Bills of fare 

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For 90 days every two years, the Montana Legislature — “the people’s branch” — descends on Helena to set state policy and pass a biennial budget. As House and Senate members from all over the state make the Queen City their temporary abode, these public servants and the crowds that follow them need to eat. 

So what is a typical diet of a Montana legislator? 

Former Gov. Brian Schweitzer took a jab at lawmakers several times during his tenure for supposedly taking advantage of “thick steaks and old whiskey” provided by lobbyists. The description paints a picture much like what many Americans would imagine to be a standard meal for a member of Congress in Washington, D.C. 

But to anyone who has actually served in the Montana Legislature or been close to the lawmaking process, there isn’t much truth to this barb. The real diet of a Montana legislator during the session is more like that of a college student cramming for finals.  

With long hours of study and debate, limited options in the virtual food desert of the Capitol complex, and only a modest per diem for food and lodging, legislators make do with loads of convenient carbs in committee rooms, coffee, and whatever might be on the menu at the Capitol snack bar. All this while spending much of their time packed like sardines into rooms where they do a great deal of sitting (in other words, not exercising).  

The jam-packed schedule of a legislator can easily turn food into an afterthought, and physical fitness means deciding to walk two flights of stairs from committee rooms to the legislative floors rather than take the elevators. It’s no wonder former representatives Frank Garner of Kalispell (Republican) and Zach Brown of Bozeman (Democrat) both describe their in-session diets as “terrible.” On that issue there is bipartisan agreement. 

LEGISLATIVE SCHEDULE

Let’s establish what a legislator’s normal day might look like. Morning committees often start at 8 a.m. and can go until noon. The agenda for the hearing may include discussion of one or two bills, but five or six (or 12) isn’t out of the question. During breaks and at the conclusion of hearings, legislators are inundated with ear-bending from lobbyists and constituents, barely leaving them time to hit the restroom.  

A one-hour lunch break at noon is pretty standard. This window provides lawmakers who have readily accessible transportation a chance to grab a quick lunch off campus, as long as the establishment is close by and can get the food out quickly. Restaurants that fit the bill can see a big spike in business during the session. 

Helena Jimmy John’s owner-operator Dan Stevens says his location just a half-mile from the Capitol “beefs up staffing and training in anticipation of all the people coming to town.” On top of the increased foot traffic, he says his staff often delivers to the Capitol up to 20 times a day, and sometimes caters Capitol events with up to 200 people. 

House and Senate floor sessions start promptly at 1 p.m. These sessions focus on bills that have made it out of committee and can go all the way to 3 p.m. Afternoon committees fire up right after floor sessions and may go until 5. Occasionally, especially late in the session when the budget takes center stage, there can be evening committee hearings to ensure deadlines for bills and amendments are met. Saturdays can turn into work days as well. 

THE CAPITOL COMPLEX

With that schedule in mind, it’s easy to see how lawmakers could find themselves captive to options within a mile or so of the Capitol building. Several years ago, the Capitol complex had a variety of independently run cafeterias. The one in the basement of the Capitol building was most frequented during the session, but other buildings had their own establishments. These businesses had a hard enough time staying in the black given the seasonal nature of the session, but the COVID pandemic made it likely those options will never come back. (The new Montana Heritage Center right by the Capitol building will be completed after the 2025 session and will include a cafeteria). 

A frequent early-morning option is the bounty of less-than-nutritious doughnuts that are often offered, along with some average coffee, in committee rooms. 

At the center of the Capitol is the magnificent rotunda, a large open space on the second floor that’s frequently the site of lunch gatherings put on by trade groups and nonprofits. It might be a cold-cut spread from a grocery store or freshly made pasties with gravy, but it often lures a crowd of legislators eager for some well-earned nourishment following a long morning of committee hearings. 

The near-daily lunches in the rotunda can be a tough place to carry on a conversation with the echoey acoustics of the dome, but several legislators describe these opportunities as more than a free meal. Former Sen. Diane Sands of Missoula says these lunches are “most valuable for ‘breaking bread’ with new and old colleagues and with constituent groups. It is all about the relationships if you want to get anything done.”

There’s also a snack bar between the House and Senate chambers that operates only during the legislative session. This small stretch of the Capitol is often packed with lobbyists and constituents eager to get a last word in before legislators cast their votes. Past offerings at this strategically placed vendor have frequently included candy, chips, hot dogs, coffee, and Wilcoxson’s ice cream sandwiches. 

Operators of the space have varied over the decades, but for the last few sessions Helena’s 1889 Coffee House has stocked the snack bar with more substantial items, with state employees now staffing it. The owner of 1889, Brett Wiensch, says the bar offers a number of pre-prepared items for breakfast (burritos, sandwiches, egg bites, muffins), lunch (sandwiches, salads, rice bowls, potato bowls) and an assortment of drinks. 

AFTER HOURS

Many evenings during the session, especially in its first half, feature receptions and large dinners organized by trade associations representing all portions of the ideological spectrum. To accommodate large numbers of people, these gatherings are usually held at one of a handful of hotels or facilities with banquet rooms. Regardless of the messaging or the partisan leanings of some of the hosts, they can attract a decent number of legislators. As former Rep. Zach Brown jokes, “free food is a powerful motivator, even if it isn’t very good.”

For fine dining, some regular spots around town see an uptick in evening traffic during the session. They include familiar steakhouses, Italian restaurants, greasy spoons and brewpubs. On nights and weekends when there’s more time, some legislators escape Helena to take advantage of grub in Clancy, Montana City, East Helena, Winston, York and Marysville.

One new steakhouse called The Union on Helena’s famous Last Chance Gulch hopes the influx of lawmakers, lobbyists and session watchers will try their establishment, which serves locally raised grass-fed beef. “We’re looking to do for local meats what microbreweries have done for beer,” Union founder Cole Mannix says. 

Every legislator with any experience in the job will likely have a story about a shared meal with colleagues or constituents that led to a political solution, started an important relationship, or seeded discussions that greased the governing process. 

Former Kalispell Rep. Garner says it well. “I think food is often a bridge and a common language. Some of our biggest differences have been solved over a meal.”

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