Great Northern Gourmet's new owners bring organic, unique food to Bigfork

Great Northern Foods has gone gourmet.

New owners Bradley Yaeck and Deva Grear have replaced the word Foods with Gourmet to reflect the changes they’ve made to the deli-style eatery.

Yaeck and Grear purchased the restaurant in February and have been working to make it their own. They re-opened last week, and are building their menu items while Bigfork adjusts to the new, upscale flavors they offer.

The old salad bar still remains, but it’s outside, and planted full of herbs and plants Yaeck will use in meals.

The herb garden is just one way Yaeck and Grear are striving to keep their food local and organic. Inside you can order a salad off the menu, which might change depending on the local and organic products Yaeck can procure. They plan to showcase local farmers and will have game meats on the menu.

Yaeck, as the chef, is eager to add to Bigfork’s food scene and provide something uniquely Montana.

“It’s where I grew up, it’s how I ate,” he said. “For me Bigfork in the Valley has always been a foodie type place.”

He grew up in the Flathead Valley on a farm where they raised a lot of their own food. He watched his grandmother cook from scratch, without ever referencing a recipe and saw her as inspiration to become a chef.

He’s been cooking for 20 years and has worked all over the country and along with Grear, has big plans for the business.

Grear is the wine and beer connoisseur of the partnership as a Certified Specialist of Wine.

“She’s got an awesome palate,” Yaeck said.

The wine selection is part of what makes Great Northern Gourmet unique. For every menu item, there is a wine on the shelf to complement it. And Grear has kept the prices lower than an average upscale restaurant, pricing by the ounce, and taking off the opening fee if you decided you’d like the whole bottle.

The pair met while working in Whitefish and did a food and wine pairing together. That convinced them they should do something on their own.

Right now their menu is soup, sandwiches, salads and burgers. Though those are all common items found on the menu before, they’ve been given a gourmet touch. For example, the fries are cooked in duck fat and served with a red curry ketchup, throwing a tasty spin on a restaurant standby. Yaeck plans to add grilled pizzas and fish tacos to the list. The menu is likely to change with the season and will probably expand.

Besides made to order food Great Northern Gourmet still offers cheeses, meats and pre-made meals. There are also plans to cater.

“We’re going to try and cover everything there is in the industry,” Yaeck said.

And after they have covered all of the industry basics Grear and Yaeck have some new innovative ideas they hope to bring to Bigfork, like a delivery boat to take food to customers on Flathead Lake.

And Yaeck is excited to introduce foods made using molecular gastronomy, which uses the physical and chemical process while cooking to alter the texture of flavor of food, creating a unique dining experience.

“There’s crazy stuff we can do with food these days,” he said.

But while their ideas are big and what Yaeck and Grear hope most to provide is a retreat for Bigfork locals, to come relax, have a good glass of wine and a great meal.