We visited Marche’ again yesterday. I was there the day before. I’m pretending to be a restaurant reviewer, insuring that the requisite number of visits have occurred before I tell the world about the joint.
Here’s my only complaint: Marche’ is too good. They need to tone down their zesty goodness or the lines will be impossible, or should I say the crowds huddled around the edges of the restaurant, lingering with lusty looks at tables who appear to be occupied by diners on the verge of leaving, will be too difficult to negotiate..
The prices are reasonable and despite the fact that the coffee bowls don’t have handles if you order lattes, I find the place to be nearly perfect. Personally, I order regular coffee, roasted and brewed by the former bean-meister at Bongo-Javas. It’s the kind of coffee that lets you know you are drinking COFFEE as opposed to sugar with flavoring (and you get handles on your cups).
Marche’ gives good crepe, good omelet and I hear good quiche (I’m a guy..don’t do quiche) all with fresh ingredients cleverly mixed. Even the Irish Oatmeal is worth the drive across the river for me. They have lots more, topped in my estimation by an appetizer which contains pears, Camembert, honey all on currant bread. Like the masterpiece signature sushi at Samurai Sushi, the chef puts together things that don’t sound right, but good granny’s galoshes, they work together as well as Marvin Gaye and Tami Terrell.
Which musically brings me to the other part of this post. Lucinda Williams new release, West, follows Patty Griffin’s latest by one week. Personally, I think this is Lucinda’s best since the epochal ‘Car Wheels on a Gravel Road’. Her ‘luscious cracked drawl‘ sprawls and lopes and rocks and eases throughout the CD. The loss of her mother and a boyfriend are painful touchstones resonating each track. Nobody does pain like Lucinda (at least nobody living…I defy anybody who can tell me anybody ‘did pain’ better than Hank Williams or Otis Redding).
Take the trek over to Marche’ (it’s on the edge of 5 points, on Main Street across from Hunter’s Automotive) and listen to Lucinda on the way..the songs are indelibly blue, and the wait in line anticipating the food along with the coffee will perk you right back up.
Salem's Lots 
I’m in total agreement, Hutch…that was some of the best food ever…I could get addicted. I wanna go back asap!!
Justin and Audra officially moved into the neighborghood yesterday, the six of us should have breakfast or brunch at Marche’s soon to celebrate such a lovely occasion;)
(Oh, and have you tested out the new market downtown,….I think you, out all people, will enjoy the pleasantness of it all).
Am in total agreement about Marche. It’s so good I’m afeared it will be overrun by Westsiders. Actually, I hope it is, in general, seeing as how I hope it will be wildly successful. But just not on the days that I go eat there.
re: Lucinda, thank you for the tip. I had Car Wheels back in the pre-iTunes days, and I took it everywhere with me until the CD was scratched to bits. I need to pick up both those albums on iTunes tonight.
hey Laura – does this mean you won’t go with us to Marche’ after church services???