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THREE DECADES AND COUNTING

Macaroni’s Ristorante and Martino’s Lounge

Leslee Ryerson ezra marcos

arty Morlan is sort of surprised with his iconic
status. When he fell into the restaurant business
some 35 years ago, he had no real plan to stay
Min it forever. He must be doing something right,
though, for Macaroni’s Ristorante and Martino’s Lounge has
lasted 31 years and is still going strong. When inquiring about
his longevity and success, Marty quickly and humbly gives
credit to his mentor, his landlord, and especially his amazing
staff—some of who have been with him basically from the
beginning.

Originally from Portland, Marty came to Ashland to attend
college. Like a lot of college kids, he found work at a long-
gone Medford restaurant, Mr. Steak. Enjoying the work at
the steak house, he found a job closer to school in Ashland, at
Beasy’s Backroom. Ashland fixture and prolific restauranteur,
Beasy McMillian, took Marty under his wing, mentoring him
to a point where Marty wanted to become a business partner.
When 58 E. Main Street in Ashland became available, they
jumped on the opportunity. Marty wanted an Italian restau-
rant, so Beasy came up with the name Macaroni’s Ristorante,
derived from the Italian vernacular, where macaroni is a term
for pasta in general.

A couple of years into the venture, the owners the building
Allan Sandler and Sallie Rose Sandler had visions of their own.
They wanted to expand the restaurant into a second story
upstairs space. The Sandlers remodeled the building, adding
a second story. They added a gorgeous zebra wood bar, more
dining space, and a balcony overlooking E. Main Street, which
allowed even more dining space. A backdoor patio was built

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