Charlestown's newest bar and restaurant is officially open, cozied up on a corner of Main Street where another familiar eatery once stood.
Monument, a restaurant and tavern from Damien Donovan, who owned Paolo's Trattoria at the same location, had its official soft opening Monday evening at 5 p.m., dishing wood-fired pizzas, steak and seafood, as well as a host of wine, cocktails and beers from the gleaming 40-foot bar.
"It will have a classic, inside-of-a-Charlestown-brownstone type of feel," Donovan told me in October, adding, "We wanted something that represented Charlestown, having grown up here that was important to me."
I swung through Monument yesterday to get a first look. The exterior is still getting a bit of a facelift, but the interior is beautiful, with 16-foot ceilings, tiled floors and an atmosphere that will beckon visitors to hang up their coats and stay for a while. Which, mind you, was exactly what Donovan was going for.
I didn't get a look at a full menu, but the wine and cocktail list looked extensive, and the tap list ran the gamut from Budweiser to offerings from both Night Shift Brewing and Maine Beer Company. (With lots more in bottles, I'm told.)
Monument, billed as a "gastro pub meets bistro," comes to a neighborhood that's in need of some more diverse dining options, in a location that's sure to see a lot of foot traffic.
"There are some great places in the neighborhood, like Warren Tavern and Brewer's Fork. But the more the merrier when it comes to restaurants," Donovan told me.
Take your first tour through Monument, below:
Images via the author.
