Chez La Vielle is named after the woman who started and ran it for over 30 years. Now Daniel Rose (whose other restaurant is close by) owns the place which has about 8 tables in an upstairs dining room and a bar with a counter type tables downstairs. The hours are limited. The more comfortable upstairs has a couple windows that look down at the busy street but the tables are small and close together in the small space. One good thing is the bathroom is on the second level which is nicely convenient. Service was friendly and efficient but as the room filled the waiter was stretched to work the room alone. The same kitchen services both areas. It offers a small a la carte menu with many plates designed to be shared.
We started with the Foie gras and lentils, which was a foie gras terrine served cool on top of the warm lentils. It was wonderful on its own but also blended well with the nicely cooked lentils. Each component of the dish was good but mixed together it was lovely.
The Leeks vinaigrette was a good sized portion with leeks served with seared shallots and browned hazelnuts. It was outstanding. The leeks were perfectly tender and dressed with a light, cool vinaigrette. This is a perfect addition to any other things you might order.
Another starter was The famous broth of La Vielle which is a hearty soup of spaetzle, parsley, egg, bacon and shredded turnips. The compelling broth is full of stuff. Served warm it is very good and particularly nice with the tasty house bread that is provided. The bread is a nice baguette that is freshly cut with a good combination of crusty and chewy textures.
As a main course we tried the Blanquette de veau which is a white veal stew. It was delicious. A thick, creamy sauce surrounded bunches of mushrooms, onions, carrots and tender chunks of veal. It was served with a side of nice white rice topped with toasted almond slivers. They mixed wonderfully together and the bread was another way to not miss any of the rich and tasty sauce. A winner.
Farm chicken and potato purée was roasted pieces of boneless chicken accompanied by rich mashed potatoes. Lightly dressed greens (lamb’s lettuce) were served on top of the perfectly cooked chicken pieces. Another delicious sauce accented the chicken and potatoes and was a good excuse to eat a few more pieces of bread soaked in it. All components were excellent in this tasty plate of food.
For dessert we tried the rice pudding that was topped with a dollop of caramel. It was thick and really pink. I love rice pudding but this might have been a bit too thick and sweet for me but if you want sweet and sticky this is it.
We also tried the creme caramel which was surrounded by a wonderful moat of caramel sauce. The custard was really smooth and the sauce was perfectly caramelized, not burnt. It was fantastic and big enough for 2. A great finish.
