[SiseFromm]

Florent Marneau, formerly of Pinot Provence off Anton and Bristol in Santa Ana, opens his new restaurant tonight (04.23.2007) in the old Troquet location at South Coast Plaza! I received this email earlier today:

TO ALL OUR GUESTS

WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNONCE THE OPENING OF Marché Moderne RESTAURANT TONIGHT!
THE RESTAURANT WILL BE OPEN FOR LUNCH FROM 11:30AM TO 3 PM AND DINNER FROM 5:30 TO 9:30 PM SEVEN DAYS A WEEK
For all info or reservation call 714-434-7900
Florent and Amelia Marneau
Chefs/owners

I love the food Florent was producing at Pinot. It was anchored with classic combinations but he didn't shy away from experimentation. You won't find molecular work or misplaced foams, but you will get perfectly cooked food, rich sauces from classic stocks and reductions, and playful combinations such as ahi tuna, pommes frites, and mustard cream, or my all-time favorite, crispy sweetbreads with almonds and cauliflower in curry emulsion.

I highly recommend stopping by his new joint. We haven't been obviously, but I'm sure he'll hit a home run and I love the patio space at the old Troquet.

This post has been edited by SiseFromm: 23 April 2007 - 01:20 PM

[Swicks]

Very interesting, I will definately have to check it out, that is a great patio.

I am not sure if you have been in the area but Tutto Mare in Fashion Island is gone and that is a pretty large/prime spot, I am curious as to what is going in there.

[SiseFromm]

We're stopping in Friday for dinner at the bar. I originally had 7 people on board for a reservation on the patio, but plans have seemingly disappeared. I'm not usually a photo in the restaurant kind of guy but I'll be sure to write a full review.

[Swicks]

Excellent I look forward to hearing your report.

[Swicks]

I had lunch at Marche Modern on Saturday, and I am pleased to report it was excellent.

I would have loved to get a seat on the patio however none were available. I found the seating in the dining room to be quite tight but not outrageously so, the one thing I didn't like was that it impeded wait staff's access to the table in some ways which I found annoying, it is a small dining room so its a minor quibble. The room is subdued but has a great open kitchen.

Overall I found the menu to be very excellent, so many things on the menu looked delicious, it was very difficult to decide. I was dining with my mother and we decided to order a few different things and share. We had:

Butter poached langoustine appetizer - Served with green onions, mushrooms in nice broth/sauce. Very simple and delicious, a great start.

Alsatian tart - with caramelized onions, ham, cheese, and creme fraiche. This was interesting, not totally what I was expecting, it was basically a pizza. Perhaps I had improper expectations, i was thinking more of a pastry type of crust/dough but in actuality it was a pizza type dough, though a bit denser and richer. All that being said, it was very rich and delicious with the wood fired oven gave the crust a nice char. I would definitely recommend this as a shared appetizer rather than a solo appetizer or a replacement for an entree.

Pork Belly entree - Of course it was impossible for me to pass up pork belly; really great preparation here. Served in three small cubes that were crisped on all sides adding even more great texture than a typical preparation in which just one side is crisped. Very nice cuts of the belly with just the right amount of fat. Served with stewed cherries for some sweetness and a nice red cabbage slaw with vinegar to cut the richness. One of the best preparations of pork belly i have ever had.

Desert - Chocolate gateau with espresso ice cream. Call it whatever name you wish but this was your basic molten center soufflé cake. While incredibly overdone, it is my own personal test of a kitchen's pastry prowess, this one passed with flying colors with a great version. Very light and delicious. Served with an amazing espresso ice cream. I hate to be repetitive but simple and delicious.

Service - Like SiseFromm we did not get a wonderful service experience. It was pleasant so it wasn't an attitude problem just nothing spectacular, though no major gaffes. I suspect service is still getting its legs.

Overall I really loved this restaurant, Chef Marneau is doing some great things and lunch was a great introduction. It strikes a perfect balance between French and modern cuisines without being fussy. The food was very well prepared with excellent flavors, portioning seemed to be the perfect size as I left pleasantly full but not overly stuffed. We perused the dinner menu on our way out and it made me want to return immediately, so many delicious choices. I can't wait to return to get the full dinner and wine service.

[SiseFromm]

Glad to read your review. I think your langoustine dish is the very same one I had, although I thought it was spot prawns? In any case, since my "review" of Marche Moderne was actually posted somehow in the Stonehill Tavern thread, I thought I would copy this over for posterity's sake and future Marche Moderne inquiries:

Florent is definitely doing some great stuff over at Marche Moderne in the former Troquet space at South Coast Plaza (3rd floor in the Nordstrom wing). He was a solid, consistent chef during his long stay at Pinot Provence just a few blocks away, but now that he’s on his own, I think he’s recharged and ready for some innovation again. When we dined, there were definitely some service issues, but nothing unusual or that I didn’t expect considering the restaurant had just opened a couple of weeks earlier. The kinds of things we dealt with (incorrect stems for the Rhone wine we brought, they sold out of several key menu items, an un-bussed table that sat for too long next to us, the bartender was a no-show so we didn’t get cocktails in a timely manner, etc.) can all be excused if they tighten things up over the next few months. The food was fantastic. The highlight was the spot prawn appetizer with black trumpet mushrooms, grilled wild ramps, and a lovely brown sauce presumably made with wine and stock. It was so good I nearly ordered another one immediately after I finished it. My entrée of sweetbreads was an exercise in beautiful excess. To have so many sweetbreads at once reminded me of true bistro eating around France. I should have tried one of the tarts that were streaming out of the wood-fired oven because they looked delicious. Florent sent us a parade of desserts on the house and each was better than the last. My favorite was the strawberries and cream napoleon with strawberry sorbet. It tasted like the best sugary cereal you ever had as a kid. Like an explosion of Kellogg-driven nostalgia. Gorgeous. We’re heading back again to celebrate my sister’s birthday and I’m hoping the smaller stuff will be better ironed out by then. I’m confident they will.

[Swicks]

SiseFromm, on Jun 25 2007, 07:49 PM, said:

Glad to read your review.  I think your langoustine dish is the very same one I had, although I thought it was spot prawns?  In any case, since my "review" of Marche Moderne was actually posted somehow in the Stonehill Tavern thread, I thought I would copy this over for posterity's sake and future Marche Moderne inquiries:

Florent is definitely doing some great stuff over at Marche Moderne in the former Troquet space at South Coast Plaza (3rd floor in the Nordstrom wing). He was a solid, consistent chef during his long stay at Pinot Provence just a few blocks away, but now that he’s on his own, I think he’s recharged and ready for some innovation again. When we dined, there were definitely some service issues, but nothing unusual or that I didn’t expect considering the restaurant had just opened a couple of weeks earlier. The kinds of things we dealt with (incorrect stems for the Rhone wine we brought, they sold out of several key menu items, an un-bussed table that sat for too long next to us, the bartender was a no-show so we didn’t get cocktails in a timely manner, etc.) can all be excused if they tighten things up over the next few months. The food was fantastic. The highlight was the spot prawn appetizer with black trumpet mushrooms, grilled wild ramps, and a lovely brown sauce presumably made with wine and stock. It was so good I nearly ordered another one immediately after I finished it. My entrée of sweetbreads was an exercise in beautiful excess. To have so many sweetbreads at once reminded me of true bistro eating around France. I should have tried one of the tarts that were streaming out of the wood-fired oven because they looked delicious. Florent sent us a parade of desserts on the house and each was better than the last. My favorite was the strawberries and cream napoleon with strawberry sorbet. It tasted like the best sugary cereal you ever had as a kid. Like an explosion of Kellogg-driven nostalgia. Gorgeous. We’re heading back again to celebrate my sister’s birthday and I’m hoping the smaller stuff will be better ironed out by then. I’m confident they will.

I think you are right regarding the appetizer, for some reason I remember langoustine in my mind but the preparation is exactly how you described it.

[SiseFromm]

We went back to Marché Moderne last Friday, July 6th.

It was great and the overall experience for us improved by double or triple over our first visit. Some of the initial troubles we had with service, stemware, staffing, etc. all completely vanished. Without a reservation, we were greeted warmly by the front staff that gladly accommodated us with one of the choicest tables in the main dining room. Our server was Joy, and I would highly recommend requesting her for service if you are planning on dining anytime soon. She was formerly with Troquet then in the Pascal’s catering division before returning to the Troquet location to work with Florent’s new team. She anticipated yet never overcrowded and was very knowledgeable.

The canapé of Plum Sorbet with St. Agur blue cheese was exciting and unexpected. I didn’t think I’d see a sweet sorbet so early on in the meal but there it was. The plum color was stunning and the blue cheese provided a great salty/cream counterbalance. I only wish the finishing flavor could have been delivered by the plum and not by the cheese. Overall it was a great effort and almost there, just not quite.

Holly couldn’t pass up those Butter-Poached Spot Prawns with Chanterelles I had on our first visit. It was as good as the first go-around with extraordinarily tender prawns nestled in with sautéed mushrooms and a rich brown sauce. I opted for the Tagine of Sea Scallop. The clay pot vessel arrived with two ultra-plump scallops atop a bed of eggplant, almonds, chermoula, sultanas, and Harissa. I would order this dish again in a hot second. The intensity of the flavors he was playing with could have easily overpowered such delicate seafood but he showed immense restraint here and the flavors were delicate and haunting rather than punchy and obvious. Great technical achievement, even though I think the prep on the veg could have been tighter.

For my main I chose the “Coq au Vin Style” Braised Beef Short Ribs accompanied by morels, bacon, and potato gnocchi. The ribs were exactly as you would hope . . . glazed, sticky, and braised for hours. The bacon and morels were both nice if non-descript, but I wish instead of potato gnocchi he would have gone with a more French-style choux gnocchi. I thought the potatoes were a bit dense and gluey and didn’t add much flavor or texture to the overall dish. Actually, pommes frites would have been a perfect pairing, bringing crunch plus potato goodness. Holly’s main course, Kona Konpachi with poached Foie Gras in Ponzu Broth, was the best dish we had all night. The fish was nearly raw with a very light sear. The foie was poached in the ponzu broth which, according to Joy, was made from several kinds of citrus including grapefruit and yuzu. The creaminess and delicacy of the foie against the rare fish in that light, yet intensely flavored broth was an epiphany. There wasn’t a single bit left in that bowl after we devoured every delicious bite.

For dessert Holly opted for a couple of cheeses, although I can’t remember which two. I was more focused on my Peach Gateau with Peach Ice Cream, a statement on the season if ever there was one. The ice cream was light as a cloud and not as dense as I imagined and the sponge was lovely. I don’t even think Holly got a bite of this one. The Sauternes I ordered wasn’t actually very good on its own, but offered a nice balance against the dessert.

I think the total bill was $183 for the both of us. That includes a couple of wines by the glass for our starters plus one more wine for Holly during her entrée. We brought a bottle of 2002 Blankiet Cabernet Sauvignon (it was drinking very awkwardly) but I don’t know if they charged us a corkage. I forgot to look.

I’m heading back in another few months to see how they’re doing. If the improvement of our second visit over our first visit is an indication of direction, I’m excited to see how this restaurant does over the long haul.

p.s. – My only overall complaint on food is that there is simply too much of it! I think if Florent cut down his portions by 1/2 or 1/3, he’d be serving a much more manageable amount of food to the guests.

[Swicks]

Great report as usual.

I think I will be going back with my family in about two weeks for my birthday, definitely excited.

I will have to try the peach gateau, I almost ordered it last time.

[SiseFromm]

This thread has basically turned into a private conversation. Where are all the other OC foodies anyway?

[Swicks]

SiseFromm, on Jul 11 2007, 12:34 PM, said:

This thread has basically turned into a private conversation.  Where are all the other OC foodies anyway? 

Few and far between apparantly.

[rjwong]

SiseFromm, on Jul 11 2007, 12:34 PM, said:

This thread has basically turned into a private conversation.  Where are all the other OC foodies anyway? 

Pardon me for interrupting your "private conversation." I just came in from Los Angeles.

On the fourth of July, I walked around South Coast Plaza and saw Marche Moderne. It looks a little small. Did you feel cramped? Did you feel like you were in a mall? As for me, I'll wait until SCP finish its renovations and add the new elevator.

[Swicks]

rjwong, on Jul 11 2007, 05:41 PM, said:

SiseFromm, on Jul 11 2007, 12:34 PM, said:

This thread has basically turned into a private conversation.  Where are all the other OC foodies anyway? 

Pardon me for interrupting your "private conversation." I just came in from Los Angeles.

On the fourth of July, I walked around South Coast Plaza and saw Marche Moderne. It looks a little small. Did you feel cramped? Did you feel like you were in a mall? As for me, I'll wait until SCP finish its renovations and add the new elevator.

As I said in my report, i thought some of the inside seating (a two top where we were sitting specifically) felt a bit cramped. Next time I would love to dine on the patio as it looked a bit more spaced out. I didn't feel like we were at a mall in any way shape or form which was interesting. Despite its proximity to Nordstroms the area in which the restaurant is located, the third floor in particular, is one of the lesser crowded areas so there didn't seem to be too much foot traffic, or at least it wasn't noticeable to us at all.

[SiseFromm]

We park at the top of the parking structure and walk into the mall on the third floor, a mere 25 - 50 feet from the restaurant's front door. Since I'm not strolling through a shoe department before stopping in for a bite, I simply don't get the sense we're in a mall environment. The patio is great, maybe one of the best in the area. It reminds me of the patio at Lucques actually. I don't mind the dining room though. We were seated at a table somewhat removed from the rest of the interior tables so maybe that has something to do with my limited experience.

By the way, Russell, I'm back in Chinatown tomorrow for another full day of installations. This gallery show is going to give me an ulcer, but I'll be up there.

[savvysearch]

The 3rd floor is pretty much dead and even a little eerie. I never see anyone up there except when tourists get lost.

Thanks for the review Sisefromm. I can't wait to try it. I've got to save up!

[AlexNoir]

Alright, I've finally got my act together and made reservations for Marche Moderne this upcoming Friday. I'll be sure to report on the meal (maybe some photos?).

[AlexNoir]

It took me a few days, but here's my report for Marche Moderne...

Even though Marche Moderne is not doing anything new, they are certainly doing something original in Orange County - and doing it amazingly well. I'll start off by saying that MM far exceeded my expectations - not sure what my expectations were exactly, but I was definitely blown away by the meal.

We arrived at Marche Moderne (after walking through Nordstrom's and having to pry my wife away from some crazy-ass sale they were having) and were quickly seated. They had seating both inside and out and my wife felt more comfortable outside. She thought it was a little warm and cramped inside and based on some of the previous posts, outside seemed better. The outdoor seating is very cool with several "booths" set against the back wall. While we didn't get a booth, it was still nice to be outside on a nice night. OK...the food!

We started off with a nice amuse bouche of chopped haricot verts and buffalo mozzarella. A tasty yet non-descript little warm-up to the meal that we were about to have.


We decided to go for a couple app/first courses since there were so many that were screaming out at me to try. We settled for the charcuterie and the scallops. First off, the charcuterie. I definitely wouldn't call myself a charcuterie expert, but this has got to be one of the tastiest char plates I've ever had and they owe it all to that magical duck terrine. The freakin thing was perfect on so many levels. It had an amazing depth of flavor and wonderfully fatty quality to it. Even my wife, an admitted duck detractor couldn't keep her mitts of the stuff. We also had some prosciutto (good) and duck salami (very good). This was combined with some cornichons, olives, cauliflower and what I assumed was hearts of palm along with "mustard cream", fleur de sel and a pepper mill. This was so delicious that I'm definitely going for the full 5 item charcuterie next time. Much like the meal itself, this dish was nothing new, but simply executed perfectly.


The scallops have been previously mentioned by sisefromm and instead of trying to put my own spin on the dish, I'll be lazy and simply say "ditto". OK, I'll elaborate a litte. I was actually skeptical because on paper the idea of scallops cooked in a tagine did not seem to work - I was envisioning overcooked, rubbery mounds of shellfish blandness. While I prefer my scallops more on the medium-rare side, these were perfect. Paired with the amazing combo of harissa, sultanas, almonds and eggplant (which I usually hate), this dish was a total success. I wasn't sure what the "broth" was - after reading sisefromm's post, could this be the chermoula? By the way, with the wine situation we decided to go with a few glasses instead of a bottle. For both apps we shared a glass of Sancerre - which worked nicely with both dishes.


For our mains I had the Braised Pork Belly with Red Cabbage and Cherries and Barbara had the Kona Kampachi with Yuzu broth and foie gras. I'll speak briefly on hers since I only had a few bites. While I felt this dish was good (not great) I wasn't neccessarily blown away (calm down, read on - you'll see why). My wife on the other hand absolutely loved the dish. The Kampachi was done tataki style - just BARELY seared on the outside, virtually raw. The fish itself was pristine. The foie gras was good (isn't it always?), but not "make your head explode in a million tiny pieces a la Hyper-Cerebral Electrosis" good. The ponzu broth was tasty and was my wifes absolute favorite component of the dish. The "theme" of this dish, which was expressed beautifully in all the dishes we had this night was BALANCE. In the Kampachi dish, the lean fish melded with the fatty, umami flavor of the foie gras with the acidic ponzu broth. The marriage of these three components is what made this dish what it was. Regrettably, since I didn't get to taste the dish in this manner I didn't get to experience the "fireworks" - which is not to say it was good. Barbara had a glass of Viognier, which didn't really work with this dish. I guess I was grasping at straws on that pairing. We really love Viognier, but in this case no es bueno.


Now for my dish. Remember that whole balance thing I was talking about earlier? Yeah, this dish had balance in spades. Let me break it down for y'all. Cripsy, fatty, tender pork belly in all it's pork-glory sitting atop a fuschia-colored vinegary/acidic bed of red cabbage, along with some sweet and yet tart cherries with cherry sauce/reduction contraption. Ahhhh...I get misty just thinking about it now. I can't help but think that THIS IS WHAT FOOD IS SUPPOSED TO TASTE LIKE. All the elements of this dish worked in amazing harmony. Almost as great as the dish itself was the glass of Talley Pinot Noir that I had with it. As great a pairing as I've had for some time, if I do say so myself. I can go on with a million cheesy descriptions on this dish (insert your favorite cliche here), but I'll spare you. Just look at that freaking picture!


Finally came dessert. I had the much lauded peach gateau and let me tell ya', this thing needs it's own National Holiday. How about Columbus Day? That one's on it's way out, right? Yeah, it was good. Sorry no picture, it started to get really dark (as evidenced on the next picture), but needless to say it was amazing. The peach gateau was served with a peach ice cream and what I can only assume was a mascarpone creme anglaise (maybe swicks and sisefromm can remember what the sauce was). The wife's dessert was also awesome. Not sure exactly what it was called, but I think it went something like "Chocolate Gateau with Espresso Ice Cream" and some other stuff dealing with chocolate. We usually skip the dessert or share one, but this was not the place to 86 the dessert. Sorry about this picture, but I think you can still kinda make out some of the assorted chocolate goodness.


End result? About $150 out the door, full and happy bellies. I'm certainly not qualified to give the "best in Orange County" tag, but if I could, I would. Really. Stonehill Tavern and Studio are great (if not overly expensive), but I feel their aim is different than Marche Moderne. Even though MM is a few short feet away from shops that I could never imagine shopping in, they serve traditional bistro food not over-priced, over-fussed-with, predictable food. My only complaint is that we had to wait about 3-5 minutes for our wine to be brought out after our mains were brought to the table. Our waiter immediately saw that we were without wine and hurried to get it. Marche Moderne also seems like the perfect place to byo wine as the $15 corkage and the limited wine list seem perfect for this. Would I go back to Marche Moderne? You bet your sweet Virginia Ham I would.

[Swicks]

Great report Alex. I think your observations/comparisons to Studio and Stonehill are spot on.

We had similar meals. I too had the Pork Belly and the chocolate desert. As I said, I thought the preparation on the belly was one of, if not the best preparation of the ingredient that i have ever had, really spectacular, your words do it justice. I also had the Talley pinot but it didn't blow me away as much as you, I suspect it might have been from a bottle that was not fresh.

Now I just have to get back to try that chart. board, it looks so delicious.

This post has been edited by Swicks: 27 July 2007 - 10:03 AM

[SiseFromm]

I hope that time will help grow the wine list at Marche Moderne. I feel it's very limiting and although there are a few gems by the glass that are both delicious and affordable, the winelist overall lacks depth. Many restaurants build their collection over time so I hope the development of the wine list is part of the growth plan. For now though, we'll just be bringing our own bottles, although that can be tough sometimes if you don't know ahead of time what you plan on eating.

[AlexNoir]

Thanks Swicks! If you do get the charcuterie, make sure the duck terrine is on it. I'm trying to figure out how to make my own, it's that good.

As far as the wine list, I agree with you 100%, sisefromm. I did like the fact that even though there were very few bottles on the list, about half were offered by the glass. As far as the dilemma of picking a bottle without knowing what you're eating it can be difficult bringing a wine without knowing what you're eating. It seems like I usually end up picking the food based on the wine I bring. It was hard for me to pass up the veal cheek the first time around, so that may be the go-to dish next time.

[Swicks]

Had a nice little meal at Marche last night, here is a quick recap...

The restaurant was pleasantly uncrowded and calm, I just sat at the bar and the bartender Phillip was very friendly and engaging. He mentioned on weekend nights the place was slammed and it was always standing room only at the bar. Great to hear that people are coming around to appreciate the wonderful cuisine of Chef Marneau and his wife.

Amuse - Tuna tartare - good and fresh but so commonplace now it was forgettable, I'm not a huge tuna fan anyway.

1st course - Sauteed Langoustines - This was a "fresh from the market" item under the menu and was the absolute star of the meal. It was reminiscent of the spot prawn appetizer they had on the menu earlier in the year. The shellfish were sauteed in truffle butter until just barely cooked through and were phenomenal. Fresh ingredients prepared simply, the restaurant's calling card. It was served with a nice celery root puree and a port wine foam which to me seemed a bit out of place.

2nd course - Pork Cheeks - Too interesting for me to pass up. While delicious, this course just didn't fully deliver on my expectations. There wasn't the depth of flavor I was expecting, though they were very tender. They were served with a dollop of bleu cheese on top which at first seemed odd and out of place but actually provided a nice punch of salt and flavor. Usually i'm not really a fan of bleu cheese at all but it worked here. Served with nice potato puree with scallions.

Desert - Apple and brown sugar gateau - a wonderful expression of fall flavors, warm and homey. Served with a quenelle of ice cream, I think it was some sort of rum raisin but I can't recall exactly. It was a nice counterpoint though i felt the alcohol taste was a tad bit sharp.

Wine - Some interesting choices, they seem to have expanded the list significantly from the first time I was there. I had a nice Oregon pinot, name escapes me, that was recommended, a very nice surprise. I had wanted to try some French wines but nothing really jumped out at me. Overall the wine list has many more Californian choices than I would have expected, but interesting none the less.

Overall another really great experience at Marche Moderne, this is definitely my favorite restaurant in OC right now. The menu is just tremendous and has so many wonderful choices, rarely to I take such a long time to decide on my choices. Additionally, it may seem odd, but I can't say enough about the appropriateness of the portion sizes, it allows you to try a wide range of things on the menu and leave feeling pleasantly full but not overstuffed.

I can't say enough about the great things the Chef Marneau and his wife are doing at Marche Moderne. I really look forward to seeing how the menu evolves into fall and winter.

[AlexNoir]

Nice report, Swicks! I haven't been back to MM since my first visit, but I'm going to have to head back soon. Like you, this is also my favorite restaurant in OC. Not overly pretentious yet exciting enough to make me want to come back to try all the dishes on the menu. I like how Chef Marneau takes traditional ingredients (for the most part) and traditional preparations and still magages to make the food seem fresh and current (notice how I didn't use the word "modern"). I'm also in agreement on the portion sizes. I felt that they were perfect. I left the restaurant full and satisfied not sick and engorged or hungry.

[SiseFromm]

Pinot Provence has basically hemorrhaged all of their employees. They seem to have left one by one to join Florent at Marche Moderne. One key employee was a management figure that is going over to help expand and flesh out the wine list at Marche. Your experience may be the first indicator of the direction the wine list is taking. I think there are now only a couple of holdouts at Pinot, including the bartender and our favorite, Shawn. I hope he makes it over eventually but Pinot desperately needs to keep him on board so I'm guessing they'll roll the red carpet out for him. I'm not sure who Phillip is but we haven't hung out at the bar much at Marche. Maybe I'll head in this weekend for dinner Saturday.

[Swicks]

AlexNoir, on Sep 27 2007, 08:47 AM, said:

Nice report, Swicks! I haven't been back to MM since my first visit, but I'm going to have to head back soon. Like you, this is also my favorite restaurant in OC. Not overly pretentious yet exciting enough to make me want to come back to try all the dishes on the menu. I like how Chef Marneau takes traditional ingredients (for the most part) and traditional preparations and still magages to make the food seem fresh and current (notice how I didn't use the word "modern"). I'm also in agreement on the portion sizes. I felt that they were perfect. I left the restaurant full and satisfied not sick and engorged or hungry.

Great points, I wholeheartedly agree. The menu is just excellent all around. I still need to have the charcuterie board...


Jason, that is interesting info.

[russkar]

We like MM for what it is which is a decent French Bistro with a wonderful Chef.
But if we were going for more eclectic food it would be to Clae's (Hotel Laguna) for a more exotic experience at a similar price. Studio and Stonehill are a step below.

[SiseFromm]

I just read about Clae's and intend on checking it out soon. The photos on the site show an absolutely amazing view. I'm just hoping the dinner lives up to the location. It's too bad Stonehill went down hill. They were, at one point, simply the best restaurant in the area. Now I have little desire to head back, despite being one of the restaurants biggest and earliest proponents. Why oh why did you leave, Nathan?

[Swicks]

SiseFromm, on Oct 1 2007, 09:25 AM, said:

I just read about Clae's and intend on checking it out soon.  The photos on the site show an absolutely amazing view.  I'm just hoping the dinner lives up to the location.  It's too bad Stonehill went down hill.  They were, at one point, simply the best restaurant in the area.  Now I have little desire to head back, despite being one of the restaurants biggest and earliest proponents.  Why oh why did you leave, Nathan?

Have you talked to anyone that has been recently and can report the downhill decent? I have no doubt its true but was just curious as to how bad it actually is....such a shame indeed.

[SiseFromm]

Quote

Have you talked to anyone that has been recently and can report the downhill decent? I have no doubt its true but was just curious as to how bad it actually is....such a shame indeed.

I'm only privy to the reports I've read here at eGullet but I trust the posters. Maybe I need to get back to give it another assessment and to make my final decision. Unfortunately it's just a bit far out of the way with no real direct freeway access. Heading back north on dim and windy PCH after a couple bottles of wine really isn't an option so somebody always has to be designated. It's a game of rock/paper/scissors for my wife and I to get down there and back.

[Swicks]

SiseFromm, on Oct 1 2007, 02:40 PM, said:

Quote

Have you talked to anyone that has been recently and can report the downhill decent? I have no doubt its true but was just curious as to how bad it actually is....such a shame indeed.

I'm only privy to the reports I've read here at eGullet but I trust the posters. Maybe I need to get back to give it another assessment and to make my final decision. Unfortunately it's just a bit far out of the way with no real direct freeway access. Heading back north on dim and windy PCH after a couple bottles of wine really isn't an option so somebody always has to be designated. It's a game of rock/paper/scissors for my wife and I to get down there and back.

Definitely agree all around. Additionally, it seems like a waste to try out a restaurant that has gone downhill when there are so many places that you can be assured an excellent meal.

[AlexNoir]

My wife and I enjoyed another great meal at Marche Moderne this past weekend. Here's a quick recap of what we had:

Amuse - Shrimp Ceviche: A nice little starter, nothing special. It was the same ceviche I've had a million times before.

App #1 - Foie Gras Torchon with Pineapple: Very simple and straight forward presentation. A beautiful piece of foie gras (extremely generous portion for $18) with a ultra thin slices of pineapple and a small baguette. Nothing crazy going on here, but sometimes less is more. In the case of this foie dish (which we washed down with a small glass of Sauternes), less was definitely more.

App #2 - Charcuterie: We had the duck terrine, duck salumi and chorizo. The salumi and chorizo were really just OK. Nothing to write home about. However, that duck terrine was as great as I remember it. Uhhh...I'm drooling just thinking about it. The terrine must be popular as MM has made it possible to order JUST the duck terrine as an appetizer. That's my move next time as the salumi and chorizo were just filler. We had a Gruner Veltliner with this one.

Main #1 - Braised Short Rib (same description as earlier post): This was my dish and while it was a really good short rib, it was sadly nothing special. The gnochhi were good but did not fit with the rich and beefy short ribs. The mushrooms were lost and barely eaten. The bacon (as it always is) was welcome and delicious. My biggest complaint was the sheer volume of food associated with this dish. There was basically a small dutch oven full of short ribs. I guess it's a testament to how good the short ribs were to say that I couldn't stop stuffing my face. I had this with a Cab Franc that the waiter recommended that unfortunately did not work (it doesn't help that I hate Cab Franc).

Main #2 - Pork Choucroute with Sauerkraut pressure cooked in Riesling: My wife ordered this manly dish and as with the short rib, the portion was enormous. If memory serves me right, there was Cheek, Sausage, Ribs, Belly and ham hocks all braised till meltingly tender. My wife definitely loved this dish. The cheek, belly and ribs were a hit. The sausage barely touched and the hocks suffering from her being too full to get to. The broth (her all-time favorite component in any kind of food) was "good". She had Riesling with the dish.

Dessert - Chocolate cake with banana ice cream and whipped cream (I'm going by memory here). Even though we were both blindingly full, we remembered how good the desserts were and decided to share this. This was a decent dessert, but nothing like the peach gateau I had on my first visit.

Overall, I'm still absolutely stoked about Marche Moderne and for the time being it remains my favorite restaurant in Orange County. Aside from the portion size issue, our meal was great. It's so refreshing to see a restaurant using the "odd bits" of animals so favoringly (Chef Marneau seems to have a thing for cheeks - they even have a course called "Cheek du Jour"). The wine list still seems a little weak, but with a majority of the wines offered available by the glass, it's hard to complain. I did notice quite a few folks taking advantage of that nice $10 corkage fee. All in all another great meal.