Relax, Eat, and Enjoy Dinner with the Moroldos.
One of the greatest perks of the job I do is the opportunity to meet new people who have chosen to live in and start a business in our beautiful community. Over the years, I have met so many great people and that continues to be the case. A couple of weeks ago I set up an appointment to meet with the Moroldo family, Fabrizio, Laura, Kimberley and Ethan are new citizens of Bigfork who came here directly from Italy. They have chosen the little village of Bigfork to live out Fabrizio's dream of having an authentic Italian restaurant. For the Moroldos, the commitment necessary to create a restaurant from scratch and at the same time immigrate to the United States was far greater than what would ordinarily be required. Obviously the Moroldos were up to the challenge because their restaurant has been in operation for several months now.

This beautiful building is tucked away on a ridge just east of Hwy 35 in the area north of Bigfork known as Ice Box canyon.
When I asked Fabrizio what brought him to our town, he explained that he has always loved stories of the American west and of the native Americans who live here. As a successful businessman traveling all over the world, he had the opportunity to take holiday vacations in Montana. Those vacations heightened his love of our state and when he happened to vacation in the Swan Valley a few years back, the goal was set in his mind that one day he would return and establish an authentic Northern Italian restaurant with the same traditions of food preparation and service that he grew up with and mastered as a young man. "I always loved the kitchen, by the time I was twelve I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the restaurant business. There is always something doing in the kitchen, it is a focal point in the home and a place of great joy and enjoyment when I was growing up. I went to hotel and restaurant school in France. After graduating from hotel school I worked in a series of great hotels and restaurants throughout Europe." There is such a great enthusiasm about Fabrizio when he talks about working in the kitchens of fine hotels and the list is truly impressive. The Savoy of London, The Grand Hotel in Rimini Italy where the great Italian filmmaker Fredrico Fellini spent much of his time, The Splendid Hotel in Switzerland, The Vendome Aix in Provence, France, the Palm Beach in Marseille, The Michelangelo in Venice, and hotels in Milano and in Torino, site of the recent winter Olympics.

Enter thru the dining room door to enjoy
real Northern Italian cooking.

 His career took a turn into the world of big business when he went to work for one of Italy's largest export companies. Fabrizio explained that during this tim in his life he traveled to more than 98 foreign countries. "As I traveled all over the world, my love for the United States and the Western U.S. in particular, continued to grow. When the twins, Ethan and Kimberley were born, I knew the day would come when I would want to stop traveling and settle down somewhere to raise our children. About three years ago we came looking for a place to buy in the Bigfork area. After a search of the area restaurants that were for sale, we decided that the only way we would be able to get what we really wanted would be to build a place of our own design. We bought the property in Bigfork and started the process of building a home and restaurant and moving to the United States. It is a difficult task to immigrate to Montana from Italy. There is a great deal of paperwork to fill out and many hours spent getting the proper documentation together. Combine this with the complexity of building a restaurant and a home at the same time and you can understand that the last three years have been quite an adventure."
The results of the Moroldos' efforts are spectacular. The restaurant, is beautiful. The dining room is cozy and inviting with warm colors and a charming atmosphere complete with river rock fireplace and a living room like setting that serves as a focal point for the dining area. The kitchen gleams with stainless steel and everything, from floor to ceiling, is spotless. There is abundant room and every essential implement for creating delicious meals. During my first interview with Fabrizio, the kitchen was filled with the delightful smells of cooking as he prepared a soup for that evening's meals. He moves about the wonderfully designed and equipped workspace with a twinkle in his eye and classical Italian music playing on the stereo. He is proud of his Italian heritage and explains that he comes from Friuli, that part of Italy that borders on Austria. "Although I am happy to be living in America, I want to be true to my Italian heritage. That's why you won't find any American/Italian dishes on our menu. What we offer is true Northern Italian cooking, the same kind of food you would eat if you actually visit Northern Italy.

The state of the art kitchen is spotless.

Laura, Kimberley, Ethan and Frabizio.

 As a part of their effort to provide a true Italian dining experience, they are planning to have an evening dedicated to an old fashioned family style Italian dinner. "We would like to invite all the people of this area who are of Italian heritage to join us for this special evening of sharing their stories and meeting other Italians in the area." The concept is to host an evening dedicated to capturing the essence in food and atmosphere of an extended Italian family having dinner together. There will be multiple courses with each course freshly made and served family style. There will be time to enjoy the flavors and the conversation just as they do in Italy. Watch for an ad in the Journal to learn more about when this event will occur and the specifics of the menu.
Now that I have told you about this wonderful family and their beautiful restaurant, you might be wondering where it is located. Moroldos is located at 7951 Hwy. 35 just off highway 35 on the northern end of greater Bigfork. As you travel through the area known as ice box canyon just north of Architectural Innovations there is a brown brick building that is home to Crossroads Christian Fellowship and Bigfork Gymnastics. As you approach this building you will see a small sign with the colors of the Italian flag. You will see a turn-in for this building and also for a road that leads up and over the hill on the east side of the canyon. Take this road over the hill and follow it to the new brown building on the left side of the road. It is in this building that the experience of authentic Northern Italian hospitality and cooking awaits you.

Ethan and Kimberley

The family poses for a picture in the dining room.

 Moroldo's is currently serving dinner Wednesday through Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. On Monday nights Fabrizio offers authentic Italian cooking classes - by reservation only. On Wednesday nights he features a special Italian three-course pasta menu for $22.90 per person. The days and hours of operation will vary with the seasons. It is recommended that you make a reservation since the facility is designed to be intimate and uncrowded. Their telephone number is 837-2720.
Once again, Bigfork has been blessed with a wonderful family living out their dream here in our little corner of the last best place. I want to take this opportunity to welcome Fabrizio, Laura, Kimberley and Ethan to our community and to encourage everyone who loves good food to experience authentic Northern Italian dishes served with old world charm and loving care by the Moroldo family.
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