Some lovely surprises await inside the
new Ted's Montana Grill.
From paper straws to tasty bison meat
to a trans-fat-free menu, Ted's seems poised to be a
restaurant for the 21st century. With ecological care
and concerns, it seems like a kinder, gentler eatery
than most. Even the bison live a life spent mostly grazing
in the grass instead of in feedlots before it's their
time to pass from this earth.
The restaurant sits high atop Cranston
on Chapel View Boulevard. This area is newly redeveloped
and mixes retail, office and residential space at the
site of the former state Training School for Boys. The
restaurant building is homage to the Arts and Crafts
movement with a high pressed-tin ceiling, booths in
rich mahogany tones, wide plank flooring and warm brass
lighting fixtures. There is a bison head mounted on
a wall.
Ted's Montana Grill is part of an Atlanta-based
chain owned by Ted Turner and George McKerrow Jr., the
restaurateur who launched the LongHorn Steakhouse chain
(there's one in Warwick). Turner is the self-made man
who launched the Turner Broadcasting System, CNN and
the Goodwill Games, defended the America's Cup and was
married to Jane Fonda.
Now Turner is very much into ranching
and has 14 in seven states. He raises bison on 13 of
them, committing himself to restoring bison to North
America, and has the largest private herd in the world
with 40,000 head. The bison served at Ted's Montana
Grill comes primarily from his ranches but also from
various ranches across North America.
Another kind of red meat.
Bison might scare some people off from
Ted's. But let's establish right here that it's just
another kind of red meat. It's not gamey, and in fact,
was preferable to similar steak items we tried. At Ted's,
all bison menu items can be ordered in beef.
Comparing a Delmonico rib-eye steak of
bison and beef at Ted's, the bison was very tender and
almost had a sweetness to it. There wasn't a lick of
fat on it. The beef, from the natural, no-antibiotics
Harris Ranch, was perfectly serviceable on its own and
we had no complaints. But comparing bite for bite, it
was tougher and somewhat drier, not as flavorful
as the bison.
The bison meat was at its best in meatloaf.
The meat was perfectly blended, almost tasted creamy
and burst forth with spices. It was nicely paired with
a fine version of garlic mashed potatoes made with Yukon
gold potatoes. There was just the right amount of garlic
and not too much milk, keeping them hearty. They are
made in small batches and taste every bit homemade.
Bison is not just delicious, it has a
better nutritional profile than beef, with more iron
and lots less fat. Bison meat contains 2.42 grams of
fat, 143 calories, and 82 milligrams of cholesterol
per 100 grams of cooked lean meat, according to the
National Bison Association. Comparatively, beef has
9.28 grams of fat, 211 calories, and 86 milligrams of
cholesterol. (Skinless chicken has 7.41 grams of fat,
190 calories, 89 milligrams of cholesterol.)
If you're not convinced to try bison,
there's plenty else at Ted's. You can have trout, plank
salmon, several chicken dishes, and sandwiches, including
beer-can chicken (served for dinner only). And there
are burgers, almost 20 varieties.
Fries, rings and malts
For starters, there was little we could
resist.
The chili cheese fries were fresh-cut
French fries topped with bison chili, cheddar cheese
and jalapeños- outrageous and delicious from
the real fries to the spicy chili.
The onion rings (10 huge ones) are also
made in-house, with thick-cut slices, a subtle breading
and the best dipping sauce of horseradish. We
used that sauce to perk up the grilled shrimp served
on sourdough toast. The shrimp were large and probably
went a bit too long on the grill. But they were saved
by the horseradish, which we preferred to the lemon
butter.
A cup of chili was chock full of meat,
and blended beautifully with beans and onions. The day's
soup special, bean and rice, had a similar rich tomato
base to the chili but included wonderful smoky sausage.
The Caesar salad is made egg-less with cheesy Parmesan
croutons, and it had a lightness that was welcome with
all the hearty food we were trying.
Comfort food is at the heart of Ted's
Montana Grill. That's why we couldn't resist ordering
two malts, chocolate and vanilla. Every one is made
to order and served in a soda glass, with a paper straw
(when's the last time you saw one of those?), and with
the remainder of it delivered in the stainless mixing
cup in which it was blended.
Nothing frozen but the ice cream
Perhaps I haven't stressed enough that
everything is made or done in the kitchen. There is
no freezer used for anything but keeping the ice cream.
All the meat is shipped in twice a week,
and it is hand-cut on premises. The bison and beef for
burgers and meatloaf is ground several times a day.
The manager said that watching the kitchen staff makes
the 2,500 onion rings they serve on weekends through
the many steps is unique in his restaurant experience.
Sitting at the counter/bar, diners can look into the
open kitchen and see all the work being done.
The wine list isn't large, but it offers
everything most people would be looking for with steaks.
I also like the way it is organized by intensity so
diners who aren't familiar with all the choices can
decide if they want a robust red or fruity white. Big
Sky Wine offerings are from Ted Turner's own label.
For those with special diets or allergies,
there is a guide on how and what to order at Ted's.
The chain opened its first restaurant
in 2002 and now there are more than 50, with Cranston's
being the northernmost location. They've certainly worked
out the kinks on the concept and the menu, and they
bring a lot of fun to comfort food and dining out.