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The Spotted Horse Cafe
Published
12 years agoon
Coffee and café culture at its finest in Belgrade
By Jimmy Lewis Explorebigsky.com Contributor
Less than a block off of Main Street on N. Broadway in Belgrade is an inviting and intimate little café serving coffee so good it inspires poetry.
It’s “The Spotted Horse Cafe,” and its young owners, Greg Deslauriers and Kyle Quantrille, are continuing the tradition of running a coffee house that is a living, breathing work of art in which customers can find soul warming hospitality, delicious food, and, most importantly—very good coffee.
Deslauriers and Quantrille recently purchased the Spotted Horse and are continuing to preserve the qualities that set the café apart in the past, while bringing their own charisma and ideas into its evolution. The philosophy of the café has always been to serve the customer best—not by simply giving the customer what he wants, but, rather, by giving the customer what he needs, even if that means doing some teaching along the way.
“It’s not Burger King,” Deslauriers says, “You can’t have it your way.”
They will, in fact, serve you what you desire; they just may do their best to persuade you to try something else, like a pure version of a particular coffee drink, a latte or cappuccino done right, for example, or The Spotted Horse Café’s signature drink, the “Café Havana,” which has secret ingredients. (BTW: You have to have a Café Havana.)
The Spotted Horse also specializes in lunch and serves an array of breakfast items and in-house baked goodies. If you swing by at midday, make sure to try the highly sought after tomato soup.
Something unusual you’ll note and maybe, like a lot of the Horse’s customers, come to appreciate over time, is the fact that Deslauriers and Quantrille—by choice—have decided not to provide Wifi.
“We don’t really want people coming in here and sitting on their computers forever. We’d rather see a social atmosphere that encourages face-to-face interaction, a therapeutic escape from the technological world,” Deslauriers says. “I’ve been to little cafés in New York, Mexico and Costa Rica that possess an intimate, jazzy kind of feel. That’s what I’m looking for in The Spotted Horse.”
Deslauriers enjoys seeing and talking with his customers, many of whom he describes as “real characters.” But perhaps, he says, the café’s lively social atmosphere has a liberating effect on customers. “The character comes out in people when they come in the café.”
So what’s next? “We might try doing dinners sometime, or even a patio out back with some dancing. We’re open-minded and into trying things,” Quantrille says. “It’s not a corporate plan we’re running here.”
The best café’s and restaurants are living works of art: They only exist while their proprietors’ lives and inspiration hold out. Deslauriers and Quantrille are young, healthy guys; as for inspiration, make it symbiotic by paying them a visit sometime.
“Long live The Spotted Horse,” Quantrille says.
I agree.
Megan Paulson is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Outlaw Partners.
Upcoming Events
april, 2024
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We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
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We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.
Sundays, April 14, 21 and 28, 2024
Noon until 6PM.
$170.
Time
14 (Sunday) 12:00 pm - 28 (Sunday) 6:00 pm
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Please join the Arts Council of Big Sky for free music from Jacob Rountree at the Wilson Hotel Lobby Bar from 5-7 p.m.
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Please join the Arts Council of Big Sky for free music from Jacob Rountree at the Wilson Hotel Lobby Bar from 5-7 p.m. on April 24.
Jacob Rountree is an alternative/indie songwriter living in the stunning alpine of Montana. Contemplative yet playful, his lyric forward style is reflective of his love for philosophy, poetry and quantum physics.
Time
(Wednesday) 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Location
The Wilson Hotel
145 Town Center Ave
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Trivia from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Waypoint in Town Center. Participation is free, food and beverages available.
Event Details
Trivia from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Waypoint in Town Center. Participation is free, food and beverages available.
Time
(Wednesday) 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location
The Waypoint
50 Ousel Falls Rd