WOW! Ate here last Sunday with my wife and 2 friends. This is a unique experience, almost like sitting in your favorite chef's house and sitting by the kitchen while he prepares you a personal feast.
We all loved it - everything. I had a Chicken with some kind of amazing pepper reduction that reminded me of a Mole type of sauce, and the mashed potatoes on the side were just garlicky enough and a wonderful consistency - I ate every bite and I don't usually like potatoes!
Chis... the chef and owner... and server... and greeter... and entertainer and maitre d'...and busser... was working his butt off but in the end the whole experience was just fantastic and this guy is creating some genuine magic here at Monarch.
One little issue was I noticed a bit of smoke in the air from all the cooking just like 10 ft away - I think they could probably get a little heavier duty exhaust fan in the kitchen... But in a way it just reminded me of how close this experience comes to almost being at a chef's private home while he whips up a few favorites for his friends.
BYOB? Yup, and only $10 a bottle for corkage! What a deal, and also respectful as most cities in the United States (except Phoenix) offer this as the rule rather than the exception. Smart!
The dessert was also fantastic - an entire plate for each guests filled with chocolate ganache, fresh whipped cream, a poached pear to die for...and delicate puff pastry.
Mmmm... We will be back, if we will be lucky enough to get a reservation in this soon to be "impossible to get into" little gem.