Already on a short list of the world's sublime mountain locations, Red Lodge
is also becoming a mecca of artisan food production with specialty retailer
Babcock and Miles at the epicenter.
Karen and Andrew Porth, a neurologist and an architect respectively, fell in love with Red Lodge in 2005. An original Montana mining settlement near the historic gateway to Yellowstone Park, it is now an internationally renowned resort area, but far distant from the delectable fare of a major metropolis. So to satisfy their own hunger for fine cuisine, the Porths opened Babcock and Miles in 2008.
Determined to save a building that “needed love”, the Porths purchased one of Red Lodge’s oldest and most notorious landmarks. A former brothel turned girls school turned bike shop turned bakery, the structure was literally rotting from the ground up when they started renovation. Extensive repairs, which included lifting the entire building in order to construct a new foundation, took place before detailed exterior restoration could begin.
Karen and Andrew their shop with curated selections of the best cheeses, wines and specialty foods available from both local suppliers and throughout the world. The crowning touch was hiring a dedicated professional staff that customers have come to know as a consulting resource even when they are outside of Red Lodge.
Karen and Andrew Porth, a neurologist and an architect respectively, fell in love with Red Lodge in 2005. An original Montana mining settlement near the historic gateway to Yellowstone Park, it is now an internationally renowned resort area, but far distant from the delectable fare of a major metropolis. So to satisfy their own hunger for fine cuisine, the Porths opened Babcock and Miles in 2008.
Determined to save a building that “needed love”, the Porths purchased one of Red Lodge’s oldest and most notorious landmarks. A former brothel turned girls school turned bike shop turned bakery, the structure was literally rotting from the ground up when they started renovation. Extensive repairs, which included lifting the entire building in order to construct a new foundation, took place before detailed exterior restoration could begin.
Karen and Andrew their shop with curated selections of the best cheeses, wines and specialty foods available from both local suppliers and throughout the world. The crowning touch was hiring a dedicated professional staff that customers have come to know as a consulting resource even when they are outside of Red Lodge.
The shop sends products to all parts of the country on an almost daily
basis. Steve Haman, resident Wine Buyer (update! Steve bought the shop from the Proths in 2016 and is now the owner.), regularly advises customers
from outside Montana about wines that he personally can't sell to them because of state laws. It is this level of trust
and service that allows such a high end shop to flourish in a small Montana
resort town of under 2,500 residents.
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| Assorted French Vinaigre | Assorted Imported Pasta |
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| Babcock and Miles Spices | The Finest Tools and Supplies |
Babcock and Miles is slightly hidden
from the beaten path, though in Red Lodge that only means turning a corner
off the main street.
Babcock &
Miles, Ltd.
105 12th St, Red Lodge, MT
105 12th St, Red Lodge, MT
(406) 446-1796