let food be the medicine
Community Through Cooking
Chef Melissa Harrison calls Montana home year round. Seasonal Montana’s doors are open spring, summer, fall, and winter. Local, sustainably produced ingredients are abundant in Southwest Montana beginning in early spring, setting the stage for Seasonal moments that evolve as the days get longer, and eventually begin to wane again. Working with local farmers and ranchers to procure the freshest ingredients means that no two meals are alike—each one is a memorable snapshot of a time and a place.
Chef Mel is a passionate advocate for a delicious, clean and fair food economy.
Melissa Harrison was born and raised on a horse farm in Sparks, Maryland. She spent her youth surrounded by farm fresh produce, horses and livestock. Her upbringing influenced her love of food, cooking, and adventure from an early age.
After receiving her culinary degree from Baltimore International College, Melissa relocated to Boulder, Colorado. In Boulder, she worked for several establishments operated by the Big Red F Restaurant Group, owned and operated by Dave & Dana Query, including Centro Latin Kitchen, Jax Fish House and The Bitter Bar. In 2008, Melissa was asked to appear on Bravo's hit television series, Top Chef where she demonstrated her culinary talents and resilience to many respected chefs in New York City.
In 2009, Melissa left the Big Red F Restaurant group to serve as the guest Chef at Rancho Pacifico 5-star Eco Luxury Resort in Costa Rica for two months. From there, she traveled to Martin Pescador Lodge in Patagonia, Chile to serve as Chef during the fishing season for seven years.
During the off-season after her first year in Chile, Melissa found her home in Montana and opened Seasonal Montana in spring of 2011. Seasonal Montana's doors are open Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter. In 2013 she expanded Seasonal Montana to a custom experience company offering unique dining experiences to patrons throughout the west.
In 2019, Chef Mel had her son Hawk who has helped recreate her love for making people happy. Creating food for people is a gift that Melissa takes very seriously. Having her son, Hawk has been a huge part of why she opened Seasonal Montana year round to create culinary magic for clients Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter. Food is love and creating delicious food for clients near and far while loving her son has made her a more well rounded Chef.
Melissa's passion for the culinary arts and farm to table cuisine are showcased in every dish and event she produces throughout Montana. She strives to make your eating experience unforgettable, every time.
