While I lament the closing of the Krua Willai on 106 Street, I have to say that The Marc is a very nice replacement. Gone are the plastic flowers, stained ceiling and horrendous path to the bathrooms; in their place are dazzling light fixtures, monster mirrors, white brick walls and dark brown banquettes. Sleek, chic and very “now”.

The website states the menu offers eclectic cuisine, but there’s no denying the French influence with dishes like Steak Frites, Moules Mariniere, Croque Monsieur, Cassoulet, Lyonnaise Salad and Duck Confit, all pretty standard dishes on French menus.
There’s a lot of buzz in the food community about this restaurant and with Patrick and Doris Saurette at the helm, high expectations. Local food bloggers Jean Poutine at May Contain Nuts and Marianne at Loosen Your Belt recently blogged about their dining experiences, and I had to loosen my own belt Monday night after a later dinner at The Marc. 

The Saurettes opened The Marc on October 5th and judging by the recent Monday night crowd, I’d say business is doing well.

We chose the steak tartare and the diver scallops (pictured below and my apologies about the iPhone photos). The tartare reminded me of tartares I had in France, which was good despite the fact that too much vinegar was used in this recipe and the meat was too cold. The scallops needed a better sear but the peas they rested on were lovely. The appies were disappointing but the mains were a different story. The lamb shank and duck confit were rich, succulent and cooked to perfection.

Would I return? I’ve heard good things about the braised beef cheek and the lavender honey carrots, the staff have been well selected, (our server, Brandy, earned a place in our top five in the city), and the space is big-city-beautiful/cozy-neighbourhood-comfort, so those things combined would make me go back.

The Marc’s wine list is an evolving one and right now offers a fair selection by the glass and by the bottle. The cocktail list is short, but you can try a cocktail made with the restaurant’s namesake, marc, a liquor distilled from pomace (sort of like grappa apparently). Disappointing was the tea I requested at the end of the meal. Its only tea, but even Earl’s offers Mighty Leaf tea in pretty silk bags. I expect more than President’s Choice brand from the Marc.

You can listen to my CBC Edmonton AM review of The Marc here.