New Fall Menu at the Top Hat

“A menu that reaches across the spectrum of palates” — that’s how Top Hat’s Head Chef, Craig Thomas, describes the new fall menu.

Leaning on the Top Hat’s core philosophy of fresh, made from scratch dishes, the new menu integrates a wide range of flavors that will please the casual diner as well as the most selective food connoisseurs. 

Whether you’re looking for a unique spin on a classic, like the Truffle Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, or a meticulously plated, high end entree like the Curried Pan Seared Halibut, this menu is fit for all. There’s also a wide range of vegetarian, vegan, gluten & dairy free options, so everyone in Missoula can find a meal they enjoy.

The Green Curry, a specialty of Sous Chef, Thomas Turina, is dairy & gluten free. It’s made with a colorful medley of baby corn, yellow onion, red bell pepper, carrot, snow peas, broccoli, basmati rice, ginger, coconut milk, grilled lime, peanuts and cilantro. Choose your choice of meat or order it with tofu to make it vegan.

Looking for another vegan option? Try the Brussel Taco that’s packed with crispy brussel sprouts, spicy coconut Sriracha, purple cabbage and curried coconut cashew dust. Even if you don’t usually order vegan food, we highly recommend this dish. 

The gluten free, protein-centric Chicken Thigh is loaded with flavor. The handiwork of Kitchen Manager, Nick Hagstrom, it offers an array of textures including mole sauce, apple cider vinegar gastrique, an apple, mushroom & red lentil medley, pickled fresno oil and local microgreens from Farm Hand Farms.

Other new offerings include the Balsamic Chanterelle Mushroom Medley (the brainchild of Lead Cook, Rosie Gutierrez), Crispy Feta Chicken Sandwich, Crispy Chicken Mole Tacos, Rum Pudding, and Grandma’s Oatmeal Cake. That last dessert item actually comes from an old recipe that Craig’s grandma gave to him.

When asked what his pride and joy of the menu is, Craig says:

“Honestly, the whole thing. After 6 years of learning the ins and outs of this kitchen, I’m really excited to present this first menu as Head Chef. More than anything, I’m proud of the people in this kitchen. We’ve worked closely with each other to dial in each of these dishes. Open discussion and collaboration were the most important elements while creating this menu. We’re lucky to have a talented group of people that truly love the process of cooking. It shows through in our dishes and makes it fun to work together. This is one of the best teams I’ve worked with and the most excited I’ve been about a menu. I hope Missoula loves it.”

Stop by soon to try a new item off the menu and see for yourself why the Top Hat was voted by Missoulians as having some of the best food in the Garden City. The Top Hat kitchen is open 11:00am-10:00pm, Monday-Saturday.

Shoutout to our awesome Front of House Manager, Beth Sutter, for taking all our food photos!