Imagine biting into a sun-ripened tomato at the height of summer, maybe one you grew in your backyard garden. Remember the firm but chewable texture of tomato skin, the juicy interior, and the sharp burst of sweetness as the fruit hits your tongue.
Now compare that to a tomato you buy at the grocery store in the dead of winter. The fruit’s signature vibrant red is slightly dull, the skin’s texture is rather weak, and the flavor is unmemorable at best.
What makes the difference between a summer and a winter tomato? The truth lies at the heart of eating seasonally or purchasing and consuming food around the time it is harvested. Seasonal foods are often fresher, more nutritious, and taste better than food eaten out of season. Unlike the produce purchased at your average grocery store, seasonal foods grown by local farms do not have to be transported long distances, which can impact their freshness and flavor. By purchasing and consuming locally grown, seasonal foods, you not only get high-quality food but a chance to support your local community.
At Feast Raw Bar & Bistro, Chef Steve Kuntz and his culinary team have shaped the restaurant’s entire menu around the philosophy of eating seasonally. Montana’s growing season is short but bountiful, offering everything from kitchen staple foods to highly unique fruits and vegetables in every season. Chef Kuntz shapes Feast’s menu to get the most out of every growing season, getting the freshest produce from local Montana purveyors year-round. As a restaurant rooted in the Montana community, Feast maintains that eating seasonally isn’t a trendy phrase. It’s a way of life that connects us to our food, land, and people.
Chef Kuntz sat down with us to share his insights on the true value of seasonal eating, how it promotes creativity in the kitchen, and how local Montana purveyors benefit from this approach. Let’s take a bite of this perfectly ripe topic (and if you start feeling hungry, book your reservation for dinner tonight).
Eating Seasonally Matters: Especially in Montana
According to Chef Kuntz, eating seasonally drastically impacts your dining experience in two key areas: nutrition and flavor. “The pure nutrition value and flavor is vastly different and better,” Chef Kuntz says. “You’re getting produce at their very best in the nutrients they provide and their flavor. Local greens taste better and last longer because they are more recently cut.”
Much of the produce you find in the grocery store is transferred long distances. This can mean some of the produce can rot over the distance, and those flavors can taint and transfer into the fresher produce. With seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients, Chef Kuntz says you don’t have to worry about that as much because of the shorter transport distances. Picked just days (or even hours) before arriving in the kitchen, seasonal ingredients sourced locally stay crisp and flavorful, with none of the dullness that comes from extended transit.
With Feast located in the heart of Bozeman, Montana, the restaurant has wonderful access to some of the best local purveyors for fresh greens, fruits, herbs, lentils, and so much more. By sourcing from Montana farms, Feast’s team uses the best seasonal ingredients without worry of travel times impacting the quality of the produce. These Montana-grown ingredients are the bedrock of Feast’s culinary approach, Chef Kuntz says. “Our ethos behind what we do is to find the best quality product we can and let it speak for itself,” Chef Kuntz says. “So we always start with Montana farms for the freshest, highest quality ingredients.”
In Montana, small farms fuel the region’s identity, and Chef Kuntz is emphatic about supporting local growers. “If no one buys from local farmers, they go away—and then shipping in is the only option,” Steve explains. “We don’t want to do that. We’re lucky to buy from a wide range of farmers in the valley.”
Your Taste Buds Will Thank You for Eating Seasonally
From foodies to those who just enjoy eating out occasionally, many people don’t actively think about eating seasonally. But once they do, it changes their entire dining experience and approach to cuisine. Chef Kuntz compares this experience to wine tasting.
“When you are tasting wine and the sommelier starts calling out notes, then you can recognize it and taste it,” Chef Kuntz says. “It’s like that with food.”
Understanding where your food comes from—and when it tastes best—creates a richer, more connected dining experience. And for the Feast team, making that experience personal is what it’s all about.
“It’s so different to eat a locally grown cabbage than one that has traveled thousands of miles and had its flavor impacted,” Chef Kuntz says. “You can taste the difference in every bite.”
That added layer of awareness changes how people eat. Guests at Feast often leave with more than a full belly. They leave with a new appreciation for the ingredients themselves.
Enjoy the Story of Eating Seasonally
The story of each ingredient begins with where it was grown and who grew it. At Feast, that origin story is the heartbeat of the entire dining experience.
“Our guests are always interested to know where the ingredients come from,” Chef Kuntz shares. “When they find out it’s from a Montana family farm—friends of ours—it adds something meaningful.”
That sense of connection transforms a great meal into something truly memorable. Whether it’s lentils from Timeless Seeds or produce from a farm just down the frontage road, every dish becomes a way to participate in the local food system.
“We are people of story, and we like to participate in the story,” Steve says. “When people explain the story or call out the details of it, it adds a layer of connection that makes your dining experience more memorable or special.”
Dine Seasonally: the Feast Way
At Feast, every season becomes a source of inspiration, and the rotating menu reflects that. Chef Nikki, Feast’s Executive Chef, builds out specials around weekly availability, curating each dish to highlight what Montana farmers are harvesting now. From crisp herbs and lettuce to eggplant, fennel, tomatoes, onions, and garlic, summer brings a bounty that the Feast team builds around. In the winter, acorn and butternut squash bring cozy flavor and comforting depth.
“Every ingredient has a story behind it,” Steve says. “The farms focus on different things and we love having that range of support.”
One of his recent favorites? A pork chop served over a squash purée—a dish that captured the soul of late winter while hinting at spring on the horizon. “It was the perfect balance of flavors that evoked the late-winter time of year with spring peeking through.” Chef Kuntz remembers with a smile.
The same thoughtful, seasonal spirit will shape what’s coming to the table next: grilled pork tenderloin with tomatillo sauce, five-spice duck with charred snap peas, and white fish cooked in parchment with fennel and zucchini. Each one reflects careful planning, creative collaboration, and a desire to bring out the best in each ingredient while it’s in its prime.
Try this Season’s Bounty at Feast Today
At Feast Raw Bar & Bistro, every dish is grounded in the Montana seasons and the people who grow, raise, and harvest our food. If you’re wondering where to eat in Bozeman for a meal that reflects the best of what’s in season, join us for dinner tonight.
Whether you’re planning dinner in Bozeman with friends or simply craving a meal that’s fresh, flavorful, and rooted in community, you’ll taste the difference seasonal ingredients make.
Join us at Feast tonight. The menu may change, but the quality never does.