Montago Johnson, owner of Montago’s Tasty Tings, said his food menu is “one in a million,” just like him. With 30 years of cooking experience in Owensboro and Lexington, Johnson is excited to bring new creations under his name.
Johnson started as a chef in Lexington, opening various restaurants and helping others with his cooking style. His experience includes working as a sous chef, lead chef, and ultimately lead chef at Shiloh’s Lounge.
“I still want to work in the community here, but I also want to do my own thing and for people to experience my unique take on food,” Johnson said.
Those familiar with Shiloh’s have had his soul food cooked on Wednesdays and Fridays. Montago’s Tasty Tings offers their food in a pop-up style, with burgers, homemade fries, and chips.
His cooking origins in different locations have impacted his profile, including various ingredients and seasonings, ultimately resulting in a “tasty ting.”
While ‘ting’ is just a shortened version of the word ‘thing,’ he said it’s much more than that.
“When we eat things, we eat with our eyes first. But what really gets us is when we put it in our mouths. It’s the taste, the tingles, and the tantalizing flavor that we enjoy,” he said. “I want to make sure all the tingles on my ‘tings’ are always tasty.”
However, when the weather gets cooler and grilling becomes less frequent, Johnson will break out the soup bowls and other kettle-cooked foods with the same flavor profiles.
Customers can still find his cooking at Shiloh’s Lounge for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as the Wednesday and Friday soul food kitchen. He said he plans to keep the pop-up format to create an entire atmosphere rather than the wall created by a food truck.
“I’m out here to bring something to people that they’ve never had before,” Johnson said. “Singing and dancing come along with it, but I also will almost always present you with a smile. People don’t realize a smile just might brighten your day in a way.”
In the meantime, he said people can follow his Facebook to find out where he will set up throughout the week.
