John Bozeman was an enterprising adventurer seeking gold. His get-rich-quick schemes in Colorado and Deer Lodge, Montana just didn’t pan out, so in 1863 he decided to settle in the Gallatin Valley in hopes of finding a new revenue source: the miners who desperately needed to spend their new-found riches. Bozeman’s sense of trail-blazing adventure paved the way for our now thriving southwest Montana, and in today’s bustling Bozeman downtown locals and visitors alike can seek their modern-day foodie adventure by stepping through the doors of John Bozeman’s Bistro.

The Bistro first opened its doors in 1982 in downtown Bozeman and has seen its fair share of rediscovery. Their goal has always been to blend together a fun, pub-style atmosphere with food and drink that will let you taste the world from the comfort of your booth seat or table chair. Since The Bistro sold in 2013 to longtime chef Perry Wenzel they’ve continued that unique tradition while also incorporating affordable weekly lunch specials and enjoyable brunch dishes on Sundays.

In my eight years living in the Bozeman area I sadly had never eaten at the Bistro until a recent summer Sunday (which I’ll tell you about in a bit). Shortly after my first visit I had the pleasure of sitting down with Chef Perry on another Sunday afternoon to talk about the experience that is John Bozeman’s Bistro.

CM: What do you want guests to experience when they come to the Bistro?

CP: Well, I think you hit the nail on the head with that question. We want it to be an experience. We want each diner to feel welcome and to feel special. Come and hang out; be a part of our family. I always tell our staff to be genuinely interested in the conversations they are having with people. And of course, we want people to enjoy good food.

CM: Did you always think you’d be a chef?

CP: I grew up cooking with my mother and grandparents, and loved it. I’ve been a chef for 28 years and been a part of the Bistro for 24 years, purchasing it from the longtime owners two years ago.

CM: What do you like best about being a chef?

CP: Pleasing people is the best part of being a chef. I mean, we’ve received comments from people all over the world who say this is the best food they’ve ever eaten. That makes people happy and it makes me happy, too. Plus, I get to work with the staff here at the Bistro. There’s so much creativity involved in what we do. This isn’t a corporate restaurant, I get to cook with my palate instead of following a strict menu. We have one motto here: no bland food!

CM: Aside from the ownership, what has changed in the last five years at the Bistro?

CP: We’ve definitely expanded the offerings and the brunch specials are fairly new. We’re all about healthy food here, too. We have a great superfood program in place. It used to be when people thought of the Bistro they thought fine-dining and we’ve been working to open that up a bit. We have something in every price range. We are welcoming to families and everyone, really. We have a great kids menu. Everything on it is made from scratch. Sure, we have items like chicken strips, but we bread them ourselves.

CM: What is most important for you to share with our readers?

CP: We are local and independent. We are Bozeman. We love downtown. We do our best to give back to the community whenever possible and we can’t wait to see everyone come through our doors for a delicious experience!

    

I pride myself in finding new restaurants for my parents to try each time they visit, which can be difficult when they are able to make 2-3 visits per year. I jumped at the chance to offer them something new to us, and old to Bozeman, and to look like a knowledgeable Bozeman connoisseur all at the same time. And so we found ourselves on a recent summer Sunday, hoping to get a taste of the brunch offerings at John Bozeman’s Bistro.

Stepping out of the bright sun and into The Bistro, the atmosphere was subdued and welcoming, with warm leather couches greeting us in the entryway, homey booth seating lining the walls, and a bistro-rustic bar sitting in front of the kitchen near the back of the restaurant. We arrived almost exactly at 11, which is listed as their opening time, and were one of the first parties there. The host seated us immediately and we were offered drinks and handed menus.

The menu is a collection of unique and surprising dishes, appetizers include anything from crab cakes to sweet potato fries and main dishes range include classic burgers with inventive toppings. The Mushroom Cheese burger comes with a spill-on-you-shirt warning and the Fiji Mahi is served with mango fruit salsa. Yum!

My mom is a die-hard soup and salad fan, so she settled on a combination that included chips and a sandwich. I was feeling adventurous and ordered the Coconut Thai Curry Chicken Stir Fry. When our waitress came to take our order, it was then we learned of the brunch specials; an omelet stuffed with chorizo enticed my dad.

As my parents and I made small talk about the beautiful weather and the worrisome forest fires seemingly blanketing southwest Montana in smoke, our eyes were drawn to the art and photographs decorating the brick walls. John Bozeman’s Bistro partners with the Native American Studies program at MSU to feature art from Native American creators. Currently, they have on display the unique paintings from Kevin Red Star, an artisan from Lodge Grass, Montana. On the opposite wall, The Bistro features old timey photographs of hay bales and winding mountain roads from Steve Quayle.

Our meals were delivered promptly with a smile and served up hot off the grill. While our menu choices could not have been more different, our reaction to our food were singular: absolutely delicious. My dad’s omelet was stuffed with chorizo sausage, red peppers, and cheese, and served with home fried potatoes. My mom’s meal was a smorgasbord of light dishes put together for a filling meal. Her choice of curry lentil soup was hot and spiced nicely, her Caesar salad was fresh and well dressed, and her turkey club sandwich was stacked with all the meat and fixings a diner could ask for. It even came with a side of chips, which resulted in a to-go box at the end of the meal.

While I love to try new restaurants, it seems I am the type of person who finds that one thing on the menu and orders it until the end of time. So, the coconut curry was definitely a step out of my comfort zone, one that I joyfully took. My bowl was filled with fragrant rice and an array of fresh vegetables and very tender chicken. The whole thing was topped with cilantro and green onion. The menu denoted that this was a lunch-sized portion, but it was more than I could eat in one sitting. I lamented not being able to finish my meal because it was just so darn good. When I return to The Bistro, and I certainly will, I will order something new. Not because I didn’t like my dish, but because seeing the variety of food they were able to cook for our table, I can’t wait to try something new.

Our waitress, Megan, was attentive and considerate, she was well-versed in the menu and easily accommodated all of our newbie questions, asked us for multiple refills on our beverages, offered desserts, and cheerily handed us our bill near the end of our meal.

All in all, our experience at John Bozeman’s Bistro was perfect for a sunny, Sunday afternoon. With a relaxing atmosphere, stellar service, and a varied menu, every intrepid Bozeman foodie explorer will be satiated and satisfied!