We had been urged by friends at home to visit a little restaurant called Ville de Sienne in the part of Nice called Vieux Nice, or the “old town.” We had been told that they make gnocchi in front of you that are very special.

Vieux Nice is a maze of very narrow streets with little shops, galleries, restaurants and, of course, wonderful patisseries and gelato stands all in ancient buildings. It is an area not to be missed. There, in what almost seemed like the intersection of two alleys, we found Ville de Sienne, a small restaurant with an open kitchen right in the middle.

The proprietor welcomed us as we walked in the door, and we were quickly seated. My dinner partners and I began to plan our joint assault on the menu, so that we could try a variety of entrées and still have the gnocchi. When our host returned to take our order, he listened patiently, and then told us we were ordering too much food. SHOCK! Here we were tourists in a city that is greatly dependent on the tourist trade for income. He very easily could have taken us for every Euro he could possibly get. Instead, his interest was in our having a great experience in his restaurant. He suggested we each have an assortment of pasta with the different sauces, including, of course, the gnocchi. He added that if we were still hungry, we could order more then. We agreed to his suggestion and sat back with our wine to watch the show.

Facing us at the front edge of the open kitchen, the chef took stage. He nodded to us, smiled and began by ricing potatoes. When he had the required amount, he began kneading, while adding flour and egg by hand. After a few minutes, he broke off small amounts, rolled them into long, half-inch logs of dough, and then cut them into 1 inch pieces. I have previously written about the power of the tableside show, with Caesar salad, lobster bisque or Dover sole. This show with the gnocchi was the equal of any of those. At the conclusion, we applauded the chef.

When we were served a few moments later, we had a treat in store. Gnocchi can be dense or gummy in texture. These, in contrast, were melt-in-your-mouth tender, with just the right amount of a beef daub sauce. Delicious!
After dinner, dessert and coffee, we received one more treat. The proprietor returned to our table carrying a tray with a bottle of lemoncello and four liqueur glasses, which he set on our table and left.

I note often that service is an attitude that comes through in so many things we do. Had the proprietor not guided us in our ordering, we still would have enjoyed the food and the show, and he would have made a few more Euros from us that night. But because he did all that he did, and the lemoncello was a nice touch as well, Ville de Sienne is a place I will make a point to revisit whenever I return to that area. In addition, his actions led me to tell everyone who hears about my trip, including you, that when you get the chance, you should absolutely treat yourself by going to Ville de Sienne at 10 Rue St. Vincent, in Nice.

And as always, I remain at your service,
Wendy

Wendy Gay, CHE, graduated from The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, N.Y., in 1982. After graduation, she was the catering director for Brennan’s of Houston. Her career roles have also included club manager at The Georgian Club, catering director at The Vinings Club and catering manager at The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead, all in Atlanta. A former instructor at the CIA, Gay taught table service and banquets and catering. Residing in Atlanta with her husband, Gay is a hospitality consultant providing service training to private clubs, restaurants and bed & breakfast inns throughout the country. Contact her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.