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Jorge Lopez stepped out from behind the line to check on a customer — something he continues to do instinctively after nearly three decades in kitchens.
The dish was as simple as it gets: a creamy tomato soup paired with a grilled cheese sandwich. No flourishes. No tricks. But when Lopez, a veteran head chef, approached the table, the reaction caught him off guard.
“He grabbed me by the arm and he wouldn’t let me go,” Lopez said, recalling how the customer raved about the grilled cheese, the soup, and the way it all came together. “That’s everything to me. I went home that day feeling amazing — that we’re able to do that for people.”
That moment, Lopez said, captures exactly why he took the leap with his wife of 23 years, Martha, to open Monarca Bar & Grill, which debuted Dec. 30 in Holbrook, taking over the longtime home of Momo’s Sports Bar, which closed last month, at 350 Union Ave.
For Lopez, 51, Monarca represents both a new beginning and the culmination of a career that began 30 years ago behind the stoves at The Garden Grill in Smithtown, where up until Monarca’s opening he spent his entire professional life.
Lopez started at The Garden Grill in 1995, working under chef Jonathan Perkins, who now owns the Cooperidge Inn in Baiting Hollow, before becoming head chef just a couple of years later. It was a role he would hold for over a quarter-century.
His résumé is “very, very small,” he joked. “One place — 30 years.”
Their success story
Born in Nicaragua, Lopez came to Long Island in the mid-1990s and landed almost immediately in Smithtown, moving into a friend’s apartment and starting work right away.
Over time, Smithtown — and then Holbrook — became home. He and his wife, whom he met on a visit to Santa Ana, California, married in 2003, bought a Holbrook house in the early 2000s, raised their family there, and now live close enough that they can walk to the restaurant.
Why “Monarca”?
The restaurant’s name is a nod to the monarch butterfly, known for its annual migration from Canada to Mexico each fall. For owner Jorge Lopez, the butterfly represents transformation, hope and the courage to leave one’s comfort zone to grow.
Lopez chose Monarca, the Spanish word for monarch, as a reflection of his roots and the journey that led him to Long Island — and to opening his first restaurant.
Monarca opened after Momo’s had sat dark for nearly two weeks, and Lopez was keenly aware of the responsibility that came with taking over a space so familiar to the community. He says the reception has been overwhelmingly positive.
“We’re getting a lot of people from the previous place,” he said. “They’re very excited. They’re happy with the menu. The support has been incredible.”
While Monarca kept the bones of a sports bar — plenty of TVs, an energetic bar scene — Lopez’s approach to the food reflects what he calls “modern American” cooking, with an emphasis on quality, consistency and dishes that feel elevated without feeling fussy.
Among the standouts are braised short ribs cooked low and slow for six hours, finished with a red wine reduction and served with mashed potatoes. There are also the “naked wings,” cooked without flour but still crisp, a nod to bar classics done Lopez’s way.
“I want it to be a sports bar where you can come in and enjoy a real quality restaurant meal,” he said.
Consistency, Lopez said, is everything, especially as he trains his kitchen staff and balances his time between the line and the front of the house.
“No matter who’s behind the line, I want the food to go out always the same,” he said. “Consistency is key.”
All in the family … and friends
Monarca is very much a family operation. Martha, who Lopez met years ago in California through a mutual friend, works alongside him in the kitchen every day. The couple will celebrate 23 years of marriage later this month.
Their 21-year-old son Derek works at nearby Mama Lombardi’s and helps out at Monarca after his shifts, while daughters Kimberly, 18, and Angelina, 12, are frequent presences.
“My wife’s been working with me in kitchens for over 20 years,” Lopez said.
Lopez credits his former employers at The Garden Grill with helping make the transition possible.
“I took a lot of blessings,” he said. “They were incredible to me and my family. They still come to check on me, make sure everything’s good.”
Lopez is quick to note that Monarca’s early momentum hasn’t been his alone.
Behind the bar on a recent Saturday was Nicki Adams, a Windsor, Canada, native who is a familiar face to Momo’s regulars. A mom who also works as a real estate agent with OverSouth, Adams stayed on through the transition and said she’s energized by the changes.
Adams — aka “Margarita Queen” — told Greater Long Island that she’s thrilled with the new menu and the energy the Lopez’s have. Retaining familiar staff has helped reassure returning customers during the changeover.
Bartender’s tip
For a smooth, smoky margarita, Monarca bartender Nicki Adams suggests skipping traditional tequila and trying the lesser-known Siete Misterios mezcal.
Another key presence at Monarca is 21-year-old Kyleigh Kondenar, serves as a jack-of-all-trades. The recent Florida International graduate organizes the menu, bartends, manages the restaurant’s sound system and televisions, and handles much of the behind-the-scenes tech — roles that have proven especially valuable during the restaurant’s first weeks.
In December, Kondenar earned her bachelor’s degree in hospitality and tourism management and is now pursuing a master’s degree online in revenue management. The 2022 Smithtown West graduate worked alongside Lopez at The Garden Grill, where she continues to work.
Since opening, Monarca has already started carving out its own rhythm in the neighborhood, hosting ladies nights on Fridays and promoting a Super Bowl special event. Lopez is also planning to launch Sunday brunch the week following the Super Bowl.
Lopez this weekend scheduled the restaurant’s first live music performance. Popular local band Rubber Soul will be playing Beatles, Billy Joel and classic favorites this Saturday night.
The first-time restaurant owner envisions a space that feels welcoming to families as much as it does to sports fans. He wants Monarca to be a place where people love to linger.
“I want to see families. I want to see kids,” he said. “I want people to feel like they went to a fancy restaurant.”
For now, Lopez savors the quiet victories that come when a customer stops him mid-stride to talk about a bowl of soup and cheese sandwich.
“Going to work is not work,” he said. “I’m really enjoying every moment.”
More Monarca in photos
Top: Brian Harmon photo
