Bouillabaisse redux

Roseburg, Oregon, December 13—

KNOWING WE WERE SPENDING the night in this town, simply because we'd get no farther from Portland by stopping time, and that we would be unlikely to find a satisfactory restaurant, we elected to repeat last Monday's success and stop at Marché. I started with half a dozen oysters on the half shell and a small basket of very good bread, then went on, with Lindsey who'd warmed up with bean-and-bacon soup, to our Bouillabaisse, exactly the same as Monday's.

The photo doesn't do it justice, of course: I took it before shelling the mussels and clams and tearing the croutons into pieces to stir the whole thing up into a smooth, hearty fish soup. Authenticity mavens will complain, of course; the fish isn't served dry and separately, the broth in its tureen. But the flavors and aromas are authentic; you'd almost swear you were in Provence. This is a dependable, enjoyable, healthful, delicious thing, this Bouillabaisse chez Marché; what more could you want? (Well, a bottle of rosé…)

Pinot gris, Kuentz-Bas, 2008; Beaujolais nouveau, Georges Duboeuf, 2009

Marché, 5th Street Public Market, 296 E. 5th St., Eugene, Oregon;
tel. (541) 342-3612