Review: There's a New Marshal in Town

The Marshal, a sliver of a restaurant just west of Manhattan's Theater District, in the neighborhood formerly known as Hell's Kitchen, is dedicated to serving delectable farm-to-table goodness in every dish. We entered the year-old eatery on a bitterly cold, blustery night, were seated right away and immediately ordered green tea. Theo brought my favorite variety (Sencha) post-haste to our cozy table for two.

It's a compact, homey space-about 13 tables seat 26 diners, with a handful of bar chairs around the bar toward the rear. Beyond the bar lies the kitchen with a roaring wood oven, the magic machine that produces The Marshal's brick oven cuisine. The name derives from the restaurant's owner and executive chef, Charlie Marshall. Knock off an "L" and you've got a Wild West lawman. (A marshal badge is etched on the front window.)

Music competes with conversation and tantalizing scents of earthy spice. You will hear your neighbor's conversation. We thought it fitting, being near the Theater District, that we heard talk of Broadway shows. We didn't mind.

The freshly baked French loaf, served with homemade (what else?) butter was suggested by Theo. Good call. Great crunchy crust, warm inside, this bread was a perfect complement to the full-bodied tea. You might be tempted to finish the whole loaf, but resist. You must leave room for the other star attractions.

The Marshal uses seasonal ingredients and humanely raised beef and poultry from more than 13 regional farms. Scan the flip side of the menu to learn about each farm and orchard. For instance, Two Guys From Woodbridge Farm began with the loftiest of goals-"to grow the finest greens, mushrooms and other edibles that could be tasted anywhere." Andrew's Honey comes from a fourth-generation beekeeper "who sells a gorgeous array of local honey varietals at greenmarkets year round."

Arcadian Pastures believes "that by giving the animals we raise the best possible life, stress-free and without the use of any hormones ..." You get the picture. Fish is locally caught and dairy products are from the Tonjes Farm Dairy, which has produced milk since the 1950s. A weekly nearby farmer's market fills in the gaps.

Sufficiently warmed by the tea, we were ready for some starters. It wasn't easy to choose; they all sounded scrumptious. We decided on duck liver pâté, made humanely (no force-feeding) at the Hudson Valley Duck Farm. It came with Berkshire bacon, homemade butter, Crescent Farm duck fat and a wonderful drizzle of Andrew's Honeycomb that served as a marvelous counterpoint to the earthy, but light and creamy pâté.

A roasted brussel sprout salad consisted of roasted and raw shaved Phillips Farm brussel sprouts, homemade Caesar dressing, homemade focaccia croutons and Tonjes Farm Hay Days hard cheese. Delicious. (Note "delicious" and "brussel sprouts" in the same paragraph.)

Entrees also pose some hard choices: the wood oven braised short ribs (Arcadian Pastures short ribs, braised in Finger Lakes merlot, served with root vegetables) tempted, as did the mustard and tarragon-crusted Montauk monkfish. We tossed a figurative coin and chose the night's special of roasted half chicken with vegetables (for him) and bourbon planked herb-crusted swordfish, locally caught, for me. The fish was served on a cedar plank with caramelized lemon, and sautéed Phillips Farm curly green kale, purple kale and Tuscan kale. The kale could have used less salt, but the fish was excellent, moist inside with a nice crunch out. A cumin-like aroma announced the chicken, which was seasoned not with cumin but with harissa, the piquant Moroccan spice. Score.

Don't overlook the bountiful "farm sides," where all that locally sourced produce gets it star turn. The offerings run from Tonjes Farm veal meatballs in Phillips Farm roasted heirloom tomato sauce to Berried Treasure Farm French hybrid pepper, stuffed and roasted with ricotta, cheddar and corn. We settled on sautéed Satur Farms spinach, with butter, garlic and organic olive oil. The rich, yet delicate flavor pops. We also chose Dagele Bros. spaghetti squash roasted with Tonjes Farm "Farmesan," cream and Koppert Cress Farms micro basil. Close your eyes and you'd think you're eating spaghetti carbonara.

One caveat about the sides: they're served in miniature cast-iron skillets straight out of the blazing oven and are h-o-t.

Charlie Marshall, who grew up on a farm on an island in the Pacific Northwest, stopped by with more insight. He hand-built the impressive wood oven practically himself, "by watching 35 YouTube instructional videos," he said. He stopped by other tables to welcome patrons. A nice, friendly touch, sure to attract future regulars.

We were satiated by the time Theo returned with a slim dessert menu that includes local winery selections. Choices include McIntosh apples from Wilklow Orchards, made with brown sugar, house-made butter crumble, baked in the wood oven and topped with vanilla ice cream. Charlie recommended the hot fudge sundae with Blue Marble vanilla ice cream, homemade NY bourbon cherries, "grown-up" fudge sauce and hot toasted walnuts.

With caution to the wind, we settled on the bittersweet chilled chocolate fudge in NYC honey--a perfect balance of creamy bitter and sweet tones. I was curious about the NY grape granita, comprised of concord and white grapes with lemon peel and balsamic-infused whipped cream. It reminded me of a sophisticated slushy with seeds. Charlie also suggested a blueberry port (from Duck Walk, North Fork, Long Island), which was a lovely drink to cap the evening. He brought me a steaming hot mug of apple cider (not too hot to touch). Charlie said it was like apple pie in a mug.

He was right.

The Marshal is at 628 Tenth Avenue, between West 44th and 45th Streets, 212-582-6300.

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