Monterey Prime American Grill in Mount Laurel Announces Grand Opening Date Inside Aloft Hotel
Restaurateur Dave Magrogan, founder of the Dave Magrogan Group (DMG) and Harvest Restaurant Holdings (HRH) which operates eight Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar locations in PA and NJ, is preparing to open his newest restaurant venture, Monterey Prime American Grill — a massive 9,500 square-foot steakhouse and seafood restaurant located inside the Aloft Hotel at 558 Fellowship Road in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. The restaurant is working towards a Tuesday, November 14th opening.
With a vision to create a serious steakhouse and prime seafood restaurant that also serves as a premium American grill, Monterey Prime American Grill will offer all the luxury of a premium steakhouse, featuring a raw bar, thick steakhouse steaks, top quality seafood, decadent sides, and an expansive wine list and artisanal cocktails, while also focusing on exceptional composed entrees. In addition to offering service and execution that are on the level of the best steakhouses in the region, Dave Magrogan and his team have created a broader menu filled with premium dishes to also satisfy the seafood-focused guest, as well as plant-based diners.
Monterey Prime American Grill is completely independent, not owned or operated by the Aloft Hotel, with its own dedicated entrance in addition to three large outdoor patios and four private dining rooms. Between indoor seating and two patios, the restaurant will seat 350-plus guests, including up to 70 in the main dining room, and 80 guests between the front and side patios. Monterey will have several options for large and intimate private dining events. The main private dining room can seat more than 60 guests, while the private patio can accommodate over 100 guests. There will also be a private raise dining area that can accommodate 40 diners, and an elegant “Chairman’s Room” with a fireplace, wine wall, flatscreen TV and custom table that can seat 16 guests.
All private dining spaces have advanced audio/video setups for corporate, social, and family events. The space can accommodate corporate training events, meetings, and other professional endeavors. The bar room at Monterey opens up to a beautiful front patio with large window walls that completely open. There is also a stage in the lounge area, which will feature live music Wednesdays through Saturday nights and during Sunday brunch. Music will vary, with piano players and two- and three-piece ensembles performing.
The menu will include such appetizers as Angry Cashew Lobster; Crispy Artichokes; Tuna and Salmon Poke Nachos; Local Burrata; and Smoked Deviled Eggs; and entrees as Chilean Seabass served over soba noodles; Tuna Au Poivre; Brick Oven-Roasted Half Chicken Bliss Potato; Monterey Short Rib; Vegan Crispy Tofu Katsu; and Lobster Pappardelle. The menu also includes a vast amount of raw bar options including oysters and a large seafood tower; Mediterranean and local cheese & charcuterie boards for the whole table; a number of soups and salads; a ‘Butcher Block’ section with a Center Cut Filet 6 oz. and 12 oz. options; 20 oz. Bone-In Rib-Eye; 16 oz. Dry-Aged NY Strip; 14 oz. Veal Chop; and 12 oz. Double-Cut Colorado Lamb Chop; ‘Styles & Enhancements’ including Buttered Lobster Tail; Sauteed Shrimp; Seared Scallop; Lump Crab Oscar Style; and much more; a wide variety of sides for the table; as well as decadent desserts.
The restaurant will also feature a vast beverage program, offering more than 125 wines by the bottle, with a particular attention to California wines. Modern and eclectic cocktails will be met with classic premium, top-shelf spirits.
Shaun O’Mara, who has been an Operating Partner of Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar in Moorestown, NJ for the past seven years, will be Monterey Prime’s Operating Partner. The Executive Chef will be Andrew Pearce, who was formerly Executive Chef of The Palm in Philadelphia, as well as the Executive Chef at Hugo’s Frog Bar and Chop House at Rivers Casino, and a former member of the Gibson Group in Chicago. Chef Pearce, a Pennsylvania Culinary Institute graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts, was also on Hell’s Kitchen Season 16, making it to the Black Jacket Round. Chef Pearce brings with him decades of experience leading premium steak and seafood concepts. Jon Friedman, formerly a Director of Operations of Starr Restaurant Group, and the Senior VP of Operations at Harvest Seasonal Grill, will oversee restaurant operations, while Chef David Schorn, Regional Executive Chef of Harvest, and a respected South Florida chef, joined the team to assist Chef Pearce with developing the Monterey Prime menu.
“We’ve put together what I think is a perfect team with a deep wealth of knowledge in operating an independent prime American Grill to its fullest capacity,” said the 51-year-old Magrogan, who is recognized as a leader in the restaurant industry and small business community in addition to being an author, motivational speaker, and businessman. “We’ve had so much success with The Jupiter Grill, our modern coastal steakhouse in Florida, and we’re ready to open this new location with a focus on top quality steaks and seafood. I’m so confident that Chef Pearce and the entire team will make this South Jersey’s next great restaurant, and a place where people will return time and time again. We are taking two different types of concepts and putting them under one roof for something that we are very proud of from a culinary standpoint. Pairing a variety of exceptional composed dishes with a polished steakhouse selection will afford our guests the ability to dial up or down their dining experience on any given night.”
The restaurant will operate from 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday, with brunch offered until 3 p.m. Learn more about Monterey Prime American Grill by visiting https://www.montereygrill.com.