marigold revisited, ex-Salt

[Andrew Fenton]

Just took a look at Marigold's Fall menu for nostalgia's sake, and that brought home with a vengeance that their prices have gone well up. Which also happened to Matyson once they hit their stride. Is that the inevitable consequence of success?

It might be a consequence of success (I mean, it's a success to keep a restaurant open for more than six months, right?), or it might be a consequence of realizing, six or nine months in, that costs are higher than initially expected. That's what happened at Sazon (as the owner explained to me). Dmitri's prices are stable, but then, they've been in business for like a million years and know what to expect.

Or there might be the sense that it's not fair to charge full price when you're still working out the kinks (I'm thinking here of that Indian place in NYC that had a pay-what-you-think-fair policy for the first few months).

Whatever the reason, it's a pretty common phenomenon: I remember Django's prices rising after they'd been open a few months.

I like your "founding patron" idea: but in the case of Marigold or Django, I'd rather have a card that let me get a table easily than one that got me a cheaper dinner...

[Peter Johnson]

I'd rather have a card that let me get a table easily than one that got me a cheaper dinner...

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Ain't that the truth!!!

[shacke]

I finally made it to Marigold last night and I was nervous because of all the hype but I must say that it was excellent. Service was terrific and friendly and we all had a great time.

The menu remains pretty much as outline above by Capaneus although the sweetbreads were replaced :() by cider braised prk belly (which I had and was very pleased with). The pasta was a smoked paprika tagliatelle with some mushroom I can't recall (was it enoki?), asparagus and garrotxa cheese. I smelled that at the next table and wished I ordered it!

The grilled cheese was superb and I am glad they recommended it to me. My wife had the hamachi crudo (replaced the scallops) and the clam chowder risotto which was just terrific.

One of our friends had the grilled ribeye which I tasted and, while good, was not a winner. The other friend had the trout avocado salad which was very well received by everyone. She also had the soup which was artichoke soup with jerusalem artichoke croquettes. I did not sample that but she licked the bowl clean.

For dessert, I went right for the banana crepe because of all the praise and it was terrific. The newer dessert featured a bittersweet chocolate tart with sour cream/smoked paprika gelato. the tart crust had the paprika in it and gave it an interesting spicy note.

We would definitely go back there. Hope to hit Pumpkin one of these days.

I have the whole menu to scan although my entire computer is being moved so I will try to post it when I can. Much is the same.

I appreciate everyone's posted experiences prior to going myself.

Evan

[Capaneus]

Back tonight for some wine research, reported elsewhere, and I have other glad tidings, o my folk! I *really* like this place. You might expect it to slack a bit, to let all the accolades lull it into a surfeited slumber. But these are doughtier souls! They strive, they reach, they struggle... And I eat.

The menu was only somewhat changed from the one posted above, but I explored these changes for *your* benefit: the lamb is now a loin braised sous vide, a wonderful dish, with a side of couscous. The lamb itself was *great*, one of the lambiest lambs in lambdom (I assume the sous vide tratment somehow concentrated the flavors); if I may quibble, having loved this dish, the jus in the dish with the lamb might have held some further interest, a contrast either in flavor or in texture. Still, that's a small thing.

For an appetizer, we had the trout salad with avocado, and the clam risotto. The trout salad was an amazing hit, silky avocado enrobing the lush salty fish, an amazing dish. The risotto was also very good, though again I might have wished for a contrasting flavor or texture. Still, I asked for this back and allowed my partner to finish the trout. Deeply satisfying, on some level.

The other entree, roasted monkfish, was a success mainly because of the sides: the chickpeas and octopus ragout was outstanding. The fish... I'm not a fan of monkfish. It was good, certainly, but the octopus was what gave me the salty longing for distant shores and seas.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, the deserts. We have, on occasion, stated they were possibly the weak link on the menu. Don't deny it, I know who you are! I am happy to report, though that those sad forlorn days are no more. We tried the two new items on the menu, tiramisu and bitter chocolate tart. They were more than just really really good, they brought into relief the relative timidity of earlier items: instead of the milk chocolate of the croquettes, the tart used bitter dark chocolate accented with roasted paprika, to produce a desert that was somehow *so* chocolatey, while being entirely different from my expectations, that we kept revisiting it and discussing it for a half-hour. Yeah, we liked it.

The tiramisu was its coffee counterpart. Neither as sweet nor as rich as its iterations on other menus, it had an amazing depth and truth of flavor that really knocked on our heels. Jonathan, the manager, tells me their pastry chef is overly modest. Having tasted her evolution over the last few months, I can only rejoice that she is finally losing that diffidence. These were superb dishes. The only way I can explain the evolution I think I see here is in terms of a kind of integrity, a seamlessness of conception, that I did not find in previous Marigold deserts. The deftness of execution has been unassailable all along, but these raise the bar.

As a last note, I discussed with Jonathan the possibility of an eGullet dinner on April 3rd. It will be entirely off the menu, a chance for the kitchen to reach a bit further, a little wilder, for an audience that appreciates their artistry. I will post more info in the ISO thread when I have it.

Also, goldarn it and consarn it, how do I do cutesy things with the "edited by" lil' line like y'all? I want to be cool too

Edited April 6, 2005 by Capaneus (log)

[Andrew Fenton]

As a last note, I discussed with Jonathan the possibility of an eGullet dinner on April 3rd. It will be entirely off the menu, a chance for the kitchen to reach a bit further, a little wilder, for an audience that appreciates their artistry. I will post more info in the ISO thread when I have it.

You mean May 3rd, right? Because if so, that sounds terrific. I still haven't tried Marigold. But the wilder the better, says I!

[Capaneus]

You mean May 3rd, right?  Because if so, that sounds terrific.  I still haven't tried Marigold.  But the wilder the better, says I!

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I must, mustn't I? Have I mentioned both the Burgess and the Liparita were very good?

[shacke]

As a last note, I discussed with Jonathan the possibility of an eGullet dinner on April 3rd. It will be entirely off the menu, a chance for the kitchen to reach a bit further, a little wilder, for an audience that appreciates their artistry. I will post more info in the ISO thread when I have it.

You mean May 3rd, right? Because if so, that sounds terrific. I still haven't tried Marigold. But the wilder the better, says I!

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Holy smokes how cool would THAT be?!

[Diann]

You mean May 3rd, right?  Because if so, that sounds terrific.  I still haven't tried Marigold.  But the wilder the better, says I!

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I must, mustn't I? Have I mentioned both the Burgess and the Liparita were very good?

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If you wind up planning this, I'm definitely in! Me and anyone else I can drag along

[shacke]

As a last note, I discussed with Jonathan the possibility of an eGullet dinner on April 3rd. It will be entirely off the menu, a chance for the kitchen to reach a bit further, a little wilder, for an audience that appreciates their artistry. I will post more info in the ISO thread when I have it.

You mean May 3rd, right? Because if so, that sounds terrific. I still haven't tried Marigold. But the wilder the better, says I!

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Any updates on this possibility?

[Capaneus]

As a last note, I discussed with Jonathan the possibility of an eGullet dinner on April 3rd. It will be entirely off the menu, a chance for the kitchen to reach a bit further, a little wilder, for an audience that appreciates their artistry. I will post more info in the ISO thread when I have it.

You mean May 3rd, right? Because if so, that sounds terrific. I still haven't tried Marigold. But the wilder the better, says I!

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Any updates on this possibility?

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Nope. At this point, I've made a reservation, tentatively for twelve, for 5/3. We mentioned a price of $65 for five courses (amuse-gueule not included, I don't recall if desert was), and anyone considering attending can probably use that as guidelines. I expect Jonathan to e-mail me with more information within the next couple of weeks. I'll post that in the ISO thread when I have it.

I think any further conversation on this should probably go to PM (right, O Powers That Be?). In the meantime, if you have enough information to make the decision to attend, by all means let me know. It'll be nice having a rough headcount, particularly if we need to add tables.

Edited April 12, 2005 by Capaneus (log)

[Diann]

I'm going to Marigold tonight and I was wondering if anyone had been recently, so I can get a sense of what's on the menu? Mainly I'm looking for wine recommendations -- I'm thinking of getting the Cosentino "Poet" meritage because it's gotten rave reviews over on the PCLB bargains thread -- thoughts? (Another possibility would be one of the zinfandels that are on sale, since I've never had one before.)

Thanks, everyone!

[jelly]

I'm going to Marigold tonight and I was wondering if anyone had been recently, so I can get a sense of what's on the menu? Mainly I'm looking for wine recommendations -- I'm thinking of getting the Cosentino "Poet" meritage because it's gotten rave reviews over on the PCLB bargains thread -- thoughts? (Another possibility would be one of the zinfandels that are on sale, since I've never had one before.)

Thanks, everyone!

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Last time I was there (about 3 weeks ago) the menu was the late winter menu posted earlier in this thread. They may have changed by now. I would ask them. Perhaps they could fax it to you. They're very friendly.

[mrbigjas]

seems to me a zin might be kinda big and alcoholic to take not knowing what's on the menu. what if the best looking thing turns out to be a nice piece of poached halibut in some kind of light sauce?

ok i got nothin, except maybe you could call and ask them to fax or email one to you, or at least give you an idea?

[shacke]

The poet is a pretty easy going red so it should go well with several things. I bet they will get you the menu - call when they open. Get that grilled cheese!!!!

[Diann]

all right -- i followed suggestions and asked them to describe the menu to me, and ended up bringing the cosentino, a st. francis cab, and the hogue pinot grigio currently on sale. i loved the cosentino and the st. francis (which i've had on multiple occasions and loved); the hogue was fine but not exciting (maybe it was the food i was pairing with).

i went with a couple of decadent friends, so we ended up ordering the following:

--appetizers--

smoked trout and avocado salad

grilled cheese

rabbit rillettes with chicken liver pate of some sort

clam chowder risotto

--entrees--

the braised lamb described by capaneus

the smoked paprika tagliatelle described by shacke

ribeye (as described on the menu posted by capaneus)

--desserts--

cheese plate

pernod creme brulee

tiramisu

bittersweet chocolate tart

coconut(?) tapioca with passionfruit sorbet and various fruits

mango carpaccio

there may have been a sixth dessert, but i cannot recall

the smoked trout salad was perfect: a scoop of mild smoked trout salad (like whitefish salad) topped with creamy avocado and a spoonful of salmon roe with segments of grapefruit and mild golden beets. wonderfully contrasting textures and tastes.

the clam chowder risotto was excellent as well: clams tasting like the sea, topped with a good amount of oniony chives, served with creamy grains of rice and potato with a hint of bacon smokiness.

but the grilled cheese may have been my favorite (thanks shacke!), because of the bacony potato foam. it was, as advertised, incredibly bacony (smoky and "porky") -- the pure essence of potato and bacon. it came in a cup served with the sandwich, and i licked that cup clean. i am in love

the pappardelle was good (especially the beautiful fresh mushrooms) but i think i will have the lamb next time -- i had a taste and it was tender and sweet and everything that lamb should be.

desserts -- the tiramisu was ridiculously divine. imagine a streak of dark chocolate, the most concentrated rum-soaked cake (i'm not sure if it was ladyfingers), cold coffee ice cream with espresso beans -- all good by themselves. now combine them and add some kind of whipped cream that i couldn't identify because we didn't look at the menu when we ordered the desserts -- my friend just said "we'll have everything on the menu." i love my friends!

the mango carpaccio actually worked, as well -- a cold ring of finely cubed mango topped with passionfruit sorbet, kiwi, and some kind of fruit soup. unfortunately, i'm not generally a fan of creme brulee, but it was fine; i barely got a taste of the chocolate tart because another friend didn't want to share it; and the tapioca was probably upstaged by the other desserts, but it was an interesting combination of textures and tastes. the cheese plate was lovely--i apologize for not being able to remember what we were served, but the blue was served with a quince jelly that made for a wonderful combination of sweet and salt.

i've been feeling restaurant fatigue lately because i've been working on improving my own cooking skills, but marigold is magic. it has got to be one of the best restaurants in philadelphia. i apologize for my current lack of descriptive skills--the wines were EXCELLENT--but if you have not been, please go. and if you've been, please go again. i wish i could join all of you on tuesday, but i'm sure you'll have an amazing time. and i hope you post plenty of pictures and menus!!

[i should also mention that the servers are patient, enthusiastic about the food, and generally great. and the manager, jonathan, is cute--a nice bonus!]

[philadining]

Wow, you got ALL the desserts! Your crew knows how to dine out. Much respect.

[shacke]

Diann

Great post. I had a dinner party last night at the house and woke up having drank and eaten too much but suddenly I am hungry. How gross is that?

[Diann]

Wow, you got ALL the desserts! Your crew knows how to dine out. Much respect.

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I knew I'd be posting about my dinner here, so I felt I had certain standards of decadence to live up to

Speaking of which, as I was typing last night, slightly inebriated and about ready to fall asleep on the keyboard, I couldn't help but be reminded of Lauren McCutcheon's reference to the "I-can't-go-to-bed-until-I-post-every-intimate-detail-of-each-bite impassioned eGulleteers and Chowhounds" in her review this week. Sigh.

Have fun on Tuesday! I'm excited to see what the chef will come up with.

Diann

Great post.  I had a dinner party last night at the house and woke up having drank and eaten too much but suddenly I am hungry.  How gross is that? 

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Haha, thanks! I'm always worried that my writing will not be descriptive enough to convey my enthusiasm about the food -- that's what comes of reading the amazing foodblogs on this site.

[philadining]

Hey!! Who told you slackers you could go to sleep before posting every intimate detail of each bite of your dinner?!?!?!

OK, I too am a little sleepy, and full, and wine-soaked, but I do want to post to thank Capaneus for putting together this little shindig for eleven of us eGulleteers, both he and Katie for wine wrangling, and the fine folks at Marigold, especially chef Steven Cook, for preparing a truly special meal.

Most of us had not been told what we'd be eating, so each course was a nice surprise, and they just kept coming.....

We started with a silky green-garlic and mussel soup, in which were suspended tiny fried oysters and "chicken oysters". The degenerates over at the kids' table had developed all sorts of perverse theories about the origins of chicken oysters, while the rest of us just ate them and decided they were darn fine fried chicken. The soup itself was luxuriously creamy, with just a hint of the sea, stripes of vivid green garlic puree appearing like phantom brushstrokes as one's spoon traversed the bowl's bottom. Or maybe I hallucinated that, it was pretty rapturously good.

Halibut with a carrot-miso foam, wild mushrooms and asparagus made me rethink my cynicism about culinary foams. It helped compose a lovely plate, but more importantly gave a tangibly distinct texture to the sauce, an airy lightness, from, you know...the air in it... there was a bubbly, energetic mouth-feel to it that I hadn't experienced with other Adria-tic sauces. Even without that effervescent lift, the delicate fish paired nicely with the sweet carrot and salty miso.

Beef cheeks were misidentified as "Beet cheeks" by a certain someone taking pictures (it's an easy mistake to make) but don't be fooled if he puts a red filter on the photo, these did not grow in the ground. The fine shreds of rich meat, and pearls of potato(?) were bathed in a dark reduction, with a drizzle of something sweet and honey-like, perhaps a reduced vinegar? Whatever the mystery components, it was delicious.

Full yet? Yep..... the servings were really quite generous...

Next came rabbit wrapped in chorizo, a rabbit rillette topped by pickled ramps, and a cluster of fava beans and morels. The rabbit and spicy sausage was a nice flavor combination, although I wasn't getting a lot of kick from the chorizo, it was a more subtle presence than I would have expected. I hit a couple of tough spots in the rabbit meat, and the rillette struck me as a touch over salty, but I think I was also getting picky because i was so full! I still thought this was quite good.

But we weren't done, a refreshing intermezzo of a small crisped chunk of pineapple, huckleberries and a bright sorbet indeed knocked us out of our torpor, and gave us the courage to face dessert.

A small, dense, soft-centered chocolate cake was topped with candied walnuts, and accompanied by a fig stuffed with Epoisses, another piece of the cheese alongside. Even though I had long-since run out of room for food, I managed to just about lick that plate clean.

Each of these courses was accompanied by a well-matched wine, the specifics of which I will leave to our hero: sommeliere to the masses, bargain beveragiere (if that's not a word, it should be), Katie Loeb.

This was a special tasting negotiated by Capaneus for our group, so you are not likely to find any of this on the menu any time soon, but then again, who knows? I'd encourage the chef to consider adding any of these offerings to the standard menu, they were all quite delicious, and not too intimidating for the general public.

This experience just reaffirms the general consensus that this is one of the most imaginative and assured kitchens in town. This is no secret, and scoring a table is getting increasingly challenging, but it's worth the effort. Thanks again to Capaneus for securing the seats, and helping map an off-road adventure.

edited for typos

Edited May 11, 2005 by philadining (log)

[Mummer]

Beef cheeks were misidentified as "Beet cheeks" by a certain someone taking pictures...

Like, man, weren't those beat cheeks? (No Ginsberg jokes, please.)

It was a splendid meal. Thanks to Capaneus and Katie; kudos to the gang at Marigold.

[Capaneus]

Hey!! Who told you slackers you could go to sleep before posting every intimate detail of each bite of your dinner?!?!?! 

OK, I too am a little sleepy, and full, and wine-soaked, but I do want to post to thank Capaneus for putting together this little shindig for eleven of us eGulleteers, both he and Katie for wine wrangling, and the fine folks at Marigold, especially chef Steven Cook, for preparing a truly special meal.

Most of us had not been told what we'd be eating, so each course was a nice surprise, and they just kept coming..... 

We started with a silky green-garlic and mussel soup, in which were suspended tiny fried oysters and "chicken oysters".  The degenerates over at the kids' table had developed all sorts of perverse theories about the origins of chicken oysters, while the rest of us just ate them and decided they were darn fine fried chicken. The soup itself was luxuriously creamy, with just a hint of the sea, stripes of vivid green garlic puree appearing like phantom brushstrokes as one's spoon traversed the bowl's bottom. Or maybe I hallucinated that, it was pretty rapturously good.

Halibut with a carrot-miso foam, wild mushrooms and asparagus made me rethink my cynicism about culinary foams. It helped compose a lovely plate, but more importantly gave a tangibly distinct texture to the sauce, an airy lightness, from, you know...the air in it...  there was a bubbly, energetic mouth-feel to it that I hadn't experienced with other Adria-tic  sauces. Even without that effervescent lift, the delicate fish paired nicely with the sweet carrot and salty miso.

Beef cheeks were misidentified as "Beet cheeks" by a certain someone taking pictures (it's an easy mistake to make) but don't be fooled if he puts a red filter on the photo, these did not grow in the ground. The fine shreds of rich meat, and pearls of potato(?) were bathed in a dark reduction, with a drizzle of something sweet and honey-like, perhaps a reduced vinegar?  Whatever the mystery components, it was delicious.

Full yet? Yep..... the servings were really quite generous...

Next came rabbit wrapped in chorizo, a rabbit rillette topped by pickled ramps, and a cluster of fava beans and morels.  The rabbit and spicy sausage was a nice flavor combination, although I wasn't getting a lot of kick from the chorizo, it was a more subtle presence than I would have expected. I hit a couple of tough spots in the rabbit meat, and the rillette struck me as a touch over salty, but I think I was also getting picky because i was so full! I still thought this was quite good.

But we weren't done, a refreshing intermezzo of a small crisped chunk of pineapple, huckleberries  and a bright sorbet indeed knocked us out of our torpor, and gave us the courage to face dessert.

A small, dense, soft-centered chocolate cake was topped with candied walnuts, and accompanied by a fig stuffed with Epoisses, another piece of the cheese alongside. Even though I had long-since run out of room for food, I managed to just about lick that plate clean.

Each of these courses was accompanied by a well-matched wine, the specifics of which I will leave to our hero: sommeliere to the masses, bargain beveragiere (if that's not a word, it should be), Katie Loeb. 

This was a special tasting negotiated by Capaneus for our group, so you are not likely to find any of this on the menu any time soon, but then again, who knows? I'd encourage the chef to consider adding any of these offerings to the standard menu, they were all quite delicious, and not too intimidating for the general public.

This experience just reaffirms the general consensus that this is one of the most imaginative and assured kitchens in town. This is no secret, and scoring a table is getting increasingly challenging, but it's worth the effort.  Thanks again to Capaneus for securing the seats, and helping map an off-road adventure.

edited for typos

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Billy bi soup with roasted chicken oysters and chicken

fried oysters

Smoked potato gnocchi with beef cheek ragu and rhubarb

gastrique

Olive oil-poached halibut with asparagus, honshimeji

mushrooms and carrot-miso emulsion

Rabbit leg braised with chorizo, with scallion

polenta, fava beans and morel mushrooms

So the mystery ingredient in the gnocchi was rhubarb. The chorizo... you're thinking mexican chorizo, which this wasn't. Most Spanish and Portuguese chorizo is neither crumbly nor spicy.

This was a lot of fun. Mr. Cook, his pastry chef, and Ms. Loeb are superbly talented food professionals. Great food and great wine, perfectly matched. I'm thinking that, if Marigold is still speaking to me after all the bother, I might try to do this seasonally.

[philadining]

Smoked potato gnocchi with beef cheek ragu and rhubarb

gastrique

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rhubarb gastrique! OK, I never would have come close to guessing that, but it was a nice touch. And the gnocchi didn't hit me as gnocchi, or smoked, but they were good, so who cares?

And you're right, I probably was thinking Mexican chorizo, there was a red tinge that made me expect a little more spice. I didn't notice a distinct flavor of anything from that layer, not just heat. But again, it really could have been my own palate overload at that point. Don't get me wrong, it was a nice dish, it might just have been a little subtle after the intense cheekiness of its predecessor. We were actually discussing that very thing in the car afterward, I would have been perfectly happy with the rabbit as my entree if I stopped by there for dinner some night. It just got overshadowed, for me, by some of the other courses' fireworks.

Still, all in all a fabulous meal, thanks again for putting it together. And if they have forgiven our boorish table manners, please do try to book some future events like that at the Marigold.

[shacke]

Count me in again for a repeat performance - there or anywhere else for that matter. A good time was had by all.

Evan

[cdh]

drool.... this is what I miss out on because I don't bother to check out the ISO dining friends more than weekly.

[Capaneus]

drool.... this is what I miss out on because I don't bother to check out the ISO dining friends more than weekly.

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You!... I!... It...

That actually was up for well over a week - and people jumped on board up until yesterday morning. And there's a mention somewhere back in this thread. So !

Really, I think at least part of the problem was that the buzz was muted because I didn't post a menu. And part of it is the fact that the ISO thread just doesn't work terribly well: I know I've missed stuff because I didn't notice something was posted there. I think with time I'll develop a sense of who is usually into these things and PM them as well as posting. In the meantime, young man, *pay attention in class*!