succumbing to cupcakes at local gem, Sweet and Saucy

I have to admit, I’m somewhat of a sugar junkie. I often wonder where it comes from, but a look back to my childhood easily reveals the beginnings of an addiction. They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and my mom must have believed sugar was the best way to fuel a young body. I was fed a steady morning diet of hostess products: ding dongs, ho hos, fruit pies, pink coconut snowballs, twinkies, and yeah, those cupcakes with the hard peel-a-way frosting and the white telephone cord swirl. And when she wanted to make it semi-homemade à la Sandra Lee, she sliced some store bought poundcake and slathered it with Duncan Hines frosting from the can. Yes, that’s right, pure sugar. There was no way this kid was going to eat Cheerios or Kix. I’m sure this was to be a solid foundation for my love of anything sweet.

So you see, sugar and I have history. Though I’ve cut back quite a bit in my adult years, I still enjoy a hit here and there (ok, that’s a bit of an understatement, I still enjoy it quite a lot). When I’m feeling kinda low or need a pick-me-up, I find myself heading over to nearby Sweet and Saucy Shop for a fix. Chef/owner Melody Brandon specializes in custom cakes and desserts, but thankfully provides daily goodies for those desiring instant gratification. A cupcake or two (or more… to share of course) usually does the trick for me. Melody’s cupcakes are light and moist, though the frosting is sinfully sweet.  She offers eight daily flavors plus four more on rotation. This time around it’s chocolate espresso (chocolate cake with chocolate ganache filling, espresso, Kahlua cream cheese frosting and topped with chocolate crunchy pearls), red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, coconut cake with coconut cream cheese frosting and coconut shavings, and the seasonal special, pumpkin with salted caramel.

I still have some left, guess what I’m having for breakfast!

whole hog choucroute garnie at Marché Moderne

I wish I could say that I’ve been to the picturesque region in the eastern part of France, situated along the Rhine bordering Germany and Switzerland, and that I’ve enjoyed choucroute garnie and flammekueche in a storybook cottage restaurant, washed down with a few pints of local Alsatian beer. But I can’t. My only real exposure to anything from Alsace has been from travel and food magazines, most recently from an article in Saveur about the beloved Alsatian dish, choucroute garnie (ok, I lied… I have had flammekueche before, but here in LA). When I heard Marché Moderne in Orange County was offering choucroute garnie as part of a seasonal tasting menu, I had to check it out.

This porcine-heavy dish, with obvious Germanic influences, consists typically of sauerkraut, potatoes, and various cuts and preparations of pork (bacon, sausages, smoked meat). Chef Florent Marneau has taken it one step further and has added a modern yet throwback twist to the classic: a head-to-toe rendition of choucroute garnie. In our offal-crazed, whole-animal-fascinated times, Marneau’s version is a cornucopia of all things porky: braised cheeks, confit of short ribs & belly, crispy pig’s ear, jambonneau tranché, ham-hocks au court bouillon, saucisse de Strasbourg fraiche, saucisse fumé, crispy pig’s feet, all beautifully arranged on top of pressure-cooked sauerkraut, German butterball potatoes, and moutarde de Dijon.

carrot/coriander and beet/anise pickles; Alsatian & Belgium beer tasting; lamb ribeye, couscous & merguez sausage

The Choucroute Moderne & “The pig head to toe” as it’s called, is offered with a selection of Alsatian wines and beers. I, along with the others that ordered the dish, chose the beer flight: six shot-sized samplers of brews from Belgium, France, and Germany. A flight of wines is also available. Don’t be fooled by the pretty, linear presentation of the dish, along with the requisite frou-frou plate skid (of moutarde de Dijon). This baby is an overload of pork. Every texture, flavor, and incarnation is covered here, from crispy to chewy-gelatinous to fall-off-the-bone-melt-in-your-mouth, lean to silky,fatty, and buttery. I loved the experience of each preparation, and going from one to the next and comparing the flavors. Though I assume the wine-braised sauerkraut in this Alsatian dish is typically lighter in flavor and acidity than its Germanic counterpart, Marneau’s is lighter than I would have liked;  I somewhat longed for that familiar pungent zing (more like the excellent pickles we snacked on before the main course), almost a necessity in this case to cut the richness of the meats. A few more potatoes (at least more than one meager ball) would have also helped balance the dish better.

Not everyone in the party was game for pork. Another popular choice was the lamb ribeye, couscous, and merguez sausage with cilantro chermoula, medjool dates, fresh garbanzo beans, mint emulsion, almond, meyer lemon confit, and zucchini. The lamb was succulent and tender, and the heady aroma of mint, citrus, and dried fruit evoked images of exotic Moroccan streets.

To round off the tasting was a wonderful dessert of apple tarte a l’Alsacienne, vanilla scented crème fraîche custard, and Chimay beer gelato. The tarte was delightfully sweet, crisp, and buttery, and the ‘beer float’ of gelato and Chimay was genius… I wanted a whole A&W sized mug to myself. If you want a little taste of Alsace, you can find it here (without a flight to France). Just be sure to head down before the end of the month (the two course menu is offered till November 30th).

great food and good times need no separation at Church & State

Tucked into a small urban oasis in a rather questionable side of town, Church & State defies convention. The beautiful glass, steel, and brick façade on the bottom level of the National Biscuit Company Building, with its outdoor patio, tree-lined sidewalks, and young professionals walking their dogs outside, is a stark contrast to the surrounding sooty industrial buildings, the vast concrete-lined LA River, and infamous skid row just around the corner. Regardless of the location, the food, with Walter Manzke (formerly of Bastide) at the helm, is excellent. Unlike other Steven Arroyo hot-spots like Cobras & Matadors, which seemed more focused on entertainment than outright authentic cuisine, Church & State brings its rock-solid, comforting bistro fare to the forefront. Manzke’s dishes stun you with their simplicity and deft execution; their flavors celebrate classic French technique and quality of ingredients. Is it possible to have incredible French food in an exciting and vibrant atmosphere in the middle of downtown’s sketchy warehouse district? Church & State says you can.

reflections; filaments; street scene; green fairy recipe

While Anisette across the way in Santa Monica is more traditional, grand, and Parisian in feel, Church & State is more befitting of its downtown location; it’s fun, lively, a bit more edgy and hip, and Manzke runs with it. The best way to sample his menu, in my opinion, is to order up a gamut of appetizers and small plates, and bring a few friends to share. Most of the entrees are also smartly offered in a smaller size, perfect for sampling.

A great start is the Gambas à la Niçoise. A nod to ama ebi (Japanese sweet shrimp), Santa Barbara spot prawns are cooked just enough to color their shells; the rare crustaceans drizzled with olive oil and lemon, and topped with a brunoise of celery, olives, and capers. Light and delicious.

Santa Barbara spot prawns, olives, tomato, cucumber, lemon, olive oil

The Pied de Cochon, pork shoulder, cheeks, and feet, lightly breaded and fried, is creamy, tender, and flavorful; the accompanying nutty lentils and bacon laced frisée help to cut through the fat. Rillettes de Porc, a paste of slow-cooked Berkshire pork in its own fat, is presented in a glass canning jar and paired with a Armagnac spiked prune jam. The texture is quite similar to cold, refried beans, which may not agree with everyone. Some mentioned the prune confiture to be too overpowering, but alone, the fattiness of the pork would have been too much. A better choice is the Terrine de Foie Gras, served with port wine gelée and a stack of buttery brioche slices. So damn good you’ll want to ask for more brioche to spread that luscious duck liver on. Oreilles de Cochon continues down the pork-favored menu; golden triangles of crispy pig’s ears served with béarnaise sauce. Silky, crispy, porky. Again, delicious. Fans of salt cod will appreciate the Boulettes de Brandade de Morue, pureed salt cod balls, perfectly fried, and served piping hot with a small bowl of saffron aioli.

service; Rillettes de Porc; mark of industry; Boulettes de Brandade de Morue

Church & State features a selection of Alsatian tarts, which resemble crispy flatbread with toppings. We tried the Époisses Tart,  in which a layer of the namesake pungent cheese is topped with chanterelles, cubes of of smoky bacon, caramelized onions, and parsley. This was a fun dish to share, with a beautiful marrying of flavors and textures.

tart of Époisses, chanterelles, cubes of bacon, caramelized onion

During dinner, we saw cute little cups topped with puffed pastry whizzing from the open kitchen to tables around the restaurant, and we just had to order some of our own. The Escargots de Bourgogne replaces the classic dimpled serving plate with snails (sans shells) baked in individual cups.  The golden pastry helps the snails steam in a bath of garlic and parsley butter.

La Chouffe Belgian Ales; Escargots de Bourgogne; Mœlle de Bœuf

My friend is a huge fan of bone marrow, so of course the Mœlle de Bœuf was a non-negotiable. The Flintstone-like bones are split lengthwise, allowing the fat to be seasoned and caramelized. Take a scoop of jelly-like bone innards, spread it on the buttery grilled toast, making sure to add a little scoop of radish relish as provided. The result is quite sumptuous. I have never really liked this dish elsewhere but Manzke’s version is tasty.

Not to be missed, is the Pommes Frites au Lard. Yes, you read that right. No cholesterol-free vegetable oil here. Potatoes fried in lard. Just amazing. The lemony aioli is the perfect dipping sauce, no ketchup please!

wait

The dessert list may look simple, but don’t let that fool you. A few months ago I had the most incredible strawberry rhubarb crisp (which inspired my first journal entry). As I scraped every last remnant of the crisp, I scratched my head wondering how something so simple could taste so good. In alignment with the changing seasons, this time it’s a version with peach, tangerine, and plum, with a quenelle of buttermilk ice cream. The Pot de Crème a la Vanille, boasting berries from Pudwell Farms, is smooth and satisfying. I usually scoff at the artisan name dropping, but the jewel-like berries have rightfully their stripes. The chocolate version, topped with caramel, candied hazelnuts, and fleur de sel, is equally decadent but a bit more rich.

degustation des desserts

In past visits we’ve also sampled the steak frites, duck confit, and mac & cheese, all quite good. There’s still much more to try, so I’m certain we’ll be back for more. The service while friendly, courteous, and knowledgeable, can be a bit sporadic as the restaurant hits full steam in the thick of dinner service. Somewhat understandable given the frenetic pace of the restaurant. However, even with different wait staff carting dishes to our table, our waiter always made it a point to stop by soon afterwards to explain each dish and offer any tips that might enhance or improve our tasting experience. As long as you have a few hours to kill, the slower service doesn’t detract from the experience. And why should it? With all the awesome dishes and great downtown vibe, no one should be in any hurry to leave.