Marmalade Cafe

710 Montana Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90403
310-395-9196
marmaladecafe.com
Price: $$

It’s easy to overlook Marmalade Cafe, a homey spot with cozy rustic interior, all of 1,750 square feet within a two-story, 1960-built building on a busy stretch of trendy Montana Avenue.

Small things sometime offer big surprises, and perhaps the biggest here—especially on this particular stretch of Santa Monica—is how much bang one gets for one’s inexpensive buck; portions not only made to perfection but bountiful. Nobody here leaves hungry.

Some history: Lenny Rosenberg purchased this Marmalade, the original, in April 2018.

“I decided to buy Marmalade Santa Monica for a few reasons,” he told the Palisadian-Post. “I always was a customer first and have to enjoy the food, and I think this is the best food out of all the restaurants.”

He also liked the idea of owning this first Marmalade, which lease dates back to 1987 and remains independent of a successful regional chain.

“This is the only one that’s casual without full service and, most importantly, it’s geared more like an upscale boutique deli,” Rosenberg said.

Which is right up Rosenberg’s alley. The Westside-based restaurateur currently owns over 20 restaurants throughout Southern California, many of them delis, including Lenny’s, the local delicatessen that formerly occupied the Mort’s Deli spot on Swarthmore Avenue now fronted by Hank’s.

One way in which Santa Monica’s Marmalade retains its consistency and charm is via the bloodline of Executive Chef Rocky Garcia, who has worked here for some 27 years—the bulk of Marmalade’s run. Garcia, who gets a service assist from daughter Victoria, has a versatile skill set covering the gamut of gourmet-ish fare.

Breakfast offers a terrific breadth of options, from Belgian Waffle and Breakfast Tacos (flour tortillas loaded with scrambled eggs, potatoes, smoked bacon, cheddar cheese and pico de gallo) to the popular Spicy Chorizo Eggs Benedict. We opted for Smoked Salmon Scramble, a scrumptious mosaic of Scottish salmon diced up with eggs, scallions and cream, alongside home potatoes.

Marmalade has spectacular salads, from their popular Hollywood Cobb (chicken, Swiss, provolone, bleu cheese, bacon, avocado) to our Marmalade Caesar, a simple selection of Romaine lettuce, Parmesan and garlic croutons so pure and tasty, we practically inhaled it. Of Marmalade’s tacos and burritos, we enjoyed the Spicy Grilled Halibut Fish Tacos, loaded with shredded cabbage, avocado cream and pico de gallo.

Sandwiches are particularly creative. Turkey Cranberry, slow-roasted turkey breast with lettuce, mayonnaise, tomato and cranberry sauce, is basically a fistful of Thanksgiving. An outstanding wrap selection—Greek Chicken Salad Wrap combines herb-roasted chicken breast with feta cheese, olives, roasted pepper, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion and organic mixed greens, doused in lemon vinaigrette. For vegetarians, there’s the Grilled Vegetables & Quinoa wrap.

The signature Marmalade Cheeseburger, grilled medium rare, is a towering affair in a brioche bun crammed high with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and cheddar cheese. Our Grilled Tri-Tip Sandwich displayed perfectly poised atop pieces of baguette; the finely cut beef alive with caramelized onion, chimichurri and arugula.

Albacore Tuna Melt and Turkey Melt are also best-sellers here, paired with a side of soup—Chicken Curry Soup or Chicken Tortilla Soup; each delicious and spicy sides.

A highlight of our dinner, Marmalade Chicken Meatballs & Linguini, a titanic feast of house-made chicken meatballs simmered in roasted garlic and spinach marinara, arrives integrated with a hulking heap of savory linguini and shredded Parmesan. This dish came powered by amazing architecture and textural depth.

Atmosphere is bright and inviting, as soft pop (Coldplay, Lady Gaga) croons in the recesses. Service and hospitality are tops.