Monroe’s Celebrates 15 Years

Mark and Laura Abraham know old friends are indeed golden.

The Abrahams, who own , a classic Italian restaurant at the corner of Monroe and Commonwealth avenues, are adept at making new friends, drawing in out-of-towners and keeping regulars coming back for more. Monroe’s frequent diners have helped the restaurant, which this year celebrates its 15th anniversary, flourish in Del Ray.

“It’s the neighborhood that sustains you always when you’re a neighborhood place,” Laura Abraham said. “I’ve seen kids grow up, get married. We’ve had weddings, we’ve had engagements, seen people have babies. After 15 years, you really get to know your customers. It’s fun.”

The restaurant is located just a few blocks from Mark Abraham’s childhood home on E. Alexandria Avenue. His parents owned Vienna Inn, planting a seed for his future interest in the restaurant business. The Abrahams met while attending the University of Tennessee and married shortly after graduation.

Mark Abraham practiced law while his wife was a nurse and stay-at-home mom. In the mid-1990s, as he delved into entrepreneurship, the site that would become Monroe’s—the former home of Bob’s Corner, then a car parts dealership, then the Del Ray Café—caught his eye.

“I come from a family that’s been in the restaurant business forever,” he said. “It was kind of a natural thing, and when the Monroe’s spot became available, it was like, ‘This is meant to be. I’ve known that corner all my life.’”

Italian food was one of the couple’s favorites and the first choice for the restaurant’s cuisine. They began with pizzas and simple pastas, then expanded the menu over the years to include Monroe’s signature favorites, a large wine selection and delectable desserts. The most popular entrees include various pizzas, the crab pasta, fish and veal.

Monroe’s has received Wine Spectator magazine’s Award of Excellence every year since 1998. Mark Abraham oversees the wine offerings, keeping the selection up-do-date, recommending personal favorites and keeping prices affordable.

“The wine list has become a big part of who we are,” Laura Abraham said.

Every night they run a red and a white special, often offering wines by the glass that they can only find in small or irregular quantities.

“It may be something that he just got excited about and really wants to offer,” Laura Abraham said. “A lot of people come in on Friday night and just say, ‘I don’t even need to taste it, I just want to try what Mark’s red is tonight.’ So it’s really popular.”

Monroe’s has done well despite its location off Mt. Vernon Avenue, she said. “When we first opened, it kind of worried me, since we weren’t on The Avenue, where everything was really starting to develop and happen, but I think it’s proven to be good for us. We don’t have a parking issue. We’ve got plenty of parking.”

Although not open for lunch, Monroe’s does accept reservations for dinner. Many staff members are longtime employees.

Madeline Poe, a hostess, worked at Monroe’s several years ago and recently came back to help out.

“It’s a great place,” she said. “And it’s very neighborhood- and family-oriented.”

Monroe’s regular Terry Wight of nearby Beverley Hills, who dines at the restaurant two or three times a week, comes for the wines—particularly the reds—and dishes such as lamb salad, veal and mahi mahi.

“[I like] the friendliness, the staff,” Wight said. “They’re all wonderful. It’s local. The food is good. The prices are right. And it’s close.”

A secret to Monroe’s success, Mark Abraham said, is that the couple cares deeply about the restaurant and customers.

“We’re always looking to try to improve, and we’re very hands-on—we’re not absentee owners,” he said. “We’re there, and we like to be there with folks.”

One in a continuing series on how local residents are pursuing their version of the American Dream.