Mythic! - Le Petite Maison In Nice

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There are  restaurants on the Cote D'Azur, past and present that gain mythic reputations! Oasis at La Napoule, Felix in it's hey day on the Croissette in Cannes (No Longer, now a tourist trap), gone too are the three star glory days of the Moulin de Mougins and though we have eclipsed the apogee of Tetou in Golfe Juan it is still really good! Gladly Nicole Rubi's Petite Maison is firmly ensconced in this constellation of gourmet greatness.  I get happy from the moment I know that I'm going to be eating there. Happily, Nicole loves me and I love her, I know there are others who find her brusque and obstreperous but I'm not one of them! I'm mad for her! Perhaps it is because she's my " Pissaladiere dealer"!!

This is the good stuff meltingly sweet confit of onions on a flaky pastry tart with little diamonds of Niçoise of olives, hit with salt a sliver of hidden anchovy or two and a little olive oil. This is the region on a plate.  The best idea here is to come with friends, friends who like to share and order many starters rather than the main courses which are less beguiling. This joint is packed, tables caddy corner one another, serious eating is going down! Battered courgette blossoms are the trumpet that warns spring that summer is next. The beignets are served with a tomato dip! Incredibly good! Yes dear reader them there are some gooooood eating tomatoes! Raw purple spiked artichokes are given olive oil and lemon juice dressing! Superb simplicity! Grain mustard, toasted crusty bread, confit tomatoes, coarse salt and piping oven hot veal marrow bones are served family style, make sure you get at least one for each diner!  Tuna carpaccio with mango dice is drizzled with the OO and covered in Riquette, which is French for Roquette (English) or Arugula (USA) PS - in some parts of France they use the sobriquet - Roquette too as it is already French!! The petit farci are stuffed veggies such as courgettes, eggplant and tomatoes brimming with meat and veg. The star of the show this night were the warm jumbo shrimp cut on the bias and served with julienned basil and OO and Lemon emulsion. The shrimps were slight warm, soft not springy with a never been frozen quality, scrumptious to oh00oooo and ahhh extremes! Calamari were exemplary and moreish, what is there not to like about crisp, hot fried goodness? Continuing the trend breaded rosemary chevre boules melt in your mouth good! Spicy tomato and basil chili spaghetti rounds out this evening. We got a freebie refreshing mandarine sorbet to cleanse the palate!  This is a wonderful place to eat with friends, not good for stiffy biz meals at all. Remember you'll want to pass plates and eat family style. The room is darkly lit but beautifully accented by the candles that dress light on to the baskets of lemons and vines of tomatoes that act as edible table features. Nicole sold a franchise to the ZUMA owners in London and have opened up a stellar UK outpost behind Claridges in Brooks Mews but whilst it is faithful to it's mothership the food is more fussy and the menu much longer. http://www.lpmlondon.co.uk ie: More is less! Le Petite Maison in Nice is an institution, it merits it's laurels and does not sit on them at all!!! The current Nice menu is below! Pissaladière Olives de Nice en tapenade, radis et cébettes Cœurs de laitues à la Caesar’s Marinade de poissons et crustacés Thon finement taillé, citron, cébette, piment rouge et mangue Coquilles Saint-Jacques marinées, pépites de truffres Les petits farcis Niçois Salade haricots verts extra fin à l'huile d'olive et vieux balsamique avec foie gras Salade d’Artichauts violets Tomates pays, mozzarella di buffala, basilic et huile d'olive Fins beignets de fleurs de courges Salade de Nice Salade aux parfums d’orient Le chèvre frais rôti à la crème de romarin Foie gras de canard, caramel de balsamique Saumon fumé Maison, Pain aux céréales et chantilly Avocat au saumon fumé en salade Spaghetti à la tomate fraîche et aux piments Truffes : Melanosporum Oeufs de poule au plat, mouillettes aux truffes Salade mélangée, herbes et truffes Brouillade de truffes Maccaroni aux truffes Risotto aux truffes Langouste puce Royale de la Méditérranée rôtie Homard bleu grillé Salade de homard bleu, fruits et légumes Coquilles Saint-Jacques nacrées, rissolées à l’ail Les grosses crevettes à l'ail et au four Les crevettes tièdes à l'huile d'olive et basilic Les crevettes grillées et flambées Crevettes et crabe en tempura, sauce spéciale Calamaretti fritti Grenouilles dorées au beurre, ail et persil Rougets de roche du pays en friture Loup de pêche locale cuisiné "comme on aime" Loup cuit dans la croûte de sel Sole de petit bateau cuite au beurre Thon comme un tournedos au poivre Linguini onctueux au homard La Côte de Bœuf avec moëlle Le filet de Boeuf au poivre, grillé béarnaise et Rossini Le châteaubriand Poulet Fermier élévé au grain, farçi au foie gras Côte de Veau de lait Fermier cuisinée en cocotte  http://www.lapetitemaison-nice.com/ 11 Rue Saint François de Paule - 06300 Nice | Tel. 04 93 92 59 59 | Fax. 04 93 92 28 51