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Thursday, July 7, 2016

Terrific Takeout: Le Marais Summer 2016 Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins

Our friend Owner of Le Marais, Jose Meirelles 
"Le Marais is about the quality of the steaks and the fries and the high level of consistency we deliver with pride," 
says Jose Meirelles.
Le Marais was opened in 1995 on 46th Street in Times Square

Fresh Origins is America’s leading producer of Microgreens and Edible Flowers. Combining the benefits of an ideal climate with a deep passion for quality and innovation, Fresh Origins products are sought after by the finest restaurants and top chefs. The farm is located in the picturesque rolling hills of San Diego County, where the near perfect weather allows for production and harvest all year. Fresh Origins produces almost 400 Microgreens, Petitegreens, Edible Flowers, Shoots, Tiny Veggies™ and related items. Many are not available anywhere else, with new introductions nearly every month. Fresh Origins products are on top of the finest cuisine in the world! Fresh Origins supplies distributors of specialty produce who serve fine dining restaurants and resorts nationwide. There are also a few online sources of their products available to private chefs and home cooks. Read our first Culinary Queen interview with Kelly Sasuga: 

For more information about Fresh Origins, visit their website at 







Your life will be better with Jose's Steak au Poivre, Frites!
It's not who you know, it's WHOM YOU KNOW and you know that by now!
We are so happy to know our friend Jose, because 1. his restaurant is extraordinary 2. he is a total peach and 3. do you know how difficult it is to find a great restaurant near Times Square?!
If you see any venue or product or anything at all featured once only, or for a period of time but not continuously, you should wonder.  The best brands are featured again and again, and if you are Jewish and you eat Kosher only you absolutely have to know Jose because it is the only Kosher restaurant we have recommended.  Ever.
Le Marais is a bastion of classy sophistication that will impress all discriminating diners.
Whom You Know first visited Le Marais in 2012:
and we were reminded in 2014 just how phenomenal they are:
and we also returned most recently in 2015:
Great cuisine has no religion, and Le Marais is great cuisine, period and there is no great restaurant without a great owner at the helm who is present, caring and interactive.
Les Rillettes du Boucher boast tremendous duck and veal authenticity that also can brag about extraordinary texture.  Served charcuterie style, they will make you feel like you are in Paris in the springtime even if it is boiling in Manhattan.  A quintessential French bistro dish, Les Rillettes will have you exclaim: "Je t'aime!" to them.
Despite many French Canadian hockey influences, Peachy Deegan is in fact pretty American and loves hamburgers.  Le Marais sources from a local Kosher supplier Wagyu Beef Sliders which are purely addictive.  They are perfect if you are going to meet someone for a drink (never drink without eating, especially in this heat!  and especially when the food is so good.)
If you know Peachy from her days at Miss Porter's you know the one and only time she was in a musical was in "The Boyfriend" (there are definitely no future plans for this path; we would rather just go see Bryce and write about it and yes, you would have to put him in the show to convince us to review it, directors and P.S. More from Bryce is on the way) and those songs she had to learn are still in her head.  One of them is "Nicer in Nice," and the lyrics completely apply to this Salade Nicoise au Thon Frais.  
Ooooh la la right down to the superb, sublime Yellow Fin Tuna that arrived exactly medium as requested, this salad is a splendor of nutrition.  
Just ideal for summer!
Not to be outdone are the amazing entrees.  It always makes us wonder when we like the appetizers better at a venue as opposed to the entrees.  The entrees should be the star of the show, and they are at Le Marais.  Actually, there are no weak links at Le Marais which is why Jose and his team have earned multiple features.
For our poisson option, we decided on the Filet de Saumon Roti.
Roasted salmon, ratatouille and chive oil celebrate French fish with style and grace.  C'est magnifique!  Sourced from Wild Edibles and Meat Without Feet, this poisson de pink perfection will silence even the most talkative with its delicious flavor.  And you definitely should opt for a side of Green Beans, otherwise known as Haricots Verts.  Sauteed in olive oil and a touch of sauteed shallots, these green wonders will wow you at the proper crispness.
Drumroll please.
If you are going to order one thing only, you need to try the Steak au Poivre, Frites.
Amazingly carnivorous, this steak is just perfect and trumps some steakhouses we've tried.
The black pepper-crusted touch is rivaled only by the juicy flavor inside, not to mention the beloved fries crafted from russet potatoes.  
Peachy Deegan loves Bernaise sauce so they made that for her, merci beaucoup, on the side.
Le Marais continues to be Highly Recommended by Whom You Know, and you should know that recently Jose penned a cookbook which we hope to assign to our panel for review.  His first cookbook he co-authored with Anthony Bourdain, who was his chef when Jose owned Les Halles.

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