When my friend Lenny Rosenberg invited me to come taste his new venture, I jumped at the chance. He owned Lenny’s Deli on Westwood Blvd., which I reviewed a while back. So he brings his genius along with some amazing deli items. All the food was stellar and hit it way out of the park for me.
Here’s What I Tried:
Soup:
Matzo Ball, this is Jewish penicillin at it’s finest, they scored 100 on this is my book.
Curry Chicken, spicy, sweet and savory, just amazing.
Asparagus Puree, lots of pure asparagus flavors, a delicious heart warming soup.
I can always tell how the food is going to be from the soup, they have it covered in spades!!
Breakfast:
Smoked Scottish Salmon Platter, with a toasted bagel, cream cheese, red onion, capers, tomato, and cucumber. This menu item is straight from the deli, a great accomplishment.
Sandwich:
Classic Club, with slow roasted turkey breast, smoked bacon, tomato, lettuce, and mayo. This reminds me of the tennis club I used to go to as a child, they had a big meaty club, and this one was even better.
Wrap:
Southwest BBQ Chicken Wrap, BBQ chicken breast with avocado, corn, black beans, tomato, cilantro, onion, jack and cheddar cheese, and romaine. The chicken is sweet from the BBQ sauce, so I just loved it.
Hot Sandwiches:
Marmalade Cheeseburger, Fresh ground beef, with bacon, avocado, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and mayo on a brioche bun. This burger is piled so high, it’s hard to fit in your mouth, but once you do all of the glorious flavors explode, what a burger!
Salad:
Hollywood Cobb: with diced chicken, cucumber, tomato, eggs, Swiss, provolone, blue cheese, smoked bacon and avocado on romaine with lemon Dijon dressing. Another one of my favorites, it’s got all the right ingredients, cut the right way, just perfect. Also it’s Gluten-free.
Marmalade House, with organic mixed greens with cherry tomatoes spiced candied walnuts, goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette. The best part of this salad is the super sweet cherry tomatoes and the candied pecans.
Tacos:
Halibut Grilled Tacos, with shredded cabbage, avocado crema and pico de gallo. The halibut is very fresh and they really pile it on, another great menu item.
Entrees:
Linguini Bolognese, with slow cooked Bolognese sauce tossed with linguini and Parmesan cheese. The sauce is so authentic, right up there with the best Italian restaurants that I have reviewed, really a keeper.
Ginger Sesame Grilled Salmon, sustainably raised British Columbia salmon grilled and served with sesame ginger glaze, steamed vegetables and Yukon gold mashed potatoes. The salmon is thick and juicy, cooked to perfection. The glaze adds to the over all lusciousness of this meal.
Dessert:
Chocolate Flourless Cake, Pecan Square, and Lemon Square. Part Marmalade has many food cases, all with very tempting delights, but the dessert section will really make your mouth water. There’s a bold selection of homemade desserts, you just can’t go wrong. My three were outstanding.
About Marmalade Café:
Over 20 years ago, three young entrepreneurs with a passion for food and a desire to make customers happy, came together with a simple idea: serve fresh, high quality, eclectic California inspired food for busy Angelino’s. They would cook for those too busy to cook. In 1990 the original Marmalade Cafe opened on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica. The 1,400 square foot store with limited seating featured a full bakery and cases of fresh salads and entrees for diners on the go. Marmalade Cafe was an instant success and was quickly adopted by the community. Less than three years later, in response to an increasing number of appeals for a full dining experience at Marmalade Cafe, founders Selwyn Yosslowitz, Robert Burns Jr. and Bonnie Burns opened the first full service Marmalade Cafe in Malibu. With only 100 seats, Marmalade Cafe Malibu quickly became a cornerstone in the eclectic Malibu community. This constant demand for the fresh California cuisine characteristic of Marmalade Cafe led to the restaurant’s expansion into major Los Angeles communities.
Each cafe is unique in design and décor. Adorned with Americana antiques, personally found and placed by Bonnie Burns, every Marmalade Cafe exudes a warm & cozy neighborhood cafe ambiance.
Marmalade Cafe was embraced by the Santa Monica locals who loved their fresh baked goods and healthy fare served in a charming setting. Since that time, the Marmalade Family has grown to include a vibrant, full-service catering company. At the heart of our business, they are a friendly neighborhood gathering where the food is delicious and our warm service is genuine.
It’s quite a comfortable atmosphere; with people hanging out at they’re outside tables, with their friends, dogs, in the cool fall breeze. The interior has community tables which adds to the overall vibe, casual, but charming. It’s more of a marketplace then a classic dining establishment, but the food is so wonderful, you will just want to see for yourself. For me it was just what the Doctor ordered!
With seven locations, Farmers Market, El Segundo, Calabasas, Malibu, Sherman Oaks, West Lake Village, and Santa Monica, there is no excuse not to go try some magnificent food.
Marmalade Café
710 Montana Ave
Santa Monica, CA
(310) 395-9196
http://marmaladecatering.com
Lenny Rosenberg (@LennyRosenberg) | Twitter
* Note some content was taken off of their website.
