The Roanoker - November/December 2018 - 39

50 YEARS OF GOURMET FOOD:

MONTANO'S

With 27 wins in this year's Dining Awards, Montano's serves up delicious
meals with fresh ingredients and personalized customer service that keeps
patrons coming back.

Ω

COURTESY OF MONTANO'S / NOAH MAGNIFICO

Before Montano's
Montano's restaurant wasn't always called by this name. Forty-nine
years ago, Phil Montano and John Guzi named their gourmet food store
International Gourmet Shops of VA, then International Gourmet, when
they opened its second location at
Towers Mall. It was affectionately
dubbed the "I.G." Both the Cave
Spring and Tower's Mall locations
featured fresh deli sandwiches,
Roanoke's first Italian sub and
homemade side salads from scratch.
Phil Montano's idea to open his
gourmet deli came from his New
Jersey roots. Roanoke did not have
any Italian, European or Asian
specialties at the time. Since Mr.
Montano traveled to Washington
D.C. for his job, he would bring back
Italian foods for all of his friends,
eventually going into the gourmet
food business.
In 1974, the deli became Towers
International Gourmet, growing from
12 seats to 80 under the direction of
Mr. Montano's son, Marty, who started
working at the shop while in grade
school cleaning and stocking shelves.
Montano's
Montano's restaurant is currently located at Townside Festival
Shopping Center near Tanglewood Mall. Marty Montano is the owner
of this multi-faceted, full service restaurant that has grown from its
original 150 seats to 252. The deli counter is still there, but is now
filled with homemade desserts and truffles. It features gourmet
coffees, Roanoke's largest craft beer selection and a Wine Spectator
award-winning list.
Phil Montano, who Marty says was his mentor and best friend,
passed away at nearly 100 years of age. Montano's celebrates its 50th
anniversary next year. Montano still finds it hard to believe, "Wow, who
would have thought 50 years."
Montano's is the winner of more than 120 local dining awards in

The Roanoker. This year,
they are recognized in an
astounding 27 categories,
the most ever won, with
s i x P l a t i n u m aw a rd s ,
including Best Southwest
City/County. Montano and
his staff credit their success
to the constantly evolving
business, with new and exciting items, along with a consistently
large volume of guests.
Montano's showcases the area's largest independent microbrew
beer selection in the valley. They have a 40-foot bar offering some of
the best craft cocktails in town and over 50 bourbons and whiskeys.
Potters ranch in Lexington supplies the fresh ground beef;
Garden Variety Harvest brings freshly grown vegetables; seafood
is outsourced from a sustainable supplier; fresh baked breads are
delivered from Bread Craft Bakery daily.
Quality has been the standard all these years. With an unlimited
menu including Italian,
seafood, Brazilian, steaks
and desserts, ever yone
at every price point can
find something they love.
Montano finds the new
trends towards natural,
or ganic , fresh co oke d
products a bit funny because
he says, with a grin, "it's
always been our mission
since we opened."
The Future for Montano's
Montano's launched a
delivery business because
with a full restaurant, many
guests couldn't wait to enjoy
the food.
"Don't rule out us doing
a morning coffee and breakfast shop in our current location," Montano
says. Their homemade products are now being sold to-go in the deli area.

540.344.8960 * MONTANOS.NET * 3733 FRANKLIN RD SW, ROANOKE, VA 24014

TheRoanoker.com

SPONSORED CONTENT: RESTAUR ANT PROFILES
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The Roanoker - November/December 2018

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