Beany Malone: Marché du Sud - The Groupon Experience

I recently purchased a Groupon for a French restaurant near us called Marché du Sud. The deal was an appetizer, entree, and dessert for two. I checked out the menu beforehand, and they had some good-sounding things like roasted chicken and steak frites. I told them when I made the reservation (as they request) that we would be using a Groupon, and when we arrived at the restaurant we were presented with a very limited menu that was different than their normal one.

We waited a good 10 to 15 minutes before anyone came to our table. We also were never served water, hence me getting buzzed from two beers.

To start we could choose between the basic house salad or the soup of the day (stingy). We both chose the soup of the day, which was actually quite delicious.

Squash Soup with Pancetta

We also ordered Kronenbourg 1664 (which the French call Seize), because I always feel inclined to order drinks when I use a Groupon.

"Seize"

The bread basket was a pathetic tin bowl with a few pieces of bread in it. They did not refill the bread once. Great service! Not.

My starving husband dunking his bread in olive oil.

We could choose between a variety of pizzas (wish I had known we could only choose pizzas). My husband chose "L'Authentique" and I chose "La Parmentière." I've had "hachis Parmentier," which is kind of like shepherd's pie and liked that. The pizzas were dry and sort of boring. Also, we waited so long for them that by the time they got to the table we were starving.

L'Authentique

La Parmentiere


I did like that they served the pizzas on wooden boards.

We ordered a Colomba for our second beer.

Colomba

For dessert we could choose between a fruit salad and a piece of cheese. Are you serious? Who considers that dessert. When the cheese arrived, it was a small piece of cheese with two cornichons, a few walnuts, and grapes. There was no bread thus rendering the cheese useless.