Pueblo remembers Gilbert Montez, a 'visionary' restaurateur known for 'Pueblo style' food

Many people knew Gilbert Montez for his elaborate recipes and “Pueblo style” food that were a staple of his restaurants across the Steel City. But behind that culinary creativity, Montez had a fierce interest to learn from others and speak with them for hours.

“He never met a stranger,” said Judy Woods, one of Montez’s daughters. “My son wrote an article on him for college and wrote that he was the smartest man he knew. He said it was because Papa never stopped learning and everybody who he met had a story. He always wanted to learn from that story.”

Longtime friends and other members of Montez’s family have recently shared their cherished memories of the Pueblo native. He died in Colorado Springs on Dec. 13 and did so “peacefully surrounded by family,” according to his obituary. He was 81 years old.

Montez’s famous enthusiasm for conversing with others was so strong that his doctors had to set aside extra time during his scheduled checkups. Shopping at a store with him took longer than expected if he came upon a friend. If customers he didn’t know entered one of his restaurants, he took time to visit with them, often while still wearing his apron.

“I’d give anything to see that apron (again),” Woods said.

Born in Pueblo, Montez worked on farms in the county during his childhood and attended Centennial High School. He washed dishes at his grandmother’s restaurant, getting an inside look at the work it took to run a successful eatery. He at one point worked at a restaurant at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, where he obtained additional training and knowledge of the restaurant business.

Montez opened up several Pueblo restaurants in different parts of town, which raised his local profile. One of them, Stifino’s, was near West 4th Street and Abriendo Avenue; An-da-les was located on the East Side; Vito’s Winery was near the North Side; and his other restaurants, such as Rovelli’s, Perfillio’s, and The Cellar, found homes in other areas of Pueblo.

Though Montez was at times “tough,” he was fair and sought to deliver a high-quality experience for customers, said Charleen Pribble, a longtime friend of his who runs Pueblo's Arriba Mexican Grill.

Pribble, 67, spoke with Montez every morning. She worked at Montez’s restaurants for more than 30 years before starting her own.

During her time working for Montez, Pribble saw how affable he was with his entire staff. He preached that a janitor should be treated the same as any CEO would, Woods said.

“He was always changing,” Pribble said. “It wasn’t dull, that’s for sure. He always changed things up and made things new and fresh.”

Montez’s penchant for innovation led him to introduce recipes and styles that Pueblo had seldom seen before, Pribble said. His “Pueblo style” idea was a “homestyle” approach that many felt was similar to comfort food, Woods said. He also adopted other ideas, such as beef and cheese boards, fried ice cream, or the “Stifino’s Delight,” which paired a sopapilla with ice cream and was topped with whip cream, chocolate and cherries.

Some of his restaurants became so popular that a pair of celebrities — American comedian and actor Chevy Chase and singer Dolly Parton — returned to them after an initial visit. He also served former President Bill Clinton, who at the time was visiting Pueblo and wanted to try Montez's dishes, Pribble said.

“He was a visionary,” Woods said. “He always came up with new ideas and was always looking for a better way to do things. He was very creative.”

Montez sought to pass on some of that creativity at Pueblo Community College, where he taught students about food service management and other elements of the hospitality industry. He wanted each student to learn as much as possible so they could successfully enter the workforce, Woods said.

“He was always about education and building independence for Pueblo’s youth,” Woods said.

Montez also gave back to Pueblo in other ways. Once a month, he provided hot meals to students from Pueblo’s St. John Nuemann Catholic School. He brought breakfast burritos to striking steel workers. He ran for elected positions. He even bought a monkey so he could donate it to the Pueblo Zoo.

Outside of his 60-year career, he grew to love Pueblo’s Salt Creek. He had an appreciation for fitness and “always fought for the underdog,” Woods said. Spanish was his first language and he became proud of his bilingual ability, his obituary stated.

But his kids, according to Woods, were his “defining moment.”

“His kids motivated him,” Pribble said. “He wanted a future for them.”

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Chieftain reporter Josue Perez can be reached at JHPerez@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @josuepwrites. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Family and friends remember longtime Pueblo restaurateur Gil Montez