By Rachel Hergett EBS COLUMNIST
I was the first person to show up to One&Only Moonlight Basin’s restaurant Wildwood for a ladies dinner with the women of Explore Big Sky’s publisher, Outlaw Partners, this month. This isn’t normal. I’m usually living life about 10 minutes late.
This time, though, I was excited for a taste of the new restaurant and had given myself ample time to navigate the unfamiliar and minimally marked roads. I appreciate One&Only’s luxury touches, like valet parking and the gentleman on staff who walked me to the stairs leading down to the restaurant level. I could have also used a guide to make it to the building.
The resort’s Montana modern vibe, with its plethora of leather and wood is at play here, but Wildwood also leans mid-century. This comes out in the angular wood chairs with padded camel covered seats—which are unanimously exclaimed to be some of the most comfortable (and wide-seated) restaurant chairs we have ever had the pleasure of sitting in—and tables set with somewhat unnecessary rattan chargers and ribbed green water glasses that also follow angular lines.
I’m impressed at the menu, which features an impressive variety of dishes incorporating international flavors and local ingredients, and highlights a culinary team led by Chef Matt Dahlkemper, as well as a list of Montana-based food producers that provide ingredients for the dishes. Wildwood very much leans into the idea of farm-to-table dining that is essential to this level of cooking—though the wait staff reminded me a bit more of lumberjacks than farmers, with tan Carhart-like work vests over plaid shirts.
The culinary team updates the dinner menu monthly. This column discusses the February 2026 menu. I’m warned that up to 70% of the dishes may be replaced in the next iteration. Thus my inclination would have been to order one of everything, but we simply did not have enough people at our table to eat all that food.
We asked roaming staff for recommendations, and ordered a good portion of what was on offer.
Our meal started with a savory doughnut hole topped in quince jelly and Spanish Iberico ham, and filled with a custard made with manchego cheese. It was almost like an amuse bouche, though a tad dry for my liking. More cheese custard, please!
Next we sampled the mini croissants, topped with a foil gras mousse, honey, fresh thyme and spiced Marcona almonds. These were incredible, surprising the tastebuds with the richness and sweetness. They were also a textural joy, with the softness and ooze of the mousse and honey contrasting the crispy pastry layers and crunchy almond topping.
First courses were next. A waiter joined us tableside to mix a beef tartar that was prepared much like an Asian poke with chili soy and sushi rice. The show was appreciated, but was quickly overshadowed by a chestnut soup that seemed understated but with layers of flavor that played on the tongue.
With soup bowls removed, it was time for pasta. Again, the choice seemed impossible and we ordered every option. While intrigued by the pork carnitas fettuccini with cilantro noodles, it was the celery root agnolotti with toasted hazelnuts and a preserved lemon sauce that was the most surprising.
“This makes me feel emotions,” I heard one of the ladies exclaim on first bite.
I felt similar about our next dishes: cast iron sea scallops with a spiced carrot emulsion; cashew butter and maple roasted carrots; and a duck breast cooked over coals and served with roasted sunchokes and confit fennel. The not-quite-barbecue marinade reminded me of one of my Japanese grandmother’s made-up recipes and the cook on the duck itself was enough to line up a few converts to the bird from our table.
We also dug into a whole chicken, seasoned with coriander and served with seemingly unassuming sides that again brought an intricate layering of flavors that seems to be the restaurant’s signature. Smoked and curried cauliflower played beautifully with the sweet spiced harissa honey and vinegar bite of a sprinkle of capers.
At the end of the evening, we were ushered into a glass-encased wine room that served as an atrium to a small private dining room. The goal is for Wildwood to have a selection of 1,000 wines, we were told. I spotted some classy favorites on the list, and was shown a bottle so expensive that its price tag could pay my rent for two years.
As the main portion of the meal wound down, I perused the dessert wine pours on offer. They were predominantly French, with five varieties of Sauternes and Vouvray. Amid them, a listing stood out. Words I did not understand. Hungarian.
Naturally curious, I did a quick online search and learned the wine featured heavy notes of apricot, honey and citrus. Sold. So I asked for a glass of the 2018 Royal Tokaji 5 Puttonyos Aszú, only comprehending the “royal” and the number as the words fumbled out. Aszú, I have since learned, is a grape varietal grown in the Tokaj region of Hungary. And “5 Puttonyos” refers to the sweetness, on a scale of 1 to 6.
I take a sip and pass the glass around the table for the ladies to test. The verdict is mixed. Those who did not like sweet wines were understandably turned off. But those of us who appreciate them felt like we were hit by a bit of magic. Lesson learned. I have been sleeping on Hungarian wines.
“If I were Harry Styles, I’d write a song about that,” one said.
Dessert wine and coffee secured, all that we had left was the icing on the dinner cake: dessert.
“One of each, please,” I had said earlier, ordering dessert with the rest of the food. After the meal, the waiter seemed incredulous, asking if we were sure we wanted three desserts. We were. And rightfully so. The desserts disappeared in minutes and were each glorious in their own right—the richness of a dense chocolate “S’mores Bar,” the umami added to a deconstructed apple pie with a side of miso ice cream, and the impressive honey tuile that surrounded the Basque cheesecake. Shout out to pastry chef Ashley Ginsberg.
While Wildwood still has a bit of growing pains in the smoothness of service, the whole meal was impressive. The brand new February menu was executed to perfection. I’m both excited to see what’s next and sad that I may never try some of these dishes again.
To bring back my favorite comment of the night, the whole meal “made me feel emotions.”
Rachel Hergett is a foodie and cook from Montana. She is arts editor emeritus at the Bozeman Daily Chronicle and has written for publications such as Food Network Magazine and Montana Quarterly. Rachel is also the host of the Magic Monday Show on KGLT-FM and teaches at Montana State University.
