Despite the fact that I have been to Paris twice, I had never eaten the classic French dish, the croque monsieur. France is so renowned for its food that writers like me should never say, “French food” but rather, always say “French cuisine.” That is the image Americans have of French cuisine anyway. The truth about food is this:

“Cuisine is a universal and mixed-race love marriage, in which man sublimates a place and a culture.”

Marc Veyrat, chef & recipient of 9 Michelin stars

In fact, just as America has many regions that exhibit a vast array of differing food traditions, so does France. While I haven’t yet had the pleasure of exploring the rest of France beyond Paris, I know this. I also know that in much of Europe (especially Italy and France) ingredients are what matter. They will tell you that using high-quality ingredients is much more important than using two dozen ingredients and complex preparation methods.

french food, Alpin Bistro, Gainesville

An Introduction to French Food & Bistros

At its most basic, a croque is grilled bread, ham and cheese. But, today, there are many variations. The croque monsieur first appeared in the cafes and bars of France around 1910. It was intended to be a quick snack. It can be quite hearty, so in my imagination, I picture rural French farmers chowing down on them in the winter between farm chores. (I know. That imagination of mine is a scary place, isn’t it?) To learn more about how French bistros became a cultural tradition read here.

Because my family loves me dearly, they indulged my whim and agreed to have lunch with me at a classic French bistro in Gainesville, Florida called Alpin Bistro for my birthday. This traditional bistro opened in 2016. The chef/owner, Romain Challandes, was in the kitchen himself the day we visited.

french food, Alpin Bistro, Gainesville

The Basics

Sita Marlier Challandes and her husband Romain Challandes own this little slice of Europe. Alpin Bistro is open Tuesday through Saturday and closed on Sundays and Mondays. They feature a brunch menu on Saturday, live music on Wednesday evenings, and have their croques on special on Tuesdays. They serve dinner only every day except Saturday, which is the day I visited.

In that very French way that one would expect, it is casual and classy at the same time. There is a lovely, secluded outdoor patio for dining. We had a large group, so we opted to take over the long, rustic picnic-style table in the dining room.

“The French approach to food is characteristic; they bring to their consideration of the table the same appreciation, respect, intelligence and lively interest that they have for the other arts, for painting, for literature, and for the theatre.”

Alice B. Toklas

For a cool article on some lovely French art, read here.

What French food did we order?

The Saturday brunch menu features six different croques, i.e. variations on the classic croque monsieur as well as nine savory crepes, five sweet crepes, and various other items. All the croques are best eaten with a knife and fork.

I ordered a fairly traditional croque monsieur ($13.50) with cured ham, multiple cheeses and mornay sauce. Others in our group chose the croque lardons for $15.00 (which has bacon and herbs on top) and the croque saumon for $15.50 (which replaces the ham with smoked salmon, arugula, onions and capers). We are a very loud family, but we became a very quiet table.

french food, Alpin Bistro, Gainesville
croque lardons
french food, Alpin Bistro, Gainesville
croque saumon
french food, Alpin Bistro, Gainesville
croque monsieur

Knives and forks in hand, elbows tucked, we dove in. What a reward! Every item tasted of quality and pride. I don’t know that a croque monsieur in France could possibly have tasted any better than the one Monsieur Challendes crafted for me. Here it is important for me to remind you that Tuesdays are $12 croque night. You don’t need an excuse to treat yourself to this cuisine, but an additional incentive never hurts. Set an alarm, so you don’t forget.

Obviously since it was my birthday there also needed to be crepes for dessert. Obviously. Our group of seven ordered three crepes and shared them. It was the perfect complement to our meal because it was sweet but we didn’t leave the restaurant overstuffed. Our selections included:

  • La Nutella garnished with fresh fruit and fresh whipped cream ($9.00)
  • La Sucree filled with sugar and cinnamon ($6.00)
  • La Confiture filled with strawberry jam and garnished with whipped cream ($8.50)
french food, Alpin Bistro, Gainesville

The Nutella was an obvious hit with everyone because Nutella comes from the imaginations of the best chocolatiers in the world. It is decadently perfect on every dish it involves. While the other two crepes were both delicious as well, the real surprise was the cinnamon crepe. None of us expected to love it as much as we did. Each forkful resulted in another round of surprised exclamations of delight. It was a hidden gem that we just weren’t expecting.

The French bistro tradition is that of a family-owned business where people can gather with friends and family, eat hearty food, relax and reconnect. Alpin hits all these points perfectly. The ingredients are fresh & simple and the final product is French food art. I am only disappointed that I waited six long years before trying them out. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Gather those that you love and meet them at Alpin Bistro for a croque this week.

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