The Monocle (restaurant)
The Monocle is a restaurant in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C. History The Monocle was founded in September 1960 by Constantine "Connie" Valanos and his wife Helen, and was considered Capitol Hill's first "tablecloth restaurant". D.C. law at the time required that alcohol only be served to patrons sitting at a table, so a member of Congress took it upon himself to change the rules to allow for bars and barstool seating in the District. Management of the restaurant was taken over by the Valanos' son, John Valanos and his wife Vasiliki in 1989. Helen Valanos died in 2005, and Connie in 2012. The restaurant comprises two adjoining federal row houses on D Street NE, originally built in 1885. Prior to housing the Monocle it was home to the Station View Spaghetti House. The building is owned by the federal government. Connection to U.S. Politics Given its proximity to the United States Senate and being one of only a few restaurants near the Capitol, The Monocle ...
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