“Chez Mimi”

A visit to France immediately elicits thoughts of food.  The pairing is as inevitable as France and wine, visions of stars dancing in heads, little bistros in Paris, bouillabaisse in Marseille, Châteauneuf-du-Pape or Gigondas in Provence (or rosé when it’s too hot), and, of course, croissants and pain au chocolat.

The good news is that you can find wonderful food (and better prices) in the hinterlands of France.  In tiny Mélisey (less than 2,000 inhabitants) in the Vosges and closer to German and Switzerland than to Paris or Provence, you can find memorable meals at Café Auberge, familiarly known as Chez Mimi after, I believe, the wife of the couple who owns and runs the restaurant.

The space is small (although there’s another room), but has the feel of a good bistro anywhere in the country.  As you can see, in addition to meals, there are other delights on offer.  Cheeses, chocolate, and coffee are just three and many offerings are regionally produced.

Although there are a few other choices, you’ll find yourself happy to take the menu of the day: a first course, main course, and dessert for…are you sitting down?…14 Euros!  At today’s exchange rate, that’s maybe $15 for mostly regional a/o organic, and always carefully prepared, food.

We had three or four meals here, but between just eating and feeling a bit odd taking photos of my food, I didn’t take many photos until the last meal.  The meal began with a carrot salad and pork slices. That doesn’t sound so special, but the carrots were heirloom, full of sweetness and topped with a tasty dressing, accompanied by full-flavor tomatoes, the kind you remember or dream of.  And don’t forget the cornichon!  The pork slices were amazingly flavorful and we would have been happy to have another plate of these, then just rest happily.  (It makes my mouth water just to see the photo!) However, there was more to come.

The main course was steak (a lot of it underneath the carrots and pasta), more carrots, and fresh pasta, all with another tasty sauce.  What more needs to be said? 

Dessert was of modest size (thankfully, as we were fairly full), but enormous in taste: strawberries in a small pastry/shortbread shell on strawberry coulis.  The owner told us (translated for me by my s-i-l, as I speak hardly any French and he spoke no English), that he had been worried that the pastry was to dry, but that wasn’t the case.  As you can see, I started before realizing that I want to memorialize the entire meal.

This was lunch, which meant that we didn’t have to eat much in the evening.  Evening prices here are more than 14 Euros, but still plenty of food bang for your Euro buck.  My s-i-l and b-i-l had an Easter dinner here that sounded divine and she signed them up for an upcoming special feast that, unfortunately, was after I’d left.

If you get to this part of France, it’s worth your while to make a stop here.  You’ll find Café Auberge at 11 route de Ronschamp, 70270 Mélisey, 0384632146 or 0660063974.  They’re closed on Monday.