"Le Tandem"
“Le Tandem” | By Gabriel Tellez
Close your eyes.
Imagine you're in France and can smell how a wonderful feast is getting cooked for you to enjoy on sunny summer or a rainy winter.
Annecy is the town's name where the magic happens, and the place is Le Tandem, a cozy restaurant owned by Marie & Matthieu. Two long-time friends with a purpose: please their customers through delicious meals and pizzas full of flavor and prepared with locally-grown & produced ingredients.
Orders are in, customers are waiting for their pizzas, the local brewery is waiting for the pizza deliveries, and the pizza-makers are running out of sliced onions and mushrooms. Matthieu puts his helmet on, takes a couple of pizza boxes ready to be delivered, puts them in the insulated food carrier for hot food, and jumps into his bike to ride into the evening to deliver the pizzas. All of that happens in less than 5 minutes.
I've known Matthieu since 2006, and we were roommates for a short period in 2008 -where he taught me to cook vegetable soups, quiche sans pote, and gateau au yaourt-; in 2017, he became my best man. In his personal life, he's restless, straightforward, and funny.
I remember him telling me once how he got into the pizza-making business back in the day when he was a student. He started as a delivery guy, and with time he began to learn how to make pizzas. Ultimately, he became the manager of two pizza places in Normandy (his hometown). When completing his studies, he moved on and migrated to Mexico.
In the late 2000s Matthieu returned to France and started to work at La Société Générale S.A., becoming eventually a Directeur d'agence bancaire. We visited him in 2016 at the Chamonix branch, and he welcomed us into his office; he offered some tea, and we chatted for a bit. Everything around was very tidy and color-coded. He was doing a great job there, and he was handling executive clients in French, English, and Spanish at some point. He spent ten years at the bank, but according to him, he reached a point where he needed a change.
Change happened, and Matthieu decided he wanted his own business. So, with his pizza-knowledge background and excellent cooking skills, Marie & Matthieu started to plan everything, and in June 2018, they opened Le Tandem at 54 Av. de Genève.
After four years, they both have built a loyal customer base, and I'd say mainly because of two things, great food -obviously- and the personal & dedicated attention to their customers.
... Stay original. Stay true. Keep creating.
Le Tandem
- Cuisine Maison & Pizzeria -
54 Avenue de Genève, 74000 Annecy. France.
https://www.letandem-annecy.fr/
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This work was Iliana's idea, and it was great. I enjoyed spending time at Le Tandem, where the magic happens.
This photo essay is dedicated to Marie, Matthieu, Le Tandem employees, customers, suppliers, and the town of Annecy.
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BIO
Gabriel Tellez is a software engineer and an amateur photographer drawn to architecture, engineering, and landscaping. Lately, he has been traveling & documenting nature, architecture, engineering, and people. Gabriel, his wife, and one boy reside in Playa del Rey, CA.
Instagram: @gabtyz / Website: koken.gabrieltellez.mx
