Sip, Savor, Socialize: Apero Delivers Style and Flavor in Monroe
An intimate space, connectivity, and the community breaking bread are what you can walk into when you choose to dine in at Apero. Restaurant. Market. Lounge. in Monroe.
This is just what owners and Monroe native Joe Holyfield, his children Lisa Holyfield and Chris Holyfield and New York native Emily Ackerman envisioned for the restaurant.
General Manager JJ Jarzabek has noticed the bar and patio at Apero are places where people don’t necessarily show up together, but they connect and build relationships. “This is a property with no TV’s, a lot of soft seating and close spaces, and it promotes that connectivity.”
While building those relationships, the restaurant will serve you an international menu straight from their “scratch kitchen” – producing dishes that are diverse. JJ describes the culinary style something new for the destination, using traditional techniques, new techniques with old ingredients and old techniques with new ingredients.
The kitchen is where you’ll find Executive Chef John E. Peters, who they draw from to build those unique and spectacular dishes. He’s been working with local farmers for more than 10 years. The 4Sisters Rice brand out is something they’ve previously incorporated in their dishes from Kennedy Rice Mill, located in Mer Rouge, Louisiana. The chef has used fresh eggs from Payne Lane Farms in Rayville, Louisiana. Currently, the restaurant uses Big Daddy Farms and Milliman Mushroom Farm – both located in West Monroe. Apero tries to use resources from local farming communities.
This Mississippi Delta Region is just so rich in agriculture – we’ve got a lot to draw on. And so, it’s incorporated in almost every phase of everything.JJ Jarzabek
For visitors who are garlic lovers, the chef is someone you’d want to get to know as it turns out garlic is his favorite ingredient to cook with. Fun fact!
Apero gives travel foodies around the country the experience of tasting family recipes. The shrimp toast is the restaurant’s signature dish, which is owner Emily Ackerman’s family recipe. Outside of family traditions, Chef John prepares a special recipe for lamb lollipops on the menu, U.S. Department of Agriculture hand-cut prime steaks, and the freshest fish they cut and offer daily in the market and the restaurant. The restaurant stands out by drawing upon the farming community.
The staff deeply believes in making visitors feel welcome.
We wanted something that was upscale, but not pretentious. We want it to be accessible to everybody; whether that’s just coming in on a Tuesday or a special occasion. We look for all those opportunities to elevate and connect with people that come in and personalize those experiences, and I think that shines through.JJ Jarzabek
The restaurant’s international menu comes with an international wine pairing. When curating the cocktail and wine program, owner Emily Ackerman specifically kept the menu in mind. JJ named in-house sommelier Bambi Ray as an exceptional gem for having tremendous knowledge on wine selections for customers. She’s the one who makes sure everyone who goes in can find something they’re familiar with or even something new that’s curated to their taste.
Each dinner on the second Tuesday of every month features a curated five-course menu by the executive chef with wine selected by Bambi. Seating is limited for these dinners. Visitors are encouraged to reserve their tables, and taste what everyone’s talking about in Monroe-West Monroe.
