Peachy Picks Marche du Sud
Take a vacation to the South of France by going to 1136 First Avenue-the address of March du Sud! And their backyard is even open now...right down to the white picket fence.
Marche du Sud was first featured in Terrific Takeout:
http://www.whomyouknow.com/2011/02/terrific-takeout-marche-du-sud.html
http://www.whomyouknow.com/2011/03/tasty-tidbits-marche-du-sud.html
We are pleased to announce Marche du Sud has charmingly been advanced to Peachy's Picks, and we do mean charmingly. This is the absolute most charming place we think you could ever encounter. Totally unique, it is a glorious departure from the overhyped dining scene in Manhattan that values trendiness over quality-you will see at Marche du Sud that quality and trendiness are one and the same and it all is orchestrated with savoir faire by the fabulous Chef Anthony Raggiri who is appropriately from Marsailles!
It was joined by a fresh green salad that was a perfect balance to the texture of the salt cod. Chopped perfectly, Marche du Sud knows what they are doing down to every last detail. The menus are the coolest we've ever seen-they are french magazine covers from the 1980's and 1990's-each one unique. Marche du Sud has been open for three months, and we see it being open for at least three decades - it is a clearcut winner. Shown at the top is Peachy's dinner-L'Entrecote Frites, Sauce Bordelaise 13 oz ribeye (grass fed) served with French Fries and Tomato Provencale. It was grilled to a perfect medium, as requested, and the tomatoes were sliced to the right thickness. The fries were perfectly crisp and addictive, just as fries should be!
Check it out they had a chocolate souffle on the menu for dessert! You know Peachy feels at one with chocolate souffles! Baked perfectly it was light, fluffy and most importantly, CHOCOLATE! But don't just listen to Mademoiselle Peachy who could go on and on; listen now to our panel!
We recently dined at Marche du Sud (which means southern market in French), a quaint new country-style French restaurant on the Upper East Side, located at 1136 1st Avenue and 61st street. The establishment is a restaurant as well as a small French market with authentic French packaged foods, sauces, cheeses, seasonings—both name brands and proprietary goods. Upon arrival we were graciously greeted by Anthony, the owner. There is a seating area in the front of the restaurant as well as a back room outside for large parties or for dining with communal tables. The outdoors seating is enclosed with a canopy and heat lamps so it can be used in the winter as well. We found the space cozy and inviting with intimate lighting and plenty of French charm. We started by sampling some olives and peasant bread before moving on to entrees of a delicious sweet potato soup, warm artichoke, salade nicoise and a baked dish of cod, mashed potatoes, onions and garlic. We tried a few signature drinks such as a Kir Royale, Champagne and ginger liquor cocktail and some French Bordeaux wine (Cote du Rhone). For the main course, we sampled a few of tarte flambees (house specialties) such as the Fruits de Mer (lobster, shrimp, clams, mussels and gruyere cheese) and the Moroccan (merguez sausage, spicy hummus, cheese, lemon).
All of the entrees were well accented with flavorful sauces and were not too heavy given the appropriate sized portions. For dessert, we sampled the chocolate souffle, the apple tart flambee with grand marnier, the raspberry tarte and the banana and nutella tarte.
All were delicious. All in all, we were very impressed with the authenticity of the French cuisine, the quality of the food, the variety of savory choices, the service and the intimacy of the seating in the back room. We recommend Marche du Sud for a dinner with friends or a business function. Make sure to reserve a table as we expect it will soon be crowded by locals. We look forward to returning for another fine dining experience.
Marche du Sud is exactly what I would expect a great French restaurant to be. Upon walking inside I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly and drastically my atmosphere had changed from hustling, bustling streets of New York City into a leisurely and charming place to eat in the south of France. This atmosphere transformation was intentional and I truly enjoyed how they followed through with this down to the finest details, such as the colorful fabric place mats and terry cloth napkins we were given to use throughout the meal. I've always dreamed of visiting the South of France, and someday I will have to go. But until then, I will have to hold myself over by making many repeat visits to Marche du Sud! This beautiful French restaurant on the Upper East Side offers a unique atmosphere and delicious food that will instantly transport you across the Atlantic and into a lovely restaurant and market in the French countryside. As soon as we opened the door, we were greeted by the friendly staff. They walked us through the warm and inviting dining room and took us back to the outside garden where we had dinner. Since it was still a bit chilly outside, the garden area was covered and heated. It was so nice to be able to sit outside! Before the meal began, I tried the Tapis Rouge cocktail. This drink consisted of silver tequila, fresh lime juice, raspberry puree, mint (or basil if you prefer), and a dash of cointreau on the rocks. It had a gorgeous pink color, and it was so fruity and tasty! It is highly recommended! For an appetizer, I tried La Salade Marche du Sud. This salad was to die for! It had julienne of romaine, candied walnuts, figs, shaved organic apple, and best of all - goat cheese fritters! I love goat cheese, but I've never had it fried before. It was amazing! The sweet figs, apples, and candied walnuts perfectly balanced out the salty, savory goat cheese fritters. It was a truly excellent salad! For my main course, I had La Marocaine. This was one of their Tarte Flambee specialties. Each Tarte Flambee consists of a mouthwatering thin and flaky crust. La Marocaine was topped with homemade hummus, spicy harissa, merguez sausage, swiss cheese, lemon confit and cilantro. I never would have guessed that hummus and sausage would go so well together, but it was a match made in heaven! All the flavors came together so perfectly making this meal truly delectable!
Finally, I finished off my meal with the dessert du jour - a raspberry tart. It was the perfect way to finish a perfect meal. The crust was sweet and crisp, and the filling was so fresh and delicious! The whipped cream and mixed berries on the side were an excellent companion to the tarte. If I were to give this meal a grade, there is no doubt in my mind that I would give it an A+! I just left, and I am already looking forward to my next visit to Marche du Sud!
As someone who has been to France before, I thought the food was quite authentic. For my appetizer I ordered "L'Artichaut Tiede, Comme a la Maison" which was a whole steamed artichoke with a red wine dijon vinaigrette dipping sauce. This not only looked beautiful on the plate but was very flavorful as well. The subtle flavor of the warm artichoke was complimentary to the tangy dipping sauce and would be an excellent appetizer to share with others at the table.
For my main dish I ordered "La Fruits de Mer" which was lobster, shrimp, clams, mussels, leeks, gruyere cheese and bouillabaisse béchamel. The light, flaky crust with the seafood and gruyere cheese was not only mouthwatering on it's own but paired with wine was delectable. This dish is one that I would not hesitate to order again on my next visit to Marche du Sud. Dessert is what I typically look forward to the most and I came in with high expectations. They were exceeded. I ordered "La Banane Chocolat" which was a tart flambé topped with nutella, banana and walnuts.
The warm nutella and banana were delectable and the garnish of walnuts added a nice texture. Overall, Marche du Sud is a restaurant that not only has incredible dishes to enjoy but also provides an escape for those of us who would like to pretend we are vacationing in the south of France for an evening. I personally am looking forward to visiting again very soon.
Peachy Picks Marche du Sud!
1136 First Avenue at 62/63
212 207 4900
