By DCist contributor Amanda Kazdoy

On many a Thursday night, when we can see the glorious weekend on the horizon, we like to head to Monroe’s for comforting, well made Italian food and generous glasses of tasty table wine. This cozy little joint is a beacon of light and activity tucked away on a dark, quiet corner of Commonwealth and Monroe in Alexandria. The vibe inside is decidedly lively and colorful—with murals on the walls, giant bottles of wine on display, and very friendly staff. It’s often busy, but not so busy that you end up with bad service and lukewarm food. It seems that Alexandria has Monroe’s all to itself.

At first glance, Monroe’s menu might seem ordinary, what with standard pastas, salads, and pizzas in play. But this local haunt surprises us with several big-time dishes. We always start out with a huge glass of red table wine. Monroe’s has an honor system with the wine—pour your own glasses and report how many you had when you get the check. About halfway through the glass, our palates are fully prepped for our favorite appetizer: Monroe’s Bread—pizza dough brushed with olive oil and topped with rosemary, kosher salt, parmesan, and chopped fresh basil, and delivered in a round presentation cut into trapezoidal bite-size pieces. And because one appetizer is never enough, we almost always follow that up with the Corona Bean Salad. A bed of field greens gives way to an ample helping of huge and soft white beans, mixed with a tangle of spicy red onions, roasted red pepper strips, all tossed in the signature vinaigrette.

As for entrees, the standards are all there, and they’re all prepared expertly. But we go to Monroe’s for the Orecchiete with Sausage and Radicchio and the Pizza Alla Mo. The former is a knockout pasta dish that reveals about a million different flavors all at once. What we believe is a mixture of housemade sweet and spicy sausage is seamlessly combined with tomatoes and the sour, cabbage-like radicchio. The orecchiete (meaning “ears” in Italian), shaped like little cups, is the perfect vehicle for capturing the sauce.

The signature thin-crust pizza is also packed with strong flavors—a mild tomato sauce flecked with smoky bacon, super-sweet red peppers, and lightly pickled green olives. In fact, the flavors are so strong that we must eat it conservatively due to the powerful smokiness of the sauce.

For dessert, if we haven’t already undone the top button of our Wranglers, we go for the Panna Cotta, a light custard served with whipped cream (totally unnecessary) and a drizzle of raspberry sauce. It’s clearly a meal fit for someone with three stomachs, but we manage to make it work.

Monroe's
603 Commonwealth Avenue
Alexandria, Va.
(703) 548-5792