Former Slugger's location gets new restaurant

Monica's restaurant plans to expand from its location on Mormon Trek Boulevard in Iowa City to the 303 2nd St., Coralville, which housed Sluggers before the June 2008 flood.

Monica's will have about 40 percent more space and an expanded menu after the move, according to owner Randy Larson. He said the restaurant will keep its Italian specialty, but expand its selections of American favorites to take up about half of the menu. They will include such heart fare as meat loaf, stuffed pork chops, braised short ribs and noodles.

The main room of the new restaurant will feature a bar and eight big-screen televisions, and versatile seating. The front dining room, separated by glass, will be a quieter alternative for conversational dining.

Sluggers gave up its lease after the flood, moving to  405 N. Dubuque St. in North Liberty, the former location of Rookie's Sports Bar & Grill.

Monica's started out in 2002 as Bob's Your Uncle, a business started by Larson after he sold his 50 percen interest in the Airliner in Iowa City to his partner. Shortly after opening a second Bob's Your Uncle on North Dodge Street, Larson converted the original location to Monica's Italian Bistro and Pizzeria, featuring Italian specialties such as lobster fettucine, crab-stuffed tilapia and baked ziti with chicken.

The name will be shorted at the new location to Monica's.

The former Slugger's space received an interior makeover by Randy Remple construction and Neumann Monson Architects. It still uses the same 5,000-pound open-flame brick oven as the old Monica's location.