The first time I entered Gates & Brovi, I felt this was the perfect restaurant for the neighborhood. The exposed brick keeps the charm of Monroe Street, and the overall design with its ample, natural lighting gives it a hip, urban feel.

The menu, limited to just a page, is full of creative items. The slow roasted beef ($8.95) with its horsey sauce and caramelized onions on an Italian hoagie, was a nice departure from typical, boring roast beef sandwiches. I had to remove most of the giardiniera, however, as I thought it took a little too much away from the focus of the beef.

Meanwhile, the Chile-chick pea tuna salad sandwich ($7.75) was full of flavor with the hard boiled egg, capers and pepperoncini on top, thus eliminating the need for mayonnaise that offers drowns these types of sandwiches. The torpedo roll also was perfectly toasted to add a subtle crunch.

Perhaps the least original item, though my favorite, was The G&B ($6, add $1.50 for bacon, $2.50 for a double). If you’re looking for a juicy burger, you found it right here. In fact, the bottom bun was clinging for dear life as it was falling apart in all the juices (that’s a good thing in my book). On the flip side, the cole slaw that came on the side was rather bland.

I also recommend trying the clam chowder ($2.75 cup, $4 bowl), served every day, as well as the calamari ($9), though the breading fell off most of the pieces. The rest of the menu contains items like whole Maine lobster, salads and even Blue Point oysters ($1 each during happy hour).

Gates & Brovi is open for lunch and dinner Tuesdays through Sundays. Parking can be a challenge, as you have to park on the street (there seems to be only a handful of spaces nearby) before 7 p.m., at which point you can park in the Mallatt Pharmacy parking lot.

See more photos of Gates & Brovi at our Flickr set.