Montesano’s Eateria
Warm Bread and Garlic Knots
Rice Balls Montesano
Lasagna Explosions
Homemade Meatballs and Italian Sausage
Sicilian Pizza Fresca – Fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil, our homemade fresh mozzarella and Romano cheeses
White Pizza – Ricotta, mozzarella, romano, butter, garlic, onions
Cheese Pizza
Eggplant Parmigiano with Ziti
Tripe
Seafood Special in Garlic Cream over Fettuccine
Zeppole
Rainbow Cake, Cannoli, Almond Cookie
Butter Cookies
Sfogadella
Family owned and operated since the 90’s and a purveyor of traditional Italian cuisine for much longer than that Montesano’s Eateria had been on my must-visit list even before moving to Las Vegas, but with an extensive menu of classic antipasti, pizzas, pastas, soups, secondi, and sweets the timing never seemed right to sample as much as I’d like – the solution found in the Italian tradition of a family style tasting with seven friends coordinated through the lovely Toniann Montesano herself. Truly a ‘mom n’ pop’ red sauce sort of place, said in the most complimentary of ways, with a full service bakery up front and walls strewn with signed celebrity photos, maps of Italian neighborhoods in various locales, and kitschy décor it was at a long table in the rear of the restaurant that we were seated and with superlative service, ample beverage refills, and enough food for a party twice our size the nearly two-and-a-half hour meal could not have better met expectations – each plate perfectly prepared, well presented, and unquestionably delicious. Beginning first with an opening volley of house-baked bread and supple garlic knots before progressing to fried options including creamy lasagna explosions and toothsome rice balls in bright, aromatic sauce it was at the second ‘proper’ course that the meal truly took flight, a trio of pizzas ranging from simple cheese and garlicky white on lightly charred crusts alongside a pillowy ‘Margherita’ on buttery, thick focaccia-style crust that easily ranked amongst the best ‘grandma slices’ I’ve had to date. At this point sated but certainly not stuffed it was with great spectacle that our final savory course arrived and featuring two platters each of Eggplant Parmigiano, Housemade sausage and meatballs smothered in marinara, and a bounty of fresh squid/shrimp/sea snails/mussels smothered in creamy white sauce plus a bowl of supple braised tripe the table was literally covered as eyes stared wide – leftovers a guarantee, though all ate heartily with favorites varying from person to person and the tripe a personal favorite, especially atop slices of warm bread from the refreshed basket. Taking to heart the gluttonous portions provided thus far dessert was ever so slightly scaled back as hot, spongy Zeppole dowsed in powdered sugar and filled-to-order cannoli both shined brightly while Rainbow cake, Butter, and Almond cookies were spot-on authentic – a characteristic shared by a hot sfogadella that I requested as I paid the bill, ostensibly for ‘later’ had it not been so perfect…the creamy citrus filling beneath shattering layers not even making it to the car, no matter how full I was.
http://montesanos.com/