I’m heading to Montana next week and one thing I plan every trip around is a meal at the beloved Western Café in Bozeman. It’s my strong belief that it’s the greatest American restaurant that closes at 2pm. These specific hours of operation led me to overlook this fine establishment during my early years visiting Bozeman (as well as its location at the far end of Main Street). It’s straightforward, they make their own pie and biscuits, it’s usually crowded so I sit at the counter. The staff, all women on my visits, are fast-moving and nice in a brisk, efficient way.

I’m there for breakfast (I’ve never gone the steak route here, though you’re in the heart of Black Angus country). One nice thing for those of us who live out East is the welcome presence of hash browns, so much better than home fries, our coastal alternative. You don’t need much guidance in a restaurant like this, just order what you typically do. But you will feel like you’re in the right place as soon as you arrive. Then, head to Vargo’s the great bookstore which has a lot of good old fishing and nature books (and a lot of really good jazz CDs—I actually bought one last year, which was a rush for some reason). Lots of good places have left Bozeman (the army surplus store is still a loss), and the area is clearly changing, and not necessarily for the better. But the Western Café endures, an institution in its own time, open for business at 6am every day.