Marmont

222 Market St., 215-923-1100. Dinner: Wed.-Sun. 5 p.m.-11 p.m. Late night menu until 1 a.m. Open on Tues. beginning Oct. 4. Sat. and Sun. Brunch 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m beginning Sept. 18. No wheelchair access. All major credit cards accepted.

by Maxine Keyser

In the early days of the movie industry, the Mediterranean jumble called Chateau Marmont was home to many stars. Garbo lived there, and Howard Hughes spied through binoculars on the people around the pool. In later years, Jim Morrison and John Belushi fed the Marmont mystique with generous doses of drugs and rock ’n’ roll. And even though the hotel has now been redone in modern splendor, its name still evokes a kind of seedy, faded glamour.

I thought the name Marmont fitting for Old City’s latest candidate for stardom. Decorated in warm tones of deep red and gold, it has comfortable, loungey furniture, pleated lanterns over the bar and a definite ’60s look. The waitstaff is young and helpful, clad in snug turquoise T-shirts and black pedal pushers. They look very ’60s, too, although I doubt that they are old enough to remember "What’s New Pussycat?"

The bar already seems to have its share of regulars, who sample some of the "snazzy" drinks on the list — for example, my companion orders a Champagne Martini ($7.50) composed of Ketel One vodka, Chambord, Peach Schnapps and champagne. It has red sugar around the rim of the glass, rose petals floating in it, and looks fairly disgusting to me, but she loves it. I prefer a vodka martini; this time I try Chopin vodka ($8.50) at my waitress’ suggestion, and this is more my style. Marmont also has a compact little wine list with good prices, and about eight champagnes. They tell me a reserve red wine list is in the works, as is a new fall menu.

Right now, they feature about 11 tapas, three different sandwiches and three entrees, but this selection will increase. Four tapas, as we soon find out, are big enough for sharing and can compose an entire meal, which seems to be the general idea. Coconut crab spring rolls ($10) are a visually impressive dish. There are four deep-fat fried cylinders held together, like sticks of dynamite, by a chive. They sit in a pool of curry-mango sauce and bear a plume of chives, but do they taste good? Definitely — the spicy, sweet sauce is a perfect foil for the crunchy rolls and smooth crab filling. Vegetable pot stickers ($7) are also successful, and a swell idea for non-meat people. Shiitake mushrooms make the filling almost meaty, and lend a dark flavor to the broth beneath them. There’s a garden full of julienned veggies on top — I guess this must be called "eclectic" cuisine. As overused as the word is, where else do you get Mediterranean, Mexican and French (a tortilla of duck confit) and Asian all together?

We saw two chefs from nearby restaurants, out for a busman’s holiday, and that’s a good sign. It stands to reason that wherever chefs hang out, it’s got to be good.

Next, a concoction of pine nut-crusted goat cheese atop a warm mix of noodles, sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes ($8) sounds odd and tastes terrific; a sunny vinaigrette of roasted lemons enhances the other tart flavors. The only flaw we find is with the jumbo shrimp ceviche ($9). The shrimp are tough (too jumbo for a ceviche), the avocado is scant and the roasted tomatoes in the marinade have turned the whole thing soupy. No matter, we’ve moved on, and are drinking glasses of white Bordeaux ($7) — so nice to see there’s only one Chardonnay among the offerings by the glass. That shows thought.

Of the sandwiches, only the filet mignon ($10) sounds interesting, so I try the satay-marinated chicken breast ($18). Hey, this chef knows how to cook! Instead of that same old boneless chicken breast, we get ours with nice crackly skin and the wing bone still attached, and it makes for a much juicier piece of chicken. I like the peanuty Thai sauce, and gobble up a toothsome risotto with hints of lemongrass that comes on the side. Another risotto — resistant, but full of flavor — accompanies the veal tenderloin ($20) that’s one of the daily specials. Caramelized onions lend their richness to both the risotto and the pink, but otherwise innocuous, veal. I’m also admiring the stunning crackled glass plates that are Marmont’s tableware. In murky shades of green, beige and blue, they truly complement the decor. Then I really sit up and pay attention, for a blessed dessert menu appears. I love when things are written out — have they read my mind?

Out of five simple choices, we get one winner and one semi-loser. The warm chocolate cake ($7), so redundant, is nevertheless one of the best around, for its center is positively molten. Vanilla ice cream and raspberries just gild the lily. Pineapple upside-down bread pudding ($7) is really a mold of pudding topped with some grilled pineapple. I like the idea, but prefer my bread pudding to be wet and mushy. I could have had the coconut sorbet by itself and been happy.

Well, as I said, this chef, by the name of Tim Spencer, knows how to cook and, coming from Jake’s and Sonoma, his credentials are impressive. And so are those of managing partner Chris Scarpulla, who put in years in Las Vegas, and his wife-to-be Marisa, formerly of Rouge. I watched them watching the restaurant all evening, and not much seemed to escape them.

Marmont stays open till about 2 a.m., so when we were leaving things were definitely getting lively. We saw two chefs from nearby restaurants, out for a busman’s holiday, and that’s a good sign. It stands to reason that wherever chefs hang out, it’s got to be good. One said to me that the crew at Marmont has "an attitude that fits right into the neighborhood." Food that is fun (although this seems a little better than "fun"), decent prices and serious partying — that’s the formula.