Celebrating for one last week: The Cuisine of Alsace-Lorraine

In 1976, I was finishing up work in Monte Carlo for the season, and heading for Germany’s Black Forest, where I had a job for the winter. It was my first time passing through Strasbourg, in Alsace. I didn’t even leave the train station! That winter as I worked in Freiburg, I had many opportunities to make my way across  the Rhine and meander through the snow covered fields, little half-timbered villages and bare vineyards of Alsace. 

I got to come in out of the winter chill to an overly warm restaurant in a fairy-tale building and have a crisp Alsacian wine with a steaming choucroute platter with sausages and hams, or just a great coffee with kouglehopf, or even just munch on a flammekuchen while walking down frosty cobblestone streets. I left Germany behind, to return home over the next year, via the circuitous route of Monte Carlo, Eugenie-les-Bains, Paris, and New York. But I’ve kept memories of the charming villages, and wonderful food.

I was amazed how different the food was here, just a few short kilometers away Germany over the river. So, this last month we’ve been featuring some specialties from this charming region of France. This weekend, until next Tuesday, is the last hurrah for our Alsace menu.

 

Here’s the special menu at Sly’s Only $35. per person, plus tip and tax. 55. per person with two glasses of wine. (One choice is a nice crisp, Alsacian white.)

First Courses

Mixed Salades-or-Flammekuchen-or-Frog’s Legs in a Parsley Cream
Main Courses

Salmon Aubege de l’Ile -covered in a silky mousse of scallops with a chardonnay cream.

-or-La Petit Choucroute with bacon, ham, homemade garlic sausage, and smoked pork loin

-or-Coq au Reisling a “white” version of coq au vin, in wine with onions, bacon and mushrooms.

Pilaf Rice - Sautéed Cabbage

Desserts

Kouglehopf  Grillé, glace Kirsch - toasted coffee cake with cherry brandy ice cream

or Creme Caramel - the classic flan

or Mousse au Chocolat - bittersweet chocolate from Santa Barbara Chocolate, of course.

or Camembert from C'est Cheese

$35. per person, plus tip and tax. 55. per person with two glasses of wine.

Next Menu:La Cuisine de la Sud-Ouest. And yes, that means Cassoulet, Joe.