Thursday, February 28, 2008
Montano's: Marty gets his groove back
Larry Bly
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My headline doesn't mean to imply that Marty Montano had ever "lost it," but he's really been working lately to make sure that his restaurant keeps its edge, food-wise. Seems as though every time I go in he's trying out some new dish on me. He's been working for more than a year now, redefining his menu, both lunch and dinner, and honing the recipes. Some time ago he told me that "I want our flavors to be more intense ... there's a lot of competition out there now."
In fact, I've never heard anyone complain about the quality of Montano's food -- it's always been first-class -- but an oft-repeated complaint was the size of the menu, especially the dinner menu, which ran on for a dozen or so pages. That's an awful lot to keep up with in the kitchen, for sure.
The new menu has slimmed down somewhat, and it's sharper in its focus.
Montano's International Restaurant still does what it has always done best: sandwiches and deli foods.
But a recent homemade chicken noodle soup special was just chock-full of big white pieces of chicken breast and tons of veggies, hand-cut into big pieces. Same thing with a fellow diner's beef vegetable. The stock used in each was hearty, the veggies fresh and plentiful and the cup brimming with tender beef chunks. Mom's got nothin' on Marty's kitchen when it comes to fresh soups. There are eight soups offered every day: feta potato, seafood gumbo (it's one of the best in town), New England clam chowder, homemade vegetarian vegetable, Brazilian black bean, shrimp bisque, French onion and white bean chicken chili (heart healthy). Plus, daily soup specials!
I recently tried Montano's version of a favorite, the muffuletta, which features assorted cold cuts and cheeses piled high, with genuine Central Grocery of New Orleans olive salad mix, served on ciabatta bread, baked fresh that very morning. The muffuletta is almost too much for lunch, but you can eat half of it and take the rest home. This one is pretty authentic. You can also buy a loaf of the freshly baked bread in the Montano's deli shop as you leave, by the way.
Montano's has always taken the International part of its name very seriously, which is one of the reasons that the menu runs on so. You can get a taste of several countries just by trying out the sandwiches: Cuban-style roast pork (better than many offered locally, which tend to be dry -- Montano's version isn't), Louisiana oyster Po' Boy, Greek gyro, liverwurst, chipotle chicken, Caesar sandwich ciabatta ... you get the idea.
Montano's has introduced some new flavors. The Japanese spicy togarashi tuna is a winner, featuring center-cut tuna seared very rare and then thinly sliced and served with wasabi cream, ginger and Marty's special ponzu sauce.
I loved this appetizer -- and I don't even care for tuna. As one might expect, this one will set you back about $10, but it's well worth it.
Marty is experimenting with some new sauces and flavors for ribs and chops, and the results will please you. I can't go into all the changes here, but there has been a lot of fine-tuning all over the menu.
Montano's has always done seafood and steaks well, and the Cuban palomilla is one for the books: marinated New York strip, cut thinly and quickly grilled. It's served with fried potatoes and bananas. This is a beautiful presentation and an all-around favorite. Other steakhouse offerings include filet, beef bleu, double-rib pork chop, sirloin, baby back ribs (some of the best in town) and something called raspberry duck, which is a grilled boneless breast that is sliced and placed on top of sweet potato "hay," then drizzled with a raspberry pepperoncini sauce. The result is an explosion of flavors. If you like duck, it's worth a try.
I'm grateful that some old favorites remain. The lump crab cake is lightly breaded and perfectly browned to a crisp outside. It's served with homemade slaw, risi e bisi rice and remoulade sauce. The shrimp etouffee has that original Old South flavor that I occasionally long for. And the Spanish paella is a winner, as well. I've had the sweet diver scallops: fat and juicy and tender and served in a beautiful cream sauce over angel-hair pasta.
I'm not sure what's new on the Little Italy section of the menu, but you can't go wrong with Montano's veal Francese or saltimbocca. In fact, for veal lovers, there are at least five choices -- each original Italian recipes.
There's also chicken Corleone (with white wine sauce), chicken artichoke and chicken cacciatore, among others. The Italian seafood section boasts some true local favorites: jumbo shrimp, shrimp Caesar, scallop and shrimp saute, mussels marinara and lobster fra diavolo (6 ounces of lobster, braised in garlic butter and folded into a spicy tomato sauce).
The Brazilian cuisine offers some nice variety: frango picante, feijoada, pollo tropical, chicken copacabana, beef boiadeiro, shrimp Baiana, moqueca, peixe porto seguro, scallops Rio De Janeiro and shrimp salteado. I'm not much on Brazilian cuisine, so you'll have to judge for yourself. My fellow Brazilian diners give it two thumbs up.
I'm not sure how any kitchen can keep up with so many offerings, but they manage to do it quite well, thank you. And Marty is always trying things: He is a true chef, after all. Which reminds me of a mildly amusing moment with Marty. He got in my face one day many years ago about "doing a cooking show on TV when you're not even a chef." I had to explain to him that you don't have to be a chef to do a TV cooking show. It is, after all, just TV. You can be a great chef and do a lousy TV show; or you can be a lousy chef and do a great TV show. Show biz is funny that way.
Two things I forgot to mention: there are legions of pasta dishes also on the menu, and Montano's has just introduced a slew of new and very different desserts, some quite exotic and unusual. I tried one that features a dark-chocolate-drizzled white chocolate coating with a soft interior that's something between ice cream and pudding. Fruit is hidden within the final layer. It's very complex, and I cannot remember what it's called (it's not on the regular menu). You should ask for the dessert menu, which is so extensive that it's a separate printed piece.
Montano's will always be great -- so long as Marty Montano is never satisfied that it's as good as it can be.
MONTANO'S INTERNATIONAL RESTAURANT
(Deli, catering, banquets)
Townside Festival Shopping Center
3733 Franklin Road, Roanoke, VA
540-344-8960
In fact, I've never heard anyone complain about the quality of Montano's food -- it's always been first-class -- but an oft-repeated complaint was the size of the menu, especially the dinner menu, which ran on for a dozen or so pages. That's an awful lot to keep up with in the kitchen, for sure.
The new menu has slimmed down somewhat, and it's sharper in its focus.
Montano's International Restaurant still does what it has always done best: sandwiches and deli foods.
But a recent homemade chicken noodle soup special was just chock-full of big white pieces of chicken breast and tons of veggies, hand-cut into big pieces. Same thing with a fellow diner's beef vegetable. The stock used in each was hearty, the veggies fresh and plentiful and the cup brimming with tender beef chunks. Mom's got nothin' on Marty's kitchen when it comes to fresh soups. There are eight soups offered every day: feta potato, seafood gumbo (it's one of the best in town), New England clam chowder, homemade vegetarian vegetable, Brazilian black bean, shrimp bisque, French onion and white bean chicken chili (heart healthy). Plus, daily soup specials!
I recently tried Montano's version of a favorite, the muffuletta, which features assorted cold cuts and cheeses piled high, with genuine Central Grocery of New Orleans olive salad mix, served on ciabatta bread, baked fresh that very morning. The muffuletta is almost too much for lunch, but you can eat half of it and take the rest home. This one is pretty authentic. You can also buy a loaf of the freshly baked bread in the Montano's deli shop as you leave, by the way.
Montano's has always taken the International part of its name very seriously, which is one of the reasons that the menu runs on so. You can get a taste of several countries just by trying out the sandwiches: Cuban-style roast pork (better than many offered locally, which tend to be dry -- Montano's version isn't), Louisiana oyster Po' Boy, Greek gyro, liverwurst, chipotle chicken, Caesar sandwich ciabatta ... you get the idea.
Montano's has introduced some new flavors. The Japanese spicy togarashi tuna is a winner, featuring center-cut tuna seared very rare and then thinly sliced and served with wasabi cream, ginger and Marty's special ponzu sauce.
I loved this appetizer -- and I don't even care for tuna. As one might expect, this one will set you back about $10, but it's well worth it.
Marty is experimenting with some new sauces and flavors for ribs and chops, and the results will please you. I can't go into all the changes here, but there has been a lot of fine-tuning all over the menu.
Montano's has always done seafood and steaks well, and the Cuban palomilla is one for the books: marinated New York strip, cut thinly and quickly grilled. It's served with fried potatoes and bananas. This is a beautiful presentation and an all-around favorite. Other steakhouse offerings include filet, beef bleu, double-rib pork chop, sirloin, baby back ribs (some of the best in town) and something called raspberry duck, which is a grilled boneless breast that is sliced and placed on top of sweet potato "hay," then drizzled with a raspberry pepperoncini sauce. The result is an explosion of flavors. If you like duck, it's worth a try.
I'm grateful that some old favorites remain. The lump crab cake is lightly breaded and perfectly browned to a crisp outside. It's served with homemade slaw, risi e bisi rice and remoulade sauce. The shrimp etouffee has that original Old South flavor that I occasionally long for. And the Spanish paella is a winner, as well. I've had the sweet diver scallops: fat and juicy and tender and served in a beautiful cream sauce over angel-hair pasta.
I'm not sure what's new on the Little Italy section of the menu, but you can't go wrong with Montano's veal Francese or saltimbocca. In fact, for veal lovers, there are at least five choices -- each original Italian recipes.
There's also chicken Corleone (with white wine sauce), chicken artichoke and chicken cacciatore, among others. The Italian seafood section boasts some true local favorites: jumbo shrimp, shrimp Caesar, scallop and shrimp saute, mussels marinara and lobster fra diavolo (6 ounces of lobster, braised in garlic butter and folded into a spicy tomato sauce).
The Brazilian cuisine offers some nice variety: frango picante, feijoada, pollo tropical, chicken copacabana, beef boiadeiro, shrimp Baiana, moqueca, peixe porto seguro, scallops Rio De Janeiro and shrimp salteado. I'm not much on Brazilian cuisine, so you'll have to judge for yourself. My fellow Brazilian diners give it two thumbs up.
I'm not sure how any kitchen can keep up with so many offerings, but they manage to do it quite well, thank you. And Marty is always trying things: He is a true chef, after all. Which reminds me of a mildly amusing moment with Marty. He got in my face one day many years ago about "doing a cooking show on TV when you're not even a chef." I had to explain to him that you don't have to be a chef to do a TV cooking show. It is, after all, just TV. You can be a great chef and do a lousy TV show; or you can be a lousy chef and do a great TV show. Show biz is funny that way.
Two things I forgot to mention: there are legions of pasta dishes also on the menu, and Montano's has just introduced a slew of new and very different desserts, some quite exotic and unusual. I tried one that features a dark-chocolate-drizzled white chocolate coating with a soft interior that's something between ice cream and pudding. Fruit is hidden within the final layer. It's very complex, and I cannot remember what it's called (it's not on the regular menu). You should ask for the dessert menu, which is so extensive that it's a separate printed piece.
Montano's will always be great -- so long as Marty Montano is never satisfied that it's as good as it can be.
MONTANO'S INTERNATIONAL RESTAURANT
(Deli, catering, banquets)
Townside Festival Shopping Center
3733 Franklin Road, Roanoke, VA
540-344-8960
