In 1838, August Zang, an Austrian cavalry officer, having grown tired of blowing things up in Italy or, perhaps, anticipating the upcoming war with Egypt in which he would have to blow more things up, decided to move to Paris and open up Boulangerie Viennoise.
There he introduced yeast pastries, like the croissant, to a French crowd who were accustomed to bread bakeries, designed to answer the burning question, “What’s-for-lunch-in-Paris?” and patisseries which answered the related question, “What’s for dessert?”
Ten years later, he moved back to Austria leaving the croissant behind him along with other yeasted pastries known collectively as viennoiserie. Once back in Vienna he gave up baking altogether and started Die Presse, a traditional daily newspaper that included a new French invention: newspaper ads.
Michele’s Table offers dark chocolate mocha and a cramique brioche.
Contributed / Eric Daeuber
Since that time, viennoiserie like brioche, croissants and pain au chocolat became staples in bistros around the world that try to emulate the atmosphere of the French coffee shops that Zang left behind to, instead, print political commentary stuffed with sales fliers.
Michele’s Table is just such a place where you can enjoy a facsimile of Parisienne casual dining and take a break from your cell phone — our modern version of political commentary stuffed with sales fliers.
Instead, you can pick up a scone, invented in Scotland, and a cappuccino, which the Italians are pretty sure they invented although that’s up for debate, too. So, the little café in the strip mall across the street from Challey Hall at NDSU is a bit of an international historical surprise among its beef, burger and beer neighbors.
La cosette is a grain salad with couscous, bulgar and garbanzo beans that relies on a nicely placed splash of lemon and mint to give it both brightness and depth.
Contributed / Eric Daeuber
Michele’s 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. business hours help explain the salad and sandwich options at Michele’s Table. In keeping with its commitment to casual French dining, the menu includes both the difficult-to-pronounce French names and helpful descriptions of what you can actually expect to receive. Most of the offerings are familiar but what sets some of them apart is the inclusion of higher quality butter and fresh local breads.
The ingredients in these offerings are equally fresh. Because many of their sandwiches and salads include raw fruit and vegetables, freshness is necessary and, thankfully, a priority for the kitchen. For something substantial on the salad side, la cosette ($12 and $15) is a basic grain salad with couscous, bulgar and garbanzo beans that relies on a nicely placed splash of lemon and mint to give it both brightness and depth. And you can pass on the cheese if that’s not to your liking.
At Michele’s Table, you can enjoy a cappuccino and jammer scone.
Contributed / Eric Daeuber
The saucisson beurre doesn’t exactly promise saucisson, the cured sausage specific to this sandwich in Europe, but it’s an adequate facsimile for the price. It raises the question of authenticity that is always part of the cross-cultural dining landscape. In this case, it works, and the $11 price tag puts the sandwich in reach. It also speaks to the overall value of the menu. Serving everything on attractive dishes in an attractive atmosphere adds a lot to any dining experience and that sort of basic attention to details goes a long way today if for no other reason than its rarity.
Coffee is excellent and pastries are, for the most part, baked on site. They are fresh, attractive and substantial. Finding good macaroons, croissants, scones and other European-style baked goods is difficult in Fargo and Moorhead. Nichole’s Fine Pastry & Cafe has filled that slot for a long time, and it’s good to see that local tastes are making more options feasible.
1/4: Michele’s Table offers an assortment of European-style baked goods.
Contributed / Eric Daeuber
2/4: Michele’s Table offers an assortment of European-style baked goods.
Contributed / Eric Daeuber
3/4: Michele’s Table is located in a strip mall across the street from NDSU’s Challey Hall.
Contributed / Eric Daeuber
4/4: Eric Daeuber was offered macarons during an especially busy time that resulted in a long wait.
Contributed / Eric Daeuber
This isn’t altogether unique to Fargo. Recent studies have found that somewhere between 50 and 80 percent of croissants sold in Paris bakeries are industrially made, delivered frozen and baked in house. That doesn’t make them bad croissants.
Anyone who has tried to bake their own knows how time-consuming it can be and how badly things can turn out. It makes one think hard about making a call on something as iconic as a croissant here in the middle of the prairie. That said, $4.50 will get you a mighty fine example at Michele’s kitchen wherever it came from. If you opt for brioche ($5) or a berry scone ($4), you can be pretty sure it’s made in house.
The atmosphere is pleasant and the service is friendly, if basic. You order at the counter and the food is brought to your table. If it’s very busy, service can be a bit slow. That said, after waiting a little longer than expected for our coffee, we were asked to accept their apologies along with some macaroons without a complaint. We gladly accepted both and thanked them for being so gracious.
It will soon be warm outside and there are tables on the patio. A latte and a pain au chocolat is in my very near future.
Michele’s Table
1414 12th Ave. N. Suite J
Fargo
Cuisine: Café style Lunch
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Phone: 701-371-7610
Reservations accepted: No
Alcohol: Wine and beer
Food: 3 stars
Service: 3.5 stars
Ambiance: 3 stars
What do the star ratings mean?
⭐️ One star: The food does not reflect what’s promised on the menu. Ingredients are not always fresh and are not in keeping with the quality necessary to contribute to a satisfying dish. Wait times are unreasonably long or the staff is not responsive. The dining space isn’t clean or comfortable.
⭐️⭐️ Two stars: The food is fresh and prepared as suggested in the menu, with pricing that is appropriate for the quantity and quality of the food. The temperatures are correct. Wait times for food are reasonable. The restaurant is clean, and the staff are attentive.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Three stars: The menu offers some creative options. Most items are prepared in-house with few processed ingredients. Wait staff are responsive and well-versed in the menu. Dishes arrive in an appropriate order and at appropriate times. The ambiance reflects the restaurant’s interest in the comfort of its guests.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Four stars: The menu includes unique items that require special ingredients and particular care in their preparation. The presentation of food highlights its best qualities. Dishes, cutlery, glassware, and table dressing are appropriate to the style of the food and the prices on the menu. Wait staff anticipates needs and accommodates reasonable special requests. Staff know the menu intimately, including all the ingredients. Altogether, the elements of the dining experience are exceptional.
Eric Daueber has been reviewing the culinary arts for the Forum since 2004. A seasoned traveler, he has eaten roast suckling pig and sebadas in Sardinia, schnitzel and kaiserschmarrn in Vienna, bangers and mash in London, dumplings in Shanghai, and Peking duck in Peking, to name a few. Eric was raised in a culinary household; his father was a baker and his mother a cook who emigrated from Austria after WWII. Both grew up and worked in the heart of Austrian culinary art’s in Styria. He can be reached at food@daeuber.com.
Dining and Cooking