'Mike & Gabe's' plans Jan. 1 opening

When Matt and Nichole Hollingsworth open their restaurant to the public on Jan. 1, the date will culminate a journey that has spanned the last decade — both literally and figuratively.

“We’ve been working on this for about 10 years,” Matt Hollingsworth said. “It’s been a labor of love that has taken us to Florida, Missouri, Texas, Arizona, all over the Southwest. We’ve been gathering our favorite recipes and sauces from all of our travels.”

Their restaurant, Mike & Gabe’s, is located at 36476 U.S. Highway 2, the site of the old Helen’s Tap Room, but it will be much different from the old pub that featured logger’s boots and chainsaws hanging from the ceiling. The couple actually operated under Helen’s, keeping hours to maintain the liquor license.

“We’re trying for a little different clientele,” Nichole Hollingsworth said, looking toward her husband.

“We hope to establish a place where local people can come who might normally go to Kalispell or Bigfork,” Matt Hollingsworth said. “We travel and we see Libby people all over. We want this to be a place where professionals and families can come.”

Family is big with the Hollingsworths. Matt Hollingsworth’s father, Raymond, was the first to greet guests Tuesday, and the couple is expecting their sixth child in March. But the clincher is the title of their restaurant. Mike & Gabe’s is named for the couple’s two oldest children, Mike, 10, and Gabe, 9. The pair will have their hand in the restaurant, too, helping to make the homemade ice cream.

On Tuesday, before Matt and Nichole arrived, the elder Hollingsworth spoke excitedly about the restaurant.

“It’s going to be a place to bring the family,” Ray Hollingsworth said.

In the two main dining areas, the Smokehouse Room and the Lodge Room, there will be combined seating for 99, almost evenly split with slightly more seating in the fore room, the Smokehouse Room.

Seating is comfortable and easy. Nothing too posh, but it’s not Helen’s either.

The décor is clever with corrugated steel panels on the ceiling and “repurposed” steel and girders from an Idaho saw mill as room supports in the Smokehouse Room.

“Everything here is repurposed,” Matt Hollingsworth said, referencing it had another life. “Even the sign out front, except the rooster.”

The Lodge Room is for slightly more elegant dining, where couples can get a great view of the massive stone fireplace, sit in overstuffed chairs or watch the miracle of the 900-degree stone pizza oven that cooks pies in as brief as 2? minutes. In the summer, the restaurant’s patio offers a spectacular view of the Cabinets.

Lighting is quaint, too. Most of the hanging lamps are incandescents with a canning jar as a globe. In the Lodge Room the same fixtures have fashioned corrugated-steel shades, a nice touch that reflects Libby’s subtle outdoorsy demeanor.

Like many couples who start a restaurant, each has their forte. For the Hollingsworths, Nichole is the pastry and baking chef. Matt knows meats, for which Mike & Gabe’s will be known, Matt said, his eyes rolling back into his head as he talked about the Texas beef brisket, pulled pork, turkey breast and other steaks and tacos. Also, the menu includes salads, fish and Friday fish specials  and more.

The restaurant will offer local beers, and in March they plan to open their own micro-brewery line of beers, and a special bar for margaritas and daquiris.

Mike & Gabe’s will offer a brunch on weekends that will feature just about everything on the menu.

“I guarantee there will be something for everyone during brunch,” Matt Hollingsworth said.