The Oscars of the Food World Come to The Resort at Paws Up

Montana Masters Chef Weekend at Paws Up

For foodies and wine lovers, Montana Master Chefs is the event of a lifetime-and world-class cuisine and exquisite vino are just the beginning. Get up close and personal with a group of James Beard Award winners, finalists and nominees.

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This bucket-list weekend at The Resort at Paws Up is served with an extra helping of breathtaking scenery, exhilarating outdoor adventure and pure relaxation. It’s all happening on September 29th—October 2, 2016.

The Resort at Paws Up Culinary Events

We’re not sure what is the most fun part of this weekend. Watching the chefs face off in a fun cook-off challenge, sipping fine wine from renowned vintners, burning calories on a variety of wilderness adventures, or relaxing in luxurious accommodations.

Fly Fishing on the Blackfoot River

It’s also a beautiful time of year for glamping®!

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All these ingredients combine to make Montana Master Chefs a winning weekend full of new, unique adventures.

ATV at The Resort at Paws Up

Like a rock-and-roll supergroup, the chefs are coming in from all over the country. There’s Chef Ashley Christensen, winner for Best Chef: Southeast; Chef Matt Jennings, nominated four times for Best Chef: Northeast; Chef Jamie Malone, semifinalist for Rising Star Chef of the Year and Best Chef: Midwest; Chef Steven Satterfield, semifinalist for Best New Restaurant and finalist for Best Chef: Southeast three years in a row and Chef Mindy Segal, nominated five times and winner of Outstanding Pastry Chef. These illustrious chefs will be working alongside Paws Up’s own culinary artist, Executive Chef Ben Jones, whose talent and inexhaustible knowledge of local culinary resources were on display when he headlined at the James Beard House in New York earlier this year. And just imagine what they’ll do for the Top Chef-style challenge.

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Wait. There’s More:

Featured Wineries are:

Grgich Hills Estate, founded in Napa by Mike Grgich, was a winning vintner of the historic Paris Wine Tasting of 1976. The impressive wines of Grgich have been featured at White House State Dinners from Reagan to Obama. Violet Grgrich, Mike’s daughter, will be a featured guest of MMC.

Merry Edwards Winery was founded by Merry Edwards, winner of the James Beard Award for Best Wine, Beer or Spirits Professional in the United States. Merry’s husband and partner Ken Coopersmith will be joining us to share his wine expertise and passion.

Rombauer Vineyards was founded by a great nephew of Irma Rombauer, author of the Joy of Cooking. Wine Spectator magazine said, “Rombauer defines the California Chardonnay style that so many adore.” Paws Up is pleased to welcome Koerner “KR” Rombauer III as a featured MMC guest.

Our featured Distillery is Montgomery Distillery, and guests will enjoy music by Musician, Joshua Davis, Ali Solomon and Jon Floridis. Find out more here.

Cliffside Camp at The Resort at Paws Up

9 Reasons to Visit Paws Up in August

Paws Up Summer

If you’re still looking to embark on the ultimate Montana family adventure, you’re in luck. Paws Up, America’s premier luxury ranch resort, still has limited availability for both glamping® and our chic rustic homes. For anyone who loves the mountains, outdoor adventure, five-star cuisine, starry nights and the biggest sky in the West—and we don’t know a soul who doesn’t—The Resort at Paws Up is The Last Best Place. See below for what’s happening in August—there’s something for everyone.

Lake activities the resort at paws Up

1. DRUM CIRCLE MADNESS AND THE GREAT SCOTTS

July 30–August 6, 2016

Artists in Residency: Scott Besaw and Scott Schaefer

drum circle at chuck wagon

Make as much noise as you like. Sound like fun? Then join us for workshops, sing-alongs and up-close performances with two of our favorite returning musicians. Scott Besaw is usually entertaining audiences and instructing students at Chicago’s world-famous Old Town School of Folk Music. He was also a cast member of the original New York City production of Blue Man Group and a conductor for the award-winning Denver Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps.

scott scaffer The Great Scotts

Scott Schaefer has been rocking out the Chicago music scene for more than two decades as a sought-after lead singer. Having managed several independent record labels, he now hosts weekly live-music open- stage nights and spins vinyl as a DJ at several of the city’s best watering holes.

Getting Primitive Paws Up

2. GETTIN’ PRIMITIVE FAMILY CAMP

August 7-13, 2016

Artist in Residency Gary Steele

Learn about the old ways from a honest-to-goodness mountain man. For one week at his self-built camp, you and your kids can show up and get hands- on instruction in primitive skills like longbow archery, orienteering, tracking, woodsmanship, knot tying, fire making, shelter building, ecology, edible plant identification and storytelling. You can also meet our resident mountain man at the Kids Corps of Discovery, at a luxury camp near you or on a Chuck Wagon Dinner ride.

smores3. NATIONAL S’MORES DAY

August 10th, 2016

National S’mores Day is Wednesday, August 10, but you already knew that, right? Well, as the pioneers of glamping in North America, we thought it was appropriate to give this day the recognition it deserves. Move over, apple pie. America has a new national pastry pastime. Acclaimed pastry chefs will team with The Resort at Paws Up’s Executive Chef Ben Jones to prepare decadent desserts at dinner. You’ll even create your own gourmet s’mores from a selection of unique and special ingredients and compete with other guests for the title of S’more Savant. Live music around a glowing campfire will provide the perfect ambience for this all-you-can-eat s’morgasbord.

knit workshop Paws Up4. KNIT GRAFFITI

Artist in Residency: Suzanne Tidwell

August 14–20, 2016

For one very bright week, Artist in Residency Suzanne Tidwell brings her unique yarn-bombing skills to our expansive and beautiful landscape. You’ll get to watch as she knits and installs original works of art in unexpected places around The Resort. What’s more, she’ll help you and your kids create masterpieces of your own during special workshops and visits to various camps and events.

Suzanne Tidwell is a fiber artist working primarily in the Seattle area. She’s known for creating large-scale, site-specific fiber installations of vibrant color that transform undesirable and underused public areas into places people want to frequent. The somber tones and rich vegetation of the Pacific Northwest influence her brash and nontraditional work, which demonstrates that being exposed to bright color can have the same effect as experiencing a sunny day.

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Note: All Knit Graffiti Workshops are complimentary. Space is limited. Reserve early.

bounty Paws Up

5. BOUNTY ON THE BLACKFOOT

August 20, 2016

A Long Table Event Featuring Chef Brooke Williamson

Many chefs try but few can deliver a true farm-to-table dining experience. During Bounty on the Blackfoot, you’ll learn just what it takes. We’ve invited Brooke Williamson to demonstrate her signature talent—taking locally sourced, seasonal ingredients and turning them into mouthwatering masterpieces.

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Along with Chef Ben Jones, she’ll stock up at the Missoula farmers market in the morning, and then return to create an unforgettable, one-day-only tasting menu before your very eyes. Everything will be based entirely on what produce, spices and proteins happen to be at their freshest that day. And at least one dish will pay homage to the Blackfoot Indians who grew, hunted and harvested their food on the land where Paws Up is located today.

chuck wagon

6. CHUCK WAGON DINNERS

Five Nights a Week

Step aboard our old fashioned horse-drawn wagon and enjoy a unique ride to the Blackfoot River. Sit back, relax, and take in the joy of watching Montana’s famous Big Sky play host to the rolling hills, gorgeous backdrop and the local wildlife that call Paws Up Ranch home.

chuck wagon dinner paws up

This scenic ride ends at the banks of the Blackfoot River, where you’ll enjoy an authentic chuck wagon dinner. The finest offerings are prepared before your eyes. Send your stomach on an adventure. From all-natural chicken, angus prime ribs, fresh corn and asparagus grilled over a campfire, to simple, yet scrumptious classics like baked beans and fresh fruit cobbler baked over the coals in a Dutch oven, you won’t walk away with an empty stomach.

blueberry cobbler Resort at Paws Up

Before and after dinner, enhance your authentic Montana experience by pitching horseshoes and enjoying the extraordinary talent of a local banjo player and cowboy poet.

wild west show Paws Up7BBQ AT THE YARD FOLLOWED BY WILD WEST SHOW & LIVE MUSIC

Every Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Join us each Tuesday for BBQ at the Yard with Wild West Showstoppers (a sample menu includes anything from Poached Shrimp Cocktail and Snow Crab Claws to Korean Pork Sliders and Vegetable Crudité Jars), Light and Cool offerings (think crisp salads, fresh pastas, etc.) and The Main Event (featuring steaks, seafood, pork and/or chicken). We serve a special sweet offering for dessert and a Children’s Ranch Table is available for younger guests. Dinner will be followed by our very own comical Wild West Show starring the Paws Up staff as well as live musical guests.

The Resort at Paws Up April 20168. Happy Hour at The Wilderness Outpost

Daily 4 p.m.-6 p.m.

Enjoy happy hour at the Wilderness Outpost daily from 4 p.m-6 p.m. Our ultimate 11,000-square-foot rural boutique is the ultimate place to unwind and to find the best in western fashion and gifts.

Cocktails Paws Up

9. Happy Hour at Tank

Daily 3 p.m.-6 p.m.

Tank is hosting happy hour daily from 3-6 p.m. We will have charcuterie and cheese to graze on, as well as a daily featured cocktail and wine specials. Select from tastings of our local Montana-made spirits which come from five different Montana distilleries, including Montgomery Distillery in Missoula and Roughstock in Bozeman.

What’s Cooking This Fall at The Resort at Paws Up

The Resort at Paws Up

Summertime has been amazing in Montana, but it’s going by way too fast. Soon we will have beautiful fall foliage and cooler temperatures. If you’re looking for an autumn getaway, fall is an amazing time to visit The Resort at Paws Up with our sunny days, crisp nights and a variety of five-star culinary weekends. Paws Up has invited acclaimed chefs recognized by the James Beard Foundation to work their magic at Montana Master Chefs: James Beard All-Stars. From haute cuisine to iconic classics, guests will enjoy all the world-class dining and libations that these acclaimed chefs and guest vintners have to offer in a setting like no other on September 29–October 2, 2016.

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The Resort also welcomes back the “pie whisperer” herself, Kate McDermott, along with Portland’s Ken Forkish and Chicago’s Mindy Segal for Upper Crust, a culinary weekend of sophisticated cookie, pie and pizza baking (see below for more details). During both events, guests will have the opportunity to get up-close and personal with world-class chefs, bakers and winemakers as well as work up an appetite on adventures and excursions in the breathtaking Montana wilderness.

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Here’s the Scoop:

Montana Master Chefs weekend will be held September 29–October 2, 2016.

As part of the weekend event, guests can partake in a myriad of wilderness adventures like horseback riding or fly-fishing and will enjoy one-on-one interaction with some of the finest chefs, distillers and winemakers in the United States. Montana Master Chefs 2016 will feature cooking demonstrations and multicourse dinners prepared by world-class chefs, including Chef Ashley Christensen of Poole’s and AC Restaurants, Chef Matt Jennings of Townsman, Chef Jamie Malone of Brut, Chef Steven Satterfield of Miller Union, Chef Mindy Segal of Mindy’s Hot Chocolate and Paws Up’s own Chef Ben Jones. The chefs will also compete in a lighthearted Master Chef Cook-Off Challenge.

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We’ll be offering parings with Montgomery Distillery as the featured distiller and the incredible vintners Grgich Hills Estate, Merry Edwards Winery and Rombauer Vineyards to provide tastings and pairings throughout the weekend.

Guests will also enjoy live nightly private concerts by Joshua Davis, a folk/roots artist who finished third on Season 8 of NBC’s The Voice; John Floridis, a talented guitarist, singer-songwriter and composer and Ali Solomon, a captivating singer and cover artist.

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Upper Crust is an all-inclusive weekend that will be held October 7–10, 2016.

This three-day event on the ranch will be held over Columbus Day weekend for baking enthusiasts for a weekend of luxury, adventure, gourmet food and wine and, most importantly, expert insight into all things dough. The weekend will feature hands-on instruction in a series of cooking and baking workshops. Don’t miss out!

When guests are not baking or enjoying their creations, they can choose from a variety of wilderness adventures: float down the Blackfoot River, spend half a day fly-fishing or explore the Paws Up land by horseback, on an ATV tour or on a guided naturalist hike. Each night, Paws Up’s Executive Chef Ben Jones will serve locally inspired dinner menus for a weekend of unforgettable meals.