MARGOT'S BLOG
August 2011
August 2011
August is a busy month for all of us. Summer has flown by without being lazy, and we find ourselves already talking about going back to school. Catalogs are arriving in the mail full of new fall fashion. Gardens are at full production. With 42 states with heat advisories and air quality alerts, all we seem to talk about these days is the weather.
This Month’s Calendar
Tuesday, August 2nd
Marche unveils another fabulous dinner menu Tuesday that is perfect for getting back to school schedule.
Thursday, August 11th Tomato Wine Dinner @ Marche
Presented in partnership with Woodland Wine Merchant
Reserve your spot for what promises to be a delightful evening celebrating fruits of 2 different vines. Wines will be paired with delicious tomato treats.
Saturday August 13th Tomato Art Festival.
East Nashville’s own showcase is in its 8th year and gets bigger and better every time! Expect Five Points to be teeming with festival goers all day long and into the night. Marche can be a great place to take a respite from the heat and enjoy a tasty brunch.
For dinner, make sure to plan plenty of time to find parking, as there will be many street closings. Once you have arrived, it is certain to be a fine evening of tomato love.
August 16th Bon Anniversaire Julia Child @ Margot Cafe
On this special evening we will celebrate Julia Child’s birthday- a day late as it actually falls on the 15th. Our menu will honor the grand dame of cuisine, featuring our take on some of her signature dishes.
August 26th & 27th 40th Anniversary of Chez Panisse
The iconic Berkeley restaurant has an entire weekend of events planned- all going to raise money for the Chez Panisse foundation. Here in Nashville, Margot Café has a special menu planned to celebrate this weekend.
Other Happenings
Welcome Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream.
A bona-fide ice cream parlor has come to the Walden building on Eastland Ave. The store boasts a very handsome interior and is a perfect fit alongside Silly Goose and Ugly Mugs. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. With flavors like Brown Butter Almond Brittle, Pistachio Honey, & Poached Cherry & Goat Cheese, it’s no wonder the line is often half way out the door.
Congratulations.
New Margot T-shirts Now Available
Show your Margot Café & Bar pride with these simple, beautiful shirts available in an array of new colors. Shirts are $15. Pick one up on your next visit.
Staff Notes
Bienvenue Jason Harding
Jason spent the last 6 weeks in Normandy, France honing his language skills and immersing himself in French culture for his language program at MTSU. We are glad to have him back.
Au Revoir Dana & Matt!
A bittersweet au revoir goes to sous-chef Matt Davidson and extraordinary server Dana Murphy. The pair has set their sights on San Francisco, where they will pursue new and exciting adventures. We have the pleasure of their company for a little bit longer so you can wish them bon journee during the month of August. We will sadly miss Dana’s excellence in service and Matt’s honest cooking at the stove. We look forward to hearing about life on the west coast and many visits home.
More summer reading:
Second Nature a Gardener’s Education by Michael Pollan
This is a well-written and informative book on the back yard garden. Michael Pollan is of course the same Michael Pollan who wrote The Botany of Desire, of many NPR discussions, of slow food and much more seriousness... but in this book he is funny and quirky - providing you with the wisdom to grow a better garden. It begins as the story of two gardens: the imaginary one of books and memory and the real one, the one that is full of weeds and plagued by pests. Over the course of the book the separation between the two gardens gradually merge. Michael Pollan deftly describes our place in nature, the history of our land over time on topics such as landscapes, grass, and fences- actually quite interesting, believe it or not. He waxes poetic on the topic of compost (black gold) and weeds. Practically he recommends the Dutch hoe as the best tool for weeding; ladybugs as the best way to get rid of aphids; praying mantis to catch any flying insects and milky spore to rid the garden of grubs, Japanese beetles and moles. I grow a garden every year. As a chef I think it’s important to know the vegetable in its beginnings and how difficult it can be to get to the plate. Each year I envision my perfect garden and each year I have success and I have failure. No sooner than I have planted my crop, I am scribbling some note in my journal that begins with instructions for Next Year…I’m glad that there are other people out there, including Michael Pollan, who experience the same visions that I have for my backyard garden.
In September:
Transitioning into autumn lunch and dinner menus at Marche
July 2011
July 2011
I look forward to the month of July every year- picking my first ripe tomato from the vine, the rest of the garden in bloom with melon on the way having already harvested my first squash & cucumber; Sunday afternoons at the pool; a trip to the beach; 4th of July festivities; Wimbledon; the start of the Tour de France and Bastille Day. By now the farmer’s markets are in full tilt. We are enjoying Jim Day’s squash blossoms and lots of goodies from Tana Comer at Eaton’s Creek and the folks at Delvin Farms.
Kick-off the 4th of July weekend with Margot Café’s annual seafood boil.
Both Friday and Saturday nights we will be offering a beach side feast. In addition to our signature clam bake we will be featuring all things seafood- clam chowder, shrimp pasta and a grilled fish entrée option. If you are more of a land lover we will also have bbq chicken, grilled steak as well as a vegetarian dish. Everything is served a la carte and reservations will be taken as usual.
Hot Chicken Festival @ East Park Monday July 4th
Check out this delicious festival unique to Nashville celebrating our city’s very own hot chicken. Don’t forget to bring some sides to accompany the fiery birds! Marche can supply many of your picnic needs. They are stocking the front deli cooler with potato salad, pickled watermelon, marinated fresh mozzarella and much more.
Bastille Day: Thursday, July 14th.
Be sure to reserve your table for what has quickly become one of our favorite special dinners. This evening’s menu will feature interpretations of French brasserie classics. You will definitely find mussels, steak frites, foie gras among many other treats.
Marche Artisan Foods debuts July dinner menu Friday, July 1st
This month’s menu focuses on all things summertime!
Appetizers:
- Tomato & Watermelon Salad with Red Onion, Cucumber & Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing
- House Cured King Salmon with Cucumber, Onion & Dill Crème Fraiche
- Benton’s Prosciutto with Pickled Mushrooms, Whipped Butter & Tuscan Bread
Entrees:
- House Made Shrimp Ravioli with Sweet Corn, Cherry Tomatoes & Basil Cream
- Pan Seared Georgia Quail & Pork Belly with Cornbread Pudding, Collard Greens & Grilled Peaches
- Gourmet Pastures Burger with Caramelized Onions, Gruyere & Home Fries
- Pan Seared Tuna with Arugula, Pistachios, Golden Raisins, Fennel & Basil Vinaigrette
- Summer Vegetable Gratin with Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Eggplant & Mixed Green Salad
Welcome New Marche General Manager Perry Chen
As most of you know, longtime GM Kammy McClurg left Marche for Chicago two months ago with big shoes to fill. After an extensive search and training we are pleased to announce Perry Chen as the new general manager. Perry comes to us from SF where he was at Boulette’s Larder, a gourmet foods emporium in the Ferry building. We look forward to a long, happy and prosperous relationship.
Coming Next Month:
Bon Anniversaire Julia Child Tuesday, August 16th
Bon Anniversaire Chez Panisse Saturday, August 27th
Be sure to reserve your table for these specially themed evenings!
Margot will be closed for brunch July 3rd but please take this opportunity to visit Marche. They will remain open for regular business hours 9 am-4pm.
Summer Reading: Blood, Bones and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton.
I always recommend Prune, a tiny restaurant on the lower east side, to people who ask me where they should eat in NYC. Gabrielle Hamilton is the chef and owner. Prune, the much underappreciated dried plum, is the nickname her mother gave her as a little girl. It is a fitting name for a chef and restaurant that offers previously underappreciated menu items like monkfish liver, sardines and marrow bones. Cities often share the same infatuation with certain ingredients, dishes or techniques and it can make for monotonous dining. You won’t find that at Prune.
I first became aware of Ms. Hamilton in 2001- we were both building our own restaurants- small, intimate spaces, serving our versions of French food, off the beaten track. I recognized her maverick ways in my own and appreciated her distance from Food Network TV. She has since gone on to win a James Beard award.
Her book is divided into three parts: The first, Blood, chronicles her dysfunctional family upbringing in Pennsylvania. The second, Bones, tells of how she built the foundation of her career in catering kitchens and little known restaurants in NYC doing coke in the city’s 1980’s heyday- while also earning a MFA from the University of Michigan. The third is Butter, the finish-the richness of her own family, a brief marriage to an Italian doctor and the birth of her two boys, Marco and Leone. There are no recipes in this book although almost all of the food images made my stomach grumble in agreement. Ms. Hamilton describes herself as a reluctant chef having falling into cooking as a career almost haphazardly, as many of us do. This is not a tell-all Bourdain style book but she does describe a few of the “nasty bits” that are in store for those of us who dare to pursue a career in the restaurant business. Gabrielle Hamilton will probably never be as iconic as Alice Waters and that’s okay with me. She is the tough, hard knock NYC chef to the warm and fuzzy ideals of Ms. Waters and the west coast. Despite some missing links and lack of detail regarding certain aspects of her life- her book is a good read- from her precocious beginnings to her humble culinary education to her confirmed Saveur success.
Margot Cafe Celebrates 10 Years!
June
Ahh, June. School is out. The pool is open. Summer has officially begun and it is a hot one already, so break out the grill and bring on the lighter summer fare.
Margot Café & Bar Celebrating 10 Years
June 5, 2001 was one of the best days of our lives. Since then we have made a decade full of memories. There have been birthdays, graduations, a host of engagements and weddings and anniversaries and, sadly, the passing of loved ones. There have been milestones: Apple’s ipod, iphone and ipad, the rise of Facebook, Twitter and “social media”, the election of Obama and the end of the Oprah television era. We have survived tragedies: the 911attacks, Hurricane Katrina, the Gulf oil spill, the Tsunamis, the May flood, the recent tornadoes and the invasion of cicadas. We’ve made the best of friends, eaten exceptional food and had a ridiculously good time doing it all.
In November of 2000 we signed a lease for the space at 1017 Woodland St. with March Egerton. He has been a visionary in our community, a generous landlord and has become a good friend. On June 5, 2001 we served our first dinners at Margot Café and Bar. It was a dream come true. Many of you who were here that night are still coming back. Thank you all for appreciating what we do and giving us a very comfortable home to do it in. Meeting such great people has definitely one of the best things about the last ten years.
We haven’t stopped since - continuing to offer great food and drink and excellent hospitality. We have continued to bring you the best of food and cooking in our everyday meals as well as in our own celebrations. We have enjoyed special themed evenings together celebrating everything and everyone from Julia Childs and Chez Panisse to Bastille Day & Cinco de Mayo. We have dined together on blankets under the stars out on the farm and brought attention to Slow Food in Nashville. We have munched on countless orders of chips and aioli and dined on seafood steampot, grilled whole fish, shrimp bisque, soft shell crabs, beets, peas, favas, artichokes, broccoli rabe, escarole, anything with arugula, homemade pasta, focaccia, brioche, duck, squab, rabbit, shortribs, sugo, Bolognese, panzanella, salted caramel, farmhouse cake, homemade ice cream and sorbet…
We take great pride in our East Nashville neighborhood. Each year we mark our beginning by the growth we see around us. We graciously give thanks to Radio Café, Sasso, Edgefield, and Art and Invention for coming before and paving the road to East Nashville : to Bongo Java, Slow Bar, The Turnip Truck and Cumberland Hardware for being great neighbors to us - and a big shout out to what has come since: Beyond the Edge, 3 Crow Bar, Battered and Fried, Drifters, The Building, Woodland Wines, Nuovo Burrito, Rumors, Wonders on Woodland, Red Door, the 5 spot, Pizza Real, Calypso, Sweet 16th, Allegria, Italia, Silly Goose, Ugly Mugs, Wild Cow, Portland Brew, Coopers, Almond Tree, Rosepepper, Eastland Cafe, Family Wash, Mitchell’s, Olive and Sinclair, 308, Holland House, Mas Tacos, Allium, Thai Phoo Ket, The Green Wagon & Bagel Face Bakery to name a few.
Our work is made that much easier and simpler by the people that work with us behind the scenes: the farmers and food purveyors, the liquor and wine distributors. A big thanks to Justin Johns from Sysco, Tana Comer of Eaton’s Creek Organics, Tina Pavlis of A&B, Scotty and all the guys at Ernest William’s Produce company, JD and everyone at Gulf Pride seafood, Lonnie Collier of Inland Seafood, Provence Breads, & the folks at Gourmet Pasture Fed Beef.
Nothing is more satisfying for us than helping others achieve there own success and realize their own dreams come true, whatever they may be. Congratulations to all of our alumni who have gone on to live happily ever after Margot Café and Bar.
Jay and I owe a huge thanks to the team of people that make our vision a reality day to day. Our employees are our extended families and we have the great pleasure of having such superb people to collaborate with. Special recognition goes to Greg White - a nine year veteran and the captain of our team. To the rest of our team: Destin Weishaar- server, bartender and now at the helm as general manager, Dana Murphy, Matt Davidson, Brian Jackson, Emily Roley, Kristen Carroll, Ryan Bernhardt, Yolanda Orellenas, Nicole Baumann, Adam Maxwell, Deborah Huitt, Jason Harding, Dany Valdez , William Lawson, Leibi Mancilla, Jill Walsh, Jacobo Lopez, Matt Schaaf, & Tara Shields. You are all an amazing bunch of people that we love and appreciate. Thanks ya’ll!
A very special thanks goes to Elizabeth Frein and Heather Parsons, to our children and our parents for their amazing love and support.
Thank you all. We are still having fun and anticipate an equally happy and successful next decade.
Marche Debuts Summer Lunch & Dinner Menus
Enjoy the summertime flavors as we debut a lighter take on lunch. New additions include a grilled chicken salad with roasted corn, peppers, gorgonzola & Vidalia onion vinaigrette, a tuna nicoise salad, a summer version of our burger with romaine, Vidalia onion, tomato, & pickles, summer squash tart, peaches & ricotta, a tomato, basil & fresh mozzarella sandwich…and the return of the BLT.
New dinner additions include a clam bake with corn & sausage, Ashley Farms chicken with gnocchi, mushrooms & corn, housemade spaghetti with white anchovy, vegetable paella, and the dinner debut of the Gourmet Pastures Burger.
Sweets include Red Velvet Cake, a blueberry tartlet, peach crisp and a beautiful selection of summer cookies.
Margot Café & Bar will be closed on Sunday, June 5th. Join us Saturday June 4th as we prepare a rendition of our first night’s menu. Marche will be open regular Sunday hours.
June 19th is Father’s Day
Don’t forget about Dad! Make your reservations at Margot for Fathers’ Day Brunch…or for the last minute folks…take him to brunch at Marche. If staying in and cooking out is your Dad’s Day tradition, stock up on supplies from the selection of goodies Marche has to offer.
July 1st & 2nd: Summer Seafood Boil at Margot Café
Make your reservations now for this Margot tradition.
Margot Café & Bar will be closed on Sunday, July 3rd for the Independence Day Holiday. Marche will be open regular Sunday hours. Have a great holiday weekend.