Foodie find on a tourist strip

Sydney's Mountain Bistro
West Yellowstone, MT

I wouldn't expect to find anything remotely bistro-like on a street lined with souvenir stands and fast-food outlets. But reviews on the Web site TripAdvisor led us to Sidney's, and we enjoyed our Fourth of July dinner very much.

My favorite dish was this Thai calamari appetizer. I think I appreciated it all the more because we hadn't had anything spicy or Asian for several weeks. It had just the right amount of chili heat to counteract the sweet dressing. The calamari were tender but small, so there was a little more breading than I would have wished for. The whole plate was very visually appealing, with its colorful mixture of cabbage and bell peppers.




I also liked the presentation of the scallops wrapped in prosciutto and topped with basil pesto. B thought the combination of flavors was great, but the pesto was a little overwhelming for me.

We shared a huge salad of pears, arugula and spiced pecans, and an entree of beautifully cooked salmon with sweet chili sauce. I can recommend the Salmon Fly Honey Rye beer from the Madison River Brewing Company.

The service was warm and efficient, and the kitchen was happy to send out plates of plain pasta or chicken fingers for the kids. Reviewers suggested that there wasn't much of a dessert menu, and we had eaten too well to appreciate sweets, anyway. Besides, there's a Dairy Queen right next door, and stands selling Montana huckleberry ice cream all over the block.