A Boston Favorite Closes Its Doors....

Boston's restaurant scene became a little...no, a LOT poorer this week.... On Monday, Marche Movenpick abruptly shut down it's operations. And the food world in Boston will never be the same. Marche, owned by Canada's Richtree company, was a one-of-a-kind french market bistro, the only one Richtree opened in the US - all of their others are in Canada.One would stroll from station to station, picking out what you wanted and then watch it get made for you on the spot. For my friends as well as myself, we would go to get each thing separately, bring it back, eat it up while it was hot, and then hit a different station for more. Marche's atmosphere was amazing. In all the times I dined there, often for special occasions like birthdays, holidays, and anniversarys, only once did we have a bad experience. We went back a year later and the food was just as delightful and savory as if nothing had happened the previous time. Marche was like no other place in the Boston metro area. You didn't eat there, you EXPERIENCED its foods, its ambiance, its people. But most of all, you discovered new favorites. Who now will serve me my Rosti? I first discovered this delectible potato dish shortly after Marche opened on my first visit there. And the Rosti station was ALWAYS my first visit thereafter. A heaping mound of buttery, crispy, extra large hash-browned potatoes, with just the right touch of seasonings, and sauteed until they literally melted in your mouth. And always with a dollop of the restaurant's made-fresh-daily Creme Fraiche on the side, spiked with a quick toss of fresh chives. Mmmmmmm. I've tried at least a dozen times to recreate this wonderful dish at home, and have never been able to duplicate whatever magic Marche put into it, because it's never quite as good. And the salmon, grilled to order while you waited, marinated in a fantastic soy marinade, and always fresh and flaky. Or the sushi bar, where my significant other usually headed, with their freshly made California rolls dipped in flying fish eggs...with Wasabi on the side that she'll never EVER try again after taking a teeny tiny bite of and then spent the rest of the visit redfaced and gulping water by the bucket... Marche had EVERYTHING, from made to order omelettes to rich with chocolate desserts, and, as my other half will tell you, the best chocolate covered strawberries on the planet... Thank you Marche for six wonderful years of incredible food, and incredible memories...you have left a gigantic hole in Boston's food world that will never, EVER, be replaced.Where now will we go for our big special occasion meals? There's so many restaurants in Boston, i'm sure our little group will find somewhere else to go... But it won't ever be the same. Because it won't be Marche Movenpick....