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The bar at Monterey Pub in Pittsburgh has a shiny new look.

More than 14,000 zinc-coated copper pennies adorn the bar top in a swirl-like design which has been sealed with epoxy and is back again holding beer, wine and cocktails.

“The old bar top needed something,” said general manager Sophia Milinkovic. “I think it looks cool. We wanted to refresh the place while still preserving its rich history. We kept the original bar.”

The popular neighborhood bar and restaurant reopened Oct. 20.

Retaining the character of the establishment nestled in the heart of the Mexican War Streets on Monterey Street on Pittsburgh’s North Side was important to the reopening. The Irish pub had been closed since March 2020 because of the pandemic.

New owners Rick Krist and Monica Zmuda purchased the business from Mark and Nancy Wade.

People had been walking by to see when they would return — and are often waiting outside for the bar doors to open at 4 p.m., Milinkovic said.

“Rick and Monica have given us this opportunity to open and we are going to do everything we can to live up to it being a fun place to enjoy a meal and a have a drink,” Milinkovic said.

As for those drinks, Milinkovic created a cocktail menu that highlights the area — such as the Palo Alto, which is tequila, Italian brandy, lime and orange. The Buena Vista is black rum, Chambord, amaretto, lemon and Guinness. Gus & Yiayia’s (which recently was announced as the newest addition to the Carnegie Science Center’s Miniature Railroad & Village) is vodka, pomegranate liquor, cherry, lime and strawberry.

“We wanted to do something that represented this amazing neighborhood,” said Milinkovic, as she stood behind the bar, also talking about the 40 hours it took to organize the pennies after painting the wood green and covering it in primer. There are vintage pennies dating back to 1903.

She came up with the idea after seeing a similar look at the bar at BURN by Rocky Patel, a cigar lounge on the North Shore. Her older brother Michael Milinkovic, the general manager there, did a similar look with pennies. His coins are more structured than his sister’s, which she calls “free flowing.”

The bar at Monterey Pub seats 12. Garrow Draft Service, based in Greensburg, custom-made a beer tower from old water pipe for eight beers on tap and four draft wines. Michael Gano, owner of Garrow’s Draft Service with locations in Greensburg, Larimer and Monongahela, knew Milinkovic from when she worked at Federal Galley. When he saw the bar top, he said he was impressed with the craftsmanship and design of the pennies.

“We cultivated a working relationship, and I feel privileged to work with her and her team at Monterey Pub,” Gano said. “She talked to me about her vision for the piece. We work with everyone, from large venues like Dolphins (Hard Rock) Stadium to PNC Park to neighborhood establishments like Monterey Pub, which is most enjoyable.”

In addition to the bar, there are booths and tables for seating. The pub will be open earlier at times to show soccer games. The first one is Saturday.

Some of the same food menu items have returned, such as Shepherd’s pie, beer-battered fish and the Monterey burger with creole mustard, arugula, pickles, tomato and cheddar cheese. New choices will be added on a regular basis, such as New Orleans-style fare of gumbo and Cajun, as well as vegan and vegetarian options created by chef D.J. Hitchman.

“It has been crazy busy since we reopened,” said Milinkovic. “This neighborhood is wonderful and the staff has been great. Many of them have worked together for years. The camaraderie of people coming back and being together is wonderful to see. Things have not been ideal during the pandemic, so to give them a little piece of joy makes us happy, too.”

Milinkovic said they welcome customers’ feedback.

“Our job is hospitality,” she said. “It’s like a performance. Our props are the drinks and food. You never know what is going on in someone’s life, so if they can come in here and have an opportunity to relax with family and friends and neighbors, that’s what it’s all about.”

Hours are 4 p.m. to midnight, Tuesday through Saturday. They plan to add weekend brunch.

JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact JoAnne by email at jharrop@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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