Alsace-Lorraine may belong to the French, but the region’s cuisine is rich with hearty Germanic influences, including fabulous beers, sausages, and sauerkraut. At Sandrine’s Bistro, chef/owner and Alsace native Raymond Ost prepares authentic Alsatian fare, not least of which is a delectable version of the über-traditional tarte flambée, or flammekueche. Don’t let the name fool you — this tarte has nothing to do with dessert. Instead, a round of paper-thin dough is covered with crème fraîche or fromage blanc and topped with caramelized onions and bacon. Admirably authentic and beyond tasty, the tartes are baked to order in an open brick oven and arrive at the table bubbling and fragrant, the delicate flat bread amazingly crisp. The dish manages to be both elegant and comforting at the same time. One bite will make you appreciate the somewhat tempestuous marriage of the French and Germans, which has produced, among other things, refined food with yummy peasant flavors.

Available for $13 at Sandrine’s Bistro, 8 Holyoke Street, in Cambridge. Call 617.497.5300.