Requiescat Marigold

[Capaneus]

A Usually Reliable Source tells us that the current vacation closure at Marigold Kitchen amounts to a little more than that. Chef Cook has left, bought out by his partner Jonathan Makar, who has run the front of the house since opening. A search for a new cook to fill Cook's toque is ongoing. I'm sure we all wish Jonathan great good luck in this quest.

[philadining]

Wow, if this turns out to be the case, it's pretty mind-blowing (capaneus, I'm sure your source is trustworthy, but until we see an official announcement, let's treat it as less-than-definite...)

The restaurant world is certainly an unpredictable and volatile one, but if any new place could be called a success, it would be Marigold: excellent reviews from, like, everyone; packed dining rooms; and most importantly, thumbs-up from the loonies here on this board.

One assumes that such accolades would mean everything was going great, but I guess those measures of accomplishment have no correlation with the actual experience behind the scenes. The vibe that appeared like harmony while we reveled in what was on the plate could actually be masking conflict, disenchantment, boredom, exhaustion, or a million other perils.

In any case, I hope Marigold can continue at a similar level. It was one of the better additions to our dining scene in a few years, and I hope it remains so in some configuration or another.

[Capaneus]

Wow,  if this turns out to be the case, it's pretty mind-blowing (capaneus, I'm sure your source is trustworthy, but until we see an official announcement, let's treat it as less-than-definite...)

The restaurant world is certainly an unpredictable and volatile one, but if any new place  could be called a success, it would be Marigold: excellent reviews from, like, everyone; packed dining rooms; and most importantly, thumbs-up from the loonies here on this board.

One assumes that such accolades would mean everything was going great, but I guess those measures of accomplishment have no correlation with the actual experience behind the scenes. The vibe that appeared like harmony while we reveled in what was on the plate could actually be  masking conflict, disenchantment, boredom, exhaustion, or a million other perils.

In any case, I hope Marigold can continue at a similar level. It was one of the better additions to our dining scene in a few years, and I hope it remains so in some configuration or another.

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It *is* definite. But I share your hope: my best wishes for Jonathan were entirely irony-free.

[Diann]

I'll miss Steven Cook, even though I never got up the nerve to introduce myself.

According to another food board, the new chef is coming from Vetri--but my caveat is that I myself have NO sources, reliable or otherwise.

[Capaneus]

I'll miss Steven Cook, even though I never got up the nerve to introduce myself.

According to another food board, the new chef is coming from Vetri--but my caveat is that I myself have NO sources, reliable or otherwise.

←

That's good news. Vetri's kitchen has the kind of solid, well-grounded creativity that can really make for an exciting renewal at Marigold.

Is this the first spinoff from their kitchen?

[Capaneus]

Over the weekend, I had the chance to speak with Jonathan. He was kind enough to clarify a number of the rumors flying around, and to forward this brief message from Steven Cook:

>First and foremost I want to thank the members of this

>forum for being so supportive of the Marigold in our

>first year. Truly, our success is in large part due to

>your early adoption of our vision and your

>enthusiastic reviews.

>

>I also would like to express my appreciation for your

>interest (and concern) regarding developments at the

>restaurant. I believe that a restaurant, and a

>business, must constantly move forward to remain

>vital. In that spirit, I am thrilled to welcome

>Michael Solomonov to lead this kitchen forward into

>its second year. I believe that his innovation will

>be instrumental in taking the cuisine at the Marigold

>in the direction I think it should go.

>

>Michael has just completed a two-year tenure as Marc

>Vetri’s sous chef. He is a smart, creative and

>energetic chef (but I hope you won’t take my word for

>it). Under Michael’s leadership in our kitchen,

>Jonathan Makar and I intend to move forward with our

>vision for the Marigold specifically and our business

>in general.

>

>Jonathan and I remain partners in the Marigold and are

>currently collaborating on a new concept.

>

>Thank you all again for your sincere interest in the

>Marigold.

>

>Steven Cook

I think I speak for many of us when i say that we will miss Chef Cook's food for as long as it takes him to light his new stove-fires.

Personally, I also find myself very much looking forward to the re-opening of Marigold, and to finding out how the influence of Vetri's food will inflect their food.

The bottom line is that Marigold was, and I hope will continue to be, a source of great food, and good fun, in my life. I for one, will do whatever is in my power to keep it that way. For one thing, I think we should start thinking of putting Chef Solomonov to the test, early, often and thoroughly. A 'Gullet dinner probably should happen soonish.

Good luck Michael, Steven, Jonathan.

Pedro

[shacke]

A 'Gullet dinner probably should happen soonish.

Good luck Michael, Steven, Jonathan.

Pedro

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A repeate-gullet outing is a great idea.

Such a great new place - I hope Michael Marigoldizes more than Marigold Vetrizes. Having said that, meeting somewhere in the middle is unavoidable and would seeem a natural evolution of the restaurant. Time will tell.

Evan

[mrbigjas]

so is marigold back up and running? has anyone been? i got an anniversary coming up and i'm thinking that's a good excuse for a nice bottle and a fancy meal...

[Capaneus]

so is marigold back up and running?  has anyone been?  i got an anniversary coming up and i'm thinking that's a good excuse for a nice bottle and a fancy meal...

←

It is up and running, since 9/8, I think, and all I have heard is *very* good things. I was told they did close for the night last Friday (personal emergency was cited), but I think that's all that was. Anyone know anything else?

[philadining]

The short answer is yes, it's back up and running, and very good, and not too different from a few months ago, even with a new chef. Maybe a little less elaborate or adventurous with the accompaniments, and it seemed like prices might have crept up again a bit, but neither of these changes was dramatic.

I think it would be an excellent choice for an anniversary dinner.

Closed Sundays and Mondays, and still tough to get a table on Fridays and Saturdays.

Their Website hasn't been changed since they first opened, so it's been out-of-date for at least nine months, therefore not all that helpful.

Note to Marigold: updating a webpage is not really hard.... Posting your current menu, and deleting the no-longer-valid reference to sunday brunch would be good!

[mrbigjas]

thanks y'all. will report back.

[Capaneus]

The short answer is yes, it's back up and running, and very good, and not too different from a few months ago, even with a new chef. Maybe a little less elaborate or adventurous with the accompaniments, and it seemed like prices might have crept up again a bit, but neither of these changes was dramatic.

I think it would be an excellent choice for an anniversary dinner.

Closed Sundays and Mondays, and still tough to get a table on Fridays and Saturdays.

Their Website hasn't been changed since they first opened, so it's been out-of-date for at least nine months, therefore not all that helpful.

Note to Marigold: updating a webpage is not really hard.... Posting your current menu, and deleting the no-longer-valid reference to sunday brunch would be good!

←

It's not their website. I whined about it a while back (when they actually put up an *older* menu then they had featured), and I was told some organization (University City District?) had put it up, and it wasn't really something the restaurant was involved with. Which does beg the question of why they don't take charge of it, or start their own. It would be nice to get to see a menu in advance... Still. Food good. Other stuff is quibbling.

[mrbigjas]

finally got to marigold this tuesday. i still don't take pictures of dinner when i'm just out with my wife, so descriptions will have to suffice.

we started with what i called beef and salt several ways--carpaccio, tartare, and a tongue-stuffed fried olive. the carpaccio had lemon zest and sea salt and fennel fronds on it; the tartare was plenty shalloty and had crunchy salt crystals in it (can't let that sit around, or they'd dissolve, i imagine. interesting), and olive was... a fried olive. this dish was fabulous--the only problem i had with it was the olive overwhelmed the tongue. but it was fried with a perfect shatteringly crisp exterior. and the meat was fantastic.

along with that we had chilled tomato soup--a silky soup of tomato, with a couple of ridiculously good small oysters, shredded cucumber, some small candy-sweet peeled grape tomatoes and tobiko. the tobiko was the green kind, so it had the hint of wasabi. this dish was just about perfect, the essence of the end of summer. i really can't imagine a much better starter.

we both went with fish for dinner. mine was roasted grouper, which came on a bed of chickpeas, olives, squid and braised kale. you know the old adage where you should cook squid either 30 seconds or 30 minutes, and in between they'll be tough? these were definitely on the 30 minute side of things--meltingly tender, tasting mainly of the slightly bitter (kale), earthy (chickpeas), salty (olives) broth with a little of the sea. excellent.

the other dish was braised monkfish, which came in a curry sauce with apple/celeriac ravioli. it was even better than the grouper, i think--i know it seems basic, but it's very easy to overcook monkfish and make it rubbery, and this was tender as can be. the combination of curry, apple, and the parsley-ish celeriac was good stuff too.

we had a cheese plate that was good if not full of strikingly memorable cheeses--garrotxa, a beer-washed cheese of some sort, and a mild blue.

dessert was a napoleon of port-soaked figs, lemon-brie reduction with a sage creme anglaise. now this was interesting--the figs weren't TOO port-y, the cookie bits were insanely good, and sage in a dessert? lemme tell you it worked.

i had heard the portions were tiny, but we didn't find them so at all--especially the cheese plate, which may have been a bit too big.

all in all, it was a delicious meal. maybe not as crazily inventive as i had heard things were up there with the old chef, but really delicious in every way--well thought-out, well-executed, and overall a great meal, running just about $100 including tax but not tip.

(wine: cambria pinot noir bench break vineyard, which was nice as a big before or after dinner wine, but which i was exhausted with by the end of the meal)

[Diann]

finally got to marigold this tuesday.  i still don't take pictures of dinner when i'm just out with my wife, so descriptions will have to suffice.

we started with what i called beef and salt several ways--carpaccio, tartare, and a tongue-stuffed fried olive.  the carpaccio had lemon zest and sea salt and fennel fronds on it; the tartare was plenty shalloty and had crunchy salt crystals in it (can't let that sit around, or they'd dissolve, i imagine.  interesting), and olive was... a fried olive.  this dish was fabulous--the only problem i had with it was the olive overwhelmed the tongue.  but it was fried with a perfect shatteringly crisp exterior.  and the meat was fantastic. 

...

we both went with fish for dinner.  mine was roasted grouper, which came on a bed of chickpeas, olives, squid and braised kale.  you know the old adage where you should cook squid either 30 seconds or 30 minutes, and in between they'll be tough?  these were definitely on the 30 minute side of things--meltingly tender, tasting mainly of the slightly bitter (kale), earthy (chickpeas), salty (olives) broth with a little of the sea.  excellent.

...

←

funny! i just went last night -- and granted, it's a relatively small menu, but i went with that tartare/carpaccio dish too. YUM. sir, may i have more?

i also had the grouper. i liked the tastes together, but i liked my companion's salmon even more. can't remember what was on it, but the salmon was almost rare (very pink and fleshy inside) and nicely smoked.

dessert: one of the best bread puddings ever -- not overly sweet, not cloying, just highly perfumed and a nice texture contrast between crunchy bits and moist chewy bits. served with pumpkin ice cream (a mild disappointment -- slightly on the bland side) and some kind of tart sauce...sorry, i should have paid more attention to the menu. sauce was good, though. other dessert: chocolate ganache/hazelnut "stripes", i think they were called. these would make the best fun-sized candy bar. somebody should give these out for halloween (dark rich intense ganache, crunchy hazelnuts, a little caramel or praline or something...)

next time i want to try the escargot and smoked salmon/toast/egg appetizers, the roast pork loin, that monkfish, maybe the steak, and the pignole tart with lavender ice cream (i think that's from the "original" marigold menu.) oh! and those lemon brie napoleons mrbigjas mentioned.

but now what i really miss is that steven cook pasta dish -- the paprika tagliatelle, i believe, with the amazing mushrooms. that's autumn in a bowl, and right now is the perfect time to eat it. anyone know a good source of paprika tagliatelle?

wine was slightly an afterthought -- i just picked a bottle and ran with it, and i didn't anticipate ordering fish. so i brought a chilean red, the nido de aguila armonia (2002). it's mostly cabernet sauvignon with a little merlot and cab franc thrown in. generally i like those kinds of wines, and i probably would have liked this more, but i didn't pair it with the right foods. to my untrained palate, it was chocolatey with berries (dark ones, like blueberries and blackberries), maybe a little smoky. good -- quite good with the carpaccio actually -- not so much with my fish. good again with the chocolate dessert.

all in all, a memorable three hours. appetizers are in the $7-$14 range ($14, i think, for the foie gras. either that or it's $12.), entrees in the $20-$28 range, desserts all $7. cheese plate: 3 cheeses $9, 5 cheeses $15.

Edited October 1, 2005 by Diann (log)

[shacke]

finally got to marigold this tuesday.  i still don't take pictures of dinner when i'm just out with my wife, so descriptions will have to suffice.

we started with what i called beef and salt several ways--carpaccio, tartare, and a tongue-stuffed fried olive.  the carpaccio had lemon zest and sea salt and fennel fronds on it; the tartare was plenty shalloty and had crunchy salt crystals in it (can't let that sit around, or they'd dissolve, i imagine.  interesting), and olive was... a fried olive.  this dish was fabulous--the only problem i had with it was the olive overwhelmed the tongue.  but it was fried with a perfect shatteringly crisp exterior.  and the meat was fantastic. 

...

we both went with fish for dinner.  mine was roasted grouper, which came on a bed of chickpeas, olives, squid and braised kale.  you know the old adage where you should cook squid either 30 seconds or 30 minutes, and in between they'll be tough?  these were definitely on the 30 minute side of things--meltingly tender, tasting mainly of the slightly bitter (kale), earthy (chickpeas), salty (olives) broth with a little of the sea.  excellent.

...

←

funny! i just went last night -- and granted, it's a relatively small menu, but i went with that tartare/carpaccio dish too. YUM. sir, may i have more?

i also had the grouper. i liked the tastes together, but i liked my companion's salmon even more. can't remember what was on it, but the salmon was almost rare (very pink and fleshy inside) and nicely smoked.

dessert: one of the best bread puddings ever -- not overly sweet, not cloying, just highly perfumed and a nice texture contrast between crunchy bits and moist chewy bits. served with pumpkin ice cream (a mild disappointment -- slightly on the bland side) and some kind of tart sauce...sorry, i should have paid more attention to the menu. sauce was good, though. other dessert: chocolate ganache/hazelnut "stripes", i think they were called. these would make the best fun-sized candy bar. somebody should give these out for halloween (dark rich intense ganache, crunchy hazelnuts, a little caramel or praline or something...)

next time i want to try the escargot and smoked salmon/toast/egg appetizers, the roast pork loin, that monkfish, maybe the steak, and the pignole tart with lavender ice cream (i think that's from the "original" marigold menu.) oh! and those lemon brie napoleons mrbigjas mentioned.

but now what i really miss is that steven cook pasta dish -- the paprika tagliatelle, i believe, with the amazing mushrooms. that's autumn in a bowl, and right now is the perfect time to eat it. anyone know a good source of paprika tagliatelle?

wine was slightly an afterthought -- i just picked a bottle and ran with it, and i didn't anticipate ordering fish. so i brought a chilean red, the nido de aguila armonia (2002). it's mostly cabernet sauvignon with a little merlot and cab franc thrown in. generally i like those kinds of wines, and i probably would have liked this more, but i didn't pair it with the right foods. to my untrained palate, it was chocolatey with berries (dark ones, like blueberries and blackberries), maybe a little smoky. good -- quite good with the carpaccio actually -- not so much with my fish. good again with the chocolate dessert.

all in all, a memorable three hours. appetizers are in the $7-$14 range ($14, i think, for the foie gras. either that or it's $12.), entrees in the $20-$28 range, desserts all $7. cheese plate: 3 cheeses $9, 5 cheeses $15.

←

Is the grilled cheese gone?

Evan

[philadining]

Is the grilled cheese gone?   

←

Yep...

[cdh]

I also finally made my way to Marigold on Friday evening for a spectacular meal.

The setting is beautiful, an old house with period architectural details that would be unthinkable in new construction- Just look at the wood that all of the interior doors and windows and molding are made from.

The food was delicious. I started with the chilled tomato soup that James described, and I agree that it was ethereal. The flavors in the dish reminded me of a sort of deconstructed seafood cocktail-- the oysters were briney, tomato soup was accented by the zip of the wasabi in the tobiko, presenting the spicy, tomato-y seafood flavors of a seafood cocktail, but with the slight of hand of presenting it as a soup. Very well done. Others shared a bite of the the foie gras with me, which was presented in a spiced context with a delicate brioche, and the escargot and wild mushrooms with israeli couscous, which was a spectacular dish itself. Snails and mushrooms pair very well together.

The main dishes were excellent as well... they'd run out of the black grouper dish by the time we ordered, and I regret not getting the chance to try that, as it was the most appealing dish on the menu. Instead I went with the bacon wrapped pork loin with chanterelles, which was very good. Bites of the roasted chicken breast and the curried monkfish were also delicious.

The cheese plate at dessert was very well composed- an aged goat Cana de Cabra, an australian mild blue that was creamy and complex, and an aged cheddar that had almost taken on the crumblyness of a parmagiano.

Glad I finally got around to making the trip down into West Philly to try the place out.

[mrbigjas]

that cana de cabra is the cheese i was raving about a month or so ago. it's great in beet salad. and it runs about $12 a pound at dibruno's, so it's not even that pricey.

[philadining]

I just got an email announcing that Marigold Kitchen will do a 5-course Tasting Menu on November 22 and 23, $45pp.

Additional info at their new website which is!! --still under construction...

They're also pushing catering for holiday parties in your home, or events at the restaurant.

There'd probably be more info about that on the website too, if it existed....

[philadining]

So, did anybody go to that pre-Thanksgiving tasting thing?

And in some small progress, Their Website: www.marigoldkitchenbyob.com/ at least has a splash screen and some contact info!

[mrbigjas]

been a long time since folks have talked about marigold (except for the mention of their new website), so here's a quick report from last wednesday, when we went for the univ. city dining days. marigold was in the $30 tier (other restaurants in the neighborhood were $20 or $25), and i must say that unlike many restaurants, they admirably retained the majority of their published menu on their website. a few dishes were different from what's on there, but anyway...

we started with the pink lentil soup with lamb-stuffed cabbage. the soup was thinner than i expected it to be, but the lamb-stuffed cabbage was fantastic--almost spiced like a merguez or something; a great sausagey taste. escargot were good too, fragrant and earthy from the mushrooms, and not chewy at all. the spelt/potato gnocchi were a little mushy for my taste, but the hen of the woods brought the flavor big time.

lamb shank was a big ol' shank, falling off the bone tender and scented with prunes and basmati. fantastic.

i had the pork, honestly the least exciting of the offerings. there was nothing wrong with it per se, it was just plain in comparison with the others. the candied kumquats that came along with it provided a sticky, tangy counterpoint to the pork and barley--if the dish had more of an emphasis on contrasts like that i would have been more interested.

the star of the evening, though, was the scallop/oxtail combo. three gigantic seared scallops, the oxtail tagine over them like a sauce... the description on the menu doesn't begin to describe how good this dish was.

desserts were solid too--i'm not much of a dessert person, but the creme brulee had a nice crisp top and a good ratio of custard to sugar.

in addition, this was the first time i'd been seated upstairs, which was really nice, if a bit underlit. despite that every table in sight was full of us cheap dining days folks, service was impressively efficient.

as i said the last time i was there, i think that they're doing a great job up there, but it's a different scene than the crazily inventive stuff that wowed everyone when they first reopened last year. it's just really high quality, well-executed, interesting food. and at $30 for dining days? a bargain.

[TarteTatin]

Any updates on Marigold in the past year and a half?

I did a search and this is all that came up...

We're headed there tonight.

[wkl]

i know people who have been recently ( i haven't) and raved.

[herbacidal]

I was there the other day and it was very good. Not perfect, but very good.

[David McDuff]

I've had a couple of very solid meals there over the last couple of months. They're offering a $35 prix fixe three course special on Sundays which is one of the best deals in town. The full details of a recent visit can be found here:

Sunday Dinner at Marigold Kitchen