Montano's Restaurant

 
We have driven by Montano's Restaurant many times and every time we mention that we should try it.  Well, last night we did.  Fortunately Lee made reservations way in advance for the Valentine's meal.  It was packed.  So packed that they gave each diner a polite note to keep their stay at the table limited to 1 1/2 hours to accommodate the next reservation.

On this particular day they had a delicious, but limited menu.  Their regular menu is extensive and they picked some of the best (and probably priciest) options for the meal.  I was going to be a good girl and just have a delicious sandwich.  But that was no longer available and I was FORCED to order the Angus Filet.  With mashed potatoes.  I have been on a diet since the beginning of January and my meal was probably more food and calories than I had been eating in three days.  Were you worried I couldn't finish all that glorious food?  Don't be silly.

 

First, they served a delicious salad, crisp and cold with the world's best avocado vinaigrette.  Make sure you try that dressing from their many options.  Their bread was airy and crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside.  It was served with some olive oil with herbs on the bread plate.  It tasted like it was infused with Parmesan cheese.  Another must.  Was the dressing and bread delicious because I haven't had any for so long?  No.  It was just delicious.

 

The steak was perfectly cooked.  I don't like a raw center and ordered a medium steak.  I know.  Stop yelling at me.  That's what I like.  Lots of times when I order medium, the center is bright red and undercooked. Mine was perfect all the way through.  It was also served on a generous bed of mashed potatoes.  Yum.  And circled with perfectly cooked asparagus.  The asparagus was crisp and tender and great.  It came with a bleu cheese sauce which I asked to just have a small amount and then scraped off most.  No, I was not being good.  I don't like a large amount of bleu cheese.

The waitress was friendly and polite, even on the busiest day for a restaurant.  The kitchen must have been hectic and yet my requests were honored and just what I asked for, not too much bleu cheese and dressing on the side.

And then, because it is a national holiday, we were forced to eat dessert.  This is required and a damn good law, in my opinion. 

We couldn't decide between the chocolate cake and the bread pudding.  So we ordered both and shared them.  And here is the only place where I would have an issue.  The bread pudding was too dense, almost hard, and the whiskey sauce did not taste of whiskey.  It was the only thing we didn't finish.  The cinnamon topping was a nice touch that I may incorporate into my next batch of bread pudding. I have no complaints about the chocolate cake.  It was dark and rich and chocolaty.  The cake was served with whipped cream, but the dense cake would have been nice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream instead.  Not that I needed anything else to eat at that point.

 

Lee had fish.  He said it was delicious.  Sure, if you like fish. But I had the STEAK.  Marvelous.

And now I am back to my diet.  A granola bar (190 calories) and coffee for breakfast.

I can't wait for the next time we get visitors from out of town.  I am so going back to Montano's.