Local flavors showcased at Taste of Bigfork

Bigfork sprang to life for the 24th annual Taste of Bigfork on Sunday as local eateries showed off and gave back to the community that keeps them going.

Visitors from across the Flathead bustled up and down Electric Avenue, enjoying a variety food, wine and live music.

The Pocketstone Cafe presented a veggie/beef challenge, putting their veggie and beef burgers head to head to test diners’ taste buds and see if they could tell the difference between the two.

Next door on the porch of Eva Gates Homemade Preserves, Shafers showcased a sweet and tangy huckleberry lemon cheesecake and bright pink salmon bisque.

Guests enjoyed live music at Saketome as they feasted on strawberry sushi and edamame, while Fieldheads Coffee Company handled dessert downstairs — waffles, coffee and sparkling wine.

At the Garden Bar, Flathead Lake Brewing Company showed off some of its unique menu items along with a newer summer citrus IPA and Taco Mexico served up a fiesta of Mexican specialties on the porch outside while patrons chowed down and got down to local band Apartment 2 for its premiere public performance on the Garden Bar bandstand.

All 13 participating eateries provided their food and services on a volunteer basis and were recognized at the end of the night for their efforts through the people’s choice award, when participants got the chance to vote for their favorite dishes.

Competition was fierce, but Grill 459 took home the gold for its osso bucco dish.

According to Bigfork Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Rebekah King, around 200 people bought tickets to this year’s Taste of Bigfork, raising over $11,000 benefitting the chamber, Habitat for Humanity and this year’s selected Bigfork organization, Friends of Bigfork Fire.

King extended her thanks to the restaurants, bands and community whose efforts helped the event gain a 10 percent increase in profits over the last two years and for all the volunteers whose hard work made the evening possible.

Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.