Marigold Kitchen: Southern Roots, Spring Flavors

In one way or another it’s been said here before but it bears repetition: Sunday has long been a personal favorite evening for dining out. It can be a great way to put a cap on a long week, kick start the week to come, avoid the free-for-all of Friday/Saturday night dining and, in the best cases, find a chef performing at his or her relaxed best.

When not one but two friends – one local and one from out of town – asked me for Sunday dining ideas recently, both with the caveat that the restaurant(s) be BYOB, I realized that Sunday is not necessarily the ideal day to catch the Philly BYO scene in full swing. Many of the places that first came to mind are closed on Sunday. In fact, one spot that I’ve written up before as a Sunday destination has since closed its doors on Sunday nights. Then it hit me. Marigold Kitchen. At $30 for three courses, Marigold offers one of the best Sunday dining deals in town. Besides, I realized that the last time I’d been was for Executive Chef Michael Solomonov’s swan song, just before he moved on to open and head the kitchen at Zahav.

Marigold Kitchen’s “new” chef, Erin O’Shea (she’s actually been on board since 2006), has gained quite a solid reputation over the last year for the new direction she’s established, almost completely transforming the restaurant’s focus from the Euro-Israeli blend of Solomonov’s tenure to what can arguably best be described as New Southern cooking. Chef O’Shea’s grits alone have garnered attention in the major local press. I was jazzed to check out the big picture, but those grits just had to be the starting point.

Byrd Mill Stone-Ground Grits with Mussels Sautéed in Herb Butter

There’s no point in arguing with Rick Nichols’ assessment of Erin’s grits (see the link above). They’re toothsome, firm and flavorful, a complete and welcome departure from the gluey or soupy, starched white grits most of us are accustomed to; here there’s no need for additional pats of butter, syrup or other condiments to bring the flavor. Add to those grits a fistful of plump, juicy, herb-laced mussels and you have a dish of pure simplicity that made for a great starting point.

Any other wine blog readers out there remember Rouge and Blanc? Retired blogger Andrew Hwang – my “out of town” friend – took me up on my Marigold Kitchen suggestion and, by sheer coincidence, ended up with a reservation at the same time as ours. The recommendation pressure was on, as he’d come all the way from Brooklyn just for dinner, to celebrate his wedding anniversary with his lovely wife Kance and their adorable son Austin (who was particularly intrigued by the pickled fiddlehead ferns that topped Marigold’s carrot soup starter).

Cured Pork Tenderloin with Asparagus, Warm Bacon Vinaigrette and Stewed Eggplant

Though not as focused in its presentation and conception as my first course, there was no disputing the quality of the raw ingredients in my main. Local asparagus, seasonally fresh, sat atop a dollop of stewed eggplant spiked with what tasted to me like harissa, showing that O’Shea still gives an occasional tip of the hat to the North African and Middle Eastern culinary influences of her Executive Chef/predecessor. The loin of pork was a touch over-salted but was otherwise cooked to perfection and intensely flavorful.

Slow Baked Halibut with Country Ham Broth, Fava Beans and Sunny Egg

My wife’s main course; I tasted only a forkful, so it’s here more for eye candy than commentary. I will say that, like my pork dish, it was heavy on the seasoning but otherwise very well executed, showing a fine balance between delicate preparation and the hearty flavors of its country traditions.

Dessert


With four in our party and four desserts on offer, there was only one real choice: order everything. Clockwise from top left: Tapioca Pudding with Lime, Vanilla and Pineapple; Lemon Trio; Apple Spice Cake with Caramel Sauce and Buttermilk Ice Cream; and Dark Chocolate Terrine with Candied Orange and Sweet Sour Cream.

Our servers justly touted the tapioca pudding, which was sublime. The apple spice cake, too, was addictively good, so much so that we had a terrible time wresting it from one particular member of our company. Only the lemon trio left me at all cold, not for any shortcoming really, more because I’m just not a big fan of the tart/sugary blast of citrus dominated sweets.

What about the wine for the evening? I’ve already written up our selections, utilizing far fewer words than is my wont. Stemware at Marigold is good quality and the food is quite wine-friendly, so it’s definitely a worthy spot to take a good bottle or three. Our bottle of Nicolas Joly's Coulée de Serrant may have been pushing that concept a bit too far but that’s only because its unique characteristics make it a wine that really needs to be served at home (and with extreme patience) to be fully appreciated.

This is not a Marigold.
The central stairway in Marigold’s main dining room hearkens back to the building’s history as a boarding house, which tenants once accessed by passing through the restaurant. The stairs now provide access to two smaller dining rooms, the larger of which is used for regular service on Friday and Saturday, and both of which are available for private parties. Methinks I sense a wine dinner somewhere in my future.

Between the room’s warm ambience, great company and Marigold Kitchen’s heart-warming food, I think we all agreed that it was a Sunday evening well spent. Wine dinner or not, I’ll definitely be headed back soon.

Marigold Kitchen
501 S. 45th Street
(at Larchwood) [map]
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215-222-3699

Intro only...

Solomonov's Last Stand at Marigold Kitchen

Is it taking advantage, in the negative sense, to repeatedly take advantage of a good thing when it’s generously and openly offered? I’m sure an argument can be made for either side. Either way, it’s hard for me to pass up the Sunday prix fixe special – three courses for $30 – at Marigold Kitchen. I’ve done it before and I’ll probably do it again.

On this occasion, it was the combination of old friends and a parting chef that drew me there. It was the eve of New Year’s Eve as well as of our friends S&S’s return to Monterey and I was pretty sure they’d dig the place. Additionally, it was the eve of Chef Michael Solomonov’s last night at the head of Marigold’s Kitchen and I was craving an ultimate sampling from his uniquely Israeli inflected menu.

Art adorns the wall in the main dining room.
Our decision-making was made pleasurable by the arrival of a simple, spoonful-sized amuse bouche of beets, almonds and dill. The interplay between the earthy, slightly sweet beets, toasty ground almonds and subtly herbaceous dill got our taste buds into gear. A basket of warm, crusty rolls accompanied by a dish of green olives and fruity oil took the edge off our hunger while we waited for first courses to arrive.

Sweetbreads with Crispy Chicken Skin and Tehina
I’ve enjoyed sweetbreads – Solomonov’s signature dish – at Marigold in the past and couldn’t pass them up, as they’d soon be ending their long tenure at the head of the menu. I wasn’t disappointed, as they were à point this evening. Wrappers of crispy, golden chicken skin, fried to a perfect snap and crackle, enveloped their moist, succulent sweetbread stuffing, delivered with a lively burst of hot fat when bitten. Creamy tehina, not at all plodding as overly thick or carelessly made tehina can be, lent a soothing, texture, balancing the decadence of the sweetbreads not with acidic contrast but rather with a cooling, complementary richness.
Pork Loin with Glazed Carrots and Crispy Lentils
In spite of somewhat ill conceived presentation – carrot matchsticks criss-crossed and perched atop the dish like a little orange tic-tac-toe board – the quality of ingredients here was undeniable. Three generous, tender, perfectly medium filets of pork loin astride a bed of wilted greens showed the clear comfort side of Solomonov’s style. A spark of creativity was provided in the form of crispy, caviar-sized lentils, sprinkled atop the dish in place, perhaps, of a more typical accent such as crumbled bacon.
Selection of Five Artisanal Cheeses
A treat courtesy of the kitchen, this was an example of the cheese plate as it should be presented in a finer restaurant – carefully selected by the staff rather than chosen by the diner from a list of options. A culinary touch was added by the pairing of a specific condiment chosen to harmonize with each cheese.
Tasting of Granny Smith Apples
After opting for what was arguably the most straightforward of main plates on the evening’s menu, I flipped to the dessert option that was most minimally described and most likely to push the envelope. Duets, trios, and occasionally even larger ensembles have become a nearly ubiquitous way for chefs to show off their talents by creating different riffs on the same key ingredient. The edgiest of the evening’s trio in apples was certainly the granny smith shooter, a shot glass full of apple nectar topped with apple foam, the pithy signature of au courant gastronomy. It was a refreshing juxtaposition to the more classic presentations: a deconstructed apple pie (sans crust) and a finessed take on bureka, a traditional Middle-Eastern stuffed pastry. None of the three stood out with wow-factor but together they made for a whole superior to its individual parts.
When next I visit Marigold Kitchen, its stoves will be firing along under the auspices of new chef Erin O’Shea, who took over the helm following New Year’s after spending two years as sous chef to Solomonov. Given that Michael was obviously enjoying his penultimate night, spending time visiting the regulars who were populating most of the tables, I’m certain that Ms. O’Shea was responsible for the production of much of our meal. This bodes well, without question, for the future quality of the restaurant under her direction. Her menu will depart from Solomonov’s Israeli influences in favor of a contemporary spin on southern American cookery.

Chef Solomonov, meanwhile, is now officially off to get things started at his latest restaurant-to-be, Zahav, where he plans, completely and more traditionally, to unfurl the Israeli culinary flag. You can follow the tribulations of Zahav’s construction and design on Michael Klein’s micro-blog, The Making of Zahav. Here’s wishing all the best of luck to both Michael and Erin in their new ventures.

Marigold Kitchen
501 S. 45th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215-222-3699


Related posts:
BYOB: Wines at Marigold Kitchen

Intro only...

Sunday Dinner at Marigold Kitchen

Dogs walked, it was time to get back to food. BYOB restaurants being a bit of a rarity in New York, we decided to take Anne to one of our favorites in Philly, Marigold Kitchen (501 S. 45th at Larchwood). Not that we were necessarily looking for cheap eats, but the Sunday $35 three-course prix fixe dinner is one of the best deals in town. Besides that, I think Chef Michael Solomonov and the rest of the staff at Marigold are turning out one of the soundest BYO dining experiences in the area at the moment.

Our waitress, who greeted us at the door and showed us to our table, remembered my wife Lori and me from our last visit. She wasted no time in popping the cork on our first bottle of the evening so that we’d have something to sip while enjoying the amuse bouche and perusing the menu. The 1999 Ratzenberger Bacharacher Kloster Furstental Riesling Brut Sekt tasted good as always. Ratzenberger’s Rieslings, bubbly included, seem to age effortlessly and this was no exception; still young, bright, bone dry and elegant, it was a fine starting point. Our collective curiosity was piqued when our waitress stopped back a short while later to inquire as to whether any of us had any dietary limitations. A few moments after our resounding “No,” Chef Michael showed up table-side bearing a platter of foie gras “pastrami” sandwiches, little – actually, medium sized – squares of house made rye filled with, you guessed it, foie gras and topped with cornichon slices. Some heart-stoppingly addictive snack food….

As tempting as the five course tasting dinner ($60) sounded, we’d all by then, through no fault of the rich little sandwiches, decided to go with the $35 three course dinners. This is a Sunday only special which allows one choice each from the first course, second course and dessert portions of the menu. To start, Anne chose the “Carrot Soup with Miti-Crema and Mint,” Lori chose the “Salmon Rillette with Warm Flatbread” and I opted for “Seared Chicken Livers with Bacon and Pear.” While waiting for our firsts to arrive, we opened wine two of the evening, 2004 François Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire “Les Bournais.” The Chenin Blancs of Chidaine have been on my short list of favorite central Loire wines since I first encountered them in the 1999 vintage. “Les Bournais” is a new cuvée, 2004 representing the first vintage in bottle from this single vineyard site. Though a bit closed at first, it already displayed typical aromas of dried honey and a feel of wet stones on the palate. With air, it continued to open and improve over the course of our entire meal. It worked well, speaking for the group, with all of our appetizers. Certainly, it paired nicely with the perfectly cooked chicken livers which were pan crispy thanks to, I’m guessing, a light dredging before searing. The accents of smoky, salty bacon and slightly sweet, crisp pear in the dish only helped the marriage. As good as this wine is today, I’d strongly recommend holding it for at least a couple of years to give it time to integrate and develop.

As I’d brought two nice red wine options along for the ride, we all leaned toward meat when making our entrée choices. Both women went with the duck, prepared with parsnip purée; the official description eludes me as I neglected to bring home the night’s menu. For me, “Lamb Three Ways” was in order. And while either of the reds we’d brought may have been apropos, I really wanted to take a look at the 1999 Fattoria di Palazzo Vecchio Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, as the estate’s Sangiovese based wines are a perennial favorite of mine with lamb. The “three ways” consisted of a glazed lamb loin chop, a lamb “cigar” (lamb sausage in a pastry wrapper), and lamb stew on a bed of Israeli couscous. All three preparations were solid on their own – I could enjoy a plate of the cigars for breakfast – but came together to form a more perfect whole. As for the wine, well, I wish we’d had more time to spend with it as it only became prettier, more aromatic and silkier as time passed. I was surprised at its youthfulness, though perhaps I shouldn’t have been as 1999 was a terrific year for Palazzo Vecchio and for Tuscany in general.

After a brief rest, revisiting the Montlouis seemed only right given the assortment of cheeses which followed our main courses. The night was capped by a selection of desserts all around, including a light, satisfying, tangy trio of “Lemon Tart with Lemon Curd and Lemon Meringue Sorbet.” This Sunday venture could be habit forming.

Intro only...