Sometimes you unexpectedly come across a gem. We were in Nijmegen for a weekend and were tipped to have a quick bite to eat at Franco James before we started our evening program. I didn’t plan on working, but it was so much fun…
Franco is somewhere between an old-fashioned 1950s kitchen with a granite bar and off-white tiles and a hip, artsy vintage shop. The menu is small and clear, but very stimulating, predominantly vegetarian and yet tempting in a Burgundian way. The drink offering is wide and modern, the atmosphere is relaxed and casual. And the food is damn good! So I think I should share that with you.
And then, at the end of the evening, I find out that the store has just been put up for takeover. The host and owner has a one-year-old child and a second on the way, which is difficult to combine with a catering job in the evenings. I understand that better than anyone, believe me (mine are 5 and 6, so I’m fine). Still, I want to write about it. Because: 1) it is not said that a buyer will present himself quickly, with a bit of luck (for us) that will take months; 2) with even more luck, if we all go to Franco James often, we can encourage the next owner not to change anything, and the chef to stay on; and 3) in the worst case scenario, we still have at least seven weeks to have a nice evening there. So there it goes.
The only animal protein (other than dairy and eggs) on the menu today is the anchovies with the incredibly tasty, fluffy and crispy, crusty sourdough bread, with lightly stored beurre noisette. They are pickled fillets, boquerones style, but they have been kissed with a gas burner. This is exemplary of what makes Franco James so attractive: that extra action, that small thoughtful detail, that gives such a simple bar snack (bread, butter and a fish) a gastronomic edge.
Franco James offers everything you could want while enjoying a nice drink (from a drink to… late night-trek), but then elevated to a restaurant dish. That doesn’t necessarily make it light – shared dining is required – but it does make it damn satisfying. Large, paper-thin floes pane carasau (Sardinian flatbread) to dip in a hypnotically rich cheese cream with hazelnuts and chanterelles. This in itself is tempting. But that’s not all: a thin layer of shaved, pickled egg yolk gives that extra push of full, fatty umami to make it irresistible. Pickled mustard seeds provide just enough sour peaks to keep them palatable. That was done very cleverly, the cheese-cracker-rato was also thought out exactly right. This is a downright hot dish. Imagine if you could order this instead of cheese sticks!
That extra action, that small thoughtful detail, gives such a simple bar snack (bread, butter and a fish) a gastronomic edge
The brioche with horseradish cream, chestnut mushrooms and a more than generous pile of Comté snow on top, follows the same blueprint: full, fatty, cheesy-umami, enormous richness just balanced with just enough fresh-spicy horseradish, on a buttery but very airy, brittle brioche toast. How’s that for a cheese souflé?
Slightly lighter are the sprouts on labneh, perfectly roasted (not cooked, not raw). The mojo rojo is light spicy, light smokeythe kale salsa is super savory – together with the red pepper flavor of the sauce and the yoghurt, it makes it feel completely Turkish. It is rich, wintery and complete. The celeriac is lacquered and roasted very dark, which means it has a… chewy structure and a concentrated meaty and licorice taste, which blends beautifully with the sour (and also fatty, buttery) beurre blanc. These are the most meatily-satisfying vegetarian dishes we’ve had in a long, long time.
The eryngi mushrooms in their wonton wrappers with diced celeriac and green herbs have a surprising escargot vibe. They resemble the structure and especially that grassy, mossy taste of snails. Green pepper and huacatay are not exactly classic flavors for snails, but with the parsley and chives present, it is in line with a good herb butter. With a little less acid and a little more garlic, served in a real escargotière (a bowl with six holes), it would be a very nice vegetarian version.
The side dishes have also received all the attention. The creamy dressing with dill, lovage, mustard, pickled celery and gherkin gives something remoulade-like to the crispy romaine lettuce. This is basically everything that’s good about a Big Mac, without everything that’s gross about a Big Mac. The potatoes are excellent, the skins snappydelicious with crème fraîche and a sweet chili oil with pumpkin.
What do we drink with that? Of course, a wildly fermented sour beer from the Nijmegen Nevel brewery, or a tasty, drinkable, slightly floral, not too sour, orange or white natural wine. Or a slightly more complex Japanese pinot noir, at the same time very juicy and layered, with a powdery hint in the nose (as natural wine can sometimes have) and a bloody undertone that beautifully echoes the heartiness of the dishes.
For what they pretend, and the price, Franco James is spot on. And there is also something fun to do: every Thursday a gypsy jazz band plays, with guest artist. If you arrive late, you can always order the ‘house speciality’: a bowl of Bugles with that delicious cheese cream with sweet, fruity sambal and grated comté. Gastronomic Goudkuipje.
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