Z Bistro: A taste of Paris in the neighborhood

Ah, Paris! It’s the city of lights, love, and above all – food. If you’ve been there, you know. Everyone should go at least once in a lifetime. But when budgets are tight, there’s no need to take a flight. Z Bistro in Carson City is the real thing – a Parisian café atmosphere, fine French food, and wallet-friendly prices. Like authentic Paris bistros, it’s just around the corner in the neighborhood. Aren’t we lucky!

Attention is paid to every detail at this family restaurant owned by Gilles and Tina Galhaut. Z Bistro is small but it succeeds big-time in Nevada’s capital where world-traveled visitors, politicians, and local families make an eclectic mix.

“We dreamed of a place that served unique food, where the service was friendly and the ambiance cozy,” says Gilles, the former executive chef at Café Bastille in San Francisco’s financial district.

At lunchtime the intimate 30-seat space, with its cheerful mustard-colored walls, buzzes with happy customers. At night, small candles add sparkle and glow, and guests enjoy a creative menu that changes weekly with fine French wine and champagne, reasonably priced. Dinner entrées are under$20. At lunch, the top price is $13.50 for steak frites, a bistro classic.

“We created Z Bistro as our ideal neighborhood restaurant,” says Gilles. Children are welcome at both lunch and dinner. Small jars with crayons invite drawing on butcher-paper-covered tables set close together to encourage conversation. The food is the catalyst.

My dining companion and I listened as two people at the next table raved about the salads: “They’re all wonderful!” It felt natural to strike up a conversation. “How is the soup du jour?” they asked. It was fresh roasted yam, creamy and flavorful with nothing added. “Très bon!” we replied. The classic French onion soup was also delicious – soft, sweet slivered onions in savory broth topped with a thin Gratinée of French bread and Gruyere cheese. A side order of frites was perfect in every way – double fried, crispy outside and soft inside – lacking only in presentation. In Paris bistros, frites are served in a paper cone. Perhaps they soon will be in Carson City.

Large, square crêpes made with organic buckwheat flour are featured lunchtime fare. Gilles’ mother, who came from Brittany, is the inspiration for the paper-thin pancakes that have been a tradition in that region for generations. Gilles creates them with all sorts of savory fillings: ratatouille; mushroom; prosciutto, potatoes and melted brie; black forest ham with gruyere and crème fraîche; even a mini ham and cheese version for the kids. Each one fills the plate and stomach for a delicious meal.

A Specials Board is the place to look for inspired dishes made from the freshest ingredients available on a daily basis. I selected fresh seafood stew, known in Provence as Bouillabaisse and savored by dipping a homemade baguette in the lovely saffron, herb and garlic broth. This dish was outstanding to the last drop!

Dessert ? Mais, oui! Scrumptious crème brûlée; delicate chocolate mousse; lightly spiced poached pear perched on crème anglaise. French people never pass up dessert. At Z Bistro, you shouldn’t either.

My dining companion summed up the wonderful meal: “Everything was just great, from beginning to end, from house-brewed iced tea with a hint of raspberry, to house-made orange wine, delicate and perfect with the poached pear!”

Z Bistro is located at 725 Basque Way, off Roop Street, between Hot Springs road and Northridge Drive. Lunch is served Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner is Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 5:30 to 9 p.m. Reservations for dinner are a must, and are suggested for lunch, if it’s a large party. The dinner menu is updated weekly each Tuesday on the website, www.atzbistro.com. Call 775- 885-2828 to reserve. Bon Appetit!