Marché Moderne Opening (Orange County)

[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]

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?

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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]

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]

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.

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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.

[rjwong]

Alex, thanks for the recap. Between you and SiseFromm, I'm determined to get over to Marche Moderne for dinner.

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).

Did you tell your waiter that you hate Cab Franc?? If you did, perhaps he would have given you a taste first, unless he was pushing the Cab Franc very hard that night ...

Aside from the portion size issue, our meal was great.

You'll just have to deal with that portion size issue on your own and learn to eat more.

[Swicks]

Great review as always Alex...

The portion size issue is interesting to me as one of the the things I have always really noticed was how perfect I thought the portioning was on the two visits I have made. However, I haven't ordered from the true entree portion of the menu yet so this is obviously where the large portions live. That Choucroute sounds awesome...a parade of pork, could there be anything better??? $10 corkage is awesome.

Russell, you definitely have to make a visit!

[AlexNoir]

Funny you should say that, Russell. I was actually torn between a seghesio zin and the waiters reccomendation of the cab franc, so he let me taste the two and the I picked the cab franc. It just didn't work with the dish. None the less, I definitely recommend you come down and try MM - you won't be sorry!

The first time I went the portion sizes for both my wifes and my meal were perfect. It was only on this last visit that the portion size was too much. Anyways, I guess too much is better than not enough, right?

If you like pork, swicks, you will love the choucroute. It was a dish where pork was truly the star...pork with pork on top of pork with a side of pork.

[Swicks]

Funny you should say that, Russell. I was actually torn between a seghesio zin and the waiters reccomendation of the cab franc, so he let me taste the two and the I picked the cab franc. It just didn't work with the dish. None the less, I definitely recommend you come down and try MM - you won't be sorry!

The first time I went the portion sizes for both my wifes and my meal were perfect. It was only on this last visit that the portion size was too much. Anyways, I guess too much is better than not enough, right?

If you like pork, swicks, you will love the choucroute. It was a dish where pork was truly the star...pork with pork on top of pork with a side of pork.

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As you can tell by my avatar, this is right up my alley...

I think I am going to try and make another trip in the next few weeks.

[SiseFromm]

We dined on the patio of Marché Moderne last Saturday, November 24th. Actually, Marché Moderne was really a sort of afterthought for us. We went to saddle up at the bar with Shaun at Pinot Provence but he was out of town. When we saw so many unfamiliar faces of a mostly new staff (following the mass migration of employees to Marché Moderne), we decided to take the pedestrian bridge across to South Coast Plaza and to the third floor to peek into Marché Moderne. Sure enough we saw lots of staff regulars and we were greeted like VIP's! Of course we took a great seat on the patio and were seated promptly even though the restaurant was full and we didn't have a reservation. We sat in Kim's section. As I mentioned before, Joy is great (and was on hand Saturday) and Kim is also fantastic. Sit in their sections and I'm sure you won't be sorry.

We didn't take any photos (we're not usually restaurant photographers, a job our friend Justin is great at), but our meal consisted of:

3 Oysters

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Spot Prawn & Foie Gras in Broth with Micro Cilantro

Kona Konpachi with Avocado Gelee and Yuzu Sorbet

-

Tasmanian Trout with Creme Fraiche Spinach and Pommes Frites

Braised Veal Cheek with Bacon Lardons and Morbier-Whipped Potatoes

-

Banana Custard with Coconut Cream, Bruleed Bananas and Sorbet

With our first course we had a 2005 Red Burgundy and an exciting 2006 Gruner Veltliner. They were both well-paired with our respective dishes. The prawns were rich and served in an intensely flavored broth that was spiked with Asian flavors. The foie was poached and provided richness set against the broth. Holly's Kona was nice as well, but I didn't really get a chance to taste it because the flavors in my prawns were decadent and overpowering her delicate fish preparation.

For the main Holly paired a 2005 J.M. Boillot White Burgundy with her trout and I worked on a bottle of 1998 Seavey Cabernet Sauvignon (we brought with us) with my braised cheeks. The morbier potatoes in the cheeks dish are a carryover from Pinot and were featured originally in Florent's Braised Shortribs dish. They're extremely cheesy and nearly gooey in texture. Wonderful. The cheeks were falling apart and richly glazed in braising liquid. A salad of very tender baby arugula was nice and peppery against such rich textures and flavors. The skin on Holly's trout was so crispy it was almost like cracklings. It was addictive and we started breaking it off and eating it like chips! The creme fraiche and the capers helped work against the oily trout and provided a bit of lift for such a fatty fish. I'm not sure what the pommes frites were doing on the plate, but I was happy to see them again since I've been having french fry withdrawals ever since our return from Napa.

I can't recall our banana dessert very well. I loved it and we destroyed it quickly, I just can't remember all of the individual components. I mostly remember that butter pastry shell more than anything else. I strive to make such flaky and buttery pastry but never quite get it as good as this was.

The food and our server were both top notch. Our major faults were with the minor details. Details that might not seem completely important, but weighed against our overall experience, definitely leave a mark. For one, our amuse bouche was delivered moments after we sat and before we even really had a chance to open the menus. My general experience is that it usually doesn't arrive until at least after we've relaxed for a few minutes and have ordered drinks. Bread didn't come until well into our appetizer course, and butter never followed. Worse, the baguette was completely rock hard and stale. It was kind of embarrassing actually. Our stems (both water and wine) had crusty bits on the base of the glass as well as up the side of the bowls. I'm not sure if it was because a residue was leftover after the washing process, if it was crumby bits from other people's hands, or because they simply weren't polished. Maybe it was a combination. Again, it was a bit disconcerting.

All in all I rate our experience and food very favorably, but these little details would definitely be something, say, a Michelin inspector would be completely aware of during a serious evaluation process. Luckily, the food is still at a very high level and our servers are well-informed and seasoned professionals.

[AlexNoir]

Thanks as always for the report, Jason. It's nice to hear how things are going over at MM even if I was just there only a few weeks ago. One of the things I love about Marche Moderne is the consistent turn over of their menu. With the exception of Florent's love for cheeks, it seems like they make an effort to not only keep things seasonal, but also rotate the proteins quite a bit. I'm curious about the foie and spot prawn app - it sounds similar to the foie/kampachi main that they were serving back in Summer.

It's unfortunate to hear about the issues with your meal. My greatest complaint from our last meal was the slowdown in service after our dessert. I also received my amuse right upon sitting, but I guess I didn't really mind. I think for a place like Marche Moderne the "small" issues you mentioned are definitely pretty big issues (esp. the stemware being corroded). Clean plates, stemware and flatware seem to go unnoticed and taken for granted, however when those things are not clean it can cause your experience to suffer.

[rjwong]

Stop it, Jason! You're torturing me! And it's not even Friday the 13th ...

Thanks again for another report. It's a sign of the great restaurant when you have to nitpick on the very minor details. It sounds like you expect Marche Moderne to pay attention to the little things as well.

And I hope you didn't start any in-fighting among the servers when you happen to mention only two of them. And FYI, you were greeted like VIPs because you are VIPs! Don't all the Orange County restaurants know who you are?

[Swicks]

It's a sign of the great restaurant when you have to nitpick on the very minor details.  It sounds like you expect Marche Moderne to pay attention to the little things as well.

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I think you really nailed it on the head with this comment Russell, well said.

I have to get in and try that spot prawn/foie dish! Nice report Jason.

[SiseFromm]

It's a sign of the great restaurant when you have to nitpick on the very minor details.  It sounds like you expect Marche Moderne to pay attention to the little things as well.

I think you're making a good point here. When I was dining I was imagining myself in the position of an inspector so I was really tearing things apart. Crusty/stale bread though? That's a really big one. No butter? Ouch.

I have to get in and try that spot prawn/foie dish! Nice report Jason.

The Spot Prawn with Foie was similar to, but definitely a different dish from the Konpachi with Foie. The Konpachi dish was served in a yuzu broth whereas the broth in the spot prawns was much darker and more brooding and was flavored with soy and mirin. The overal presentation, though, was familiar enough to draw that comparison.

[SiseFromm]

I received an email today from Marche with menu attachments for their upcoming Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve tasting menus. Just for kicks, here they are.

Christmas Eve Dinner

Monday December 24th, 2007

Amuse bouche

”celery-sunchoke soup, caviar, fromage frais a la ciboulette”

First Course selections

6 Oyster on the half shell, champagne-pommelo grape fruit ice

Or

Maine lobster “knuckles and claws”

Blood orange, Maui heart of palms, brown butter vInaigrette

Or

Baby lettuce, Wild roquette, shaved Asiago cheese,

Pomegranate and Cinnamon scented vinaigrette, honey fried pecan

Or

“Canard et foie gras en croute”

Warm duck Pate and foie gras en croute, sauce Porto a l’échalote

Or

Tataki of Sushi grade white tuna

soy & terre bormane olive oil, yuzu-lime-coconut ice cream

Second Course

Potato and porcini crusted black sea bass

pork shank-sweet garlic demi-jus, Chantenay carrots

Or

Scallops, veal cheeks, horseradish, Yorkshire pudding

Third Course

Sonoma duck and cured goose leg confit, chestnut agnolotti

goose prosciutto wrapped “Israeli Sharon” persimmons

Or

Braised prime short ribs, American Kobe rib eye salad, pommes au gruyere a l’echalote

Selection de fromage du jour ($15 supplement)

Dessert

Espresso panna cotta, brioche beignet minute

Or

Black Arkansas apple tarte tatin, toasted walnut-crème fraiche ice cream

Or

Almond and Valrhona chocolate macaron, chestnut-marron glacé gelato

Here's the second one:

NEW YEAR EVE DINNER

Monday December 31st, 2007

Amuse bouche

First Course selections

Croustillant feuillette of homemade cold smoked Smoked salmon

fresh horseradish salad American caviar 13.

Sautéed Langoustine and scallop, blood orange foam, basil, “petales d’endive caramelizée” 16.

Wagyu beef carpaccio and crab truffle remoulade, celery chips “vinaigrette a l’echalotte roti” 21.

Baby lettuce, Wild roquette, shaved Asiago cheese,

Pomegranate and Cinnamon scented vinaigrette, honey fried pecan 13.

Foie gras and rabbit terrine, sauterne gelée, baguette 22.

6 Oyster on the half shell, champagne-pommelo grape fruit ice 13.

Imported Fresh black truffle “pizza”, a poached egg, buffala mozzarella 60.

Third Course

German butterball crusted Black sea bass, “Boston lardon” of crispy pork belly, shallot cinnamon soubise 32.

“Capon chicken coq au vin”

brioche Rossini of foie gras, Porcini, honey bacon, fingerling pommes risolée 28.

Seared big eye tuna” poivre et citron” chorizo bouillon, “crème haricot Tarbais a l’espelette” 29.

Noisette of roasted Venaison, quince and persimmon, sauce grand veneur 33.

Braised prime short ribs, American Kobe rib eye salad, pommes au Gruyere a l’echalote 31.

Maine Lobster, Noilly-Prat and clam potage, hand rolled pasta sheets, sun choke and caramelized onion 41.

Dessert

Omelette Norvegienne “baked Alaska flambé” of pistachio sable, grand Marnier gelato 12.

Nougat glacé macaron 12.

Selection de fromage 15.

[Swicks]

Very nice! That christmas eve dinner looks unbelievable.

"Foie gras and rabbit terrine, sauterne gelée, baguette 22." YES PLEASE!

[rjwong]

So, did you make a reservation for Christmas Eve? Would this be a good time to try Marche Moderne or should I wait until after the holidays and order from their regular menu? I suppose they'll be slammed on Christmas Eve and dining at that time will be a bit rushed, ehh??

[SiseFromm]

We're not going to either dinner, but I thought it would be interesting to post the menus. We have our own Christmas Eve dinner tradition at home although I'm tempted to check out the New Year's Eve festivities. I'm not sure if their holiday services will be rushed or if they'll take their time, but both menus look great and I wouldn't hesitate to book for one or the other (or both).

[johnnypd]

visited this place last week based on recommendations here.

the amuse was a spoon of orange beet tartare with white truffle oil, very delicate, melt in the mouth sweetness of the beetroot, wasn't too crunchy but had enough texture not to turn into gloop, with the perfect hint of earthy perfume from the oil.

gf started with 6 oysters which i thought were bland and the garnishes did nothing for the flavour. i had the charcuterie plate with pork terrine, saucisson, duck salami, chorizo and an iowan prosciutto. this was excellent through the prosciutto seemed to be flecked with chili which could give an unpleasant burning sensation.

onto the main courses, my gf went with the duck breast wrapped in prosciutto, she said it was very good but i dont remember much about it so it couldn't have been great. i had the goose leg confit with truffled risotto, lovely wintery flavours, very crisp skin on the goose. risotto was a little watery but a decent amount of truffle flavour to it.

as we'd filled up too much we decided against dessert. overall a very nice meal which came in at around $120. i'd like to try the place again and go for more inventive, cooked plates on the appetisers, rather than the cold platters we went for. only complaints would be that the dishes arrived far too soon after each other, whereas we'd have preferred a good 15 mins between starter and main to digest the large amount of charcuterie consumed. also i didnt see an option for carafes or half bottles on the wine list, settled on a glass of sauvignon blanc as i didnt want to ask for anything special (i look young and didnt have my passport on me!) otherwise the service was spot on.

[AlexNoir]

Thanks for the post, johnnypd. It's always nice to hear what folks from out of town think of our local restaurants.

My wife and I stopped by Marche Moderne for lunch the other day and had the lunch "tasting menu". This was my first time trying out MM's lunch menu and it was pretty solid. It started off with a nice salad of hearts of palm, cucumber and some mache with a very nice vinaigrette. My only complaint is that I would have liked more of the vinaigrette and that the salad seemed a little out of place on that chilly winter day (chilly for Southern California, I should say). I had the steak (I think it was hanger) with horseradish creme fraiche, fingerlings, bacon, mushrooms and shallots. Nothing ground breaking, but delicious. My wife had the scallops with lemon infused risotto and some kind of lemon cream sauce. Pretty good but again, felt like more of a Spring/Summer dish. The desert was a chocolate mousse, elephant ear pastry and some ice cream. As always the dessert was very good. All of this for $20 is a steal.

[mukki]

I've had lunch here about 4 times in the last few months and I always end up going for the $20 prix fixe. It's just too good of a deal -- I agree that there's nothing groundbreaking, but it's always very good and eating 3 courses in the middle of the day seems so very "civilized". My only gripe is that the menu is starting to feel a bit repetitive; I usually find that there's a scallop dish, a dish with pureed potatoes and a mousse/puff pastry dessert item.

We're going for New Year's Eve tonight. The Christmas Eve menu looked better, but as I had a big Berkshire ham planned for Christmas day, I thought it might be a bit much.

[rjwong]

Shhh ... Happy New Year, everyone!! Here are some photos from Marché Moderne, from behind the “Orange Curtain” (i.e., Orange County, California) ... shhh ...

[savvysearch]

I've had lunch here about 4 times in the last few months and I always end up going for the $20 prix fixe. It's just too good of a deal -- I agree that there's nothing groundbreaking, but it's always very good and eating 3 courses in the middle of the day seems so very "civilized".    My only gripe is that the menu is starting to feel a bit repetitive; I usually find that there's a scallop dish, a dish with pureed potatoes and a mousse/puff pastry dessert item.

We're going for New Year's Eve tonight. The Christmas Eve menu looked better, but as I had a big Berkshire ham planned for Christmas day, I thought it might be a bit much.

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I agree. It's the best deal ever! I went there yesterday for the prix fixe and was pleasantly surprised as I had remembered it as costing $25, which would have been a steal as well.

1)salad with candied walnuts, cheese shavings and vinagrette

2)pan-seared duck, couscous, avocado sauce

3)chocolate mouse, puff pastry, scoop of mascarpone(?) whipped cream. (A bit disappointed it wasn't ice cream).

Edited January 2, 2008 by savvysearch (log)

[Swicks]

This lunch menu sounds like quite the deal!

Can someone give me a bit more info? Is it just a set few items from the menu or is it the whole menu?

[AlexNoir]

This lunch menu sounds like quite the deal!

Can someone give me a bit more info?  Is it just a set few items from the menu or is it the whole menu?

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When we went the 3-course lunch deal had a starter (salad), your choice of one of two entrees (steak or scallops) and a dessert. The only "choice" was in the entree. I think they've been offering it for some time as I've seen it on previous trips.