GAYOT's Blog

By David Farley 

The 2009 James Beard Foundation awards came and went rather quietly this year. There was less food at the post-show reception in the Lincoln Center lobby and the celebration was more subdued than years past, but that doesn’t mean the kitchen stars didn’t come out for the event.

 

We were there all night (plus at after parties at Bar Boulud and the Pegu Club) and rubbed elbows with the culinary all stars, including Tom Colicchio, Alain Ducasse, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, David Chang, Missy Robbins, Grant Achatz, and Daniel Boulud.

 

The big winners included David Chang’s Momofuku Ko for best new restaurant, Daniel for most outstanding service, Dan Barber (of Blue Hill) for most outstanding chef and Jean-Georges for most outstanding restaurant. 

 

See our list of complete winners. 

By Mary Anne Evans 

It was a glittering occasion last night in London. Where in the world would you get so many top international chefs deserting their kitchens and gathering together in one place at any one time? Names like Joël Robuchon, Mathias Dahlgren from Sweden, Ignatious Chan of Iggy’s in Singapore, Marcus Wareing, and David Chang of Momofuku Ssäm Bar in New York.

 

 

They had all jetted in for the S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards (co-sponsored by Restaurant magazine, Acqua Panna, Nespresso, Laurent-Perrier, alliance restaurant insurance and Electrolux, with Action Against Hunger the official charity). The ceremony took place in the Masonic Freemasons Hall, a suitably esoteric setting for the best chefs in the world.

 

Continue reading “The S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards” »

By Sophie Gayot

 

 

Today, at the Second Annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine extravaganza, I enjoyed a dream lunch prepared by chefs Michel Richard from Citronelle in Washington, D.C., and Jean Joho from Everest in Chicago.

Sponsored by Lexus, the meal was based on the king of mushrooms, the truffle.
The talented pair cooked right in front of us, and even filled the tent with smoke!

Continue reading “At Table with Two of Our Top 40 US Chefs” »

It’s time to give thanks to Gélasse the First, Pope during the 5^th Century, whose gastronomical contribution to Christianity has remained a steadfast part of history. 40 days after the birth of Jesus Christ, Gélasse was responsible for merging the celebration of the child with the pagan celebration of light. The event was in the fashion of a grand banquet, illuminated in the dark days of February by candles (in French: Chandelles). Hence the name of Chandeleur. During Chandeleur, on February 2, it is tradition to feast on “crêpes,” just like in the days of Gélasse. Everywhere in France on this day, crêpes are “de rigueur” whether at home or in “crêperies”. This year, eating in crêperies is a good way to avoid the high prices of restaurants and still get a great meal (particularly during such turbulent economic times.)  

 

Despite the recession, however, not all restaurants in Paris are hurting. Those serving good food at reasonable prices are continually filled to capacity. Diners rely on a Quality:Price ratio to determine at which establishment to dine. Business lunches are on the decline and everywhere diners unanimously complain about the mark-up of wine prices.

 

The recession certainly has not affected fast food chains. Who would have ever believed that McDonald’s would open new outlets left and right?  Those Golden Arches are not the only ones to benefit from this economic climate: a new French chic fast food chain is surfing on the wave of recession. Fresh products and creative recipes are the mainstay of Restaurant Cojean.

by André Gayot

The “sprinkler gets sprinkled” was the title of one of the first movies ever produced by the Lumière brothers credited for the invention of the cinema. A Parisian food critic has experienced the actuality of this moral and eternal story: don’t do to others what you wouldn’t want them to do to you.

 

The Paris foodie establishment is abuzz with the mishap of François Simon, known for his frequent bashing of the top chefs in a Paris newspaper. “These guys,” he contends, “think they are untouchable because of their star status. It’s healthy to debunk them off their pedestal.” However, the critic is also a strong supporter of a movement dubbed “Foodism” which aims to rejuvenate the French cuisine but so far has a hard time getting off the ground, because many say they don’t understand what “Foodism” is about. To abate the general skepticism, Simon announced in his blog that he would demonstrate the merits of “Foodism” by publicly preparing in a restaurant such a “Foodist” based meal. When the verdict was out, the media stated that there were no kudos from the public nor from the critics for Simon’s undertaking. No breakthrough yet for “Foodism” seems to be the consensus and no star for the apprentice chef. Of course, you don’t need to be a screenwriter or a director to write about films, but if you are not, maybe it’s better not to try to be one, especially if you tend to use a sword as a pen. Take it easy, François.

 

For the record, at the start of his career thirty eight years ago, Simon was an intern at the “Nouveau Guide Magazine” founded by Henri Gault, Christian Millau and I. Small world, indeed.

 

 

by André Gayot

In the late 1960s, Yves Bridault, the chief editor of Le Nouveau Guide Gault-Millau that we founded with my friends, used to visit his aging mother on Sundays. Prior to ringing her bell, he would stop nearby at a small pastry shop.

 

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