Marsha Brown restuarant
by Susan Gordon
Creole is the original American fusion cooking, a heady mixture of French, Spanish, Portuguese, Caribbean, and African flavors that bubbled up in the steamy colonial melting pot of the pre-1803 Louisiana Territory. It can be as simple as perfectly grilled fish with spicy creole seasonings, or as deeply complex as a soulful etouffeé or jambalaya. Traditional Creole dishes, which evolved in the refined kitchens of New Orleans, are sophisticated, bright and distinctive … but never fiery hot. That tag belongs to the more rustic preparations of their linguistic cousins, the Cajuns, a displaced band of French Canadians who fled south to the Louisiana Territory after merry old England usurped their lands.
Today, the flavors of New Orleans have spread far beyond their southern roots, but it's still not easy to find an upscale restaurant that reflects the finesse and refinement of true creole gastronomy… unless you live in or near Bucks County. Thanks to Marsha Brown (the restaurateur) we lucky suburbanites have immediate access to authentic New Orleans cuisine at Marsha Brown (the restaurant) right on Main Street in the heart of New Hope.
The historic building that houses Marsha's eponymous restaurant is a statement in itself. A former church, the solid 1875 stone structure exudes a faint air of mystery. Folks passing along the street can peer through the doors into the softly lit lounge and oyster bar and muse on the improbability that the church's original parishioners could ever have envisioned such a transformation. They would be even more astounded by the former sanctuary, now the main dining room. The lofty ceiling and original stained glass windows remain, but now the focal point of the room is a soaring allegorical mural of men and lions engaged in a life and death struggle by acclaimed Russian-born artist, Valeriy Belenikin. If you believe, as I do, that great dining is always part-theater, then this room is the perfect stage set. So, let the play begin.
For the first act, diners have a choice of nine creative Starters like Basin Street Mussels simmered in a Creole barbeque sauce, N'awlins Catfish Bites with remoulade sauce, or Lollipop Lamb Chops with pear chutney. Or they can feast from Marsha Brown's signature Raw Bar which offers fresh clams, seasonal oysters, lump crabmeat and snow crab claws by the piece, or as a "Grande Plateaux"—a lavish combination platter, with all appropriate sauces, that serves four to six. Although the Heavenly Crab Cakes with mustard remoulade are truly heavenly, crab lovers may want to opt for one of Marsha's signature recipes, Mamére's Crab Cheesecake. This decadent savory tart, made with cream cheese, smoked gouda and sweet lump crab meat is complimented with a green onion coulis and traditional Louisiana remoulade. An exquisite dish, but quite filling: diners with small appetites can easily share. Or, if you subscribe to the adage, "Life's short, eat dessert first," then definitely go with the Eggplant Sticks, Galatoire (one of the most famous restaurants in the French Quarter) style. Who could imagine that fried eggplant dipped in powdered sugar and Béarnaise sauce could be so utterly delicious? Each bite offers a simultaneous pop of crunch and goo, sugar and mild acidity. The overriding taste is sweet and addictive.
On to our salad interlude, a chance to clear our palates and eat something vaguely less caloric. We decided to forego the restaurant's hugely popular Chopped Salad which we'd had and loved before, because A) it's huge and B) with asparagus, broccoli, eggs, artichokes, bacon, blue cheese and ranch dressing, it's a meal in itself. Instead, we split a lovely and lighter Proscuitto Salad, baby spinach tossed with fig vinaigrette garnished with fresh figs, morsels of mild creamy blue cheese, and topped with slivers of rich, salty proscuitto di Parma. I happily enjoyed my portion sans prosciutto and the salad was still delicious.
Selecting a main course at Marsha Brown requires careful deliberation-do you stay true to the menu's Creole roots or slide over to the steakhouse corner of the menu? You see, Marsha Brown also owns and operates several Philadelphia area locations of the popular Ruth's Chris Steakhouse franchise, and diners who come to New Hope expecting steak will not be disappointed. The Creole kitchen prepares the same succulent aged prime beef you would find at Ruth's Chris in the same steakhouse manner: you choose the cut, and one or more side dishes, served family style. However, here you can also order your steak, as Bob did, with a "lagniappe"—a little something extra like a Creole style bayou spice rub with wild mushrooms, or an generous topping of Blue Cheese and roasted garlic, finished with a quick broil to produce a bubbling, golden crust. The side dishes, too, come with a decidedly New Orleans flare, as Asparagus with Peach Vinaigrette, Anna Mae's Pineapple Soufflé, and Braised Collard Greens join the more traditional Creamed Spinach, Smashed Garlic Bliss Potatoes and Onion Rings.
The Creole side of the menu features beloved New Orleans fare such as Jambalaya and Crawfish Etoufée; as well as some of Marsha's personal favorites like Eggplant Ophelia, a wickedly rich shrimp and crabmeat casserole topped with grilled eggplant and Creole butter sauce. There's also a lovely Vegetarian Napoleon, Crabmeat Ravioli and Chalmette Scallops sautéed with bacon and greens. I settled on the Etoufée, one of my personal favorites and found, to my delight, that it had been updated from the traditional buttery roux to a lighter vegetable broth base, filled with the requisite peppers, celery and onions, and scented with thyme. A splash of hot sauce made the dish zing.
As you would expect, all of Marsha Brown's desserts-including the ice creams and sorbets are made in house. Southern treats like Pecan Pie and Grandmere's Comfort Custard share the card with 24K Carrot Cake and Molten Chocolate Cake. We brought down the curtain with the velvety custard, garnished with fresh berries.
On a final note, I want to acknowledge the quality of the service we enjoyed during our recent visit. From the cheerful hostess, Karen, at the front desk, to the attentive wait staff, especially our own server, Paul, Marsha Brown continues to shower Southern hospitality on its hungry Yankee clientele.
Marsha Brown Creole Kitchen is located at 15 S. Main St, New Hope, PA; 215-862-7044; www.marshabrownrestaurant.com. Lunch: daily 11:30 a.m.–4 p.m.; Dinner: Mon.–Thurs., 5–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat., 5-11 pm; Sun., 4:30- 9 pm. Reservations: www.marshabrownrestaurant.com