First some breaking news: Dan Marcheano, owner of the legendary Arches restaurant in Newport Beach, signed a lease last week to take over the space that now houses restaurant 508-29, formerly the on again, off again Aubergine on 29th Street in Newport. It has been known for some time that Dan would be leaving his current location, where his lease is up at the end of July.
His new restaurant will be called The Arches Grill and BBQ. He plans to keep some of the classic Arches menu and add specialty barbecue items. The restaurant is slated to open in July.
March & #233; Moderne
What makes a real French restaurant?
Decor matching the accent of the food can set the stage before we dine. But reality sets in when the food is authentic. At the new March & #233; Moderne, on the upper level of the Nordstrom wing at South Coast Plaza, you are as close to being in France as possible without the expense. Happily, you end up dining on superb food at bistro prices.
It’s always fun watching a fine chef who has been working for someone else open his own restaurant. Liberated to rely completely on his own culinary soul, it’s like watching a bird fly free. In this case it’s two chefs, husband and wife, who have worked for others while gaining their acclaim along the way. They are now bubbling with joy at their new venture.
Florent Marneau had been executive chef at Pinot Provence since it opened nine years ago. His wife Amelia, a pastry chef, last had charmed us with her sweet creations at Bayside. They left their respective jobs at the end of last year to take over the space that had housed Troquet.
Now, Florent is presenting regional French dishes without Americanizing them, and Amelia is making the desserts and hosting the clientele.
With the redo of the space, gone is the boudoir flavor of the past where fancy little lamps and even a delicate slipper chair in the corner denoted haute thinking. Now, there’s a joyful little bar on one side as you walk in. Walls of raw rock,seen so often in intimate restaurants in France,give it a sense of strength and yet impart a casual friendliness.
The menu has special categories in which items are changeable depending on dishes the chef wants to make from seasonal products.
A “farmers market” section features dishes based on what Florent just picked up in the wee hours at the Santa Monica farmers market. Specialties from the “wood-fired oven” section include rustic tarts. Two of the current ones are a caramelized onion and Gruy & #269;re cheese Alsatian tart and a Basque version with sausage and red onion.
In the “unusual” section are razor clams steamed with Florent’s own spice selection and sweetbreads with lightly curried rapini. We ordered the tender sweetbreads one evening, which were slightly tinged with the flavors of minced parsley and garlic.
One section is simply called “morels,” because that is the mushroom of the moment. Florent is using them in his short ribs, John Dory and free-range rabbit. I had the rabbit, a braised loin that was quite reminiscent of my French grandmother’s version. Being such a French place, the cheese selections alone could make me a happy diner with only a glass of red wine and chunks of his crusty bread.
Appetizers ramble through preparations of oysters, scallops, tuna, langoustines, cold or hot foie gras and soup of the day. Among a few salads, the March & #233; salade compose is the must order.
When Florent isn’t cooking, he visits each table, just as Amelia does throughout your stay. The first time he came by (on our first evening visit) he wanted to know our honest opinion about the charcuterie appetizer. I hated to stop eating long enough to tell him how good it was, and that I’d not had anything like it in our area. Served on an attractive elevated wooden platform, it comes with three ($11) or five items ($14). Beautifully presented portions of Florent’s homemade duck terrine and rabbit rillette (a beloved meat spread in France) were situated between slices of the finest cured charcuterie, including an artisanal prosciutto. A small baguette sat in the center, with a little compote of pickled vegetables and another holding a mild mustard cream.
If we thought that was a powerful beginning, it was followed by a creamy celery and asparagus soup that spelled springtime quite nicely. At another meal, the soup was a chilled creamy tomato broth centered with peeky toe crab and a little scoop of tomato sorbet perched atop that.
Halibut and Maine lobster are part of the dinner entrees as are steak frites, prime rib eye and classic steamed clams served with those real, double cooked fries. Boneless Colorado lamb shank is braised with flageolet beans and roasted duck breast is spruced up with wild mushrooms.
At lunch, there’s a three-course prix fixe option and slightly smaller portions of some items from the dinner menu. A few sandwiches are different from the usual fare.
Naturally you will want to save room for Amelia’s desserts,half a dozen to choose from. I’m mentioning the three I’ve tasted so far: apple and brown sugar cake with caramel a la fleur de sel and currant gelato; an amazing tea-infused vanilla panna cotta; and little passion fruit puff pastries with almond nougatine that were so intimately French I’ll be ordering them again.
The wine list is sure to please. It’s international in scope with lots of bottles in the $27 to $45 range. At least two dozen wines can be ordered in smaller taste portions or by the glass. There are also a variety of half bottles.
The bottom line is that you feel very much appreciated from the moment you walk in. I’ve never encountered so many sincere smiles. I think they are all having a good time watching us try out their food and hospitality.
Lunch entrees are $11 to $24 with a three-course $20 menu. Dinner entrees are $15 to $31. Wine tastes are $4 to $9, wines by the glass are $6 to $17.
March & #233; Moderne: Third level, Nordstrom wing of South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, (714) 434-7900.
