Montana モンタナ 022-376-6444

Website:  http://www.welcome-montana.com/

Address:  仙台市泉区福岡字森下2-3.   Located way out in the boonies on the way to Izumigatake and Spring Valley Ski Resort on Route 223.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open weekdays from 11 am till 7 pm, weekends and holidays open till 9 pm.  Closed Tuesdays.

Upon returning from a recent snowboarding trip to Spring Valley, my good friends, Yvonne and Fong, and I stopped by the Montana restaurant.  I heard about this famed American restaurant some time ago, and had visited once before a few years before I started my blog.

From the log cabin architecture and the Pontiac Trans Am in the parking lot, to the interior rich with Americana artifacts, this place so reminded me of my homeland.

Sitting near the wood-burning stove added an additional sense of coziness and warmth.

But my companions and I were starving, and although we enjoyed the atmosphere, we wanted to dig into some good-ole American grub!

We started off with an order of french fries (682 yen), which were actually thick potato wedges.  Crispy on the outside and seasoned just right!  Although, they seemed to be oven baked rather than fried, this was a plus as they were not the least bit greasy.  What a great way to start a meal!

フレンチフライ

Following the fries, came the Big Burger Sandwich (1312 yen w/drink), and true to its word, it was BIG!  Vonnie and I would have been better off had we shared one sandwich as we originally had planned, that’s how big it was.   However, it was mostly the romaine and iceberg lettuce that added to its size, along with the thick slices of bread, and not the amount of beef. The hamburger patty itself was quite flavorful, but I would’ve preferred to have it cooked just a little more thoroughly.

バーガーBIGサンド

Next came the Cowboy Rice (945 yen), which we ordered out of curiosity.  “What the hell is Cowboy Rice?” was the question being asked at our table, where two of the three diners were American born and bred.  According to the menu, this dish is a Montana original mix of chili, cheese, and rice.  To be honest, I didn’t have my glasses with me at the time, and had I read that it had cheese, I would have passed on it.  But after sampling a couple of spoonfuls, I would also recommend that you pass on it, too!  No flavor whatsoever.  It seemed as if they opened a can of Hormel chili beans and put it on top of the rice.  If this is what the cowboys ate, no wonder there ain’t many left.

カウボーイライス

Because our eyes were much bigger than our stomachs, we finished off our American-style feast with the Max platter of spareribs (2940 yen).  In my opinion, spareribs should be so tender that you can separate the meat from the bone with a fork, and then let the succulent beef or pork melt in your mouth.  

Well, I had to use a knife.  And, I had to chew… a lot.

Although the barbeque sauce was delicious, these were not the finger-licking spareribs I remember from home.

スペアリブステーキ

One thing I found interesting, in a good way, was the coffee that came with the hamburger set we had chosen.  I normally do not care for flavored coffees, but Montana’s coffee had what I believe to be a hint of cocoa, which was enjoyable.

Overall, I think you should try Montana if you are in the area, but I wouldn’t drive out of my way for a meal here.  My normal-eater friends were in agreement with me on this.

The next time I’m returning from Spring Valley, I would definitely want to stop in Montana for their tasty Big Burger, fries, and coffee, but that’s about it.

An old photo from a few years ago of the Chili con Carne.   More like a can of Hormel Chili.

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Café Mozart カフェ モーツアルト 022-263-4689

Website:  http://tabelog.com/miyagi/A0401/A040101/4002447/

Address:  仙台市青葉区一番町3-１１－１４　丸和ビル３F.   Located on Ichibancho between Chuo-dori and the Forus Department Store, on the third floor in the building next to the KFC.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open everyday from 11:30 am to 11 pm, but lunch lasts only till 2:30 pm.

Okay, so I’m a little late in posting this one.  But some time ago while enjoying the Pre-Aoba Matsuri festivities, I decided to search for a new eatery for this blog.  I strolled around Chuo-dori and Ichibancho looking for that hidden gem that I had yet to experience.  Most of the restaurants I saw seem to violate my rule of "less means delicious" when it came to their advertising.  Most places went with loud and flashy, trying to attract attention, which probably meant that they're not very good.  I saw two young ladies perusing a small, indiscreet blackboard sign, and all three caught my eye (for different reasons).

Café Mozart possesses a very casual and comfy atmosphere.    The theme of the cafe seems to be that there is no theme at all.  None of the furniture matches.  Separated into two different dining areas, there are a few coffee tables with relaxing looking armchairs, a sofa, and also a piano.  In the section I was sitting in I saw ten different types of tables, including long tables for a group or for individuals to share.   

On this day, the lunch menu provided only three options:  a shrimp, squid, and mushroom cream pasta (Yuck!  I don’t do squid or cream.  I’m a picky eater!).  A bacon with cream cheese sandwich (I don’t like cream cheese).  And a basil chicken pasta with vegetables.  I went with the third option for 900 yen, which came with the pasta, salad, and a beverage.  I also splurged for dessert and chose the chocolate cake for an additional 250 yen.

たっぷり野菜のバジルチキンパスタ

The pasta was light, buttery, and tasty.  I especially enjoyed the crisp yet tender chickpeas disbursed among the pasta.  And speaking of tender, the slightly seasoned chicken melted in my mouth!  My only complaint would be that the succulent chicken was not in abundance.

The salad, due to its very pleasing sesame dressing, was quite refreshing.

The chocolate cake had a walnutty taste with a hint of sweetness to it, and by itself was just okay.  But when I mixed it with the accompanying cocoa powder, chocolate sauce, raspberry sauce, and the whipped cream, it was delicious!

This went extremely well with the rich, flavorful coffee.

ショコラ・デ・モーツァルト

A fine selection of coffees, teas, and desserts are also on the menu.

All in all, I’d say that this was a very light meal that, with the dessert, satisfied my hunger.

There are a number of other Café Mozarts in Sendai, so this review pertains only to the one on Ichibancho.

This Café Mozart seems to attract a younger crowd, as I noticed that I was the oldest one in the place, but this seems to be a great place to take a break from the shopping crowds and enjoy a coffee or a light meal no matter what your age.

Hmm.  I saw this on the menu but I'm not sure what this coffee tastes like.  

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Golden Week Wrap-Up (and before)

Gobbled gobs of great grub this Golden Week and in recent days gone by.   

First off, I apologize that this is a rather late notice but Baskin-Robbins 31 Ice Cream currently has their 31% discount off any double scoop of ice cream.  This works out to 280 yen for a small double or 400 yen for a regular double.  This campaign will end on Thursday, May 9^th.

Next, a special shout out to my favorite pizza in Japan, amo la pizza, who is celebrating their one-year anniversary this weekend.  My wife and I feel so fortunate that amo opened up within walking distance to us, and they seem to be flourishing!  Extra staff has been hired and they often sell out of their course sets and, unfortunately, pizzas.  But they have been very kind and gracious to us and we hope for their continued success.

I’ve forgotten to mention that amo now offers a point card!  You receive one point per meal.  Due to our numerous dining experiences at the amo, we have received a free soft drink and a free dessert, and are now six visits away from our 500 yen discount.

This was sometime before GW, but we recently returned to Koan Bakery while out for a drive.  I ordered the Koan Special Plate lunch for 850 yen, which came with a hot sandwich of mustard chicken on a cubed croissant roll, drink, salad, soup, cheese toast, and a sampling of fruits.

The salad was mainly cabbage with some red and yellow bell pepper slices, but it was quite nice.  The soup of the day was minestrone, which went down nicely.  Despite me not caring for cheese, I would rate the cheese toast as not bad, mainly due to the softness of the bread.  I’m sure someone who liked cheese would rate this much higher.  The highlight was the cubed croissant chicken sandwich.  This was very good, the croissant possessing a flaky and crispy outside with a wonderful taste.  The mustard chicken was tender and delicious.  The fruit sample rounded out a nice variety of flavors on one platter.  Oh, and I forgot about the rich coffee!

こうあん特別プレート

My better half ordered the hearty pumpkin chowder soup set with extra bread for 650 yen.  There was also an option for vegetable corn chowder, as well as only the regular serving of bread for 550 yen.  My wife really enjoyed her pumpkin soup, and was quite happy that she was given three different rolls to try.

具沢山スープセット

And although I was quite full, I forced upon myself a delightful lemon danish.

Lemon Danish

We’ve also stopped by on a couple of occasions to another of our favorites, Bistro Ampoule, where we’ve tried a couple of new items.  First off was the pork and duck rillete as an appetizer.  Despite me savoring every morsel, I’m afraid that my description of this plate will not sound very flattering:  it tasted like an exquisite Underwood Deviled Ham.  That was the first thought that entered my mind upon first bite.  But the rillete was really tasty and I would not hesitate to order it again.

豚肉と鴨のリェット

My wife ordered the “Perfectly Round Hamburger Steak” that she absolutely loved!  I sampled it and found it to be extremely soft, almost creamy, and flavorful.

まん丸ハンバーグステーキ

On another visit, Bistro’s Spanish omelette was the appetizer of choice.  I keep saying that I’m not a fan of omelettes, but I did like this Spanish version.  I don’t recall the ingredients, but paired up with the accompanying salad made a nice starter. 

Spanish Omelette

And a special update that my friend, Tony, told me about me.  Barbaresco Pizzeria has a special half-price discount on all their pizzas on Sunday and Holiday evenings.  This sounds like a great deal!

I hope you've enjoyed your Golden Week as much as I have, but hopefully, you haven't packed on the weight like I have. 

Weekend Update: July 15, 2012

Yesterday my wife and I went for another great lunch at Billy's.  I, of course went with my usual club sandwich with avocado topping and my wife went with the half sandwich with drink set.  She chose the potato pottage soup as her beverage.  I'm sorry, but I didn't take my camera so I don't have any photos, but my wife was raving about the pottage's taste.


Afterward, we sauntered over to Mitsubachi 38 Cafe for some delicious dessert pancakes.   Again we went with our usual, caramel pancakes for my wife and buttermilk with ice cream topping for me.  But I did notice one thing different on the menu.  They now offer a tempting stack of ten buttermilk pancakes for 1500 yen.  Oh, and the pancakes we ordered were top-notch!


For dinner we waltzed on over to one of our new favorite neighborhood eateries, Bistro Ampoule.  They'll be a new update about this splendid new find soon, but let me just say that our meal was simply marvelous!


For this evening's supper we found ourselves at an old standard, Cappriciosa.  But because we were just a bit hungry we decided against the Pair Set and went a la carte.   My wife ordered a small garlic and tomato sauce spaghetti (905 yen) and I asked for an order of garlic bread (134 yen) and a Cappriciosa pizza (1229 yen).  The Cappriciosa comes with salami, bacon, and onion, but I kindly requested for them to take out the onion.


First, came the garlic bread.  It was good, but not great.  But at 134 yen, I guess you can't go wrong.  We were quite surprised at how big the serving of spaghetti was.  It was so large that I was able to share in its good and garlicky taste.

トマトとニンニクのスパゲティ

My pizza was very good!  I imagined that it would be topped with the standard small slices of ペパロニサラミ, but to my surprise there were at least five 9 cm. in diameter slices of salami.  The whole pizza was good sized, about 28 cm. in diameter.   Because we weren't all that hungry, so I only managed to eat half of it and brought the remainder home.

カプリチョーザ（サラミとベーコン）

I noticed a sign for their take-out pizzas at 1430 yen.  For this price, this is actually cheaper than a large Pizza Hut pizza, and better tasting.  This might be a good option for you if you happen to live near a Cappriciosa.

Kame House Burger カメホウス ハンバーガー 374-5747

URGENT UPDATE:  PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR IMPORTANT NEWS REGARDING KAME HOUSE BURGER.

Website:   http://www.sendai-burger.com

Address:  仙台市泉区中央１丁目22-1.   Located on Route 35, about a three-minute walk from Izumi Subway Station.

Map:  Scroll down to the bottom.

Weekdays lunch:  11:30 am – 2:45 pm.     

Weekdays dinner:  5:30 pm – 10:30 pm.

Sundays and Holidays:  11:30 am – 8:30 pm.   

Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

A great, big “THANKS!” to blog reader Crawford who recommended this hamburger joint to me (read Comments of the Freshness Burger post).  You were spot on with this, Crawford!

Upon entering, I immediately got a kick out of the American-style décor and the 50’s rock n’ roll music livening up the place.  It sounded like they had stolen my iPod!

Looking at the menu you see that Kame House offers a wide selection of burgers starting at 750 yen.  Crawford suggested I try the Avocado Cheeseburger with Bacon, but instead I went with just a basic hamburger.  I guess it’s the picky eater in me but I really don’t care for other “stuff” on my hamburger (Sorry, Crawford).  I feel a good hamburger should stand on its own laurels and not need any other “stuff” in order to make it right.  I love avocado and I love bacon!  But I’ve never really cared for either of those on my burgers.  My twisted taste buds feel that these great singular flavors taint the wholesomeness of the burger.

Sure it looks like a plain, but that's all I need

My plain, basic hamburger was good … very good!  Everything tasted fresh.  I tried a piece of the meat patty by itself to see if it was appetizing enough to stand on its own.  This piece of patty possessed pleasant and palatable flavors!  The menu states that the Kame House chefs make their meat patties from a mixture of Australian and Wagyu beef, which must be the reasoning behind this great burger.

My wife went with a BLT (750 yen), and although I didn’t get to taste it, she stated that it was really delicious!   All platters come with French fries, which I think is a good value, but we also ordered some onion rings for the side (but at five for 280 yen, maybe not such a great value).

BLT

The fries were cut too thin for my textural liking, but there was nothing lacking in their taste: crisp and salted to perfection.  The onion rings, at first glance, didn’t seem too appetizing either, but to my surprise they were great!  I hold a similar sentiment between hamburgers, fries, and onion rings:  they should be flavorful enough to be enjoyed exclusively, without any needed flavor enhancers.   The onion rings, like the French fries, were delightful with or without ketchup.  I did find it a bit strange that they served the onion rings with a spicy salsa that, my wife and I both agreed, didn't really didn’t go well.

And since I’m complaining, another thing I didn’t like was the pickled carrot slice that was on my plate.  Again, I got caught judging a book by its cover, but this time it didn't go in my favor.  I thought it was just a regular, raw slice of carrot.  Imagine my surprise when I bit into it and realized that it was a pickled carrot!  

Hamburgers + pickles = Good!  

Hamburgers + pickled carrots = No, thank you! 

Onion Rings with weird Salsa

This restaurant offers a point card but upon close inspection it really isn’t worth much as you have to spend at least 4200 yen before you get a 100 yen discount.

Kame House is really easy to find on foot and has two parking spaces for those who drive.  If I lived in Izumi this place would definitely make my Favorites list as I would be a regular diner at this diner.  I highly recommend this eatery and am looking forward to my next trip to Izumi.

大きな地図で見る

UPDATE #2: Billy's Sandwich

UPDATE: MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2015.

IT IS WITH GREAT REGRET TO ANNOUNCE THAT BILLY'S IS NO LONGER.

I DROVE HERE LAST FRIDAY TO DINE ON YET ANOTHER FILLING AND FLAVORFUL SANDWICH ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT THE BUILDING WAS BEING DEMOLISHED.

I WISH THE OWNER, IIBUCHI-SAN, THE BEST, AND AM GRATEFUL FOR THE WONDERFUL LUNCHES SHE PROVIDED OVER HER FIFTEEN YEAR RUN.

Website:  http://www.billys.jp/


If you haven't read about Billy's before, please click my Billy's and Billy's Update posts.


A short update on Billy's.  Just got back from another delicious lunch at Billy's.  I went with my usual (Clubhouse w/avocado) and my wife with her usual (BLT half sandwich set).  But today's set came with 特製ポタージュスープ.

BLT Half Sandwich Set with 特製ポタージュ and Banana Mousse

This "Tokusei Pottage Soup" was a creamy mixture of vegetables including cauliflower, cabbage, celery, and others.  In my opinion, it didn't look so hot, but I tried a wee bit and it was DELICIOUS!


Today's set dessert was a choice between chocolate cake or banana mousse.  My wife chose the banana mousse and, unfortunately, ate it all before I could sneak a taste.  But she said it was yummy!


After coming to Billy's for many years, this was the first time we saw either of these items on the menu.  Perhaps Iibuchi-san (the owner) is trying out some new side items for the menu.  So far, it's working out good!


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UPDATE: Billy's Sandwich

UPDATE: MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2015.

IT IS WITH GREAT REGRET TO ANNOUNCE THAT BILLY'S IS NO LONGER.

I DROVE HERE LAST FRIDAY TO DINE ON YET ANOTHER FILLING AND FLAVORFUL SANDWICH ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT THE BUILDING WAS BEING DEMOLISHED.

I WISH THE OWNER, IIBUCHI-SAN, THE BEST, AND AM GRATEFUL FOR THE WONDERFUL LUNCHES SHE PROVIDED OVER HER FIFTEEN YEAR RUN.

Website:  http://www.billys.jp/

Clubhouse Sandwich with Avocado Topping

Address: 仙台市青葉区上杉1-7-23.  Near Kita-Yobancho Subway Station.  Across from Grand Central Sports Gym.

Map:  Scroll down to the bottom.

Hours:  11:00 – 5:00 everyday.  But … you should call to check.  Sometimes they are not open.

UPDATED: November 5, 2011

Carrot Soup

Went to Billy’s for another delicious lunch today and again Iibuchi-san’s creations didn’t fail to please.  I, of course, went with my standard clubhouse sandwich with avocado topping.  I don’t know why but today’s sandwich seemed a bit more filling than usual, which I had no objection to.  My wife ordered the half sandwich set and chose the BLT.  The soup of the day was carrot soup and my wife just raved about it!

Here’s a current list of the sandwiches they offer which run from 480 円 to 525円:

BLT

Club House

Spanish Omelet

Cole Slaw

Meatloaf

Potato Salad

Tuna & Anchovy

Tuna & Egg

Avocado Dip

Pork Katsu

Shrimp & Avocado

Smoked Salmon

Original post here: Billy's

Half BLT Set

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Billy’s N.Y. Style Sandwich 022-264-3101

UPDATE: MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2015.
IT IS WITH GREAT REGRET TO ANNOUNCE THAT BILLY'S IS NO LONGER.
I DROVE HERE LAST FRIDAY TO DINE ON YET ANOTHER FILLING AND FLAVORFUL SANDWICH ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT THE BUILDING WAS BEING DEMOLISHED.
I WISH THE OWNER, IIBUCHI-SAN, THE BEST, AND AM GRATEFUL FOR THE WONDERFUL LUNCHES SHE PROVIDED OVER HER FIFTEEN YEAR RUN.

Website:  http://www.billys.jp/      

Address: 仙台市青葉区上杉1-7-23.  Near Kita-Yobancho Subway Station.  Across from Grand Central Sports Gym.

Map:  Scroll down to the bottom. 

Hours:  11:00 – 5:00 everyday.  But … you should call to check.  Sometimes they are not open.

Are they really New York style sandwiches?  Well, I’m not from New York but I’ve been there a few times and, hmm, I’ll just say that Billy’s offers the best sandwiches I’ve had in Japan.  In NYC, they really know how to make a sandwich (at least at most delis).  Though not necessarily the same, Billy’s does a great job.  I don’t live near downtown, but my wife and I will gladly drive to Billy’s on the weekends for a good sandwich lunch.  It’s that good, at least in my opinion.

In fact, we drove out just for Billy’s the other day.  I like the club sandwich with an avocado topping (580円).  A sandwich plus the assorted tsukemono satisfies my appetite.  My wife likes the half sandwich set menu. (600 円).  The set menu comes with a drink and a dessert, but I don’t like their dessert choices, while my wife loves them.  She had a pumpkin pottage the other day.  Sometimes it will be some type of mousse.  That’s not for me, but the wifey likes them.

I’ve had friends tell me that they rate the meatloaf or the BLT as their favorites.  I’ve tried them and they are good, but I like the club sandwich the best and I’m sticking to it.  I know this place is popular with people working at city hall and the kencho.

But just one thing:  If Iibuchi-san (the owner who wears glasses and a bandana completely over her hair) is not there, the sandwiches do tend to be missing something in the flavor department.

Also, there is no free parking.  Across from Billy’s is a two-story parking structure, however, next to Billy’s is a very small real estate office, and next to that office is a cheaper parking area.  


*Please read recent updates about Billy's here and here again.

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