ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – There are few restaurants that are as ingrained in a city as Montano\u2019s International Gourmet in Roanoke. Over 50 years in business and they\u2019re always open to something new. We\u2019re \u2018Making it Montano\u2019s\u2019 in this week\u2019s Hometown Eats!<\/p>\n
\u201cWe went from Towers Mall, where we served 12 guests. Now we have 272 seats,\u201d said Montano\u2019s owner Marty Montano.<\/p>\n
You don\u2019t add 20 times the number of seats in a restaurant by accident; you do it with a track record of success.<\/p>\n
All you need is one lap around Montano\u2019s International Gourmet Restaurant in Roanoke with Marty Montano and you\u2019ll see why.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have truffles, real Italian gelato, sliced cakes, pies, and desserts, all these wines are on the menu, all our international beer, fresh baked bread from bread craft bakery, this is our bar area, sort of a sports bar atmosphere, Saturdays we have live jazz, Wednesdays we have $1.50 oysters,\u201d listed Montano.<\/p>\n
Not one but two private banquet rooms and a row of awards, so you get the idea; there\u2019s a lot going on at Montano\u2019s. However, this idea nearly floored Marty\u2019s mother when his father Phil told her back in 1969.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy dad had a wild idea. He quit his job with Allstate Insurance Company and came home and told my mother. You could\u2019ve knocked her over with a feather,\u201d said Montano.<\/p>\n
Once mom was on board, Phil picked up that feather, put it in his cap, and started to build something special in the Star City.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe used to drive a white van to Washington, DC to pick up kosher deli foods, all the wines, and beers and would bring them back,\u201d said Montano.<\/p>\n
Over time, Marty started seeing trends change, and prices for the high-end goods lower at grocery stores, so he cooked up an idea of his own.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got quite a pushback from my dad when I decided to do the restaurant rather than a gourmet shop, so when I saw the writing on the wall, I decided, wait a minute, so I turned everything into a restaurant,\u201d said Montano.<\/p>\n
And it worked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been coming here 20-plus years,\u201d said regular customer Denny.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I come to Roanoke from the lake, I come here,\u201d added another regular, Cheryl.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur first sandwich on the menu was a po\u2019boy sandwich and with chips and a pickle it was $1.09,\u201d joked Montano.<\/p>\n
Now, that menu has evolved into a true international farm-to-table taste bud trip.<\/p>\n
\u201cCouldn\u2019t be more proud of what we\u2019ve created here, it\u2019s just a wonderful experience. There\u2019s something on the menu for everyone, Logan,\u201d said Montano.<\/p>\n
And Marty wanted me to try everything. Traditional breakfast, smoked salmon tartine, Cuban sandwich, fish tacos, New Orleans BBQ shrimp, bacon wrapped scallops, homemade macaroni & potato salad, crab cakes, and naturally a shrimp pasta dish.<\/p>\n
Marty keeps his eye trained on what\u2019s popular; again, the menu is always evolving. You probably wouldn\u2019t believe it but there are even ramen and poke bowls!<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I see an established trend and it seems to be moving in a positive direction, then I may absorb that onto my menu,\u201d said Montano.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t you dare walk out without a tower of cheesecake. In all, Marty had more than 50 different dishes, drinks, desserts on display for the Hometown Eats filming. The most I\u2019ve ever seen in the now two-plus years shooting this series!<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the atmosphere, it\u2019s the food, the ownership, they just make you feel like you\u2019re at home,\u201d said Denny.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love the food here, it\u2019s delicious,\u201d said regular customer Betty.<\/p>\n
\u201cLiterally a plethora of items that you\u2019ll love,\u201d added Montano.<\/p>\n
Montano\u2019s, a hometown eat with worldwide flavor and small-town hospitality.<\/p>\n
Montano\u2019s is located at 3733 Franklin Rd SW, Roanoke, VA 24014 and open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.<\/p>\n
Montano\u2019s also offers a variety of catering options.<\/p>\n
Copyright 2024 WDBJ. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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