■ Book review
'London
Bridges'
delivers
thin plot
Pattersons characters
would be better suited
for the big screen
BY COLLEEN LONG
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
In James Patterson's novel
“London Bridges,” longtime hero
Dr. Alex Cross remarks: “I felt as if
I were in an Alfred Hitchcock
movie.” Patterson's novel would
be better likened to a big-budget
action film.
It is the 10th book featuring
Cross, the clever detective from
best-selling novels-tumed-films
“Kiss the Girls” and “Along Came
a Spider.” And “London Bridges”
would be well suited for the big
screen as well: It has a thin plot,
gratuitous sex and a sensitive, yet
tough and tortured leading man.
“London Bridges” begins when
a Midwestern town is bombed off
the map. The mastermind is a
ruthless killer known as the Wolf.
Cross, a forensic psychologist who
is now an FBI agent, is dragged
into the case and must battle his
nemesis, the Weasel, who has
teamed up with the more mania
cal Wolf.
In previous books the Weasel
kidnapped Cross' family, mur
dered countless women and has
LONDON BRIDGES, page 12
■ Restaurant review
Triomphe Midtown still a growing culinary vision
A new French bistro,
bakery flourish in old L&L
Marketplace space
BY RYAN MURPHEY
PULSE REPORTER
Late last year, Ali Pourfard pur
chased the building that once
housed the L&L Marketplace with
a goal to create “a pleasant commu
nity gathering place. ” At the corner
of 16th Avenue and Willamette
Street, only two blocks from the ap
proximate geographic center of Eu
gene, the building is now home to
TViomphe Midtown, Pourfard’s still
growing culinary vision that cur
rently includes a bakery, espresso
bar and bistro.
The building is open but not yet
complete; tables and chairs are
placed sloppily about the floor, not
quite filling the space left by the
produce stand that once stood in
the northwest corner. The building
is dominated by warm, earthy
tones of orange and brown, with a
generous helping of copper and
iron. The recently purchased Serra
no’s coffee shop has not yet been
assimilated into the decor, but will
eventually be renamed Midtown
Coffee and likely renovated to
match its counterparts.
TViomphe Midtown began with
the TYiomphe Patisserie, a tradition
al French bakery that offers a deli
cious selection ranging from flour
less chocolate tortes to brandied
currant bran muffins, made at the
bakery using all organic ingredients
and, most importantly, real butter. A
particularly delicious item is the
parmesan, poppy seed and red
onion savory. Savories are fluffy,
rolled pastries with a featured filling
Danielle Hickey | Photo Editor
Triomphe
Midtown,
at 1591
Willamette St.,
has a variety
of options that
would make
even the
pickiest of
eaters happy,
such as coffee,
ice cream,
breads, soups
and more.
that changes daily . At $1.75, they
make an ideal on-the-go snack that
will satisfy the snobbiest of palates.
The bran muffins at TViomphe are
nothing short of incredible either,
with a sweet, crispy head and
moist center that defies all negative
preconceptions one may have
about bran.
The 'IYiomphe Bistro offers a de
licious breakfast and lunch menu.
One particularly delicious treat is
the grilled manouri cheese and
beet sandwich, a decadent stack of
warm beets and soft cheese
dressed with a lemon-artichoke
tapenade, herbed mayonnaise and
served on bread baked fresh at the
Patisserie. Served with homemade
garlic-rosemary potato chips, this
amply sized gourmet meal only
costs $7. For breakfast, $5 buys a
breakfast sandwich with a fluffy
pillow of scrambled eggs, topped
with prosciutto, mozzarella cheese,
pesto and tomato. TYiomphe also
offers a delectable corned beef
hash, served under wood-oven
baked eggs with thick chunks
of potato and onion — a far
cry from the corned beef hash
served at truck stops and all-night
diners.
Despite the high quality of food
and beverage, the prices are per
haps the most impressive aspect of
TYiomphe. Pourfard hopes that Tri
omphe can be a place where peo
ple can enjoy delicious, gourmet
food any time, not just on birthdays
and other special occasions. He be
lieves that it is possible to offer the
same quality food one might pay
$25 a plate for elsewhere for an av
erage price of $12 to $15.
Plans for a lounge that serves al
coholic beverages, tapas and a full
dinner menu are in the works, and
construction on the New York-style
deli appears to be underway. Pour
fard expects TViomphe to be com
plete by December. Until then, the
patisserie and coffee shop are open
Monday through Saturday from 7
a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays from 8
a.m. to 2 p.m. The bistro serves
breakfast from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.,
lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and
an afternoon menu from 3 p.m. to
6 p.m. 'Ifiomphe serves brunch on
Saturdays and Sundays.
ryanmurphey@dailyemerald. com
020693
STRETCH your budget!
Find Duck Bucks™
in every Tuesday’s
Oregon Daily Emerald
and online every day at
www.dailyemerald.com
This week enjoy coupons
from the following businesses:
• Track Town Pizza
• Carl's Jr.
• Boux
• Harlequin Beads
and Jewelery
• Addictive Behaviors
• Mission Mexican
• House of Records
• Bubble
• Anna’s Food Palace
Oregon Daily Emerald
The independent newspaper for the UO community
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