Make Way for the New Broadway

Broadway Market place 468 Broadway, Cambridge 576-4642

Remember that skanky joint "Broadway Liquors?" Well, luckily for our sore eyes, it's gone bye-bye. The building, recently renovated and sufficiently cleaned up, now houses the Broadway Market Place. When I first walked through the green double doors, I was shocked by the stylin' decor and the soothing music of Magic 106.7. Small round tables made of light oak lined the front windows on either side, a perfect sport for an intimate brunch or an intellectual rendezvous. And the aroma of freshly brewed coffee from Starbucks next door eased my tensions.

My full stomach began to growl embarrassingly when I saw the rice-stuffed grape leaves, quiche, tabouli and curried chicken salad--Eureka!--gourmet food (at least compared to those cardboard, so-called Harvest Burgers we eat in the dining halls). I encountered cheese heaven, full of cheeses with names that sounded like people (Sao Miguel) and places (Double Gloucester). Even the names I couldn't pronounce, like Krinos Kefalograviera, sounded better than cottage cheese. My eyes widened when I saw the sandwich bar and the make-your-own salad bar. Oh, freshly squeezed juices and fresh fruits: Asian pears! Starfruit! Organic Golden Delicious apples! (Unlike those pathetic, sorry Macintosh substitutes Harvard dishes out to us.)

As I browsed further, the signs "Fresh Seafood" and "Fresh Poultry" took me back to the days when my mom broiled fresh seafood and my first thought was "Wow, I'm hungry!" and not "Wow, I wonder what diseases I can get from this undercooked fish. "The variety of breads reminded me that there is more to life than just English muffins and wheat bread. Furthermore, for those on a special diet, there is a nice-sized Kosher section.

And for that small minority of underage lushes who were wondering, Broadway Liquors is going to open soon with "fine quality" alcohol. So save those IDs for a shadier location, or go to the Grille.