James Beard Award Finalist Chef Tara Monsod Opens La Coq Restaurant in La Jolla | Eater San Diego
"Positioned as a “new wave French steakhouse,” Le Coq’s menu pairs modern French cuisine with SoCal sourcing and the Asian flavors that have influenced post‑bistronomy in Paris; Monsod borrowed a popular land-and-sea mussels-in-blue-cheese-sauce dish after staging at Les Enfants du Marché, and a local yellowtail crudo nods to a recipe she learned at Herringbone, which previously occupied the space. French classics such as chicken liver mousse, sweetbreads, and bavette steak with peppercorn sauce appear alongside many locally sourced proteins: the headcheese uses pasture-raised pork from Ramona’s Thompson Heritage Ranch, and a brined, air-dried, roasted half‑chicken served foot-and-all features pasture birds from Land & Feast when possible. Monsod’s affinity for Asian flavors shows in dishes like a duck l’orange that pairs duck breast with kumquat marmalade, tamarind puree, and chicory, and a creamy side that uses wakame instead of spinach and can be ordered with a dry-aged ribeye or other cuts. After overseeing the opening Monsod will divide her time between this La Jolla dining room and Animae; dining-room hours are Sunday–Thursday 5 p.m.–9 p.m. and Friday–Saturday 5 p.m.–10 p.m., with bar hours into the late night." - Candice Woo
