M by The Alinea Group Returns to Big Sky This Winter

M by The Alinea Group is coming back to Big Sky for a second season, running from December 10, 2026, to April 3, 2027. Chef Grant Achatz and his team return with guest favorites alongside new courses inspired by a deeper exploration of Montana's landscape.

M returns to its custom space, designed by the award-winning studio Fettle. Anchored by a red travertine bar, earthy hues, and locally sourced wood beams, the interior ties the restaurant into the surrounding peaks and conifer forests.

Montana’s Yellowstone Country had the opportunity to ask Chef Achatz some questions about the upcoming residency.



YC: 'M' held its first residency in Big Sky last year. How did you select Big Sky as the location?

CA: It actually started with Boyne's ownership visiting us in Chicago. We got to know them and got to know Big Sky and what the resort could offer through those conversations. Once we understood the terrain and the setting, it seemed like an exciting challenge for us.

 

YC: The residency was clearly successful as you return for another season. What did you enjoy most about the experience, and what did you find surprising or unexpected?

CA: Honestly, the thing I keep coming back to is the team we built up there. They worked like they'd been cooking side by side for years, not months. That kind of chemistry doesn't happen often, and it's why this feels less like a second attempt and more like getting the band back together. What surprised me was how far people were willing to travel for it. Guests flew in from all over the country just to spend one night with us in the mountains.

 

YC: Being the only restaurant in the Alinea Group located outside of the city, what challenges did you find unique to the area?

CA: Everything about running a restaurant at altitude, in a resort town, on a seasonal calendar is different from Chicago. Sourcing, logistics, staffing- all of it looks different when you're not in a major market. But those constraints ended up shaping some of my favorite parts of the menu, so I don't really think of them as obstacles. They're part of what makes M its own thing.

 

YC: Being a pioneer in Modernist Cuisine, what intrigued you most about the flavors and foods of our western mountain region?

CA: Montana's landscape gave me ingredients and references I don't get to use anywhere else. Last season, that showed up in dishes like the Osetra caviar financier with a spruce tip-infused apple broth, and an ice cream churned from a charred ponderosa pine log.

 

YC: Any clues as to what new surprises guests can expect this season?

CA: Guests will see some of the dishes they loved come back. We spent more time this year really digging into what makes this region distinct, and that thinking shows up throughout the menu. I don't want to give too much away, but the through line is still the same mountain setting paired with the kind of technique we're known for.



M is the only restaurant in The Alinea Group's portfolio outside a major city, and the only stop from their 20th Anniversary World Tour coming back for a second season. Reservations open Sept. 24, with the restaurant opening Dec. 10, 2026, through April 3, 2027.