Last week I headed over to Marché du Sud, a southern French restaurant in the UES to visit a friend who worked there. Walking in, the slightly narrow dining area was speckled with kitchey quilted place mats and modern chandeliers. The open doors let in a warm summer breeze which guided me to a back patio area that had ample seating and a voluminous amount of greenery. Perfect for quiet dinner conversation.
Getting off to a good start, I was instantly greeted with a refreshing glass of Rosé and cheese tasting back at the bar. Looking over the menu, I couldn’t help but notice it was made from vintage French gossip magazines, adding to the quirky feel of the restaurant.
After looking over want seemed to be an endless amount of choices, I settled for the L’ Authentique ($11) a French pizza made on Tarte Flambée, which is Alsatian thin bread dough topped with crème fraîche, petits lardons, onions & gruyere cheese. Hot crispy flaky crust, the texture is completely addicting. Bacon fat + cheese fat + crème fraîche fat= fat-gasm! All these fats mixed into a creamy concoction and paired well with the perfectly caramelized onions ( and my wine).
After inhaling the plethora of fatty, cheesy goodness, I was going to call it a day when lo and behold one of the chefs; Tony Raggiri asks me if I have room for dessert. Hmm… The fat kid inside me reminds me that I always have room for dessert. After listing for me what they have, I tell him to just give me what he thinks is outstanding. Smiling he agrees and heads back to the kitchen… and comes out two desserts:
Chocolate Souffle
Oh man.Where do I begin? Should I start by describing the intense cocoa flavor, the delicate airiness, or the rich texture? Maybe you should scoop one up for yourself and see. You will not be disappointed.
La Pomme Flambée Au Grand Marnier
This is La Pomme Flambee Au Grand Marnier. Anything that is lit on fire before I eat it makes me as excited as a person who gets picked on The Price is Right. The dessert is a tarte flambée topped with apple ,cinnamon, and almonds. Flambéed with Grand Marnier. The apples perfectly cooking in the alcohol and the hot-cold mixture from the ice cream and fire created an interesting array of textures, and flavors. If you get this dessert, definitely split it- it’s a pretty hearty (and delicious) one. They also have pastries for sale throughout the day, so if you want your sweet fix to go you can always stop over for a croissant or whatever your little heart desires.
Marché du Sud | 1136 1st Avenue | New York 10021
