N I C E

Perpetuating a longstanding tradition of faux gastronomic na�vet� on the Riviera �
oh, but the simple life is good, darling � the latest sensation under the southern French sun is Jouni.
In this bric-a-brac-furnished shop-front restaurant
a few streets in from Nice's appealingly rough-and-tumble Vieux Port, a young Finn, Jouni Tormanen,
is wowing everyone with his talent for cooking creatures with same (fins).
It's not just fish that finds its way onto his plancha,
or griddle, however, but superb local shellfish that gentle, avuncular Torinese owner and
ma�tre d'h�tel Guiseppe Serena personally shops daily in Ventimiglia and San Remo.
In fact, you'd be hard put to find a better market menu anywhere on the Riviera right now,
since tracking down the best produce available is a passion Tormanen and Serena share.
Their other love is grilling; aside from a daily risotto
(maybe made with tiny artichokes or wild mushrooms), a pasta or two, and a roast (often pigeon),
Tormanen grills everything. His signature dish is "La Peche de San Remo a la Plancha"
(The Catch of the Day from San Remo on the Grill), a superb mix of tiny, sweet rougets (red mullet);
baby octopus; thumb-size squid; plump red gamberoni (shrimp);
and whatever else local waters may have yielded during the last dozen hours, all immaculately grilled with
just enough heat so that they're cooked. Sea salt, lemons from nearby Menton,
olive oil from neighboring Liguria, and an occasional splash of vinegar � mostly balsamic,
but also Xeres � are the only seasonings Tormanen uses.
Vegetables, like a miniature salad of tiny wild arugula, are his garnishes.
A spectacular wine list of southern French and northern Italian bottles,
and the charming service of Laetetia Haeberlin,
daughter of Alsatian chef Marc Haeberlin, further make this hot spot irresistible.
It's tough to snag a table here; there are only 20 places, so book early.

With a lonesome Shasta daisy in a vase on each plastic-place-matted table,
the decor of this hole-in-the-wall restaurant looks more Ikea than grand hotel.
Don't let this put you off, though, since Tokyo native Keisuke Matsushima is
one of the most interesting young chefs in the South of France right now.
Matsushima, who previously cooked with the Pourcel twins at the Jardin des Sens
in Montpellier and with Regis Marcon at the Auberge des Cimes, does passionate,
personal market-driven cooking that showcases the best seasonal produce on the Riviera.
Taking his inspiration variously from Proven�al, traditional French,
and Japanese recipes, Matsushima's menu changes regularly but runs to dishes
like cold asparagus soup with sea-urchin cream, roasted lobster in a
curried vinaigrette on a bed of steamed wheat grains, and banana tartare with vanilla.
Note that there's a tiny terrace out front if you want lunch al fresco on a sunny day,
and remember that you're here for the food and earnest young service rather than the unremarkable setting.

Very popular with the well-dressed ruling classes of Nice � think politicians, businesspeople,
and the local gentry � this relaxed but stylish restaurant in Le Vieux Nice (the old quarter)
is the domain of one of the city's great characters, Nicole Ruby.
Though few people can do a more thoroughly assessing head-to-toe in the blink of an eye,
Ruby's in fact a generous and entertaining restaurateur
who knows exactly which tables need a little extra babying at every service.
Even if you don't get her VIP flourishes, she has a quick smile for every customer,
and this place is still a terrific address for anyone who wants to eat top-flight Ni�oise and Proven�al cooking.
Indeed, food of this caliber is tough to find in Nice outside of private homes.
Depending on the market just up the street in the Cours Saleya,
you might feast on zucchini flower beignets, petits farcis
(round zucchini, onions, tomatoes, and peppers stuffed with ground veal, herbs,
and bread crumbs and baked � a Ni�oise classic), saut�ed baby artichokes,
grilled sea bass with a drizzle of local olive oil, and maybe sea bream baked in a crust of salt.
Delicious pasta � don't miss the ravioli stuffed with beef if available � and risottos,
and an excellent wine list add to the intense pleasure of a meal here.