A Pizza, Propeller, And Hanging With Ranchers: Collecting Montana Memories

You just came into my house to eat!

Greg Smith

 

A Pizza, Propeller, And Hanging With Ranchers: Collecting Montana Memories

3 Brothers Bistro in the small town of Hardin, Montana, has incredible food, mind-bogglers, and quirks waiting for you to discover. So whether you’re traveling through Southeast Montana on I-90, fly fishing on the Bighorn River, or visiting Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, here’s why you should stop at this locally owned restaurant.

A group of us spent part of the day on a pontoon boat tour of Bighorn Lake in the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. Our tour and rental boats left from Ok-A-Beh Marina, operated by the Crow Tribe. After our pontoon boat tour, we visited Yellowtail Dam and finished our day with dinner before driving back to Billings.

 

You might also like Fun Times In The Beautiful Leadville National Fish Hatchery

 

A Captivating Montana Experience At 3 Brothers Bistro

As our group sat at the long table, I chose a seat closest to the window to see more of downtown. I pulled my chair closer to the table and scanned the room’s decorated walls. Straight ahead, at the bar and next to the door, three ranchers talked and held a frothy beer while waiting for a table to open up. With each one dressed in their going-to-town clothes, they wore clean, pressed Wrangler jeans (earnest cowboys out west don’t wear any other brand) that fluently slid over their boots, plaid shirts tucked in, and a gleaming belt buckle proudly on display. In a crowded restaurant with people smiling as they talked and sipped beer, I noticed how people from many different backgrounds came to eat and enjoy each other’s company.

 

Amongst the diverse people, the rancher’s cowboy hats rose above the relaxing atmosphere and proclaimed how this is everyday life in small-town Montana. But, most importantly, the rancher’s hats drew my attention as they brought back fond memories. The three ranchers with their hats stood out in a good way. Although our group of about twelve held several conversations, I became lost in one of our family’s favorite Montana road trip memories.  

 

Montana Road Trip Memories

 

Years ago, on a road trip through backroads and two-lane highways, we decided to stay in Miles City at a small, locally owned hotel. In routine check-in small talk, we asked the owner for dinner recommendations. One piqued our curiosity. A local rancher owned a restaurant and used his beef on the menu. Standing in the hotel lobby without seeing a menu, I immediately knew I would order a steak. Really, in Montana, this makes perfect sense.

The restaurant had a plain front, nothing fancy. Even with an empty town after 5:00, Main Street had no parking spots close to the restaurant. Of course, a good sign. As we walked inside, we knew we found the Montana experience we’d never forget. We had two tables to choose from, and it seemed like every man wore a cowboy hat. And, in unison, every one of those men in hats, and their wife’s eyes, turned our way as we entered through the door. We made sure to make eye contact and smile. Each person smiled back then they went about their business. All was ok in the world after a brief pause.  

The menu, like the interior, didn’t look like it had been updated in at least twenty years. That’s ok as long as they served good food. They did. We would rather have great food without a fancy atmosphere than vice versa.

 

An Airplane Propeller Unleashed My Curiosity

I slipped back into some of the group’s conversation while my eyes inspected the decor on the walls. Starting in front of me at the bar, the original exposed brick walls with plaster beginning unevenly above head level created a unique atmosphere from the turn of the century. Moving to my left and on the back wall, a boat’s circular wood steering wheel stood out. I never did make a connection with a nautical item in Montana. That’s a question for next time, though. Alongside the steering wheel hung a sizable red stop sign. Ok, that’s normal.

A mounted airplane propeller caught my attention in the middle of other decorations. Granted that I didn’t see a common theme, and by no means am I an interior decorator, I couldn’t find a way to get past the propeller. Something wasn’t right. Throughout each time of slipping back into conversations, I couldn’t get past the propellor. I blew it off repeatedly, but I wanted to know the story. Badly.

You see, it’s common practice for restaurants to buy themed interior decorations and antiques from companies. Think Cracker Barrell. But this was different. For one thing, one tip of the propellor was bent and curled back. That’s not normal. Plus, why would someone want to display something damaged? Especially with potentially dire circumstances. Think about antiques you’ve seen in stores and restaurants. Have you ever seen a broken piece grandly displayed? At this point, nothing else mattered. Nevertheless, there’s a story here, and I couldn’t deny it.  

 

My Take On The Propeller

 

I’m a massive World War II plane fan, and I knew this wasn’t meaningless decor. I’ve seen thousands of photos of World War II planes, so this was from a plane crash because the propellor tips curled, particularly one much more than the other. The impact didn’t happen in the water; otherwise, curling would occur on both sides. Thus, it happened on land. At this point, not knowing the facts drove me crazy and I became fixated on that one piece hanging on the wall.

 

A Divine Pizza And A Distractive Propeller

 

Finally, I turned to my right and asked our friend, Roxie, from Roxie On The Road, if she had noticed the propellor. She didn’t, but she instantly became intrigued. I said there’s a story there; what do you think it could be? Since we didn’t know, we made our own story, and it kept wildly growing. Next, we asked our friend on my left, Sara Broers, from Travel With Sara, what she thought caused the crash. More wild speculation developed.

 

Not long after this, our delicious dinner came. Roxie’s Salmon Melt looked irresistible, and she said it was. 3 Brothers Bistro smokes their salmon in-house, then adds mozzarella cheese, red peppers, and pesto mayo on a toasted ciabatta bun. 

Then, my pizza, The Duke, came out. This was the best pizza I’ve had in a very long time. Pepperoni, Canadian bacon, and Italian sausage topped a light but crispy handmade crust. It was made with the perfect amount of sauce and cheese for what I like, and its flavor danced in my mouth. I usually don’t finish pizza crust, yet I gobbled up every bite.

I probably ordered The Duke because we had written an article about one of America’s best picturesque small towns the week before. Since Hollywood legend John Wayne, also known as “The Duke,” was born in Winterset, Iowa, we wrote about the town’s many Hollywood connections through some of his best quotes. You probably know about Winterset because it’s in Madison County from The Bridges of Madison County novel and movie fame. You can read about it here.

 

From Air Force Veteran To Chef, Meet Greg Smith

After we finished eating and the crowds emptied, 3 Brothers Bistro owners, chef Greg Smith and his wife Kerri, came from the kitchen to meet us. Greg, an Air Force Veteran, is a no-nonsense, hands-on, straight-to-the-point guy. 

He told us how he grew up underprivileged, started cooking at age 12, and learned how to refine his cooking skills by watching Julia Child on television. The corners of his eyes lifted towards the sky under his glasses as he chuckled and pointed out that cooking was once a hobby, but then it got out of control.

After chatting with our group at the other end of the table, he came to us.  

 

Finally, The Burning Question Finds An Answer

 

However, the burning question we wanted to know about couldn’t stay bottled up any longer. Immediately, we wanted to hear the story behind the propellor. Greg left for a brief moment, then set a trophy and a flight log from 1967 on the table in front of us. He pointed out the last entry where the flight log noted: “crashed.” Then, gritty and decisive Greg declared, “that’s my mother!” Whoa, that’s deep. Boy, was I right! There’s definitely a story behind the propellor, more than I ever imagined.

His mom completed flight training and attempted her first solo flight across America when she crashed. The trophy sat in front of me, so with a quick reflex, I quickly pulled it over to reread the handwritten note. This time I noticed the writing on a piece of material, most likely her sleeve. It said, “1st solo Mrs. Dione Smith Jan. 4, 1967.” The material also included a signature and flight info. Below the material is a photo of her plane before the crash.

 

He explained her severe injuries and that she never flew again. A few minutes later, Greg brought a piece of the propellor to show us.

Our group passed the piece of metal around and then slowly made their way outside, except for me. I wanted to know more. Earlier Greg mentioned that he retired from the Air Force. So naturally, I wanted to learn more about what he did. He explained that he was a crew chief for F-16 fighters and the massive C-5 transport plane. The C-5 has a wingspan of 223 feet, a length of 247 feet, weighs 380,000 pounds, and holds over 51,000 gallons of fuel. That’s big.

 

Read about one of the best World War II airplane museums you’ll find. How We Met Sweet Revenge By Driving Through Small Towns.

 

3 Brothers Bistro Treats You Like Family

 

Greg also passionately explained that he doesn’t serve that fancy kind of food found in upscale restaurants with impersonal service. Instead, he serves typical food everyone likes, wants customers to feel comfortable, and then leaves satisfied. Unsurprisingly, all food at 3 Brothers Bistro is handmade in the kitchen.

Next, Greg raised his voice and then bluntly touted how he wants his customers to feel, “You just came into my house to eat!”

Rest assured, you will.

Go to 3 Brothers Bistro in Hardin, Montana. See the propeller and eat fantastic food. You won’t regret it! 

Maybe, you should ask about the ship’s steering wheel too. Who knows what that story might be.