I am looking at a job that is close to Great Falls(there are many boutique hotels that pay well for experienced Chefs like myself). So, I need just a few bits of info about the area.

I live in Great Falls (Black Eagle technically) Where did you find a boutique hotel anywhere near Great Falls? Just had to ask because I am not familiar with any in the area. There are maybe two restaurants in Great Falls that may employ "Chef's" Jakers,Dante's and possibly the Meadowlark country club.
Wages are going to be lower than the national average and rent varies by what you want/expect and can afford. Not a lot of "big city" night life stuff around here so I hope you like dive bars,casino's for entertainment. Plenty of stuff to do outdoors though with mountains all around and the river running right through the middle of town. Anything else you want to know feel free to ask.

My wife was born in Gt Falls, as was her mother, her grandmother and her great grandmother, I don't remember any boutique hotel's, which hotel are you talking about?

Great Falls is a typical Montana Plains town, Black Eagle can be fun.

I can't say that there is anything particularly exciting about Great Falls, go to the west a bit and you are in good elk country, go to the east a bit and you are in good pronghorn country.

I do remember there was a pretty good Chinese restaurant just across the river from the last hotel we stayed in.

What specific ya want to know? I'm a local.

The hotel is about 30-40 min outside great falls in a small town. They are full every summer(tourism) and still do pretty well in the winter. They are paying pretty well($50k+) and it is something I am considering, so I just wNted to know more about the area.

I am not a nightlife type person, so lack of that is no biggie. I am not super outdoorsman, but I would not mind some hiking and, of course, outdoor shooting.

What is a Boutique Hotel?  Ok, a little sarcastic.  How about the old hotel in Fort Benton??

Edited since there was another post while I was doing this one.

Are you looking to commute from Great Falls to there? 

A boutique hotel is a smaller, higher end hotel that is usually privately owned and is focused on being a top notch experience instead of just a place to stay.

The Old Hotel in Fort Benton is who is hiring. They want a highly skilled chef to run the kitchen.

I would most likely live in Fort Benton and go to Great Falls on my days off to get things, do stuff, etc. If I took this job, It would be a two year commitment at the least. So, I want some info about the area.

Ft Benton is a nice quiet community and it is right on the river as well. Housing is fairly affordable from my understanding,not sure about rentals though. It has a small supermarket ect. so you wouldn't have to travel to Great Falls for much, but it is a fairly short drive. Many people commute from there daily.

ETA If I wasn't already settled in Great Falls I would consider FT Benton if employment was available as I wouldn't want the commute.

The owners of the hotel also own a house and an apartment in Fort Benton that they rent out to the chef for a very affordable price. In my case, I would head out, while my wife stays in the Twin Cities, as we want to keep our house there(in a good market, have only 12 years left to pay it off,etc). She would come out for a few weeks at a time with the dogs.

This is just a potential.....not sure if I am going to take the job yet. Still In the get more info stage.

Ft. Benton is a nice quiet place.  Grew up about 30 miles outside of there on a ranch. Thought about moving there a few years ago too.  Lots of fishing to be had there, and of course you could do hunting. It is just a small farming town on the river, out in the plains. Can be windy (although protected a bit down by the river), and does get quite cold there in the in winter.  Other than that, not much to it really.  Lots of really cool history with that hotel!

I like Fort Benton--it was the furthest place up the Missouri where goods could be shipped by boat.  There's a street in Helena (where I live) called Benton Street--it used to be the trail into town for wagons hauling goods from Fort Benton.  Lots of history in Fort Benton--Thomas Francis Meagher died there mysteriously (or not, depending on which story you believe) when he was the territorial governor.  Then, of course, there's the Story of Shep the Dog.

The hotel really is lovely.  Wife and I stayed there one night.  It's a cool spot.

As for Great Falls, I've always liked it.  They have better restaurants than most towns.  The City Bar makes a mean sammich and Borries in Black Eagle ... Mmmm.

Windy pretty much year-round, and cold/windy winters. But you're likely used to cold winters being in MN.

Good luck.

For shooting, you're in luck. I mean, beyond the fact that it's just Montana with lots of open areas full of game animals, game birds, varmint, and predators. The Great Falls Shooting Sports Complex is somewhat new-ish and growing. It's also outside of town going towards Ft. Benton. If you go the other direction along the highway, you end up in Havre that has a fairly decent and somewhat active range facility as well.

Like others have mentioned, the area is full of history to soak in, if that's your thing. People often get wrapped up in the old west and gold rush history, though, and forget some of the rest of Montana's rich history. One example is how the State lies on the border with Canada and was an active place during the prohibition era. Even before then, as licquor flowed northward into Canada during their prohibition that preceded our own, then south when the political climates reversed. Also overlooked during the gold rush era, was the territories' own struggles with the Civil War, which resulted in portions of Montana's gold being sent to both sides in that conflict.

Anyhow, just a small taste of things to give you a start if you're interested. I won't batter you with it all, in case you aren't.

I hunt a ranch just outside of Fort Benton.  Part of the old trading post was on the property and if you know where to look you can still find beads and other artifacts.

Great deer hunting around the entire area.  Pheasants, antelope, ducks, geese, etc.

Winters can be rough.

The pheasants forever banquet in Ft. Benton is epic.  None of the fancy banquet BS, its picnic tables and crab.  Bring your own butter and utensils.

@MetalChef did you take the job? if so and your first initial is J I saw the article in today's newspaper. Give me a shout if you come to Great Falls and I will take you on a tour of the local Microbreweries

50k/year as a chef in Montana???? I am not sure such a thing exists. I know civil engineers who make 50k/year. I would bet the average chef at a "NICE" restaurant makes 25-30k. I have a high suspicion that you have been misled.