Kamila C.
Yelp
First of all, you need to learn basics in order to improvise. The basic tarte flambee in Flambeeria is pretty good - and having lived in Alsace for several years I have tried many. For the first time ever there was no bacon left in the kitchen though, so we couldn't have ordered any more of it. C'mon, BACON?! As in tarte flambee???
But going back to basics - that's about the only basics you can get there. The rest is what the chef thinks might work, and, sadly, in most cases - doesn't. There is no gratinee, with gruyere cheese sparkled on it, no forestiere, with mushrooms... Pity!
We have tried all the tartes flambeed they have on the menu. One warning - the shrimp and chorizo one is to be avoided at all cost! The shrimp - sad crescents of white - give it fishy aftertaste. Chorizo itself wouldn't be such a wrong choice if not put on a chilli pepper bed, which kills any other taste.
The gorgonzola and pear one is OK. A bit bland, but edible. The goat cheese - zucchini one - just bland, which is an achievement in itself when cooking with goat cheese.
There is one chef's extraordinary invention though: the Polish white sausage and potatoes with rosemary is unexpected but really nice. It would be even better with sliced, not chunky potatos - the tarte flambee is all about rolling a piece and eating with your hands, and it's pretty hard to roll a tiny piece of dough with half potato in it.
Which brings us to receiving our first tartes pre-cut into tiny pieces, like some crazy slasher had fun in the kitchen. It's a huge no-no! Just bring it whole to the table, slide it on the wooden block and leave some sharing a tarte flambee fun to your customers!
As for wines - well. No Alsatian wine available. No Riesling, no Pinot Blanc, no Tokay Pinot Gris?! No rosy Pinot Noir?! C'mon.
The dessert apple tart was OK. It would be better with less cinnamon and thicker apple slices probably, and I would say just one sweet tarte is really not enough choice. What about banana chocolate, just to name one?
I will give them another chance soon. I hope the owner sends the chef for a weekend in Alsace immediately, to learn there is nothing wrong in simplicity and using just the local produce - shrimp is really, really, not a good idea, while just chorizo (with less chilli pepper) might work - it's a sausage after all, and Alsace IS a sausage country.
There is hope for Flambeeria, but as for today it was mostly disappointment.