Feast Whitefish festival returns May 12-20

The best food and drink in Stumptown takes center stage next week with the return of the annual Feast Whitefish, featuring special events, prix fixe meals and an outdoor hamburger showdown.

The Feast kicks-off Friday, May 12 with Distiller’s Fest — an opening night cocktail party at Grouse Mountain Lodge featuring specialty cocktails (and spirits) from ten different Montana micro-distilleries. Participants include Spotted Bear Spirits (Whitefish), Glacier Distilling Co. (Coram) and Whistling Andy (Bigfork). Drinks will be paired with a lineup of appetizers from top Whitefish eateries.

May 15 to 19 is Restaurant Week at the Feast, a five-day culinary affair where locally owned and operated restaurants offer incentives for patrons to revisit their favorites and experience new ones. Each night, participating restaurants will offer a special, custom-made prix fixe dinner menu.

Friday, May 19 the focus shifts from fine food to burgers and beer, as Bonsai Brewing Company hosts the first ever Great Bonsai Burger Battle in their outdoor beer garden. Local restaurants and bars will compete to create the ultimate burger while live music plays and Bonsai beer is served.

The festival concludes Saturday, May 20 with the Feast Grand Gala at Cafe Kandahar and the Kandahar Lodge. Five top local chefs, and a special guest chef from Washington, will collaborate to present a gourmet six-course dinner, each course paired with wines from the West Coast and beyond.

“We know that it’s physically impossible to savor all that the Whitefish culinary scene has to offer in just a few days time,” Whitefish Chamber director Kevin Gartland said in a press release. “But if you’re dying to try, Feast Whitefish is just the ticket!”

Feast Whitefish is presented by the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce.

For more information, call the Whitefish Chamber at 862-3501 or visit www.feastwhitefish.com. Tickets for all Feast Whitefish events are limited and now on sale.