Merci

Merci, at 1028 Coast Village Road in Montecito, had intrigued me for some time. Since its opening in 2019, I had been hearing about its delicious chicken Paillard and how unique and tasty the savory salads were. What got me there the first time, unsurprisingly, was word that Merci’s chocolate cake was “insanely good.” Of course I needed to try this for myself.

My family understands my obsession with baked goods and knows I will go to great lengths in order to obtain them. Still, my younger daughter thought it was a bit over the top to call Merci one Saturday morning in order to reserve a slice of that delectable-sounding chocolate cake. Well, it was a good thing I did because by the time I arrived at Merci, my slice sat there alone in the glass case; every other piece had been snatched up earlier.

This was one of the very best chocolate cakes I’ve had in a long time. Along with tasting some memorable ones at various cafes, I have also made many very good chocolate cakes over the years. Merci’s stood out for its moist, not too sweet cake layers, its silky mocha frosting, and, most of all, the swirl of caramel and small pieces of toffee sandwiched between the layers. Each mouthful included soft cake, rich frosting, and a crunch of toffee. Incredible!

When I got around to returning to Merci by bike with Siobhan, we were in the mood for coffee and a breakfast treat. Our morning started when we met near La Cumbre Junior High School on Modoc Road. From there, we rode along Modoc, crossed over Mission, took San Andreas to Micheltorena and rode over the freeway. Riding down State Street in the morning gave us the chance to see the parklets being set up as we made our way to Cabrillo Boulevard. From there we rode along the beach, passing (and mourning) the Biltmore Hotel, and following Coast Village Road to our destination.

We settled ourselves inside, at a pretty pink banquette table, and enjoyed our fine cappuccinos served in lovely pink ceramic cups. While Siobhan ordered a slice of zucchini cake, I could not resist getting a pie shaped slice of coffee cake. We shared both and decided that the coffee cake was the winner with its tender crumb, ribbon of cinnamon-spiced nuts, and crackly top.

By the time we left, the cases had filled up with bowls of bright salads featuring legumes, quinoa, and seasonal vegetables, platters of roasted chicken thighs, lemon bars, brownies and cookies. Everything looked divine and worthy of a return visit.