SMALL BITE: Technically, Marche is not a hotel restaurant, but it is adjacent to Inn at the 5th in Eugene, Ore., and partners with the boutique property. It is the go-to place to eat for many of the hotel guests, and they don’t have to go far, as it is about a 30-second walk from the hotel lobby to the front doors of Marche. It is THAT close and THAT convenient.
SIGNATURE DISHES: The menu changes with the seasons and the availability of the locally grown fare. But whatever you order, you know it’s going to be healthy, organic and fresh from the farm, cattle ranch or fishery. And if you’d like to get really close to the folks behind the great food at Marche, you can opt to sit at the bar to watch the chefs prepare and cook your meals in the exhibition kitchen that features a fragrant, wood-fired oven.
DISH FROM DINERS: “Without a doubt, one of the best restaurants in town. Great atmosphere, great food, great wait staff. Very, very, very consistent!”
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Marche is the French word for “market.” The Founding Chef and Owner Stephanie Pearl Kimmel is an award-winning pioneer in the farm-to-fork movement in Oregon, and it has been her personal cooking philosophy to support local growers and ranchers by using regional foods you would find in local farmer’s markets.
HOURS: Thursday through Saturday: 7:00 a.m. – Midnight
Sunday through Wednesday: 7:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
To make a reservation, call: 541.342.3612
ABOUT INN AT THE 5TH: Inn at the 5th in Eugene, Oregon, was once a chicken processing plant. Seems fitting for a college town where ducks rule. But this is no ordinary boutique hotel. You are greeted with a glass of wine when you come in and sit down in a chair for check-in.
Since Inn at the 5th opened in February 2012, the 70-room, four-story hotel has racked up some impressive awards, including the American Automobile Association Four Diamond Award, the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association Hospitality Excellence Award (a mouthful!) and Oregon Bride Magazine editor’s pick for the Best New Boutique Hotel in 2012.
From the street, it doesn’t impress much. You have to step inside the hotel and walk the hallways that lead out to verandahs and beckoning walkways to the Fifth Street Public Market, with all its dining options and shopping stops to which the hotel is practically connected to truly appreciate what this boutique hotel is all about.
Every room feels like a suite and offers the following amenities:
* A spacious entryway
* Gas fireplace
* Pillowtop mattresses
* Balcony or window seat
* 42-inch flat-screen TV
* Keurig coffeemaker
* Horizontal sliding bathroom door
* Double sinks
Nearby amenities include the LaVelle Vineyards tasting room, the 4,200-square-foot Gervais Spa, an International Café serving up five different eateries that span the globe in culinary offerings, a flower market, Marche Provisions – a tres-cool European-style deli.
Room rates range from $189 to $589. For reservations, call 1.800.547.5445. (Just make sure it’s not on a weekend when the Oregon Ducks have a home game. Rooms disappear quickly then.)
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