By Tim Lee
Every community has its “staples” and we at Lifestyles love talking about these places, especially when they reach milestones. Borrie’s Supper Club is one of those staples and celebrates its 85th anniversary this year in Black Eagle, Montana.
Borrie was the nickname of Emilio Grasseschi. Each one of his grandchildren seem to have a different tale on how that nickname came to be, but whichever one is true, they all add to the personality and fun that was Borrie. Before opening the restaurant with his wife Anna, Borrie previously opened a bar in 1938 that smelter workers flocked to for his pork sandwiches. At that time, food wasn’t his main goal but fate started pulling and soon, Borrie’s Supper Club came to be.
How has Borrie’s stood the test of time? Once you walk in and meet the staff, many of whom are later generations of Grasseschi’s, it’s clear to see that this family loves the legacy that Borrie left behind and the return customers continue coming in to fill their seats that have become their regular spots.
If you were looking for fun in the “good ol’ days” Dennis, a retired bartender of Borrie’s for 50 years, is happy to recount all the exciting night life that would take place along Black Eagle’s main road. And without Borrie’s, it is doubtful he would have ever met his lovely bride, Mel who was visiting Borrie’s and began working there also and still does. When asked how long Dennis and Mel have been married, Mel makes it clear, “We’ve been married 99 years!” And from the looks of it, they have another 99 to go.
Back in the day, you could enjoy the “Dan and Dennis Show.” Dan still works as a bartender at Borrie’s one day a week, and says plainly, “this is my hobby.” But before Dennis’ retirement, you could feel the energy in the room as Dan and Dennis would dig into each other as they served their patrons – Dan feeding Dennis lines so Dennis could banter back. “Dennis was a Yanky and I was a Giant,” Dan said, “I liked to call it a Friendly Adversary kind of show, and everyone loved it.” But after Dennis broke his hip and they couldn’t prop him up any more, “Believe me, we tried!” Debbie (a third generation Grasseschi) stated, the dynamic duo found its close.
Dan has watched people come and go, each table assigned to a group of friends he has gotten to know over the years. “I’ve watched whole tables die.” But Borries continues to thrive, and new individuals take the spaces of the old.
If you are looking for true Italian food, Borries is the place. The recipes haven’t changed and have been handed down generation after generation. The ravioli is made by Colleen the “Kitchen Queen” and has extra meat because meat was more available in Italy where the original recipe was made. Colleen makes over 5,000 raviolis by hand in a three-day process.
Many clients order the sauces alone and take them home. Anna, the general manager and one of the 4th-generation of Grasseschis in charge of the family legacy, says “Our sauces are a home-town staple. I am pretty sure we have shipped to almost every state. It was even a last request for one woman to have spaghetti with our sauce before she passed. We rushed it in the mail right to her.”
Come in and see for yourself why Borries has thrived for 85 years. See their menu at BorriesSupperClub.com.