Dish

Changing of the Swiss Guard
You'd never suspect from the prim exterior of Andre's Tea Room that an oh-so-quiet revolution has occurred within its venerable walls. For the past 27 years, Andre's has seemed as immutable as Heidi's grandfather, tucked away in its sleepy River Oaks shopping strip.

But on June 1, Swiss owner and chef Max Ratzer sold Andre's to friends from France, Thierry and Danielle Tellier. Ratzer may take this opportunity to retire, or he may start a new venture. "Who knows?" says Thierry, with a Gallic shrug.

Yes, the Telliers are French, but they've lived in the States for almost ten years. Thierry came here as a corporate chef -- he's the cook in the family; Danielle says she'll "burn anything you ask for" -- and before landing here, he worked in a bakery in France. "Thierry was practically born in a bakery!" says Danielle, laughing.

For the Tellier family, owning Andre's is a "dream come true," says Danielle.

The Telliers are quite anxious to maintain Ratzer's immaculate reputation, and not to ruffle the feathers of his fiercely loyal customers. They hope that Andre's clientele will still eat cake from their shiny pastry cases -- cake they will continue to make from Ratzer's recipes. They'll keep all his quiches, too.

But they do plan to politely introduce changes, ever so slowly, so as not to alarm the ladies who lunch. "All the customer favorites will stay on the menu," Danielle insists. "But Thierry has some new cakes, some new pastries...."

The first infinitesimal change has already appeared on the carte du jour: a new Caesar salad with Thierry's own secret dressing. This has been well received, reports Danielle with quiet relief.

Perhaps in August, the Telliers will delicately broach the subject of breakfast. When cooler weather arrives, look for a genteel outdoor terrace, with, say, eight to ten tables.

Assuming this gentle insurrection goes well, September will bring Thierry's new line of soups. And stay tuned: Sometime in the fall, Thierry hopes to inaugurate a series of dinnertime cooking classes. Without wine, though.

Although the shopping center at one time housed a wine merchant, it now forbids the restaurant to hold a liquor license.

-- Margaret L. Briggs

Andre's Tea Room, 2515 River Oaks Boulevard, 524-3863.