grilled Walleye (walleye fillet grilled with ginger-lime butter and topped with Parmesan garlic bread crumbs) for $14.95, but other healthy dishes are few and far between.

Featured for the evening at Ryan's Station were the Hot Crab and Artichoke Dip (creamy blend of cheeses, rock crab and artichokes served with Parmesan garlic toast), followed by the Baked Mac and Cheese (macaroni baked in a creamy Fontina and cheddar cheese sauce topped with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs).  Within 15 minutes, the appetizer arrived at the table.  Bubbling over with melting cheese, the creamy dip was served piping hot.  After only about five minutes the dip had cooled, and paired with the Parmesan garlic toast for dipping, was outstanding.  The proportions of crab and artichoke were just right, each bite containing plenty of both.

Not long after the appetizer arrived, the waitress brought out the main course.  Tucked neatly underneath a layer of melted Parmesan cheese, the Mac and Cheese was rich and creamy.  Dusted and browned to perfection, the layering of toasted, crumbly Parmesan cheese provided a subtle crunch to the otherwise soft texture of the meal which complimented nicely.  This comfort food of all comfort foods has an aroma that can envoke nostalgic memories, all you have to do is close your eyes.


Only a rich, decadent dessert would have been worthy to follow such a rich, flavorful meal.  Midnight Craving is the kind of dessert that will rise to the occasion.  Sitting on a plate drizzled with chocolate sauce with two maraschino cherries nestled against it, this large, three layered piece of chocolate cake is plenty for two to share.  Topped with mini chocolate chips and each layer separated by a thick layer of fudge, rich doesn't even begin to describe the flavor of this cake, which would satisfy the worst of chocolate cravings.


The arrival of the bill came all too quickly.  You can't help but feel rushed when the check is brought out before you have been given the opportunity to order a dessert, which is what happened during this meal.  Perhaps the vast amount of leftovers from the meal sent the message that dessert was not even going to be considered, but what's a night out without dessert?


All in all, Ryan's Station offers a very comfortable and enjoyable experience for any number of people.  Families feel right at home, casual couples can enjoy a relaxed environment, and coworkers can unwind after a long day at work.  Even laid back sports fans would enjoy themselves, entertained by any one of the ten television sets that border the ceiling throughout the establishment.  A party room is also available with reservations.  Advertised as seating up to 25 people and providing personal service, Ryan's Station can cater to most any kind of event in this private, secluded room.  No matter the motivation behind your night out, the combination of great food, friends, and environment found at Ryan's Station is sure to please.

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