Tianyi S.
Yelp
Browsing the newly remodeled Fifth Street Public Market is a small but very satisfying pleasure. While it's still home to beloved retail boutiques like New Twist, Outdoor Elements, Rhythm & Blooms, and Melange, it also houses new (and shop-worthy) stores like Made in Oregon and Will Leather Goods, plus a host of new, trendy restaurants.
My favorite discovery though, is nestled downstairs, in Marche Provisions' dessert display cases. This already-overachieving specialty food and wine shop recently hired the now-shuttered Nib's former executive chef to oversee its artisan bakery- and the results are spectacular. Rainbow-hued macarons and handmade chocolate truffles, Paris-brest cakes, gorgeous eclairs, daintily piped lemon meringue tarts, frangipane & fruit tarts, and bread puddings beckon from glass cases, and cream-filled brioches (sprinkled with pearl sugar and dolloped with jam) sit aside jamon-covered breakfast pastries, and flaky, golden almond croissants. Even better though, are the loaves of bread (N.Y rye and the nutty whole wheat sourdough are my favorite) that Marche Provisions bakes daily.
MP has also recently expanded to include a large kitchenware, cookbook and home goods section, wine bar, seafood, charcuterie and butcher counter and produce section. The expansion makes for great browsing, but service tends to be spotty and haphazard. If you swing by, make sure you allocate enough time to browse *and* locate staff for services you may need. The good thing is that there are more than enough gems to browse through while you wait.