James Beard-nominated chef Tara Monsod celebrates French cuisine with a twist at La Jolla’s new Le Coq steakhouse.
Pull up a seat at the contemporary yet elegant bar, where a fire flickers nearby. PHOTO BY JAMES TRAN
Known for San Diego’s beloved restaurants Animae, Herb & Wood and Herb & Sea, fine dining restaurateurs Brian Malarkey and Christopher Puffer—the brains behind the Puffer Malarkey Collective—are at it again with Le Coq, a modern French steakhouse in La Jolla. Leading the culinary programming is executive chef Tara Monsod, who claimed San Diego’s first James Beard Award nomination for a chef in the spring for her three-year tenure at Animae. “It is a dream coming back to La Jolla, and with Tara Monsod as the executive chef, we know we are going to the moon,” shares Malarkey. Here, fellow co-founder Puffer chats about Le Coq—meaning “rooster” in French—and what gourmands can expect.
What inspired you to open Le Coq?
French cuisine forms the foundation of what chefs learn in culinary school and, in many ways, serves as the cornerstone of modern cooking. Le Coq is our final restaurant, an ode to French cuisine, where we aim to create a concept we’ve never explored before.
The brandade financier includes white fish, almond cake and blueberry capers; PHOTO BY KIMBERLY MOTOS
Tell us about the overall concept and how it’s elevating San Diego’s dining landscape.
Le Coq’s decor is inspired by psychedelic art from the 1970s and 1980s, an era of exploration that aligns with our menu: classic French cuisine with distinct Californian and Asian twists. Like all our restaurants, we aim to perfect every aspect of the dining experience, ensuring that food, cocktails, music and service all work seamlessly together.
Tell us about the ambiance.
Set in a historic 1930s building and designed in collaboration with Megan Power of Workind Studio and me, the 7,500-square-foot space blends original elements from the storied structure with the polished feel of a ’70s supper club. Exposed brick walls, steel trusses and a wood-clad barrel-vaulted ceiling lend a raw, industrial quality, while oxblood velvet booths, lush greenery and lacquered bird’s-eye wood add warmth and sophistication to the space. The design is both form and function; the carpet and padded walls absorb the sound and make the space feel more intimate.
The duck breast is served with tamarind puree, kumquat and chicory. PHOTO BY KIMBERLY MOTOS
Let’s talk food. What can we expect from the cuisine?
Chef Tara draws from her extensive repertoire as a chef to reimagine classic French cuisine through her distinct lens and perspective as a native Southern Californian. The menu is grounded in the precision of French culinary technique, but dishes are reinvented to reflect local influences, ingredients and culture. Bright touches, verdant finishes and hyper-seasonal products imbue a sense of place into the modern steakhouse fare.
And what should we order?
Honestly, all of the dishes and cocktails are incredible. My favorites are the sweetbreads, jambon salad with Lady Edison Ham, and Boulevardier Noisette cocktail made with brown butter and fat-washed bourbon. Our VIPs love the housemade baguette with the butter trio of caviar butter, chicken skin butter, and seaweed butter. It’s not necessarily an off-menu dish but one of our most popular. We also have an exclusive Le Coq Insiders program available for purchase. Members receive a first look at menu changes, a concierge reservation line, free valet and caviar bumps.
And what are you personally ordering?
I could eat our Les Enfants du Marché Mussels with blue cheese and spigarello every day. The sauce is decadent and served with a baguette so you can soak up all the sauce.
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