Dinner After A Movie

Where do you get a quality meal in Missoula when it's getting late?

After a movie last night it was late enough (9:30-ish) that we speculated if someplace good would be open for us to get dinner.  It was a Monday night, and like Sunday nights, for some reason a number of independent restaurants are often closed.  (Some have told me why but I can never accept whatever it is enough to remember the reason/s.  Small town vs. Big City? A person eats in both cases.  And shouldn't settle for fast food, either.  I think it's me; not them.  I have always preferred dining out late any day of the week.) Anyway...

Luckily one of our favorites, The Red Bird Wine Bar, was still serving.  Because it is located in the back of the lobby of the historic Florence Hotel building, you get a rich entrance to a friendly dining spot.  (The 1941 lobby still has three old school phone booths with rounded pocket doors by the restrooms, plus a gorgeous clam shell water fountain.) The owners and staff are generally congenial and also interesting characters to strike up conversations with once you become regulars like we have.

The Wine Bar has been running monthly tastes of different countries and December is Germany so they've had great pretzels - just the right amount of crunchy crust to chewy middle - and I usually get one to go with my dinner.  Last night I had so much popcorn at the movie that we opted for the pork sandwich and seared tuna salad sans pretzel.  (I also love the burgers served with grilled onions and the Italian sandwich, by the way.)

Last night, they had live music.  (I forgot to ask the soloist's name - my deepest apologies, I  think it's important to give artists credit  - but he was in the realm of Loudon Wainwright.)  An ideal cozy atmosphere on a cold winter night, we perched at the stylish bar and discussed the flaws and merits of the film.

So, cheers to The Red Bird!