C. Falls restaurant serves up style, taste

Three Forks Grille is not your typical Columbia Falls dining establishment.

The rustic feel of the woodwork, made from boards salvaged from a Colorado Coca-Cola factory, juxtaposes with clean, uncluttered space and smooth, light-colored wooden tabletops. Adornments are sparse and fitting, an antique wine barrel here, a pair of snowshoes there.

From the metal snowshoe door handles to the soft lighting, the resulting ambiance is one of bucolic elegance, which is just what owners Tim and Sara Seward had in mind for their restaurant, located at 729 Nucleus Ave., in the Cosley Building in downtown Columbia Falls.

“A lot of heart went into building this place,” Sara said. “It came out way more beautiful than we expected.”

The restaurant, which opened Jan. 22, spans two levels, with seating for 60 evenly divided between the main-level dining floor and the cozy loft above. A five-seat bar handcrafted from reclaimed wood by Ryan Donaldson of R. D. Builders, the contractor who handled the flooring and rafters, houses the wine selection and beer coolers.

The menu touts “Mountain fare with Italian flair,” featuring entreés such as bison burgers, grilled rainbow trout and Washington mussels sautéed in a brandied tomato broth with garlic, chilis and julienne basil in the signature mussels fra diavolo appetizer.

Chef Chris DiMaio, a Vermont native, uses his Sicilian background to add a twist to staples, subbing thinly-sliced yams for pasta in his roasted vegetable lasagna and a bison pot roast slow-cooked with Madera wine, sweet onion, carrots, celery and parsnip and served with whipped potatoes and gravy.

“He’s kind of a perfectionist and that’s why we have him,” Tim said of DiMaio’s attention to detail and determination to make everything — from fettucini noodles to the hazelnut chocolate torte — from scratch.

Tim Seward and DiMaio have been ski buddies since 1998 and had been mulling the idea of opening a restaurant together for years.

“We always wanted to do it in Columbia Falls,” Tim said. “We know this community can always use an extra hand.”

“This is where we most need a restaurant,” Sara added.

The name of the restaurant refers literally to the North, South and Middle forks of the Flathead River, but also carries a deeper meaning for the Sewards and DiMaio. Sara said she used to work in the South Fork area, DiMaio in the North Fork, and Tim, an avid kayaker, often paddles the Middle Fork. 

With entreés ranging in price from $7.50 for a hot turkey and smoked gouda sandwich with sliced green apples, red onions and spicy, sun-dried tomato basil aioli to $22.50 for the pan-roasted beef tenderloin, the menu offers a variety of options for both burger lovers and the more adventurous diners.

The Sewards and DiMaio are committed to offering quality, healthy food in their neighborhood, taking a farm-to-table approach.

They are using as much locally raised meats and produce as possible, touting free-range and antibiotic-free beef from Perfect Cuts, pork chops from Farm-to-Market Port and Lower Valley Processing for their elk and bison.

“Everyone knows around the valley that Perfect Cuts has the best flat-iron steak,” Tim said. The Three Forks Grille version marinates the popular cut and tops it with a roasted pepper and arugula salad with a side of Tuscan fries and broccoli rabe.

The Sewards, who met while working at Glacier National Park years ago, say their ambition behind the Three Forks concept was to bring a nice eating establishment to Columbia Falls.

“We didn’t want to be fine dining — just finer dining,” Tim said. “We’re not over-the-top fine dining. We don’t want to scare anyone away.”

For Tim, who formerly ran the West Glacier Bar and has a multitude of serving experience, it was finally getting back to what he knows best. It’s more than a job.

“I look at it as an adventure and a challenge,” he said.

“We feel like this was the opportunity for us,” Sara said not only of the building itself, but also of the talent that came together in the kitchen and with contractors as the restaurant came to life.

“So many of our friends live around here, it’s nice to be in the heart of it,” Sara said.

“We feel like everyone around us is really supporting us,” Tim echoed. “I’m really happy everybody’s working as a team to get Columbia Falls on the map.”

Three Forks Grille opens for dinner at 5 p.m. every day of the week. For reservations or information, call 892-2900.

Reporter Erika Hoefer may be reached at 758-4439 or by e-mail at ehoefer@dailyinterlake.com