I believe that you can make two statements about almost any business that has been in operation for 22 years. One: they know what they are doing. And two: they don't need validation from critics or bloggers. So with that said, I am not here to offer validation to Montana's Pizzeria and Restaurant in Freeport. Instead I am here to offer them praise, and some advice for the reader.

Montana's has been in business for 22 years. It's a family owned and operated business with brothers Frank and Joe doing their best interpretations of the recipes their mom Sina Marie shares with them. As Sina Marie told me "We prepare the food here like I do in my kitchen at home." And you can taste the tradition, the love and the passion that every home cook puts in to the dishes that they create. It's all there at Montana's.

The first thing I noticed about Montana's Pizzeria and Restaurant is how clean the restaurant is. It's also very well lit. I don't know about you, my good readers, but I don't really enjoy eating in a restaurant that makes me feel like I am having a meal in the corner of some dimly lit 18th century pub. It's also not your typical pizza place. The restaurant has seating for as many as 90 people, including a private party room that holds up to 40 people.

After speaking with Joe and his mom and learning a little bit about how Montana's Pizzeria and Restaurant came to be, I decided to try some of the food. Joe suggested that I start with their version of a Tuscan salad and then try what he called his specialty, the basil crusted salmon.

Their version of the Tuscan salad was made from arugula, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, dried cranberries, walnuts, crumbled gorgonzola, sliced red onion and tossed with light balsamic vinaigrette. This salad was an excellent combination of fresh ingredients. You tasted everything without one ingredient taking over. There is a great crunch provided by the walnuts, and the sweetness of the dried cranberries and cherry tomatoes offsets the pepperiness of the arugula. The dressing brings it all together. It's a very well balanced salad. One thing I have to point out as a lover of cheese, the crumbled gorgonzola in this salad put it over the top for me. Some restaurants tend to overdo it when it comes to adding cheese to the salad. The folks at Montana's put in just the right amount so that a cheese lover like me gets to enjoy the flavor and creamy texture of the cheese without it getting in the way of the rest of the salad, and it's not over done so if cheese isn't your thing, you can still enjoy the flavor component that it brings to the salad without the salad becoming a background for the cheese.

Once I was done with the salad, it was on to the main course. Truth be told, Joe told me that there were two dishes he would hang his hat on, so to speak. The aforementioned basil crusted salmon and the rigatoni ala vodka. I'd like to be in a position where I have to make a decision like that all day. But 46 years of eating have taught me one thing: If a restaurant can cook fish properly, it's a good bet they can cook anything properly. So I ordered the salmon.

The basil crusted salmon is served over a bed of spinach that was sauteed with garlic and lemon and includes a potato croquette on the side. The first thing I noticed about the dish is that the restaurant does not skimp on the portion size. This was a very healthy piece of salmon, so bring your appetite if you plan to enjoy this dish (and I suggest that you do!). After letting my senses of smell and vision feast on the dish, it was time to start eating. The fish was perfectly cooked through. Very moist and flaky and the crust provided a very nice crunch with a hint of basil that greatly compliments the flavor of the fish and does not get in the way at all. The spinach made for a great accompaniment to the dish and was not overcooked or mushy. The crust on the potato croquette was golden brown and the inside was light and fluffy and it was well seasoned, like all the other food I had that day. I've had too many potato croquettes that felt like a pound of wet clay in my stomach, but this one was as good as I've ever had. One suggestion to Montana's, if you're not selling these potato croquettes as a side dish like garlic knots, you should. I'd take 1/2 a dozen to go every time I was there.

By now you might be hungry and you might also be wondering about the pizza, since this is about Montana's Pizzeria and Restaurant. After eating lunch, I couldn't eat a slice of pizza, but I did take a few different slices with me to try out later. In my opinion, the Grandma pizza is the king or queen if you will, of the bunch. The crust was nice and crisp, not too thick or thin and had great flavor. My kids, who generally toss the crust to our anxiously awaiting dog, kept it all for themselves... much to the dismay of the dog. The sauce on the Grandma pizza is just outstanding. You can taste the freshness of the ingredients in the sauce. It was almost like eating fresh summer tomatoes right off the vine. Once again, the sauce contained just the right amount of herbs and spices and the slightly salty mozzarella cheese brings the whole slice together.

I also tried a slice of their regular pizza and was pleased with the flavor and the texture of the crust. If you like pizza, go to Montana's and get a slice of the regular pizza. I hesitate to call it a "plain" slice because there is nothing plain about it in spite of its simple list of ingredients.

To finish it off, I had to try a slice of pizza topped with the same Tuscan salad that I had as part of my meal from earlier that day. I know, you're thinking "salad greens on a pizza." And I'm telling you that it works and works well. You can think of it as a veggie wrap that someone un-wrapped. Or you can see it as adding some bread to the Tuscan salad. Better yet, stop thinking about it and go get a slice or two and enjoy them.

It took me about 30 minutes to get to Montana's Pizzeria and Restaurant and I probably passed 100 other places where I could get pizza and other types of Italian food on my way there. But I would definitely make the trip, bypassing all of those other options, to eat at Montana's again. If I worked near them, I would eat that salmon dish for lunch several times a week. I keep repeating how well seasoned the food is and that is an important point to make. Think about how many times you have been served food that is covered in salt. Tossing a handful of salt into a pan is not how you season food! And in my opinion, cooks who do that are trying to make up for a lack of flavor, and there is no shortage of wonderful, fresh flavors at Montana's.

Before I pass the advice on to my readers, I want to mention one more thing about Montana's Pizzeria and Restaurant. They have a loyalty rewards program that I think you should take advantage of, especially if you live close enough to frequent their establishment on a regular basis. All you need to do is to text MONTANAS to 71441 and you will be enrolled in the program. Standard text and messaging charges apply, of course. But enrolling in this program means you will get text messages about special deals at Montana's. Plus, you get 10% off your order the day you get the confirmation message that you signed up, just by walking in and showing them the message. These special offers only get sent out to people on the list. It's like you get to be in a secret club no one else knows about. How cool is that?

OK, so I mentioned I wanted to pass on some advice to my readers. Here it is: Get to Montana's Pizzeria and Restaurant in Freeport as soon as you can. If you want to do me a favor and help out my credibility, tell them that you read about their restaurant on my website.