The MARQ: The Restaurant Marquette’s Been Waiting For

Gourmet Farm To Table Food At The Marq!

Wood grilled flank steak with white corn grits, shaved vegies, and fried onion. (photo by Ron Caspi)

We all wanted a restaurant like The Marq for Marquette. I’ve participated in countless conversations with Marquette locals where we discussed the growing local food scene and how we wished our restaurants reflected the farm trend. And now, that’s happening.

Full disclosure: my sister works for The Marq. We’ve both waitressed since we were teenagers and between the two of us, carry over 20 years’ experience. But this is more than just a waitressing job for my sister—it’s life-work to be proud of.

The Marq, open less than two months, has filled a void in the local culinary scene: finally a restaurant working to show the community what wonderful gourmet resources we have all around us. Their menu, which changes regularly, seeks to highlight the best of what’s in season and what local farms have to offer. The restaurant sources food and drink ingredients from resident farms, supporting the local economy while at the same time serving top-quality foods to their clientele.

My first night at The Marq, I ordered the chicken wings, which they were out of. This is an aspect of sourcing restaurant food locally that many Americans aren’t used to. What people forget is that quality food necessitates freshness and sourcing locally has its limits. Each meal is carefully prepared, each ingredient has meaning, and the taste reflects that. It’s worth it to wait.

Interior seating at the Marq features small tables and a bar with wine, local beer from Blackrocks and signature cocktails. (photo by Ron Caspi)

My second choice was the whitefish, which was daring as I’ve grown up eating whitefish and didn’t expect miracles. However, it was the best I’ve ever eaten. A perfectly light, crispy coating accented the fish’s subtle flavor, and the crunch of toasted hazelnuts added the perfect flavor undertone. And I’m always a fan of delicious aioli.

My partner, Orson, ordered the burger. I eyed his plate.

“May I have a bite of that?” I asked as he bit into the perfectly medium rare meat.

“Of course!” Orson said with a grin, handing the burger over with messy hands. I took a bite, flavors of local leeks, soft brioche bun, and local meat sourced from Seeds and Spores farm melded and burst across my tongue. I looked at him with wide eyes.

It was the perfect burger.

“I know,” Orson said. “I know,” as I reluctantly handed his dinner back.

The menu is excellent. The food is delicious and local. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable and efficient. The atmosphere is comfortable. In short, it’s the restaurant Marquette’s been waiting for.

We got the last appetizer special of the night featuring Lake Superior whitefish, poached farm fresh egg, asparagus, and shaved vegies in a pool of rich hollandaise sauce, yum! (photo by Ron Caspi)

by Rachel Mills

Rachel Mills is a professor of English at Northern Michigan University where she received her BS in English, MA in Creative Writing, and MFA in Creative Nonfiction. Her current writing focus revolves around looking at food from a universal perspective-- the history, culture, and traditions surrounding both her family's food traditions, and those of other cultures.

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