I went to Monarch for the first time for my birthday over a month ago and everything was just absolutely fabulous. The reservations manager, Evette, is a doll and she put us in a nice cozy half booth in their wine bar area. The service was fantastic--friendly and knowledgable, but not pretentious. Our server recommended we try a fresh green salad with tomatoes and mozarella that supposedly would only be available until the end of the month. It was a fantastic choice. The mozarella was salty and the dressing was light and the salad tasted like it was straight out of the garden. I ordered Halibut for my entree which had beautiful presentation and was cooked to perfection. Paired with spinach and wrapped in a pastry of some sort, it was divine. One of my friends tried the scallops--one of the smaller shared plate dishes from the wine bar menu. She offered me a bite and I think I will be ordering that the next time I visit. I am not usually a huge fan of scallops, but the creamy sauce was to die for. For dessert, we ordered the sugar cookies and milk, which were brought out on adorable little plates with ice cold, refreshing petite glasses of milk. Had I known they were also going to bring out a chocolate torte with a candle, we would not have ordered additional dessert, but all of the desserts were delicious. This place is definitely worth it when you can splurge! \r
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I don't really understand other people's issues with parking. The restaurant offers valet and there seemed to be plenty of parking spaces in the area if you ask me. Also, I heard the former chef was a bit tempermental, but as of this summer he left. We didn't meet the new chef, but perhaps Mr. European wine connoisseur below should check out Monarch again now that there is a new chef.
Pros: Ambience, Service, Food
Cons: Price
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