Kathy J.'s Profile

Marin sooo needed a place like this!  Here's my take:

Pluses:

*  An 800 degree wood oven blisters up thin crust pizza in 90 seconds.  I think I hoovered my duck confit pizza with caramelized onions in about 93 seconds.

*  Libations for every mood - a generous and creative assortment of cocktails, invented by a master mixologist.  They will also have both beer AND wine ON TAP.  This means they'll be able to sell great wine at a lower price (and help the environment by sparing all those glass bottles).  The taps aren't all in yet, but it's coming.

*  Fashionistas meets Families - can you please both?  Yes!  Lovely ladies in sky high heels paraded past, along with families with young kids in tow (kids will soon get to "build their own pizza" in a special section near the kitchen).  A buzzy bar scene kept the crowd happy well into the night while diners leisurely savored their meals. (Note:  I posted a photo of the menu if you want to check out descriptions and prices).

*  Linger in leather - Chef Scott Howard tells me the new leather library seating is on it's way so soon you'll be able to settle your full belly and bootie in plush comfy chairs (I think my bootie and belly got extra padding from my meal last night...anyway).

*  Chef Scott is very hands-on.  He was managing the open kitchen and also greeting practically every customer.  I saw him going through the restaurant to check the lighting, make sure diners had their orders on time and to specification, and even came by my table to offer us a sample of his buttermilk and chive biscuits with a pot of aged Sonoma white cheddar and pimento cheese.  He even let us try the rum cake with rum-soaked raisins which he said was in honor of his mom's recipe (OMG, I ate the whole thing... hence the former comment about more cush on my tush).

*  Private parking lot with plenty of easy parking (I hate parallel parking).

*  Book Passage is right next door so you can saunter over after your meal and pretend you're burning off calories by strolling through the store (hey, after the 10 million calories I ate last night, I needed to convince myself I was already working it off).

Minuses:
*  Reservations only for parties of 6 or more (I like the convenience of OpenTable, but that being said, I was able to get a table for 2 at 7pm without waiting long).

*  I ate too much.

Bucolic little Ross is probably best known for its gated mansions housing billionaires and aging rock stars, but this town of 2,000 also has a treasure in Marche Aux Fleurs.  

Run by husband-and-wife team, Dan and Holly Baker, Marche features fresh, local ingredients prepared in unique and innovative ways that highlights natural flavors.  I can testify the ingredients are local, as my hubbie and I have often spotted the pair at the Marin Farmers Market seeking out what's ripe, seasonal and fresh.

The ambiance at Marche is relaxed yet sophisticated, with excellent service.  I can tell you on a recent visit that a woman at a nearby table sported the most gargantuan diamond I have ever seen - it must have been the size of an acorn and worth a gazillion dollars!  But then, I digress...

Back to the food - the house-made pastas are especially nice and cooked to an al-dente perfection.  The wild king salmon wrapped in grape leaves is succulent and sweet, and I also loved the Alaskan halibut with green garbanzos and an eggplant caponata.

Thursday night is burger night at Marche - famous all through Marin and beyond for the freshly ground natural beef, grilled to your liking and topped with rich Carmody cheese, smokey bacon, grilled caramelized onions, and a housemade pickle, capped off by a soft Brickmaiden roll to soak up any errant juices.  Oh, and the accompanying fries.  These are the BEST FRIES IN THE WORLD!  The house-cut potatoes are fried with rosemary and sage and sprinkled with sea salt for a savory, herbed-up, soul-satisfying, side dish that I could eat everyday for a main (then again, that might not make my arteries happy..).  Just thinking about the burger and fries at Marche is making me hungry again.

Is it Thursday yet?