Mona Lisa of Newtown

Offers Fine Food In Fine Surroundings

The Mona Lisa of Newtown has been a part of Newtown for many years, moving from its original 43 South Main Street location in 2001 to the historic colonial at 160 South Main Street that once housed the original Newtown Inn, but it is only for the past two years that the restaurant has been under the command of owner Tom Daoutis. Mr Daoutis is a veteran of the restaurant business, having started out working in his family’s diners in Bridgeport as a young man, the Riverdale in Shelton, and the Stone Barn in Monroe. He has done it all, from sweeping the floors to sautéing the sole. At Mona Lisa of Newtown, he continues to cover all the bases when needed, and has designed the menus to reflect an Italian/Mediterranean cuisine influenced by his own Greek background.

Stepping into the foyer, customers are greeted by friendly staff, each wearing a Mona Lisa embellished necktie. Shelves of decorative plates include one of da Vinci’s favorite subject, and the Mona Lisa smiles her discerning smile from a large painting on the wall at the head of the foyer, as well as from several other renditions found throughout the roomy restaurant. Historians may not know what makes the Mona Lisa smile, but regulars to the Mona Lisa of Newtown know that it is the inviting atmosphere and warm welcome they receive that puts the smile on her lips.

It is the kind of place where the staff knows many customers by name and goes out of the way to make sure that each one is pleased. Last minute diners are as welcome as the early birds, said Mr Daoutis. “I’m happy to serve someone myself,” he said. “We’re always ready for customers.”

The casually formal atmosphere of Mona Lisa of Newtown lends itself to special events, and Mr Daoutis is pleased that the sunroom, added a year and a half ago, and abutting the outdoor brick patio, provides a bright and elegant space that can seat up to 100 patrons, or 70 if the dance floor is utilized. Surrounded by a crisp, white privacy fence, seven patio tables are covered with off-white tablecloths, as are the interior dining tables, and sport shading umbrellas when the summer sun shines down.

 On each and every one of the tables, inside and out, a single fresh rose blooms in a slender glass vase. In cooler months, the antique fireplace in the main room crackles to life with a warming glow, and soft candlelight flickers across the tabletops as evening falls.

Inside the red clapboard building are several rooms of various sizes from which private parties can select when planning a gathering. Persimmon red walls in the front dining rooms overlooking South Main Street give a rich, cozy feel to the space and upholstered chairs provide cushioned comfort at each of the formally set tables. A large room off of the bar, where dark wood paneling, richly textured curtains, and gold-tone ladderback chairs at every table evoke a cozy feel, provides overflow seating for 60 on busy days. Any of the rooms are suitable for holiday parties, office parties, bereavements, weddings, showers, anniversaries, or any other special occasion. Clients can select from party menus starting at $23 per person for dinner and $16 per person for lunch, or the staff is happy to tailor a menu to suit the individual’s taste.

Mona Lisa of Newtown also offers off-premises catering. The catering menus can be viewed at www.monalisaofnewtown.com. Busy people will also appreciate the pick up dinner menu available for take-out. Dinner for four, six, or eight, starting at $34.99 includes a family dinner choice of one of five entrees, penne pasta, tossed salad, and bread. Call one-half hour in advance and take home a delicious home-style meal.

There are many more reasons to smile when perusing the extensive lunch and dinner menus designed by Mr Daoutis in collaborations with his chefs. Between them, daily specials like scallops Francaise (scallops with sautéed spinach over angel hair pasta), Greek moussaka (layers of potato, eggplant, ground beef, tomatoes, spices, and cheese in a béchamel sauce), and shrimp Mediterranean are artfully produced to the delight of new and regular patrons.

Diners can start off the evening with a cold appetizer, such as the Mona Seafood Salad, a mélange of scungilli, calamari, shrimp, and scallops on a bed of mixed greens with a lemon vinaigrette (also available as a main course option), or a hot antipasto of calms casino, shrimp, scallops, homemade eggplant rollatini, and mushrooms Florentine. Coconut shrimp, crab cakes, and filet mignon tips offer still more variety to jumpstart the appetite.

Popular dinner entrees are the Mona Lisa Chicken, a chicken breast stuffed with scallops, shrimp, asparagus, and mozzarella and finished with a mushroom Marsala sauce and a side of lobster ravioli. The 16-ounce veal chop, a marbleized French rib chop shipped in from Pennsylvania, or cavetelli pasta with broccoli and sausage, are also in demand at Mona Lisa of Newtown. Romantically inclined customers might want to consider the Lover’s Choice for Two, consisting of twin lobster tails, New York strip steak, grilled chicken, and shrimp in a mushroom champagne sauce, served with pasta and vegetable.

All dinner entrees come with a starch, vegetable, and a choice of house made soup or salad.

A variety of salads, sandwiches, wraps, and pasta dishes are available at lunchtime, including a sesame-crusted tuna salad, classic Caesar salad, an open face steak sandwich, veggie burger, and linguini and clams.

On Sundays, diners can enjoy the ala carte brunch menu served with complimentary scones and fruit.

Plan to arrive a bit early and relax at the polished cherrywood bar or one of the tall bar tables in the compact bar located between the main dining rooms and the sunroom, where an extensive selection of wines or drinks from the fully stocked bar are available.

Mona Lisa of Newtown, located at 160 South Main Street, is open for lunch, 11:30 am to 3 pm, Monday through Saturday; dinner is served beginning at 4:30 pm, Monday through Saturday; Sunday brunch is served from 11 am to 2 pm, with the regular dinner menu available between noon and 9 pm. Dinner reservations are recommended Friday and Saturday evenings for parties larger than four. Complimentary parking is offered in the large parking lot located off of South Main Street. For information or to order pick-up, call 426-668, or visit www.monalisaofnewtown.com.