Margeaux Supper Parlor
Why settle for one entree, when you can have three?
“If you've ever been to a potluck, or a supper parlor back in the day, it'd be a mismatch of dishes, of things that were just brought out all together. And really, that's kind of what our menu may feel like.”
And you’ll find the food and the mood truly come together at Margeaux Supper Parlor.
Set inside the Porter Square Hotel in Cambridge, Margeaux Supper Club is a stylish spot that brings the southern hospitality of New Orleans to New England.
“Margeaux Supper Parlor has a dining concept and menu not seen anywhere else. We're a unique destination and we have a little bit of something for everyone.”
Owner and New Hampshire native, Rebekah Barr spent time down south frequenting the French Quarter, and she wanted to bring some bayou charm to this cozy Cambridge spot. So she designed a space that walks the line between posh and laid back, blending elegant touches with a relaxed neighborhood vibe, and a menu unlike anything else in the area.
“This space is meant to be welcoming for all, whether it's in our decor, to our menu, our concept, which is really meant to be designed in a way that you can try as many different things as you would like, as you should, or you can just have one thing. You should not be obligated to share if you don't want to, but your dining experience should be exactly what you would like it to be.”
That Margeaux menu is truly what makes this place so special. Because while you can order traditional entrees, they also offer what they call ‘collections’- a trio of small dishes with different themes along with wines to pair.
“So here at Margeaux, we have several themed collections. Each of these collections is made up of three fully formed entrees in small plate format. As a diner. You can enjoy the themed collection as Chef designed it, or you can enjoy the dishes a la carte. We're used to sharing with tapas, but this is a great way to enjoy selfish tapas and have exactly what you would like as a diner.”
The Fork and Knife Collection is a feast fit for carnivores, showcasing a ribeye, cooked to your liking with grilled asparagus and garlic mashed potatoes and steak tips in a maple bourbon glaze.
“So actually, steak tips were invented here in Massachusetts, and so to play on our concept of North and South, we have a maple bourbon glaze and then we sear them on the grill, and they come out perfectly tender.”
And to round it the collection, there’s an adorable version of beef Wellington served over truffled mushrooms.
“It is the most tender, high quality cut of beef and then that umami from the truffle and the mushroom and the spinach. And then the delicate layers of the puff pastry that come together. And of course, it's served over a mushroom cream sauce to add that extra level of decadence is really everything comforting and heartwarming that you want in a dish that is very hard to find anywhere here in Boston.”
The Coastal Collection offers a taste of carefully sourced seafood like fresh swordfish with lemon preserves over rice. Perfectly seared scallops topped with a tomato bacon jam and served with a sweet potato puree and seared broccolini. And to round out the hat trick of seafood, a delicate lemon sole.
“So our lemon sole is wrapped around crab, spinach and artichoke, served with crispy potatoes and topped with a Pontchartrain sauce. It comes together in this really beautiful warming sauce on top of this fantastic, really light flaky fish served with chef's perfectly crisp potatoes.”
Then there’s the Field and Farm collection, featuring a cold smoked pork chop served alongside gruyere mac and cheese. A beautifully seared duck breast with an applejack demi glace presented with a grilled johnny cake and brussel sprouts. And Lamb Lollipops in a cherry Bordelaise sauce with grilled broccolini and crispy potatoes.
“We sous vide the lamb lollipops with garlic, thyme, rosemary, so they're really infused with a bunch of flavors before they even get cooked on the grill. And then we top it with a cherry Bordelais sauce because we sous vide the lamb, it is so tender and juicy. And I absolutely recommend you leave your knife on the table and go in for this one.”
In addition to the collections, Margeaux offers a variety of starters to kick off your experience.
From creamy, dreamy lobster bisque to comforting onion soup and even an upscale deviled egg.
“Our deviled eggs are iconic, and it's because Chef makes his with Hollandaise.…And then it is topped with a crispy fried oyster…and tomato bacon jam. So each bite is crispy, crunchy, savory, umami, sweet. It is so decadent and rich, it's everything you want in one bite, and we love them.”
New Orleans meets New England in the form of the Fried Lobster and Shrimp Po’ Boy served on top of toasted brioche with lettuce, tomato and a jalapeno citrus remoulade and sweet pepper jelly.
“It is sweet, savory. It's crispy and it is exactly what you would expect, high, low things. And it's a perfect blend of the two.“
And Margeaux’s Praline Pecan Pie is everything you want in a dessert.
“A perfect way to end your meal here at Margeaux is with our praline pecan pie. It is rich, indulgent, sweet, little nutty, perfectly topped with our house made vanilla ice cream.”
And whether you come to sip, snack, or settle in for a full feast, you’ll find good things come in threes at Margeaux Supper Parlor.
