By Michael Howell
The Signal Grill, on Main Street in downtown Hamilton, has a new owner, Terry Marasco.
The Signal dates back to 1898 and is the oldest eating and drinking establishment continuously operating in Montana. The Signal Grill was originally known as the “Hamilton Restaurant” which had a “cathouse” upstairs, and a happenin’ card room in the back. Old-timers talk of “signaling” the men on the street to let them know of the start-up of a hot card game. Over time, the restaurant became known simply as “The Signal.” There has been a restaurant here from the beginning of Hamilton, but both Hamilton and The Signal have changed over time. There is no longer a card room, or a ….
Terry Marasco also owns the Silver Jack Inn and LectroLux Café in Baker, Nevada (named after the Electrolux vacuums, a number of which hang from the ceiling), www.silverjackinn.com. The LectroLux was recently reviewed by Yahoo Travel as “Restaurants in the Middle of Nowhere — That Are Worth the Trip.” The menu’s food and beverage selections are totally unexpected in rural America for their quality and variety, according to the review.
Marasco has been in the beverage and food trades for many years and has blended and bottled wine for his own California wine label, and has owned wine and liquor stores in Florida and California as well as Nevada. He says the wine and microbrew lists at The Signal will be extensive and he will be looking for a license to serve spirits. Terry taught wine classes at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.
Marasco will keep the menu traditions of The Signal and bring expanded seafood and other items. He said the staff will be asked to stay. A revised dinner and new lunch (Thursday-Saturday 11-2, relaxed, or get-in/get-out) starts November 19. Dinners will be served Tuesday-Sunday. Appetizer and dessert cheese plates will be added. A new feature will be an expanded dessert menu served exclusively from 9 to 10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. The Sunday brunch will continue. The Signal will be available privately for holiday parties and group breakfasts and lunches year round in off hours.
Customers are encouraged to sign up for THE SIGNAL, an email newsletter, at www.bitterrootsignalgrill.com or at the restaurant. By joining you will receive notices of events, charitable organization nights, special prices, and one benefit will be dessert for two on your birthday. The first event will be a Beaujolais Nouveau tasting November 20-23 with a glass of the new Beaujolais for $2.50 with a dinner entrée!
Marasco says he is community minded and will be soliciting charitable community organizations or efforts to register, one for each week, whereby that organization will receive a donation for two nights of dining by their members Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. The donation will go to efforts to help people in need, conservation and preservation, scholarships, and certainly children, but not political activities or candidates. Marasco is a community activist with 10 years of experience and expertise in Nevada, Utah and now Montana, on air and water quality issues and he currently serves on the Utah Governor’s Clean Air Action Team.
Marasco is also a fine art photographer and will have examples of his work in the restaurant. A section of the walls will be reserved for Ravalli County fine art photographers to display one piece each month, and also one piece each month from an emerging photographer (high school and under).