At last: A really great bottle of local ketchup

By Russ Parsons

Jan. 31, 2013 12 AM PT

Now I’m pretty sure that nobody has been complaining that what we really need is a locavore ketchup, but we’ve got one and I’m actually kind of glad. Not because of any of the philosophical reasons, but because it’s actually a really good ketchup. If you like Heinz (and who doesn’t?), you’ll love Molonay Tubilderborst.

It’s the project of Nick Coe, a somewhat itinerant chef (Nick’s in South Pasadena, 310 Lounge & Bistro in Santa Monica) who most recently popped up with a series of Molonay Tubilderborst dinners at Senor Fish in 2011.

There are three versions of the ketchup – Classic, Spicy and Curry, though the Spicy and Curry are available only at Lindy & Grundy and at the Altadena Farmers Market. Coe says they will be more widely available by the end of February or early March.

The ketchups are tomato-based (and California tomatoes, of course, from farmers market hero The Garden of …), and familiarly spiced with the classics – cinnamon, allspice and clove. What makes it great is the definition and balance of those flavors. Compared to regular ketchups, it’s like listening to music through a really great sound system.

As a bonus, there’s a wacky Facebook page based largely on photos of European gentlemen wearing extravagant beards, appearing in all sorts of unlikely situations. Coe describes Tubilderborst as “a legendary (and imaginary) bon viveur known in the highest and lowest places in London and Paris as a connoisseur of the finest things in life.”

Molonay Tubilderborst ketchups are available for between $6 and $7 for a 12-ounce bottle at Lindy & Grundy, the Altadena Farmers Market, Wally’s Wine and Spirits, Monsieur Marcel, Cheese Store of Pasadena, Cheese Store of Silverlake and Fresco Community Market.