Eating well in Paris: Second Stop at Chez Tante Alice
Eating well in Paris: in this second installment of my new series of articles, I present to Tante Alice, a fine restaurant which deserves a place in the pantheon of French provincial cuisine. Delicious!
by Phil Chavanne, Senior Editor Paris-Eiffel Tower-News.com
Life after Chez Georges
In an article written earlier on the 'Eating well in Paris theme, I described the grandiose experience I had at 'Chez Georges. " The owners of Chez Georges proudly carry the flag of French cuisine, and their number is outstanding.
After a gratifying meal I was wondering who would get to the challenge of getting my palate, excited. Rescue came in the form of a dinner invitation by my partners in crime, Angelo and Vinni.
"For Tantalise!" was their battle cry.
Tantalise … or not
Tantalise. With a name I did not really know what to expect. Tantalise means nothing in French. It sounded like a coined word, made up of the best to don some Nouvelle Cuisine joint. For me, Nouvelle Cuisine means product hype, little substance, and the dollar high. Not so promising. However, I expressed their flag, thinking they know better.
Upon reaching the scene I realized I had made a mistake in my linguistic assumptions: Tantalise was not at all – Tante Alice it had always been.
Now, Tante means aunt in French, so Aunt Alice. Alice is one of the names that used to get girls in the 1930s, very few people dare giving their branch today. Aunt Alice brings images of the relationship of age of the Boondocks adorned with an unlikely (and ugly) mustache, but endowed with a golden motherly heart. The kind of aunt who used to serve you and your friends delicious berry jam on homemade sweet bread slices after a midsummer day.
Exterior and within
There we were, at Tante Alice's door. From the outside, the place makes a favorable impression. The building is modern, the restaurant sign Above the door is drawn in a classic font, in a deep burgundy red. The street environment is nice, with clean-looking shops. We are in the southern section District 10, about 10 minutes walk from the Place de la République.
Users enter the place off the wooden bar. The decoration appears elegantly simple. The abundant use of wood and the Vichy-style tablecloth reminded me of a restaurant in Normandy. Although the restaurant is not very big, the seats are far enough each other that they are comfortable having a private conversation with his best medium or love interest.
We were greeted by one of the two owners of the restaurant, and soon led to our table. A second room upstairs, he was told to use the lunch hour, when employees of neighboring businesses invade the place. It was about 7:30 pm, and at this time the first plant operated at 80% capacity. The noise was very acceptable, local customers were silent.
Orders
When we sat down our hostess handed us the menu and asked if we wanted to start with the aperitif, the lightly alcoholic beverage which French people usually consume just before lunch and dinner to whet your appetite. I ordered a Kir Royal, a mix of crème de cassis and champagne. The owners of Chez Tante Alice offer their own version of a mint cocktail, which my friend Vinni ordered.
Tante Alice is a simple menu with a selection of 5-7 per section rates. Each dish on the menu spells kitchen French terroir, viz. traditional country cooking. For appetizer I opted for a plate of mushrooms to the pan (mushrooms). My main course would be a refined delicacy: a steak fried duck liver.
While we were in our aperitif, our second hostess came to take our order. She was the chef, and she was given friendly to our questions. The lady is of good advice.
Did we want wine? Yes, please, half a bottle of red wine or Reuilly-Chinon both are from the Touraine region to accompany our dishes. The chef said he had chosen was the most expensive, and might want to reconsider. A very honest attitude worth mentioning in a business known to rake in big profits in an order for wine. We chose to stick to our half bottle of red Chinon however.
Here comes the food
We had a lot of business to discuss with my friends, so do not lose sight of the clock. Probably was the best since Tante Alice has a rhythm of its own. You should not expect to serve speed record. Food is prepared on order, so everything takes a little time. My appetizer arrived just as I was beginning to get hungry.
Smell and sight are the first senses you use to evaluate your meal. Fresh mushrooms should have an earthy smell very strong and the flavor. Indeed they had. And his look was mouth watering. My serving was voluminous, something of a surprise. Go to a restaurant in the French countryside, and for the same price you would pay in Paris, they serve you three times the amount of food. The part I was looking it was worth every penny you pay for it.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating. My mushrooms were savory, and rich earth tones and wood. They were the pan to a light black, and as juicy as they should be. A sip of light, fruity wine Red helped them get off in style. What a satisfactory start!
The main course
Our dishes came by not long after cleaning clean dishes.
The steak sauteed foie gras is a delicacy French countryside. Recipes vary from chef to chef, but basically for cooking sauces raw duck liver in flour, pans both sides in oil for less than a minute (the meat can not be burned), then set the pan-fried steak aside, throws the oil, pour a bit of raspberry or balsamic vinegar to pan, and reduce, then add a base and a knob of butter, and bring the sauce to a boil short. The sauce then spread over the steak.
If properly prepared with excellent ingredients, the steak of duck liver melts in your mouth. So much so that not even have to chew. His refined taste can easily be dominated by what is served with light sides such as artichoke hearts, mango chutney, raisins and cooked apple slices, or dried plums.
Chef Tante Alice has a strong hand, and fried fillet of duck liver lived up to expectations. Its flavor is delicate and melted on the tongue no chewy parts. The Chinon was a good choice to accompany it. Some people prefer a white wine as a Gewurtztraminer (a wine from Alsace), a Loupiac or Sauternes (Southwest and Bordeaux wines, respectively).
Dessert and please check
To end this delicious meal on a cool note, I ordered 3 tablespoons vanilla and coffee ice cream. The menu describes the vanilla and coffee flavors in such terms that her curiosity can not but be excited. I would not be disappointed: the coffee actually tasted like coffee (not like licorice), and natural vanilla flavor was very rich. I had a double espresso to boot.
The check is amounted to around € 35 per person ($ 43), wine included. For such a feat at night, this price was very reasonable. The after dinner was perfect, no problem digestion. The products were fresh, and our two hostesses has granted us the right amount of attention during the meal.
Chez Tante Alice is a restaurant I can recommend without hesitation.
Where?
Chez Tante Alice
31-33, rue du Château d'Eau
75010 Paris
Tel: 33 (0) 1 42 40 62 34
Lunch and dinner
About the Author
Your trip to Paris will be made easier by Phil Chavanne and his team of Paris experts at Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News.com, a free guide offering valuable information on Paris hotels, restaurants, monuments, and sites to see.
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Dec 26, 2009 
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