Babcock & Miles News & Views.

Billings Gazette 8-9-20

If you are a self-proclaimed foodie, Red Lodge seems to be the Montana hidden gem of gourmet, inventive and extraordinary cuisine.

Located at 105 West 12th St., Babcock & Miles is an eatery, gift shop, and artisanal wonderland of cheese, food and wine.

Owners Kim and Steve Haman, who have owned the business since 2016, are devout food and wine aficionados. When the store opened in 2008, the couple had just moved to Red Lodge from Arizona. Upon hearing about the new food and wine shop opening, Steve was given the chance to oversee the wine ordering at the store, and the rest is history.

“At its inception in 2008, Babcock & Miles strived to be the ‘Merchants of the Delectable’ and help food lovers discover the world of specialty items that existed beyond what was commonly or locally available. Over the years our philosophy has become clear. We have a responsibility to preserve, protect, and promote food and wine products of unique provenance,” said Steve and Kim.

High Quality

Whether you want to eat on the patio of Babcock & Miles or find ingredients to create a masterpiece meal at home, this store has it all. From decadent sandwiches like the Italian muffuletta, to complete meal kits that create a gourmet five-course meal, the store is keen on high-quality and authentic ingredients that represents the world’s finest foods.

The store also offers ready made picnic baskets for a relaxing day outdoors.

“Just a few of the things that might grab you when you look at our shelves include our many pastas, sauces, olives, vegetables, tapenades, jellies and jams, honeys, salts and sugars, crackers, and cookies from all over the world. We offer a wide selection of cured meats, salamis, chorizos, sea food, and foie gras in our fridges, in addition to local ground beef and lamb, Italian sausage, bison, duck, turkey, chicken and rabbit in our freezer displays,” said Steve and Kim.

Cheese if you please

The cheese selection is impressive. From Spain, Italy, France, and England to California, Wisconsin, and Vermont, the store carries as many as 70 artisanal cheeses.

“Cow, sheep, goat, and buffalo we have it all,” said Steve and Kim.

For those looking for cheese sourced from the Big Sky State, they have that, too.

Wine and dine

With over 1,000 select wines from around the world, the store offers a vast assortment of aromas and flavors fit for a daily glass with dinner or the dedicated collector.

“Beer drinkers, fear not, as our ever-expanding selection features craft beers from Montana, the U.S., and all over the world, as well as a delightfully modest selection of ciders and sakes. As merchants of the delectable, we want our store to be the end of your search and the start of your culinary journey,” said Steve and Kim.

Keeping it real

For Kim and Steve, authentic cuisine means keeping the ingredients as real as it can get. Like the hand-select wine, the food also needs to honestly represent the region it comes from – which means avoiding mass-produced and genetically engineered products.

“We champion small specialty food and wine producers and help them tell their stories. What is it that gives Old World flavors their allure? We call it terroir. It’s that special sense of place found in the aromas, textures, and tastes that says unabashedly, ‘this comes from somewhere special.’ Not from a factory, not from a lab, but from the land,” said Steve and Kim.

“Whether it’s Montana farmstead goat cheese or Belize single origin chocolate, those special products tell the stories of where they come from with every mouth-watering bite.”

For more information call (406) 446-1796 or visit their Facebook or Instagram pages.