This Christmas, We’re Going to the Dogs!

November 28th, 2010

 What’s a snowy white Christmas without a leisurely ride with your very own team of ardent sled dogs? Not quite perfect! And here at the Horse, we are all about providing a picture postcard perfect Christmas for you complete with wonderful food, cozy rooms and your very own sled dog experience.  Join us December 25th for one of Chef Kate’s memorable Christmas Suppers featuring roasted organic goose, sugar-cured ham and all of the traditional trimmings, then settle into your warm and cozy room for an exceptional night’s rest. In the morning, you’ll be greeted with a hot cup of Montana Coffeee Traders French Roast and a delicious breakfast … and then the real fun begins! You’ll meet the snow-loving pups of Base Camp Bigfork for a leisurely ride through a winter wonderland, or if you’re up for some real adventure, you can learn to mush your own team!   This special package for $269  is limited to seven couples only (your pup is welcome too).  To secure your Christmas Sled Dog Adventure, call 406-886-2080 today.

Not willing ‘to go to the dogs’? Please join us for Christmas Supper. $35 per person, one seating only at 5pm, December 25, call 406-886-2080 to make your secured reservations.

Rob Quist Song Writer’s Workshop Moved to October 29th & 30th at the Horse.

October 14th, 2010

Join Montana’s official Troubadour, Rob Quist  for a weekend of fun and interactive skill enhancement for beginning and intermediate song writers.

Enhance your writing and communication skills in this dynamic and interactive workshop that will guide you through the song creation process: identifying literary devices, using alliteration, simile, metaphor, creative license, figurative language, personification, symbolism, imagery and repetition. Students will be able to immediately apply their honed skills in a casual concert setting on Saturday evening in the intimate dining room at the Horse.
Workshop: $175
Meal and lodging package available, contact Kathleen.

The Horse Featured in AAA’s Via Magazine!

September 29th, 2010

“It’s all about the food!” and this fall readers of AAA’s Via Magazine shouted that loud and clear. From Kirkland, Washington to Swan Lake, Montana readers of Via wrote to tell of their favorite breakfast and brunch places in the Northwest. Montana rated three cafes -yours truly the Laughing Horse Lodge, Main Street Overeasy in Bozeman and the Stray Bullet Cafe in Ovando.  So take a ride this Sunday down to Swan Lake -the fall colors are spectacular- and enjoy some delicious fare including Huckleberry Peach Pancakes, Huckleberry Chevre Stuffed French Toast and the best omelet you’ve ever had!

Sunday Brunch at the Horse runs from 9am to 2pm. Reservations for parties of 5 or more are required due to limited seating.

A Cowboy’s New Year’s Eve Celebration at the Horse

September 23rd, 2010

Back by popular demand!

 Join us at the Horse for our Eastern Standard Time Cowboy New Year’s Eve Dinner and Dance! Yes, you can celebrate the beginning of a new year and still be home safe by midnight (or at another party!).

You and your friends will enjoy a 5 course meal prepared by Chef Kate including a champagne toast with the fall of the ball in Times Square. You’ll also enjoy listening and dancing to the western rhythm of Joe Zambrano and Blue Smoke. So put on your dancing boots and bring your appetite for a fun and light evening at the Horse.

$159/couple. Secured reservations required.

Overnight lodging available, $105/double occupancy including a delicious breakfast in the morning.

Limited seating, so make your reservations early!

Canadians Celebrate Thanksgiving at the Horse, October 8-11

September 23rd, 2010

Our neighbors to the north are invited to enjoy a delightful two night stay over the Canadian Thanksgiving (le Jour d’Action de grâce) Weekend, October 8 -11, in beautiful Swan Lake, Montana. Your holiday package includes  two nights of lodging, welcome bottle of wine, two breakfasts and two dinners for two for only $259.  A traditional Canadian Thanksgiving Supper featuring organic local produce and meats will be presented on Sunday, October 10th at 7pm. Book securely at www.laughinghorselodge.com (write in Canada Thanksgiving) in the note line, or call 406-886-2080. Secured reservations required.

Enjoy Thanksgiving Supper at the Horse this Year!

September 23rd, 2010

The Horse is your holiday destination for a scrumptious Thanksgiving Supper. Join us for a three course traditional (well, as traditional as Kathleen can get!) meal at 4pm or 7pm on Thursday, November 25th. Two seatings only. Secured reservations required. $29 per person.

Ranked #1 on the independent www.tripadvisor.com, your holiday meal is sure to be memorable at the Horse.

Fat Trout Force the Horse to Change Dining Room Hours

September 8th, 2010

It’s fall…arriving a bit early this year, but this is Montana and the weather is  fickle as a teenager’s heart. But with the cooling weather comes one of the best times of the year in the Rockies…crisp days, clear nights, the aroma of wood fires floating on the evening air, and, most important, fat and sassy trout

One such trout – a particularly rotund specimen of approximately 20 inches – has forced me to alter my dining room schedule for the fall allowing me one more evening to try to land ‘her holiness’.  There are many  great reasons to live in Montana, fall trout fishing is one of the best…and spending a stolen evening on the river with a 5 wt in my hand beats standing over a hot stove, even if I’m cooking up some special fare for great friends and visitors. So please forgive me, but I’ve changed my dining room hours to Thursday – Sunday, 5pm – 9pm for dinner and Sunday Brunch, 9am – 2pm…on the flip side, I have extended my season through the holidays.

The lodge dining room is available Monday – Wednesday for private dinners and events for 12  to 56 persons. So if you are planning a holiday party, special family get-together or just a night with good friends, include the Horse in your plans. We’d love to host your event here or help you give a stellar performance in your home.

So here’s to a great fall, brilliant fishing and a delicious dinner at the Horse..see you soon. Kathleen

A Special Evening with a Girl and Her Guitar – Charlotte Thistle Performs at the Horse

August 12th, 2010

Take a glass of bourbon, pour in a little Buffy Sainte Marie, add a dash of Ani DiFranco and blend in some very original storytelling and you have Charlotte Thistle. Her music and vocals sneak into your heart and grab it, not letting go until the last note drifts out the door. Thistle brings her unique gift to the intimate atmosphere of the Horse on Tuesday, September 14 for a special concert evening beginning at 7pm. A $10 cover includes a glass of wine or beer and a delicious selection of appetizers created by Kathleen.  Reservations are required, call 406-886-2080.

Winkota Baskets by Local Artist Presented at Laughing Horse

August 8th, 2010

Avid flyfisherman and local craftsman, Steve Wingard, is presenting several of his artisan Winkota baskets at the lodge this fall. Beautifully crafted from local Swan Valley materials, each basket is a replica of an original used for centuries by local Indian tribes. Blending White Birch bark, black Spruce root and white cedar (along with several other wildcrafted and collected materials) Wingard begins the slow and thoughtful process of bending and molding to create each unique piece, many taking days to complete.  The baskets are available to discerning collectors. View the art pieces at Laughing Horse Lodge or at www.stevewingard.com.

Chef Kate Selected as Chef for 2011 Taste of Montana

July 30th, 2010

If “location, location,location” is the mantra for real estate, then ‘consistency, consistency, consistency’ is the phrase for restaurants. As the Horse finishes it’s eleventh year, consistency is what Kathleen attributes to her successful run as chef/owner of the small boutique restaurant and bed and breakfast in Swan Lake, Montana. Although her menu changes almost weekly, she and her small staff consistently provide a fresh and appealing approach to food.
And it is this approach that has led Kathleen to be selected as the featured chef next April  for Taste of Montana  hosted by University of Great Falls . The annual event takes place at the private university located in downtown Great Falls and will feature a three to four course meal for 125 donors.

“This is a wonderful honor and recognition of our hard work,” says Kathleen. “We’ve been involved with several state events including the Montana ARTBEAT’s Chef’s Tour in Helena, but to be selected by UGF for their signature event tops them all.”  Kathleen will be drawing upon her world travels to create a unique and delicious menu for the spring event.