With its open kitchen format, beautiful dining room, and spacious patio, The Monica has become quite the downtown destination in its first year on the block. As a matter of fact, the spot was voted “Tucson’s Best New Restaurant of 2022” by Tucson Weekly readers.
1-year anniversary celebration
With all of that being said, The Monica is throwing a party for its first anniversary on Wednesday, March 1 at 40 E. Congress St.
Everyone is invited to put their party pants on and celebrate with the team who will be serving samplings of new dishes and drink specials starting at $1 each. Plus, they’ll be hosting live music from local acts and giving away prizes throughout the day.
The history behind The Monica
Located in the Hexagon building in downtown Tucson, The Monica honors its namesake Monica Flin, the founder of Tucson’s iconic El Charro Cafe. Daily dishes at The Monica include a collection of family and mixed cultural recipes like food “Tia” Monica would have made for her friends and family.
The Monica offers daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as weekend brunch and a Happy Hour from 2 – 6 p.m. Monday – Friday. Full-service bars are available both inside and on the patio.
A variety of local ingredients such as nopales, mesquite flour, and local Barrio Grains are infused in recipes such as their hand-stretched pizzas and freshly baked cinnamon rolls.
Ray Flores, founder of The Monica and great nephew to Monica Flin, is pleased when he hears others say that this project is a triumphant return to downtown for his great grand aunt. During the urban renewal period of downtown Tucson, Tia Monica was forced out of business but he feels that she’s been there all along.
Stop by from 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. on Monday – Thursday, 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. (the bar is open till 11 p.m.) on Friday – Saturday, and 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Sunday.
The Monica is part of the Si Charro! family of restaurants is located at 40 E. Congress St. For more information, visit themonicatucson.com and follow The Monica on Instagram.
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Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
