On my visit to Geraldine, Montana last week I stopped in to the brand new Home Cafe.
After a fire on Main Street destroyed Geraldine’s grocery store a year ago, the Ludeman family built a new building that now houses Ludeman’s Country Market, The Home Cafe and Bar 34.
I happened to notice a jelly jar of chokecherry jelly on the counter of the Home Cafe – my weakness!
It didn’t take long for the story to be told.
That chokecherry jelly was entered in the 2013 Chouteau County Fair in Fort Benton a couple of weeks prior to my arrival and it took first place. You can purchase the jelly which will soon bear a label proudly touting it’s blue ribbon status.
This area has chokecherries in several directions, also in some back yards right in town.
It was almost lunch time and the wonderful aromas wafting through the cafe were calling to me. It was Wednesday and the lunch special was prime rib. I hesitate to call it lunch because in many places the portion size would be that for a huge evening meal.
After a visit with the waitress I discovered that the Home Cafe uses local beef and local produce when in season. She also said they had recently had raspberry pie because everyone had raspberries available.
Well, I was hooked. A prime rib lunch was being readied for me. I hesitate to put a photo of my lunch because of the portion size! But, perhaps I didn’t eat it all, or, maybe I did.
Absolutely everything was yummy, from local beef, home grown tomatoes and cucumbers in my salad, homemade dinner roll (yes, with chokecherry jelly on it), new crop red potatoes and a slice of carrot cake for dessert.
Need I say more? A fine stop in Geraldine.