[Eat & Drink ArtPrize 2010] Monarchs' Club

While much of the ArtPrize action is found on the east side of the River, there are jewels to be discovered at the ArtPrize venues located just west across the Grand. Monarchs' Club is a great venue to start your off your Westside ArtPrize tour. 

Located at the cross of Stocking Ave. and Fourth Street on the Westside (646 Stocking Avenue Northwest) Monarchs' Club was once a speakeasy during Prohibition. Revived in 2006, Monarchs' has a Chicago-pub feel with is long, hardwood bar and deep wooden booths.  It's a Westside favorite where one will find both college students from nearby Grand Valley State University mingling with the local neighbors enjoying the nearly 20 local beers on tap from great local breweries like Founders, Arcadia, Bells, New Holland (to name just a few).

As for the food – it's classic Westside, so you can expect excellent Vienna-Style hotdogs (between $2-4) and sandwiches named after local celebrities (between $6.50 – 9.00). All the sandwiches are well-portioned and are perfect to fill a food craving after a long afternoon of pounding the pavement looking at art.

Monarchs' is also connected to the next-door Mercury Bar, a newly renovated joint that also features a bar with local beer on tap. Both bars share a kitchen and patrons can order off Monarch's menu – allowing guests to move back and forth between the two locations as they enjoy their drinks, food and peruse the art installations.

From Monarchs' central location west of the Grand River, ArtPrize patrons can also visit other Westside venues in the area quite easily. Make a day of it.

The ArtPrize you'll see

ArtPrize Artists featured at Monarchs' Club:

• Drey Resler ("Colors of America")
• Dave Lehto ("Michigan Orchid")
• stephen cannady (schoodic)
• Irvin Smith ("Components in Space")