Before customers taste the food or even sit down for lunch or dinner, the first thing they’ll notice about Hooked Sushi is its compact size. And that’s intentional.
By Jennifer VerzuhThe small scale of the space is what initially appealed to General Managers and co-owners Jon Sly and Chris Unger when they were looking at various building locations for a new restaurant.
“We were kind of drawn by the size,” Sly said. “With sushi it’s a fun space.”
Typical restaurants are about twice the size of Hooked Sushi, which has just seven tables as well as a sushi bar that seats 10 people. This allows the business to have an “intimate feeling,” Sly explained.
“You can just walk in and easily talk to any of the sushi artists back there, which is nice,” he said. “Our size[...] lends itself to bringing in a beautiful product and being able to enjoy it.
The restaurant prioritizes using fresh ingredients in their menu, particularly fish, which they have a wide variety of flown out fresh to Bozeman two to three times a week.
“High quality ingredients make good food,” Sly said. “We wanted our fish to stand out so [...] one thing that we really pushed hard was making sure we always had the most fresh product.”
Besides their sushi menu, the restaurant also serves other offerings, including their pork tonkotsu ramen that’s made from scratch in-house and baja tacos. With these items, they aim to use as many local Montana-grown products as possible, sourcing from both Montana Wagyu Cattle Company and Wheat Montana.
Sly and Unger, along with their wives, took over their current location from the Montana Fish Company (also a sushi restaurant) and opened their doors
downtown in 2021, and “typically [if] you walk in the door one of the four of us will be here.”
“We like the fact that we’re familyrun. My brother-in-law works here, my aunt works here,” Sly said. “It keeps us moving.”
Despite opening just a year into the coronavirus pandemic, the restaurant has seen success and support from the community.
“We get busier every year,” he said. “[And] we see a lot of local traffic.”
At this time, Sly said they don’t have any ideas of expanding the business or opening another location or restaurant.
“I think for now we’ll keep perfecting this one,” he said. “We love our little restaurant. We’ve done big ones and all that, and this one is definitely a creation of the heart.”
Beringia is an Arctic region where binaries dissolve: night and day, past and future and fire and ice merge in a timeless, elemental drama. Beringia Pilsner unlocks the crispness and mystery of the North with every glass.
Beingia is an ancient ice bridge that has since melted where the first humans came to North America from Asia in search of food.
When considering it I like to think about adventure and the yearning of the soul. It also conjures images of pristine wilderness, woolly mammoths and maybe… beer? It is unlikely that these people brought beer with them across this ancient land mass, but I love a good story, and who knows?
At New Hokkaido Bevco, we crafted Beringia Pils in homage to this lost land: cold, crisp and pristine. The pilsner style is created using a months-long fermentation method called “lagering.” Lagering is simply letting the beer sit in very cold temperature allowing it to mature. During this time the beer’s flavors round out, the process is really magical as is the end product.
As brewers, we can talk about this process to infinity, writing hundreds of books about the science pertaining to temperature, PH, gravity, etc. All of this is very important. But perhaps more important is the mystery behind it, made up of traditions, stories and, of course, our imagination.
New Hokkaido is such a fun vehicle to go on a
journey of beer, tradition and imagination. I am grateful I can share my stories through this brand that has been so generously received, and I am so excited about what the future may bring.
One new area that New Hokkaido will be exploring is sake. We are just in the beginning stages, but are excited about how we can stand upon the great tradition and history of sake brewing and at the same time make it all our own. We look forward to sharing more on this endeavor later.
As we believe beer is a conversation, we continue this 3-way chat between you, our brewers and everything
beer has been and will be. And while we play in the fields of beer, we bow to our ancestor beer makers and the vast history of brewing, even as we cut through the preconceptions of what beer might be.
Beer is an extraordinary collaboration between microorganisms (yeast), microorganisms (humans) and the grains that supply the fuel for fermentation. Where the rubber meets the road is with you.
Will you come on this journey with me?
Gustav
We think it’s a fair statement to make that many, if not all, of us that call this gorgeous place home love being outdoors, and this is arguably the best time to be out and active. Here are some of our favorite pairings with some of our favorite activities.
We love a beverage by the river, really any body of water, and we’re not throwing shade on a good IPA, but sometime we just want something different. Spritzers are good but at this point we are over the claws, our replacement is a sake based spritzer. Social is our go-to brand right now, they’re crisp and clean, low alcohol, and have a light natural flavoring. We also love the Ramona spritz, these little cans are organic wine based and come in a range from rosé to Amarino, their riff on an Aperol Spritz. All are just so refreshing…and the best part is that the cans are easy and quick to chill, don’t take up much room for packing in and out, and of course don’t risk breaking and hurting someone or damaging a boat, etc.
Does anything really beat just grilling and chilling during the summer? It’s great to just get together and enjoy friends, food, and libations! We like to have something light and easy and something a bit more hearty for these gatherings. For light and easy we absolutely LOVE a crisp bottle of sparkling rosé. It doesn’t have to be Champagne, actually I would lean
more towards a flirty and easy bottle of sparkling Pinot Noir from Germany or the USA like the Villa Wolf or the St. Vincent. They’re both so food friendly but so refreshing they’re great on their own. And for when the sun goes down and things get a bit more chilly, or for those hearty foods coming off the grill, we love an earthy red. A northern California Syrah, like the Balletto, has the deep fruits, earthy, and spice to play well with foods like ribs and burgers; and a Super Tuscan is our go-to if you want to be a bit more boujee. Our favorite right now is the 2010 Guado de Gemoli, it doles out deep red fruits and dusty earth with a lifted acidity and velvety tannins that make it great for the grill foods and just sipping as the night winds down. If you want to be a bit more playful, a Gamay and a hot dog are hard to beat, we really think this is one of the most under-theradar pairings there is.
Heading out to spend the weekend or longer camping or hiking feels to us like the ultimate summer excursion. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got a pack full of everything you need, are making a small trek to a forest service cabin, or are just out for a day hike and picnic weight and space are big considerations. Bottles are heavy and too easy to break, cans are much better but can still be space hogs, so we love a good boxed beverage for these types of adventures. Our trick is to break down and recycle the box and just take the bag along for the adventure. Yeah, still somewhat heavy, but after a few days the weight really falls off and so many great wines come in boxes!
Whatever adventure or beverage you choose…cheers to you and simply getting out and enjoying friends, family, and this incredible place we call home.
Many families crave savory and delicious weeknight meals. After a long day of work and school, it’s time to gather around the table to share a mouthwatering meal and memories together.
For something truly wholesome, try this Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Cauliflower and Spinach Salad. It’s a full meal the whole family can enjoy, and you’ll be surprised at how easy it makes it to feed all the smiling faces.
This meal has layers of flavor and sneaks in a few vegetables like spinach and cauliflower, but even picky eaters can’t resist trying it.
Start with a beef tenderloin and drizzle it generously with olive oil. Add 2 tablespoons of pepper. Flip and repeat on the other side. Bake for 12 minutes at 475 F.
Next, add one head of cauliflower to a mixing bowl with five shallots cut into quarters. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil; mix well with salt and pepper, to taste. Add this to the baking sheet with the beef tenderloin and bake 18-25 minutes.
While that’s cooking, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a mixing bowl with lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper and baby spinach.
To plate, add baby spinach salad first then the cauliflower and shallot mixture and, finally, that juicy, perfectly cooked beef tenderloin. Garnish with cranberries for a splash of color.
This meal is satisfying and only requires some mixing bowls and a large sheet pan to make cleanup a breeze so
you can focus on what really matters most: time with your loved ones.
Find more recipes and savory main dishes at Culinary.net.
Servings: 4-6
1 beef tenderloin (4 pounds), wrapped with butcher’s twine
9 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 teaspoons pepper, divided
1 head cauliflower
5 shallots, quartered
2 teaspoons salt, divided
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 package (5 1/2 ounces) baby spinach
dried cranberries, for garnish
Heat oven to 475 F. Place beef on baking sheet. Rub 4 tablespoons olive oil and 2 teaspoons pepper into beef. Bake 12 minutes.
In large bowl, toss cauliflower, shallots, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper to combine. Scatter vegetables around beef and bake 18-25 minutes, or until desired doneness is reached. Allow meat to rest 15 minutes covered in aluminum foil.
In medium bowl, whisk 3 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, mustard and remaining salt and pepper until combined. Add spinach; stir until combined.
Serve by layering spinach topped with cauliflower and shallots then sliced tenderloin. Garnish with dried cranberries.
They might not be the fanciest of foods, but when you eat a filling, protein-packed sandwich, you are usually left satisfied and full of energy. From ham and turkey to mayo and mustard, the possibilities are nearly endless when sandwiches are on the menu.
With so many customizable options for bread, meats, toppings and more, it’s easy to create the perfect sandwich. For example, this Croissant Chicken Salad Sandwich is served on a fluffy, light, mouthwatering croissant and features a hearty mixture of chicken, bacon and veggies to give you
To make the sandwich, line six slices of bacon in a skillet. Cook until slightly crispy. Drain over a paper towel and crush into pieces.
On a cutting board, cut cherry tomatoes in half and chop green onions.
In a mixing bowl, combine chicken, mayonnaise, chopped green onions, pepper, bacon crumbles and halved cherry tomatoes.
Cut croissants in half and scoop a generous amount of chicken salad onto the bottom of the croissant.
Top with sprouts and replace top croissant.
The chicken is creamy, the bacon crumbles are crispy and the green onions give it crunch, making this sandwich perfect for nearly any occasion. Whether it’s a bridal shower, picnic at the park with family or just lunch on a weekend afternoon, it can give you the energy to go forward and finish your day strong.
Find more recipes at Culinary.net.
If you made this recipe at home, use #MyCulinaryConnection on your favorite social network to share your work.
CROISSANT CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICH WITH SPROUTS
Servings: 6
6 strips bacon
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered sprouts
In skillet, arrange bacon and cook until slightly crispy. Drain bacon over paper towel; allow to dry. Crush into pieces.
In large bowl, stir chicken, mayonnaise, green onions and pepper until combined. Add bacon and tomatoes; stir until combined.
Cut croissants in half. Spoon generous portion of chicken salad over bottom croissant. Top with sprouts. Replace top croissant.
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