by Ross E. Blouin

John Henry was just 18 years old when he arrived here from Ireland in 1935. He was just a young lad in his 20s when he started the Mount Vernon Pub, on the site of the former Somerville Meat Company. Henry led his family through the Great Depression and went on to expand and build the Mount Vernon Restaurant into the landmark that it is today.

If you ever get or give directions to East Somerville it is a sure bet that the Mount Vernon will be mentioned somewhere in the conversation. There’s an old saying: “Somerville begins at the Mount Vernon Restaurant.”

Somerville has really changed in the past 20 years. But, the M.V. is real Somerville and just like Somerville it has many different faces. There is the pub with 14 draft beers on tap and a central bar with plenty of booths on either side of the room. There is the front room with an upscale natural wood look as well as a fireplace. There is the back room with more tables and a laid back atmosphere. Then there are the function rooms that range from big to intimate.

There are the folks who work at the M.V. and a lot of them have been with there many years. Say hello to waitresses Edy, Judy and Terry, Steve the bartender and Jean the receptionist.

The M.V. menu still reflects John Henry’s style of a good old-fashioned tavern that serves an eclectic selection that is based on years of success with local palates. Overall, the food is hearty, delicious and ranges from plain to intricate.

Start with cocktails, wine, beer or appetizers and you will see that you are being taken care of in a nice way. The cocktails are served in a pony glass sitting in a bowl of ice with your empty cocktail glass on the side. The wine selection is succinct, but of a good quality. The house wines are Salmon Creek. You will find names like Trinchero, Caymus, Rodney Strong, Kendall Jackson, Hogue, and Robert Mondavi.

There are enough basic varietals to please most diners and the price is right. You will have your choice of very decent whites and reds. I was particularly pleased with the Ruffino Chianti, which is always one of my favorites.

They even have Moet Chandon White Star and Dom Perignon for those who want the good times to roll. There are many selections for scotch, vodka, gin and whiskey. Frosted pints of draft starting at $2.95 are the order of the day.

The main menu consists of lamb chops, pork chops, chicken and
turkey with a special concentration on fine beef: Sirloins, filets, London
broil, steak tips and large slabs of prime ribs. The steaks come in large portions and you can have choice or prime sirloin.

The steaks are cooked to order and are very nicely done with that addictive char broil flavor. All the sirloins weigh in at 1 pound each. All dinners are served with your choice of salad (garden or Caesar) or soup with vegetable and your choice of potato.

The M.V. has always had lobster. They are able to buy the lobsters directly from the boats. You can get them boiled, baked stuffed, casseroled and in a cold salad. Their twin lobster special is famous. You will not find a better deal anywhere unless you are up for a three-
hour drive in a northerly direction.

Along with the lobster, the seafood menu is full and varied, including scallops, haddock, scrod, salmon, shrimp and fried clams. You might want to try their surf and surf, called “Salmon Rockefeller”, baked salmon topped with lobster meat, spinach and hollandaise sauce.

There are also Specials of the Day, every day of the week, for example: Sunday, prime rib for $12.95, Monday, twin boiled lobsters for $14.95 or market price and Wednesday, two thick pork chops for $8.99 and Special Dinners For Two at $14.99. The sliced roast beef sandwich has been famous here since 1935. Kelly’s eat your heart out!

We were knocked out by the sautéed chicken with spinach and feta cheese, chopped tomatoes and mozzarella. Served over stuffed ziti done
in a light garlic and butter sauce. We were taken from the sublime to the fantastic with this dish.

The kids love the M.V. and the children’s menu ranges from $1.99 to $4.99.

Sunday Brunch Buffet for $10.99 served from 9:00 AM till 2:30 PM. They serve a complete buffet with many items including Seafood Newburg, sliced roast beef, omelet station, pastries and stuffed rigatoni.

John Henry died in 2000, but his family continues to keep the range fires burning brightly in his honor. His son, Marty, started working at the M.V. when he was 14 years old and he is still working there today and holding court to all the many friends the family has made Marty’s son, Brett Henry, is now the managing force and you will find him on duty moving from room to room on any given day or night.

Somewhere up above, the spirit of John Henry is watching over the Mount Vernon. Many of us who were privileged enough to know John Henry can remember him playing host to numerous occasions and charity events in and around Somerville.

The Henry family has given back to the Somerville community in many ways and they continue to be a strong and supportive force in this city. John Henry’s kind ways, smiling eyes and he, with a bit of a brogue, will be remembered for many years to come.
( The Mount Vernon Restaurant
14 Broadway
Somerville, Mass. 02145
mtvernonrestaurant.com Phone 617-666-3830)