To be precise, I spent a large part of my childhood in the Nice hinterland, back in the 1960s when it was still Heaven on Earth. My mother and I were from Paris and we had moved to the region because I had been sick. We lived in a small house 2 km from the village and every morning I walked uphill to school, walking downhill to go back home after school. I had no time to go back home for lunch, and sometimes my mother would spend the day in Nice for work. So she put me in the hands of a couple of hotel-restaurant owners in the village for lunch. For about three years, on every school day, I would eat in the large, old-fashioned restaurant kitchen and not only be fed the best cooking in the world, but I wouldnât miss any detail of the preparations. The aubergisteâs wife, Emma, was a fantastic cook and we would often talk about her art. Once (I must have been 7 years old), I asked her what this brown paste in the big glass jar on the shelf was. She picked it up, opened it and put it under my nose. I nearly fainted. âItâs pissalatâ, she said. Every week, on Friday, she would make stockfish stew. I never found the equivalent again, even at La Merenda.
In 1970 my mother and I moved back to Paris, and I only went back to the village for convalescence or short vacations. But the region, and the food that used to be made there, still have a very special place in my heart.
Thatâs an amazing story, except for the part concerning the illness. It does read like a novel or movie, and evokes some wonderful images. I hope you find your stockfish stew in the arriere-pays â if indeed, as you say, it still exists deep in the countryside.
Rereading I apologize if my comment came off the wrong way. The images are amazing and they made me think of the movie The Taste of Things, a wonderful film about food and relationships in a small country kitchen in France from 2023.
That is a wonderful memory to have (except for the illness). May you cherish it always. Tigerjohnâs comment about the similarity to âThe Taste of Thingsâ is spot on.
Thank you.
I am actually trying to write about my years passed in the Nice region.
As for stockfish stew, it has become very rare. Easier to find in Nice in the Winter, but La Merenda serves it all-year-round.
The base product has become hard to come by. If youâre interested, I wrote an article about it on my Substack. Hereâs the link: https://sophiebrissaud.substack.com/p/stockfish-the-vanishing-treasure
As I read the article and then crossed over to the ones in French I suddenly remembered you from some videos you did with a certain prolific YTer, adding such depth to the culinary journey and explorations.
Now thatâs what I call research! Thank you very much. Yes, indeed, I had the great pleasure of organizing his trip and accompanying him from Paris to Narbonne, with enjoyable stops in Burgundy, Lyon, the Bresse, and Marseille (which he loved).
Taking notes as I scrolled - I will be in Nice for a few weeks (sept/oct).
Friends recommended La route du Miam - anyone been? Apparently a small, family run restaurant that does one menu - all duck courses - or so Iâm told.
Cuisine Nissarde is the traditional cuisine of Nice. It is a micro-regional cuisine, pretty much limited to Nice and the immediately surrounding area. There is a list of Nissarde restaurants that maintain a level of fidelity to the cuisine . Of this list I can recommend La Table Alziari. There are dishes you will not find anywhere else.
I have not been to La Route di Miam ( the road to yum, BTW). I do know it is a Pergourdine restaurant that has duck (looks spectacular from the photos on Google Maps.) The half-duck seems to get the most raves. They serve non-duck dishes as well. To that extent, it is a normal restaurant.
Not sure if you realize this, but the word âmenuâ has different meaning in French than English. In French it refers to a set meal, usually two or three courses and most all restaurants in France offer this.
I see no evidence of an all-duck menu .
If you have a personal rec, then you should probably go!
