Nathan Zucker
In a city jam-packed with dining options, it’s surprising to see a line of people waiting outside for a restaurant table. But there they were, about 25 folks, standing outside Once Upon a Time in France early on a frigid Saturday night. The tiny bistro was just a few weeks old but the anticipation had been building. The crowds descended quickly, and that night, unless we’d arrived when the doors opened an hour earlier, we were going to have to wait.
What’s luring lines of diners is not just affordable French food and drink. It’s the feeling that, just for a moment (or as long as it takes to polish off a bottle of wine), you can be transported to a corner bistro in Paris, complete with French accents, a noisy room, torn bread, and hearty plates of rustic fare.
The charm lies in its authenticity. The co-owners, a French family recently arrived from Paris, set out to recreate exactly what they missed from home. Melvil Arnt came to Nashville five years ago to pursue music, but was disappointed by what was missing. “There was a real lack of places where you could have a good glass of wine that wouldn’t be too expensive,” he says. “Anything European, really—good wine, food, European beer—it was hard to find.”
Having worked in cocktail bars and traditional restaurants around Paris, Arnt considered opening his own place here—but as a father of two small children, he knew he couldn’t do it on his own without sacrificing family time. So, he recruited his parents: His father, Laurent Champannois, was raised in Lyon, France, and at age 50 enrolled in culinary school after a career in television; his mother wanted to be closer to the grandchildren. Together, they decided to open a bistro, with their own fortitude (and their own funds), revitalizing a space on Gallatin Avenue into a little slice of Paris.
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Nathan Zucker
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The tight space means that when you arrive, you’ll find Arnt’s mother taking names at the door (with a somewhat laissez-faire shrug). Eventually, she’ll guide you to a small waiting room in the back, cloaked in gray-gold damask wallpaper and a pressed-tin ceiling. She’ll suggest you stop by the bar to order a drink while you wait. We liked The Garret (a Bulleit Rye and elderflower concoction), but there are also $5 glasses of house wine.
The dining room is full of knickknacks that make clear this is a family affair: black-and-white portraits, family Polaroids, copper pots along the walls. Tiffany-like stained glass lamps are perched on shelves and a tall jar of rosemary decorates the bar. There are chairs and tables and stools and people everywhere. It’s bustling and loud, but in a welcoming, friendly way.
When you eventually do reach your table, settle in and soak up the ambience. Tables are tucked close to one another, so you might make friends with a neighbor, or at least eavesdrop on their conversation. And everyone on staff is French or speaks the language fluently.
What to Order:
Escargot, $9
Pate de Campagne et ses cornichons, $8
Le Regal Provencal, $18
Steak Frites, $20
L’Opera, $8
They’ll help you choose from the 75-bottle wine list, which is all European with many options under $50. That affordability carries over to the food menu, which is short and sweet with just a handful of starters and five entrees. Don’t think too hard: Just order from the parade of French classics. Chef Champannois spent time training at l’Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Paris, so the plates are refined, but also hearty and filling. He sometimes delivers them himself or stops by to see how you’re enjoying the meal.
The menu will change occasionally but look for earthy escargot, swimming in garlic butter to start; it’s served with crusty bread for dunking. A rustic country pate of delicately spiced duck and pork comes with a small salad of greens and cornichons. The night we ate there, the onion soup was sold out by 6 p.m., but c’est la vie—the space is so small that when the food runs out, it’s out.
The main dishes are pure comfort food, like boeuf Bourguignon, served in a red wine sauce with carrots and pearl onions over linguine, and duck a l’orange, a fragrant poultry dish that might come with a garlicky pile of locally sourced oyster mushrooms. Le Régal Provençal is a small bed of precisely hand-cut pasta squares layered under a ratatouille of thick chunks of eggplant, peppers, and squash in a fragrantly spiced tomato sauce. Fried asparagus spears add just a touch of crunch. Another traditional dish, the steak frites is a generous cut of ribeye with crispy bistro-style fries—for only $20, it’s a steal.
Nathan Zucker
Linger over dessert, like the L’Opera, an almond sponge cake, or do like we did and request a cheese plate for something savory. Though the space is small, there doesn’t seem to be a rush. Some people come and go, while others linger longer. The room vibrates with that good, tight-knit energy that makes a place feel like home—or like a piece of Paris brought to Nashville just for you.
Once Upon a Time in France, 1102 Gallatin Ave, 615-649-8284; onceuponatime-infrance.com
NOTE: Once Upon a Time in France does not take reservations (like any corner bistro in Paris, it’s meant to be a place where you just drop in) and only offers up a very small waiting area in the back. So, there’s a good chance you’ll arrive to find at least a short wait. Be prepared for it… or come back another night.