A Culinary Adventure at Alpin Bistro in Gainesville, FL

“Joie de vivre” is a motto for the French.

It means more than “joy of life.” That’s not good enough for the French (or Italians for that matter). An adjective is needed: It means, “exuberant joy of life.”

Alpin Bistro comes as close to epitomizing that phrase as you are likely to find locally. If Alpin were a person, I might say she personifies “joie de vivre.”

As you walk in the door, you may disagree with me.

It’s a small place, basically square, with perhaps 10 tables indoors and another eight or so in an enclosed garden outside. The decor is not very joyous; it’s a study in gray and blue. Much of what’s here, even the booths, was house made by the owners.

An open kitchen is set off by a counter and takes up about half the indoor space. It gives the place some air, but most of the cooking takes place on the far (south) wall, meaning the chef has his back to the restaurant and you won’t see much of a show.

But Alpin is not about a show; it’s about food, inexpensive, French-inspired food, and I am happy to forgo a show if the food is good.

The specialties of the house are Croque Monsieur and Croque Madame. They sound amazing, right, very French? They are amazing, and very French. You may be imagining some sort of crock filled with rich soup or stew, or a croquette (a patty) of salmon, perhaps?

You would be wrong. The words mean “Gentlemen’s crunch” and “Lady’s crunch.” They are, in plain, American talk, grilled-cheese-with-ham sandwiches.

Don’t get me wrong, though. These are not your mom’s grilled-cheese sandwiches (unless your mom, like mine, was French). They are not slabs of Velveeta between two slices of white bread. Definitely not.

These are spectacular grilled-cheese sandwiches, and you will want to eat yours with a knife and fork, not your fingers.

The Monsieur combines melted Gruyere cheese with ham, sauce Mornay and a touch of Dijon mustard on crispy, decadent, toasted bread. It’s served with a nice salad of local greens for $13.50. You may think it sounds expensive for a cheese sandwich; I doubt you will think so after you eat it.

The Croque Madame is essentially the same thing with a perfectly soft-boiled egg on top. For $1 more, I’ll go with the egg every time. But on one of the days I sampled the Madame, lardons of bacon were substituted for the ham as a daily special. They overwhelmed the other flavors to some extent but still made for a memorable dish.

These croques actually are classic, casual French cuisine. They’re just not very frequently seen here.

If neither of those tempts you, consider a quiche, a savory tart, or charcuterie (sliced meats and meat products), all at around the same price. A leek and Gruyere tart was excellent.

Sourced from https://www.gainesville.com/story/lifestyle/food/2017/02/01/restaurant-review-alpin-bistro-offers-casual-taste-of-france/22565556007/

Imported delicacies paired with local goodness.

Quality Casual Dining & Brunch

Alpin Bistro features farm to table produce during the farming months,

Local partners: Vine Sourdough Bakery, Siembra Farm,