Dennis Brennan beats back the redcoats at Menotomy Grill on Thursday, 11 January 2024.

What the hell is ‘Menotomy’?

Sure, it’s a local grill & tavern in Arlington, with a free live music series on Thursdays.

But that name…

What the fuck is up with that name? When you try to read it off the page your eyes go crossed. Your vocabulary seizes up. It can’t be right. They must have meant ‘metonymy,’ right?

If you type ‘metonymy grill’ into Google, the search engine will auto-correct you and show you the search results for ‘menotomy grill.’ Google knows better than you.

Confusing or not, there’s history to the name. ‘Menotomy’ was a town during the American Revolution, a precursor to the town we know today as Arlington. “I left my heart in Menotomy.” Just rolls off the tongue.

There was a famous Battle of Menotomy too. Not quite as famous as the Battles of Lexington and Concord, but all three battles unfolded on the same day, regarded as the first day of the American Revolution: April 19, 1775.

We rounded up and edited together some Youtube footage of local reenactment of the Battle of Menotomy. Thanks, runrun1354!

As you will observe, the Redcoats fought their way past the hair salons, donut shops, and Radioshacks to surround a group of rebel militia men at the property of Jason Russell.

The climax of the battle takes place at Jason Russell’s house when the owner tries to flee for cover inside, but is shot and bayoneted on his own doorstep. About 25 militia men and 40 Redcoats were killed. Thanks, Wikipedia!

Thousands of soldiers on both sides mobilized forces that day, signaling the start of a larger and longer conflict in the colonies.

The Arlington Historical Society tells the story of the Battle of Menotomy, and concludes thusly:

From the inscription on his headstone in the nearby Old Burying Ground: “Jason Russell was barbarously murdered in his own house by Gage’s bloody Troops on the 19th of April 1775. Age 59. His body is quietly resting in this grave with eleven of our friends who in like manner with many others were cruelly slain on that fateful day. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.”

If you stop by the tavern for food, drink, or music, check out the Revolutionary War artifacts peppered on the walls. You’ll spot a few Menotomy Militia pieces.

On Thursday night Dennis Brennan was in the house, giving off a kind of Bob Dylan singer/songwriter vibe. He sat in with the house band and played music you could dance to. Get in early for the live music nights if you want a seat – the place fills up.

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