A rising SoCal star is readying her sophomore effort this weekend, as James Beard Award finalist Tara Monsod will debut Le Coq in San Diego, which is being billed as a “new wave French steakhouse.”
The menu will include some French classics like chicken-liver mousse, steak au poivre, and roast chicken. But Monsod was also inspired by the time she recently spent cooking in Paris, learning how the city’s bistronomy movement creates creative twists on tradition, like the mussels in blue cheese sauce she prepared while staging at Les Enfants du Marché. And then many plates include the hyper-local produce that California is known for, as well as Asian touches, which Monsod has been lauded for as the executive chef of San Diego’s Animae, where she’ll also continue to lead the kitchen.
At Le Coq, those flavors come across in a duck-breast plate that features tamarind puree, kumquat, and chicory. Pork collar, meanwhile, is served alongside creamed wakame, pickled mustard seeds, and pork jus. And, of course, because this is being billed as a steakhouse, there’s an impressive beef program, that includes everything from a filet to a massive dry-aged ribeye.
Tuna tartare
Kimberly Motos
End the evening with a classic French pastry from the executive pastry chef Laura Warren, perhaps the pistachio Paris-Brest or a mille-feuille filled with strawberries. To drink, the wine selection leans heavily on France and California. The cocktail list is divided into three sections: Refreshing, which includes Summer in Provence, made with midori, vodka, citrus, and fennel; the spirit-forward Direct section that has the Filthy, made with olive gin, brine, and nori liqueur; and the Spirit-Free where there are drinks like the Cosmonaught, which combines cranberry, lime, and a housemade citrus cordial.
The menu has been paired with a space designed by Christopher Puffer and Megan Power. The two have worked to blend original touches from the 1930s building with ’70s supper-club vibes. Again, it’s that mix of old and new, classic French and modern California, which follows you from the interiors to the plates to the drinks.
Click here to see all the images of Le Coq.
