In Defense of Taillevent  

PARIS – I felt as though someone had punched me in the stomach. Rumors flew that one of France’s lasting gastronomic treasures, restaurant Taillevent, was about to be stripped of its coveted third Michelin star. And then the restaurant guide’s final judgment was released, and the rumors were true.

Besides that wallop, many emotions flowed as I pondered the wheres and the whys of the decision to demote a restaurant that, since 1973, held France’s top honor. I have been a faithful client since 1979, and though I never considered it the BEST restaurant in France or the world, it is the best run. Taillevent has unparalled service by a disciplined staff and is, overall, right up there at the summit.

If I were to choose a model Frenchman, it would be Taillevent’s owner and guiding light, Jean-Claude Vrinat. Few people personify the great things about the French as does Vrinat: A perfect gentleman, always carefully attired he moves through the restaurant with grace and focus. A man of the world, he has a welcoming smile and a wry sense of humor, but reacts with confidence and restraint. He takes his restaurant very seriously, but not himself.

Likewise, the restaurant has always reminded me of the reasons I love  France: Its sense of tradition, its dedication to quality, its commitment to excellence and the justified satisfaction in a job well done.

Michelin director Jean-Luc Narat noted to Bloomberg News that to merit three stars “you need to be perfect every day.” I must laugh, and only think of chef Joel Robuchon’s mantra: “Perfection does not exist, but that shouldn’t stop us from seeking to attain it every day.”

Over the years, no restaurant in my memory has embodied that reach for perfection like Taillevent.  Vrinat is always there at the ready, greeting, chatting, advising.  The restaurant itself is model of spotless perfection, and each and every detail – from the bread crumb on the starched white tablecloth to the nearly empty wine glass – is attended to, with utmost discretion. The décor is refurbished long before regular diners might get bored, or a carpet, a piece of silver, a banquette shows signs of wear.  The staff does not walk through the dining room, but rather they float.  

Taillevent has never been about wild innovation in food, nor has the kitchen remained a slave to classicism. We dined at Taillevent the other night, and it was that fine blend of new and familiar. A mousseline of potatoes – a light and flavorful potato purée – almost floated in the round white bowl, punctuated by a perfect round of fragrant and finely diced black truffles, surrounding a bright yellow egg yolk. As I broke the yolk with a spoon, then swirled, I could already taste the bursts of flavor about the hit my palate. A main course of perfectly cooked, top quality veal chops teamed up with an avalanche of bright, flavorful winter vegetables seemed like the ideal bow to winter’s end. As ever, the meal was punctuated by an amazing purity of flavor, a gentle simplicity, a fine balance. 

I have a feeling that diners will vote with their feet and that Taillevent won’t miss a beat, despite Michelin’s erroneous demotion – which seems born of a desire to provoke rather than a commitment to Michelin’s own customary credibility. It’s as though Taillevent has been judged by its own standards rather than those of the guide. Perhaps that familiar red book, like other guides, best serves now for telephone numbers.  

As for many of the guide’s upgrades, I couldn’t agree more. Anne-Sophie Pic is the only female among Michelin’s top 26 choices, and no one deserves it more. At 37, she has taken the family restaurant Pic in Valence to new heights, holding the banner high for French creativity, respect for local ingredients, dedication to service. At Astrance in Paris, chef Pascal Barbot and his partner, Christophe Rohat have created a new definition of a grand French restaurant, showing us that a modest restaurant with room for no more than 25 diners can compete with palaces and budgets that seem to have no limits. At the Pre Catelan in Paris’s Bois de Boulogne, chef Frédéric Anton remains the king of perfect ingredients simply prepared. While at the Meurice Hotel in Paris, chef Yannick Alleno proves that grand palaces can be centers of intense imagination and fine, modern style