Missouri
Bismarck's Huckleberry House serves up fancy fleischkuechle with Missouri River views
BISMARCK — Like many Bismarck-Mandan natives, Chris Tello grew up in a community where the mighty Missouri River was the go-to place for summer sun and fun.
He fondly recalls boating the wide, blue river and family outings to ride the Lewis and Clark Riverboat or visit Captain Meriwether’s Landing, a former train depot-turned-restaurant by the Grant Marsh Bridge.
Now Tello is grown, has a family of his own and still enjoys the river. But he also depends on it for his livelihood.
Three summers ago, Tello opened the Huckleberry House restaurant at Bismarck’s 1700 River Road — the same spot where Captain Meriwether’s stood before it was ravaged by flood waters in 2011 and had to be demolished.
Inspired by the post-and-beam warehouses that lined the riverfront in the 19th century, the restaurant seats 84 inside and 100 on the deck. It is an airy, window-filled space with glass garage doors offering a spectacular river view.
Tammy Swift / The Forum
The cuisine, described as “Nordic-inspired modern comfort food,” seems cozy and familiar for locals with Scandinavian or German-Russian roots. Fleischkuechle. Kuchen. Swedish meatballs. Knoephla soup.
But these comforting standards have been upgraded in creative and surprising ways. The Huckleberry’s chef, Cody Monson, may be from Williston, N.D., but his Le Cordon Bleu training shows in the mild curry he infuses into the knoephla or the humble local chokecherry he transforms into a sweet-and-sour gastrique sauce.
The end result, Tello said, is food that is familiar, but carries a whimsical twist. “People are used to tater tot hotdish, but then we do that in a different way,” he said. “We elevate it a little bit, but it’s still approachable.”
Contributed / Quinn Oberlander
Getting their Hucks in a row
Tello didn’t start out in food, but in finance.
The St. Mary’s Central High School grad earned a bachelor’s in finance and entrepreneurial management from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management in 2006. Different positions with IBM took him from Rochester, Minn., to New York. He also lived briefly in Detroit and Kansas City.
While exploring these different communities helped shape Tello’s appreciation for diverse cuisines, he couldn’t envision running the “rat race” of corporate America for the rest of his career.
He returned to his hometown for an extended visit and to consider his next career move. Bolstered by the western North Dakota oil boom, Bismarck had welcomed interesting new eateries like Laughing Son Brewery and Fire Flour Pizza.
If locals were receptive to these fresh, new dining concepts, he thought, maybe he could start something innovative there, too.
It also helped that he met Julia Kubesh, his future wife and owner of Hi Honey Salon, there. The couple and a third partner opened Terra Nomad, a combination coffee shop, clothing store and multipurpose event space in downtown Bismarck, in 2015.
In 2018, they were approached by Aaron Barth, executive director of the Missouri Valley Heritage Alliance (formerly the Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation ). The alliance, which runs the Lewis and Clark Riverboat and cultivates historical tourism throughout the area, had leased land from the city with plans to rebuild a restaurant/visitors’ center/organization office/ticketing office at the site of the old Captain Merriwether’s.
It was part of a larger plan to enhance riverfront development with a manicured beach, a hotel and other attractions in the area.
Contributed / Quinn Oberlander
“The Foundation would like to be able to turn this into a whole neighborhood,” Tello said. “I said, ‘Whatever it is, I want to be a part of it.’”
Tello then met Monson, who ran the Up North food truck. Tello had the vision and business background, while Monson had paid his dues in Twin Cities’ restaurants and had the necessary food and kitchen knowledge.
The alliance’s $3.5-million, 3,500-square-foot building, named The Heritage River Landing, was completed in 2022 following COVID delays. Its restaurant opened as the Huckleberry House, named after Samuel Clemens’/Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn and his river-rafting, steamboat-hopping ways. (Clemens himself was a former boatmate of legendary riverboat captain Grant Marsh, who piloted the upper Missouri River and for whom the bridge over the Landing is named.)
Curried knoephla and lefse cake
The restaurant is open, airy and Nordic in design, with shiplap walls, soaring, exposed-rafter ceilings and sleek Scandinavian furnishings. Conversation areas and plants are gathered in convivial groupings, including a spot with a streamlined wood-burning stove.
Tammy Swift / The Forum
“We leaned into the Scandinavian, kind of minimalistic vibe,” said Tello. “In the summer, nine times out of 10, people are sitting outside. But when it gets to be winter, it’s very much like a chalet … it’s just as beautiful in the winter.”
Although the Huckleberry’s fare is described as “Nordic-inspired modern comfort food,” the current menu seems to contain as many German-Russian specialties as Scandinavian ones.
That means items like fleischkuechle minus the fleisch, or meat. Instead of a ground-beef filling inside a thick, deep-fried (and often greasy) bread pocket, it is light, crispy and filled with potatoes, onions, farmer’s cheese and dill. A thin drizzle of birch sap syrup adds a sweet note.
Tammy Swift / The Forum
The pumpkin knoephla soup features the familiar creamy base and tiny dumplings, but also gets an unexpected South Asian twist from mild vadouvan curry (a mix of cumin, fenugreek, mustard seeds, cardamom, coriander, turmeric, cloves, nutmeg chile flakes, shallots and garlic).
German-Russian cheese buttons get gentrified with “almost burnt cream,” roasted cauliflower, smoked bison sausage, toasted rye crumb, crispy onions and thyme.
A few of the dishes are more German-German than German-Russian, like the schnitzel or the “fine schwein,” a smoked, bone-in pork loin served with sweet potato and ham hash, lingonberry-black garlic barbecue sauce and charred scallion.
The menu features some Nordic nods as well. The Huckleberry House’s take on smørbrød — the traditional, open-faced Scandinavian sandwich — consists of seared rare beef, whipped Danish blue cheese, mead-roasted onions, micro-arugala and grilled rye bread.
Here, lefse is served as Ole and Lena never envisioned it: stacked high — like French crepe cakes — but layered with Dakota-made Sunbutter, a thick, indulgent cream and either fruit or a salted caramel drizzle.
Contributed / Quinn Oberlander
Prices range from $9 for a bowl of Indian-infused knoephla soup to $33 for a dill and pepper-crusted ribeye served with chokecherry gastrique and the “loaded Hasselback potato.”
Overall, customers have been receptive to the Huckleberry’s less-conventional spin on conventional standards. “People have loved it and it’s been different for the community, but like with anything, you can’t cater to everyone. We have to play a strategic role in that we want to push the boundaries but we don’t want to push it too much,” he said.
Contributed / Quinn Oberlander
One challenge for the restaurant has been last summer’s road construction on both I-94 and River Road, which is the main access road to The Landing. The eatery especially depends on heavy summer business to make up for the leaner winter months, he added.
However, business has been bolstered by The Landing’s appeal as an event spot. The building’s loft area seats 30 and is ideal for smaller gatherings. But the entire facility has also been rented out for everything from corporate parties to weddings with custom-built menus of Indian dishes.
Through it all, Tello said it’s the positive responses from customers that makes the long hours and hard work worthwhile. “When someone eats something and you kind of see their eyes and see they’re pleasantly surprised, I think we have that pretty frequently,” he said.
Open Wednesday-Sunday; for hours, go to: .
https://www.huckleberryhouse.co/ for hours.
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at April 21, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from April 21 drawing
01-36-43-56-58, Mega Ball: 07
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 21 drawing
Midday: 0-0-9
Midday Wild: 9
Evening: 0-7-4
Evening Wild: 0
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 21 drawing
Midday: 4-2-2-8
Midday Wild: 4
Evening: 9-4-7-5
Evening Wild: 9
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from April 21 drawing
Early Bird: 14
Morning: 05
Matinee: 03
Prime Time: 02
Night Owl: 12
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from April 21 drawing
17-19-22-25-29
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.
To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:
Ticket Redemption
Missouri Lottery
P.O. Box 7777
Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777
For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
- Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
- Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
- Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
- Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.
The Missouri House passed a bill Monday that would force entities receiving state funding to restrict usage of restrooms, changing areas, and sleeping accommodations based on biological sex and codify definitions for “female,” “male,” and “sex” throughout state statute.
State Rep. Becky Laubinger, a Republican from Park Hills, pitched the legislation as a “vital protection for women.” Lax policies and all-gender restrooms, like facilities in the Kansas City International Airport, invite predators, she argued.
“This is about our government facilities forcing people to share those spaces by creating all gender spaces where you don’t have the option in those spaces to go to a single sex space,” Laubinger said.
But during a House debate over the bill’s language last week, Democrats raised numerous issues with the legislation, saying it would be used to target transgender people.
“If you can just call the police and accuse someone of using the wrong bathroom, think about the implications of that,” said state Rep. Wick Thomas, a Kansas City Democrat and the House’s first transgender member.
The bill lacks an enforcement mechanism, other than allowing people to sue state-funded entities that do not “take reasonable steps” to designate single-sex spaces.
The bill’s fiscal note reflects concerns about costly litigation, though state departments could not estimate how much they will be impacted.
The University of Central Missouri projected “an indeterminate fiscal impact,” pointing to the “costs associated with enforcement of the regulations.”
The bill would require public universities to restrict dorm rooms, bathrooms, and locker rooms based on biological sex. It states that, “no individual shall enter a restroom, changing room or sleeping quarters that is designated for females or males unless he or she is a member of that sex.”
State Rep. Keri Ingle, a Democrat from Lee’s Summit, asked if this would bar college students from having students of the opposite sex in their dorm rooms overnight.
Laubinger said she had heard complaints from college students who felt uncomfortable when their roommate allowed a significant other to sleep over.
“I understand someone not wanting a boy over,” Ingle said. “I don’t know why we would legislate that. I don’t know why we would put that in the statute.”
State Rep. Mark Boyko, a Democrat from Kirkwood, said the bill would bar men from visiting women’s dorm rooms at any time. He wouldn’t be allowed to help his daughter set up her dorm room as a man, he said.
“I understand the intention you’re having,” he told Laubinger. “But the words don’t match your intention of this bill.”
House Republicans offered broad support, calling the bill a basic safety measure.
State Rep. Carolyn Caton, a Blue Springs Republican, said she thinks the legislation would be a “good protection.
“If nothing else, I think it just eases some young ladies’ minds,” she said.
The bill passed along party lines Monday, apart from a lone Republican “nay” from state Rep. Tara Peters of Rolla, who also voted against the bill at the committee level.
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at April 20, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from April 20 drawing
09-17-36-47-64, Powerball: 26, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 20 drawing
Midday: 6-4-7
Midday Wild: 1
Evening: 0-2-2
Evening Wild: 2
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 20 drawing
Midday: 5-1-9-1
Midday Wild: 9
Evening: 2-5-8-0
Evening Wild: 4
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from April 20 drawing
Early Bird: 12
Morning: 10
Matinee: 09
Prime Time: 03
Night Owl: 06
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from April 20 drawing
01-11-14-16-18
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from April 20 drawing
04-29-35-40-43, Powerball: 21
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.
To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:
Ticket Redemption
Missouri Lottery
P.O. Box 7777
Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777
For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
- Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
- Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
- Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
- Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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