Vegetarian food used to be tough to come by, in France. When I first moved here at 16, a vegetarian, I was shown in no uncertain terms that my diet was misunderstood when I was lovingly served a whole fish as a replacement for cordon bleu. But while Paris is now far more apt to cater to those of plant-based philosophy, in Alsace… not so much. The traditional cuisine of the Grand Est boasts even more pork than in the cuisines of most French regions. So when I stumbled upon Binchstub, I couldn’t have been more pleased.
Binchstub takes the traditional tarte flambée or flammekueche of Alsace – a sort of local pizza made with a cracker-thin crust, crème fraiche base, onions, and bacon – and turns it on its head. Here, you can find a panoply of traditional, sweet, and savory options, a host of which are actually vegetarian friendly.
On a recent visit with a vegetarian dining buddy, we opted for two: mushroom with nettle tomme cheese, parsley, and garlic…
… and Morbier with cranberry and arugula. With one stalwartly savory and one adding a bit of sweetness into the mix, we were at a loss regarding which one we preferred (and neatly polished off both).
Even the green salad was treated with care, topped with crudités and a smattering of nuts and seeds.
And of course, it wouldn’t be an Alsatian lunch without beer. My companion started with a German pils, but I was too tempted by this sparkling mixture of wine and quetsche plum juice to turn it down.
But don’t worry – I got my (local) beer on the next round. (We wanted so badly to buy these beautiful mugs, but they weren’t for sale! Guess we’ll just have to go back…)
Binchstub Broglie – 28 impasse de l’Ecrevisse 67000 Strasbourg