There’s something for everyone at Plonk, a Missoula staple for cocktails, wine, and Mediterranean food that opened over a decade ago.
“It’s a country wine bar,” said regional manager John Prugh, in an effort to sum up Plonk’s welcoming ambiance and low-key decadence.
In keeping with that description, the space above the bar—and across from a low wall displaying wine bottles—is decorated with brands. The intent was to imitate the wall above the bar at Plonk’s Bozeman location, which opened in 2003. There, the owners chipped away at the plaster hoping to expose brick and found a wall of brands dating from, according to John, the original Stockman’s Bar that served Gallatin Valley beginning in the late 1800s.
“When we opened, they wanted to bring that vibe here,” John said of the Missoula location. Some of the brands signify local ranches, and others are made up.
Another part of Plonk’s vibe is what John called a “create your own adventure environment,” with cafe-style seating by the front window, high tops and a bar as you make your way deeper into the restaurant, and a sit down dining area and lounge seating all the way in the back.
“You could be having a nice bottle of wine and dinner, and across the walkway people could be having beers just getting off the ski slopes,” he said. “That’s different from any other place in town that I’m aware of.”
Co-owner Brett Evje agreed, highlighting Plonk’s beauty and versatility as a gathering place.
“It’s a place for people to gather and have conversation,” he said. “We specifically don’t have televisions.”
And don’t miss the upstairs patio, he added. “That area up there is really something special. We get the plant growth and everything up there is pretty spectacular.”
Chef de cuisine Andrew Stubbs encourages first time visitors to Plonk to order the mushroom tart appetizer, which contains maitake mushrooms, gruyere cheese, and caramelized onion.
“It’s savory and sweet at the same time, with the nice flaky crust of the tart,” he said.
From Scotland originally, Andrew is aiming toward Mediterranean flavors with Plonk’s food menu.
“A lot of the wines are from those countries,” he said. “I like the idea of matching a vibe with food and wine of different cultures, but maybe I’ll try to sneak some haggis in there.”
And bartender Barry Fowler steers diners toward the G.F.C. cocktail.
“People are like what is that?” he said. “They see it. It’s visually enticing, and then they immediately order one after I tell them what’s in it.”
Made up of ginger vodka, ginger simple syrup, lemon, lime, and basil, the cocktail name includes a “G” that stands for “good” and a “C” that stands for “cocktail.”
“It’s really simple and really good, and I think that’s the core of our cocktail ideas,” Barry said. “Good ingredients, keep it simple.”
Even the word “plonk” signifies something simple and approachable for all. Believed to derive from World War I era Australian soldiers misunderstanding French soldiers saying “blanc,” as in “vin blanc” or white wine, today the word has a connotation of an inexpensive house wine.
“It’s low-key and not fancy,” John said. “There’s a lot more wine and cocktail bars that have come about in Bozeman and Missoula since then, but that’s what set us apart when we opened.”
Today, something that sets Plonk apart is being open later than many other cocktail bars in Missoula.
“We’re quite enjoyed by our service industry community,” Barry said. “A lot of them come here after shift, 11 to midnight when they don’t want to drink a beer or a vodka cranberry.”
Assistant general manager Katie Corwin grew up coming to Plonk.
“Coming here was always a fun experience because it felt like it was an elevated experience for Missoula standards,” she said. “That’s what really drew me here and made me want to work here—the experience I had as a customer. It doesn’t feel like a typical Montana bar.”
Sidebar:
The Perfect Pairing
The food: Grilled beef filet with peppercorn celeriac purée, scalloped potato, beef celeriac molasses, and crushed marcona almond.
The wine: 2015 Chateau Aney Bordeaux blend (one of several Plonk has available by the glass using Coravin technology)
The why: “The grilled beef filet, it’s heartier, it’s going to pair very well with this Bordeaux mostly because of the earthiness and a little bit of grit. There’s a little bit of cab franc in this blend so the vegetal aspect comes out as well. Kind of a classic one but it definitely plays.” -John Prugh, Plonk regional manager
“It’s a place for people to gather and have conversation." - Brett Evje
“Good ingredients, keep it simple.”