Tha Groovin' Gourmet

Can't say much for the Montana part of your question...traveled there a bunch, but nothing really memorable. Idaho Falls you might try Jaker's. Standard steak and seafood kinda place, but more than decent. Your opportunities open up once you get to Salt Lake and environs. On the way in from the north a meal at Maddox is always in order, either the sit-down restaurant or the drive-in. Brigham City area...pretty famous place. Best Mex in town is Red Iguana just west of downtown on North Temple. More regional/interior style as opposed to Americanized. The do a bunch of different moles and do them well. Bambara in the Hotel Monaco in downtown Salt Lake is considered one of the best in town...we just wish the chef would cut loose a bit more. We really like Cafe Med with it's pan-Mediterranean menu and affable chef. If you have a hankering for seafood, the Market Street operations (2 near downtown, 1 in the Cottonwood area) offer solid cooking, quality ingredients and good service. Same parent company (Gastronomy) runs Cafe Baci on Pierpont St, offering "metro Italian dining". It's upscale Northern Italian fare in a gorgeous room. Skip the company's Cafe Pierpont...the only weak link in the chain. If you are in town on Sunday, brunch at the Grand America is an absolute must. Quite possibly the finest brunch we've yet to experience. The food offerings are copious and quite broad in scope, with New American leanings that are unusual for this type of setting. Service is top notch and the hotel itself is stunningly gorgeous.