All
Is Well at Taillevent
Paris - The death in early
January of Jean-Claude Vrinat,
the longtime owner of Taillevent,
left a big vacancy not just at
the celebrated Paris restaurant
but in French gastronomy.
Practically until the weekend
before he died (on January 7
after treatment for lung cancer)
Mr. Vrinat made that temple of haute
cuisine the very epitome
of a grand French restaurant.
He paid relentless attention
to every detail of the service
and especially to the comfort
of his clients. Whether you dined
there frequently (as Walter and
I had the great privilege of
doing) or were a one-time visitor
making the splurge of a lifetime,
Mr. Vrinat put his customers
at ease. He wanted to assure
that every diner had a memorable
experience.
Mr. Vrinat’s presence
is certainly missed, but returning
there recently – both to
pay our respects and to celebrate
one of those “passages” birthdays – we
found that nothing else had disappeared.
While his daughter, Valérie
Vrinat d’Indy, is now in
charge of the business, she will
not have a presence in the restaurant.
That role will continue to be
filled admirably by Jean-Marie
Ancher, Taillevent’s long-time maître
d’hôtel.
Mr. Vrinat was not a chef but
a businessman. There have been
a succession of chefs over the
years, but with the current one,
Alain Solivérès,
Taillevent now offers a truly
splendid table. In several visits
over the last year we found the
new chef’s preparations
inspired and dazzling, while
still very much in the Taillevent
tradition of the purest flavors
extracted from the best ingredients.
And of course the pre-eminent
Taillevent tradition of ultimate
discretion.
On our most recent visit we
had a starter of risotto
d’épautre aux truffes
noires, a creamy and rich
combination that made the utmost
of the elegant earthiness of
seasonal black truffles.
Next came a triumvirate of
juicy scallops, each dissected
with a slice of black truffle
and served in a light reduction
of fish fumet.
And finally we were served
tiny perfectly round noisettes
d’agneau, like little
filets mignon, accompanied by
delicious slices of fresh baby
artichokes and the airiest tiny
gnocchi I have ever tasted.
In other words, all is well
at Taillevent.
Following are excerpts adapted
from the obituary I wrote for
the International Herald Tribune’s
Jan. 9 edition:
Besides the grand restaurant,
the enterprise that his daughter
now directs includes the Caves
Taillevent, a wine store, and
l’Angle du Faubourg, another
restaurant. All three addresses
are near one another in the elegant
8 th arrondissement.
Mr. Vrinat built his business
on the foundation left to him
in 1962 by his father. From
1973 to 2007, Taillevent held
the top rating from the Michelin
Red Guide - the coveted three
stars. In March 2007, in a controversial
decision by a new editor of the
guide, the restaurant was demoted
to two. It was a blow that came
without clear justification and
that Mr. Vrinat - and his clients
- could not understand.
Taillevent was unique in that
Mr. Vrinat modeled his enterprise
on the image he aspired to, one
of constant perfection. In an
age in which chefs and owners
are frequently absent from their
kitchens, it was a rare day that
Mr. Vrinat was not present and
paying attention to every detail
- the silver, the haircuts of
the staff, the lighting, the
menu and wine list and, most
important, the satisfaction of
his clients. He was a taskmaster,
and he demanded the highest standards
of his staff.
Always impeccably turned out,
sharp and smiling, Mr. Vrinat
treated customers as friends,
moving from table to table with
grace and focus to make sure
people were satisfied.
Taillevent is in an elegant
townhouse near the Arc de Triomphe
in the 8th arrondissement of
Paris. The restaurant was not
noted for innovation, but it
set standards that few others
could meet. In many quiet ways,
it was the most advanced restaurant
in the city.
The menu and extensive wine
list are printed on a single
folded sheet, so one never needed
to balance two heavy tomes while
trying to make conversation.
And Taillevent set wine prices
that were among the best in the
world. Although it is a grand
restaurant with an enviable cellar,
Taillevent's wine prices are
among the best in the world.
Born April 12, 1936, in Villeneuve-l'Archevêque,
near Chablis in Burgundy, Mr.
Vrinat graduated in 1959 from
l'École des Hautes Études
Commerciales.
In 1962 he joined his father,
André Vrinat, at Taillevent
- named after the court chef
to King Charles V in the 14th
century - and helped to turn
it into one of the most respected
restaurants in the world.
|
Susan
Herrmann Loomis will offer
five-day classes in Patricia’s
Left Bank Paris studio in the
heart of Saint-Germain-des-Près.
Susan, who runs her own cooking
school, On Rue Tatin, in Normandy,
will conduct the hands-on classes,
focusing on specialty oils,
chocolate, cheese and wine,
with special emphasis on organic
ingredients. Each day will
begin at 10 am with a demonstration,
followed by a class and multi-course
lunch.
Hailed
as "the Oscars of the food
world," the Beards honor cookbooks,
chefs, journalists, food writers,
and food and beverage professionals.
Winners will be announced in
a black-tie ceremony at Lincoln
Center on Sunday, June 8. 