A la Carte: A love letter to BYWOM 

By Rachel Hergett EBS COLUMNIST

Dear BYWOM,  

I hope you understand that I am writing this out of love, even when I know that it goes against your core philosophy, and in fact your name: By Word of Mouth. But with 29 years under the ownership of Pam and John Flach, you are a Big Sky staple I just can’t ignore.  

BYWOM has long been one of my go-to restaurants. Every meal that I’ve had at one of your tables over the years has been a delight. You make me feel like the best of your friends each time I darken your door. I appreciate this sense of community. On my latest visit, you were hosting the local theater troupe for a rehearsal dinner of sorts for their wedding-themed play. Your friends are my friends and the periodic visits of these costumed characters to my table kept me thoroughly entertained. It was the dinner show I didn’t know I needed. 

Now, to the food. I usually start with French onion soup. The sweetness of the wine and onions complements the salty cheese and the cheese’s gooeyness combined with the crisp bits of it and the bread on top provide a delightful contrast of textures. It can be hard to find a good French onion soup, especially one that is never too salty from an extended time on a burner. Yours never disappoints. 

I kept being drawn to the basil shrimp with sweet pepper risotto. With an odd bell pepper allergy, any mention of an unnamed pepper scares me a little. But there was no need to fear: My server happily went to the kitchen to check the ingredients. Thank you for that. Your accommodating nature is one of the many reasons I love you. 

The risotto was off the table for me, but I could still have the shrimp alongside a choice of sides.  I don’t think I’ve ordered the dish before, but I will again. A buttery herbaceous sauce highlighted the delicate shrimp and added zest to the broccoli. Microgreens added another, more substantial, fresh component to play with the herbs. 

I chose a Caesar salad as a side because, like the French onion soup, it is a restaurant staple that so often goes wrong. It’s easily over dressed with wilted lettuce or has soggy croutons. Oh, but not you. My salad was perfectly dressed with the house dressing, to the point that even the next day’s leftovers were crisp. You make these classics sing, simply by letting them be the best versions of themselves. They are the little black dresses of a menu. 

But your metaphorical wardrobe isn’t all little black dresses. I love your creativity in dishes like the serrano lime chicken wings with their sushi rice breading or the house smoked tofu sandwich with chipotle cashew cream and goat cheese. I love that you draw from different cuisines like the Japanese-inspired tuna katsu and the Canadian-inspired poutine, while still featuring a damn fine standard American cheeseburger. And I love that you have options for different diets and tastes and that every plate still feels like it comes from the same kitchen and is made with love. So thank you again, BYWOM. I’ll be seeing you soon.  

Cheers, 

Rachel 

Rachel Hergett is a foodie and cook from Montana. She is arts editor emeritus at the Bozeman Daily Chronicle and has written for publications such as Food Network Magazine and Montana Quarterly. Rachel is also the host of the Magic Monday Show on KGLT-FM and teaches at Montana State University.