July/August 2005 This Month A Food Lover’s Guide to Nice By Catherine Alexander What better place to experience Mediterranean cuisine than in Nice, the jewel of the Côte d’Azur? Sunday morning on the Cours Saleya and the atmosphere is vibrant. This colorful market is the heartbeat of Nice, exploding in a cacophony of sounds, smells and intoxicating visual displays. Giant smiling sunflowers, cascades of ruby red berries, mounds of delicately scented rose garlic all dazzle from beneath brightly striped canopies while the aroma of fresh brewing coffee hovers in the background.

A visit to a French market is always a treat, and here in Vieux Nice the vendors happily rub shoulders with locals and visitors alike. You’ll find everything from a shiny, fresh fish for dinner to rare spices that delight the senses. Freshly baked breads, farmhouse cheeses nurtured to excruciating ripeness and tiny, delicate fruits lovingly shaped out of marzipan are all begging to be consumed.

Framed with pastel-colored houses and shaded by plane trees, Cours Saleya promenade dates back to the 16th century when the town was ruled by the House of Savoy. Vieux Nice was largely constructed during this period, and the Italianate style can be seen at every turn. Narrow, winding streets open onto large, sun-soaked squares sprinkled with Baroque churches. The local language, known as Nissard, is a blend of Provençal and Italian, and Nice’s cuisine also reflects the strong Italian influence.

At the farmers’ market: spices, sauces, socca

A walk through the backstreets is the ideal way to experience Nice’s vibrant food scene, and the lively market on Cours Saleya serves as an excellent starting point. Market time kicks off at six every morning except Mondays and ends abruptly with the firing of a midday gun, much to the shock of ambling tourists. Wander down the center aisle for mainstream stalls selling shiny black aubergines, brightly colored peppers and stacks of vivid yellow lemons, often with their fragrant green leaves still attached.

Stop at an olive seller where you can sample any of a dozen different varieties before making your choice. All are marinating in various combinations of chilies, fennel, basil, garlic, lemon or herbes de Provence—and be sure to try the tiny, local Niçoise olives essential for a genuine salade Niçoise. Tapenade made from rich, ripe black olives is sold by weight, or try a deliciously lemony anchoiade made from garlic, anchovies, lemon and olive oil. Pistou is the local equivalent of the Genoese pesto sauce, differing only in that it contains no pine nuts or Parmesan cheese.

Farther along, a spice stall displays vibrant mounds of cayenne, ginger and saffron, aromatic dried herbs and multicolored piles of pungent peppercorns. From here look up to the end of the promenade and you will see a bright yellow house at no. 1, place Charles-Félix. From its third floor window Matisse painted those window scenes of azure blue seas and palm trees swaying in the breeze. Back on the ground again, follow the line of people to Chez Thérèse. This makeshift café is a Nice institution, and those hungry folk are waiting patiently for a freshly baked socca to arrive by motorized bicycle from her kitchens in Rue Droite. Every morning Thérèse serves up mouthwatering slices of this Niçois specialty, a huge flat pancake made of chickpea flour and cooked in a red-hot pizza oven.

Grower-vendors sell the real McCoy

Back at Cours Saleya, seek out the little enclave of small-scale farmers who harvest and market their produce themselves. These goods are never quite as shiny or as perfectly formed as those at the main stalls, but they’re the real McCoy, and often grown organically. Look for the true local mesclun, a mix of tiny bitter and sweet leaves such as wild roquette, sorrel, dandelion and mâche, perhaps colored with a heart of radicchio and sprinkled with sprigs of chervil or watercress.

Let yourself be tempted by the luscious orange cantaloupes from Cavaillon, baskets abounding with berries from the Var and regal-looking local figs. The figs are at their best in midsummer when their deep black skins hide a golden interior that is simultaneously juicy and nutty. Ask before you squeeze, though, or you will incur the wrath of a protective seller. Eat them as is or bake them with a sprinkling of soft brown sugar for a delicious dessert to serve with caramel sauce and a spoonful of crème fraîche.

Street shops for sweets, pasta, wine

Before entering the twisting labyrinth of Vieux Nice it’s worth a short detour back through the flower market to Rue St-François-de-Paule. Here you will find several food shops that are not to be missed, including Alziari at no. 14, a family-run business established in 1868. They sell their own gourmet olive oils, as well as lavender honey, tapenades, anchoiades and other Provençal products. Across the road at no. 7 is the stunning, baroque Pâtisserie-Confiserie Auer, dating from 1820. Specializing in delicious candied fruits and handmade chocolates, this shop is a culinary landmark. As you admire the window display, take a moment to glance upward across the street for an impressive view of Nice’s ornate Opera House. Originally built in 1776, it was tragically burned down in the middle of a performance. Rebuilt in 1885, it is now one of France’s most beautiful theaters with its classical maritime figures sculpted in marble.

Back to Rue de la Préfecture and the cavernous Grandes Caves Caprioglio at no. 16. This is the place to buy Provençal wines. Locals bring their own containers and buy by the gallon from huge vats—just choose your color. Here you will also find the famous red and white wines of Bellet, the only vineyard in Nice to have AOC accreditation and definitely worth a try.

Turn left into Rue Ste-Réparate and stop by Maison Tosello for freshly made pasta. Ravioli line up in the window in orderly rows and come in a mind-boggling selection of delicious fillings. A la Niçoise is a meat-and-tomato filling traditional to the area, but the spinach and ricotta, smoked salmon, and cèpe mushroom varieties are equally delicious. Various sauces are available, so you can purchase a complete meal in one place. Farther on is the famous Nissa Socca, a great place to sample the local pizza or a salade Niçoise. It’s popular with both locals and visitors, but beware: The service is brusque. Just relax and enjoy the experience.

Where the locals congregate

Place Rosetti is a sunny Italianate square and home to Glacier Fenocchio, the best ice cream in Nice. Try the tomato-, lavender- or rose-flavored gelatos for a new twist. Head along Rue du Pont Vieux to Studio Frédérique Monge for delicate watercolors of fruits, vegetables and flowers. These lovely paintings come in all sizes and make a unique present for a food lover.

Once on Rue de la Boucherie, you’ll soon arrive at Place St-François, dating from the 17th century and now home to a lively daily fish market. Here the morning’s haul is displayed by the folks who caught it, so you can be sure everything is straight from the sea. Typical Mediterranean fish are the glittering, silver sardines, shiny loup de mer (sea bass) and the majestic dorade royale (sea bream). Long, slithering eels are the secret addition to a good bouillabaisse, and those strange-looking heaped-up rockfish are the basis of the traditional soupe de poisson.

From Place St-François follow Rue Pairolière past the fish market, and on the left you’’ find a tiny, old-fashioned store with its cabinets brimming with cheeses. Look for the pearly-white chèvres in all shapes and sizes, often rolled in pepper, herbs or ash. From fresh and clean in flavor to oozing with pungency, delicious goat’s cheese is used both in cooking and as a table cheese in Provence. Off to the right in a tiny lane is Table Alziari, a popular Provençal bistrot owned by the famous olive oil family and an excellent place to try some local specialties without emptying your wallet. Keep wandering past little gastronomic boutiques and you’ll wonder where the tourists went. Deep in the heart of the old town, this is local life at its best.

Arriving finally at the baroque, arcaded Place Garibaldi, we really could be in Italy. As seen in the central statue, Guiseppe Garibaldi is turning his back on his homeland and looking longingly toward Italy, horrified that Nice voted to become part of France back in 1860.

It must be midday and time to find a table at the Grand Café de Turin, partake in a chilled rosé and think about lunch. The magic of the old town lies behind us as we relax outdoors in the shade of the arcade, exhausted but excited as our senses recover from an assault never to be forgotten.

Catherine Alexander trained as a chef in New York before falling in love with the Côte d’Azur. She conducts food lovers’walking tours of Nice.

Alziari
14, rue St-François-de-Paule
www.alziari.com.fr

Pâtisserie-Confiserie
7, rue St-François de Paule
www.maison-auer.com

L’Art Gourmand
21, rue du Marché
Handmade chocolate and other sweets

Maison Tosello
6, rue Ste-Réparate

Clé aux Pâtes
31, rue Lepante

Brûlerie des Cafés Indien
2 bis, rue Ste-Réparate
Specialist coffee roaster

Studio Frédérique Monge
12, rue du Pont-Vieux
www.monge.info

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