Café Rustica I Julien Belliard

Flammekueche

You know the famous pizza styles, right? New York, Chicago, Napoli, Strasbourg…

Yes, Strasbourg – or, more broadly speaking, the area along the Rhine that Germany and France have jousted over for centuries known as Alsace. That’s where you can find an oven-blistered flatbread known as Flammekueche, a simple, homey presentation topped with bacon, onions and creme fraiche.

Like other peasant dishes that outlasted derision (grits, for example), Flammekueche allows a few meager ingredients to put on a memorable show. At Café Rustica the crust is rail thin and crispy – a waif swept by a rapture of flame. The flatbread snaps, unveiling hints of smoke that drift through the lean, mellow dough.

It’s a delicate stage for what plays out on top. Slivers of onion make a bold entry – rich and candied. But they are soon engaged with husky lardons of prosciutto. There is a moment of dispute before the two sides settle, onions soothing the brackish cured ham, salt humbling the jammy onions.

Big city pies? Traditional Neapolitan? Neither can make a claim on Alsace – or Café Rustica, for that matter.

CAFÉ RUSTICA 10 Del Fino Place, Carmel Valley. 659-4444, caferusticavillage.com.