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- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good for:
- Dinner, Dessert
- Alcohol:
- None
8 reviews for Normandie Alliance
Holy Moly! We are in love. We visited for the first time last night and will now be regulars. Everything we had was to die for. We happened to go on a night when it was storming outside. Before we left, the restaurant had lost power along with everyone else on the block. The owner stayed and chatted with us through it all unfazed by the darkness of his restaurant.
We brought a bottle of Châteauneuf du Pape which married well with the blue cheese and apple appetizer as well as the beef burgundy main course. The beef burgundy is only available on Fridays and Saturdays. On Saturday, it is even better than Friday because it has been marinating an extra day. It is a risk to wait until Sat. to order as there is a limited quantity made.
The service was wonderful. The thing to remember is that this is an authentic European style restaurant. The next course will not be brought out until you finish eating what is at the table. Plan to stay a few hours and your experience will be that much more enjoyable.
This restaurant is a must if you love French food! Don't forget to byob.
I really miss this place, I am sad it's gone for good. =\
An amendment to the final update. The owners Gille and Christal have returned to France. I got one last email basically stating that the economy in America is just too much to bear for an immigrant at this time. Its so frustrating that such a good place closed because of bad management. I hope they don't think all American's suck now. I hope Whoever manages the place feels terrible that they chased off some wonderful immigrants who could have made a difference in my little slice of the food world.
3 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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7/7/2009
A final update. Unfortunately our dear friends, this place will be closed for good. They are… Read more »
Another terrific restaurant that has CLOSED. Very sad.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/8/2009
I hosted a wine dinner here on Saturday evening (it was D Day!). There were 18 folks and everyone… Read more »
They serve French food? You bet they do. This casual place serves only fresh, organic, and natural stuff. As a matter of fact my friend ordered a strawberry crepe and the chef told us that the strawberry was no longer fresh, so he would not serve it! They really walk the talk.
Its offering includes soup, quiche, sandwich, omelette, gallette (salty crepe made with buckwheat), and crepe (desert). I ordered zucchini soup, Lorraine and Paysanne quiches, Provencale gallette which comes with ratatoullie filling, and mixed-berry crepe. They are all good! I loved the quiche, especially the Lorraine, because it was amazingly light and creamy; much much better than the typical ones you get at Le Madeleine.
The food is truly authentic and the price is really reasonable (less than $10 pp) for what you are getting. The chef mentioned that they don't hire a lot of server in order to keep their price affordable. So don't come expecting service, but you will get good food.
Updated 8/26/08:
The chef just added Potato Au Gratin to the offering. You really have to check it out...
Normandie Alliance is the first true French food experience I've had in Dallas. It's a little slower than the standard American pace of eating, so be prepared for that. Don't mistake leisurely dining for poor service -- the service here is top notch, but it is expected that you'll spend more time at this restaurant than at a comparable American restaurant.
I've tried only a limited amount of items on the menu, so I hesitate to recommend anything as "the best", but Chef Gilles' Beef Burgundy is incredible. When we talked to him about how he made it, he revealed his secret: time. He makes batches of it ahead of time, lets it marinade for a day, slow-cook for a day, and then rest in its own juices for a day prior to serving. Yum!
Truly, everything about our experience there was wonderful. We'll definitely be repeat customers!
Normandie Alliance [DFW] ***** out of *****
FOOD ***** out of *****
I've been there twice and ordered two different types of crepes. I ordered the mixed berry crepe and the banana chocolate crepe. Chef Gilles's crepes are very thin and delicate. Also, they're made of all natural and organic ingredients. They're much better than the crepes at IHOP. Most of all, in contrast to all the other overpriced French restaurants, Normandie Alliance is reasonably priced. A French crepe costs $3 to $6 there depending on what you order.
Although I did not order the following dishes, Chef Gilles did give me a small sample of each; carrot soup, zucchini goat cheese soup, and quiche. The carrot soup was sweet and creamy. It did not have solid chunks of carrots in it. It is a creamed carrot soup. If you like a sweet soup, you will like his carrot soup. The zucchini goat cheese soup only had a hint of goatiness. If a goaty (musky) flavor is O.K. with you, then you'll like it. The quiche is very strongly flavored with garlic. If you like garlic, then you'll love his quiche.
Although his other dishes are good, I LOVE his crepes. I will order crepes every time I go in the future. I may try his beef stew or ratatouille on a future visit, though. I really like a good French beef stew but I've yet to sample one ever since Chez Gerard closed. Also, I've wanted to try a ratatouille ever since I saw the movie Ratatouille, but I haven't found any other French restaurants in Dallas that served ratatouille.
ATMOSPHERE ***** out of *****
They have an outside wooden deck overlooking a fountain and creek. It is a most pleasant dining experience during nice fall weather like we are having now.
SERVICE **** out of *****
Everybody is really concerned with your dining experience. The chef himself will come out to greet you and ask how you liked your meal if it is your first time in his restaurant. They don't have 3 man waiter teams like they have at the more expensive restaurants, but service is reasonably quick and they are genuinely concerned with your dining experience.
CONCLUSION ***** out of *****
There may be better French restaurants out there. However, you will not find a better crepe and there are no other reasonably priced French restaurants that serve tasty, yet healthy dishes made only from all natural, organic ingredients. Also, they are BYOB, so instead of buying overpriced restaurant wine, you may bring your own tasty budget wine. Normandie Alliance is not haute cuisine. It is good French home cooking. This is not a "jackets required" restaurant. Normandie Alliance is a "good times guaranteed" restaurant. I've gone there twice in the past three days. That's what a good time I had there. That's how affordable they are. I eat out every day and Normandie Alliance has earned a permanent place in my weekly rotation.
If you are craving crepes, then go to Normandie Alliance. You cannot find a better crepe than Chef Gilles's crepes. If you want a romantic meal for a reasonable price on a miniature River Seine right here in Dallas, then look no further than Normandie Alliance. Normandie Alliance is your one hour Parisian vacation, right here in Dallas. Bon apetite!
We tried Normandie Alliance and really liked it. It is very convenient to get to from almost anywhere in Plano, Carrollton or North Dallas because it is a block off of George Bush Freeway (1 exit West of the North Dallas Tollway). I would recommend the Lyon sandwich, the Forestiere Gallettes and either the Tatin or Nutella dessert crepes. The Zucchini Goat Cheese Soup seemed to be the favorite amongst the people I went with. They have a really nice looking patio, but it was early August when we went so we sat inside. I would definitely recommend Normandie Alliance. Very authentic.
