Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1502478
52 IDAHO FALLS MAGAZINE JULY 2023 Growing up outside of Chicago meant that most jobs open to teenagers were in the restaurant in- dustry. ese jobs ranged from working in frenzied fast-food joints to mid-range chains and even high- end supper clubs. While the facades were different, I learned from experience that what happened in the kitchens was generally the same. Same food suppliers, the same bored teens cooking the food. e only real difference was the customers' expec- tations of what they were getting for their money. Fortunately, there were adult managers controlling what came out of the kitchen. Like so many situations in life, it is the personal touch that makes all the difference. Recently, I had someone from a similar-sized city tell me how lucky we were in Idaho Falls to have a Chick-fil-A, Panera, and two Panda Expresses! While these are fine establishments that I do enjoy from time to time, they are part of larger chain franchises designed to deliver a uniform product to a customer, no matter where the location. When you visit a McDonalds in Budapest you get the same tasty French fries as the original McDonalds in Des Plaines, Illinois. at is what a franchise is all about. e restaurants that I really enjoy are the ones that make things in their own unique way, with a personality as unique as the people who create them. Once upon a time, Idaho Falls was lucky enough to have an incredible gastronomical anomaly, a definite wrinkle in the fast-food chain restaurant time/space continuum. Located in what looked like an old metal mechanics garage just off the highway on the edge of town, the Hawg Smoke Café visu- ally offered no clues as to the epicurean delights its owner Chef David Musgrave was able to create. Every dish was as unique as the chef himself. As the name might have indicated, David was a biker. His outward persona definitely leaned towards a Hell's Angel vibe, but he was more like a croquette. Crusty on the outside with a so center. e Hawg Smoke was not your typical restaurant. It had a unique modus operandi in that nothing was uniform. e menu, the fixtures, and the hours of operation were all non-conforming. One time I stopped by mid-week to purchase spots for one of his unique weekend dinner/concert affairs. ere, sitting on what would become one of the large family dining tables, was his torn apart Har- ley. I'm pretty sure the health department doesn't even have a category to address motorcycle mainte- nance on a dining surface. When it came to the menu, you mainly ate whatever Dave wanted you to eat. He chose every- thing from the soup and salad to the entrees and even desserts. Rumor has it that he was trained as a classical chef somewhere either in New Orleans or France. Wherever he learned the cra, it was clear he knew the secret ways to combine ingredients to transform the cuisine from good to incredible! e mismatched plates and cutlery only added to the ambiance. He was all about fusion before the word was even uttered by the first foodie. OUT THERE