Jean Imbert creates the “buzz” at the Plaza Athénée
François Delahaye and Jean Imbert © DR
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Change of era at the Plaza Athénée. The palace on avenue Montaigne officially announced last week the arrival of Jean Imbert, Season 3 Top Chef winner, to replace Alain Ducasse for all catering outlets. As a first step, from July 1, Jean Imbert should sign the card of the Relais Plaza, the house brewery. The Cour Jardin, in the patio, should continue under the leadership of Mathieu Emeraud. While the large room has so far dedicated to three times starred gastronomy and “naturalness” according to AD, should offer, from September, a cuisine of great French tradition with a service to this. The “historic” butler of the house, Denis Courtiade, remains in place. Question mark, on the other hand, for the close collaborators of Alain Ducasse in the kitchen and in pastry making, Romain Meder and Jessica Prealpato, still in place at the Plaza, but who still have a few days, until the end of the month to find out. whether or not they join the master of Monaco, who still officiates at Meurice and must launch Sapid in the 10th arrondissement of Paris. There is much talk, on the other hand, of the coming to the Plaza-Athénée as executive chef of Jocelyn Herland, former chef of Meurice and Taillevent, who held three stars in London at the Dorchester and whose proverbial wisdom could balance Imbert’s madness. . The latter, in any case, made the “buzz” brilliantly, posting his photo on Instagram, liked more than 75,000 times, accompanied by a moving comment reminding that he was only 18 years old when Alain Ducasse had taken over in hand the Plaza Athénée and that this place and this place had made him dream, him, the kid from the suburbs, grown up outside the gastronomic seraglio. Social networks were unleashed, either congratulating him, or doubting that he has the shoulders broad enough to take over such a succession, or recalling that it would soon be necessary to rename avenue Montaigne to avenue Imbert, the latter soon taking over, also, the new neighboring restaurant signed Dior. Others noted that the Nike Dior Jordan at the feet of the new entrant were not just any pair of sneakers. The CEO of the Dorchester group, François Delahaye, who greeted the newcomer with his golden address book, could, in any case, congratulate himself on having achieved the “buzz” of the year.
Les Nike Jordan Dior © DR
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Change of mind at Mandarin Oriental
Geraldine Dobey © DR
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It’s not just at the Plaza Athénée that things are moving. At the Mandarin Oriental in Faubourg Saint-Honoré, where Thierry Marx officiates at Sur Mesure (which should reopen in September) and at Camélia, which Philippe Leboeuf, who we once knew at Crillon, left his mark, Géraldine Dobey arrives . This charming Irish woman, native of Galway, perfectly bilingual, having kept her delicate British accent, leaves Fouquet’s Barrière to return to the chain in which she once worked in Geneva within the Mandarin Oriental du Rhône, quai Turretini. Philippe Leboeuf, meanwhile, is expected to leave France for a prestigious destination in London. But nothing is signed yet.
Naoëlle d’Hainaut at the Samaritaine
Naoëlle Dhainaut © DR
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La Samaritaine finally opens, this Wednesday, June 23, after 16 years of work. There, on 70,000 m2 between Pont Neuf, quai de la Seine and rue de Rivoli, we will find a 20,000 m2 shopping center, with 600 brands present, a magnificent renovated 1900-style glass roof, a beauty area, with a 3,000 m2 spa. – a record of its kind in Paris -, more multiple spaces devoted to gastronomy. The Cheval Blanc palace, with Arnaud Donckèle’s table and the wonderful desserts of Maxime Frédéric, will not open until September. On the other hand, the Ernest brewery, in homage to the founder of the Samaritaine, Ernest Cognacq, under the leadership of Eric Kayser and the Ludéric group of Olivier Maurey, opens on June 23 with, in the kitchen, Naoëlle d’Hainaut, as we revealed it to you in March of last year. On the menu: seasonal and reasonable cuisine, signed by the 2013 Top Chef winner, spent nine years at Eric Frechon in Bristol, now starred on his own with her husband sommelier, in the suburbs of Pontoise (l’Or Q ‘idea). The current chef, responsible for developing the dishes, is Laurent Poitevin, formerly of Taillevent, Elysées du Vernet who was chef of the Lobby at the Peninsula and Jean-Edern Hurstel when he started at Edern on rue Arsène Houssaye. . Also, on the top floor, a brasserie called “Voyage”, designed by Olivier Ginon and dedicated to events, with, in charge, Mathieu Viannay from Mère Brazier in Lyon and Franck Mischler, executive chef of Sweet Madness in Val d’Isère, Chamonix, Morzine, Alpe d’Huez, Les Arcs and Méribel, which should serve more than a thousand covers. But, hush, it’s still a secret …
Grégory Garimbay starts at Nicolas Flamel
Gregory Garimbey © GP
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The oldest inn in Paris: the historic inn dedicated to the alchemist Nicolas Flamel, vintage 1407. where Alan Geaam was known and where he made his debut as a chef / patron in the heart of the Marais. The latter, who still has two irons in the fire, owns a starred table in his name rue Lauriston, in the 16th, has created Qasti, a Lebanese tavern, not far, rue Saint-Martin, and Saj, a small table in the street food from the land of its roots, dedicated to the Beirut pancake, has entrusted the keys to Grégory Garimbay. This dynamic young chef, native of Nancy, serious as a Lorraine, trained in his early youth at the Atelier d’Alain, place Duroc in Pont-à-Mousson, worked five years in the Ducasse group, at the Plaza Athénée, before stay five years in the shadow of Sylvestre Wahid, at Thoumieux, rue Saint-Dominique. Here he is in full light, staging “his” creative cuisine. If Alan Geaam remains the owner of the place, he leaves the bridle on the neck to his young partner, who in turn writes a personal and modern history, transforming what was a medieval inn, keeping old beams, original carved staircase and Gothic facade, while giving a contemporary turn to the place. We now work there in an open lab, with a large team in the kitchen, as well as in the dining room, delivering skilful dishes, right in tone, worked to the smallest point from quality products. We talk to you about it quickly. Star in sight.
Alexis Billoux in Lyon
Alexis BIlloux © DR
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After working with his father Jean-Pierre Billoux, at the Pré aux Clercs in Dijon, then working for a short time as a chef in Leon from Lyon, Alexis Billoux creates his personal table still in Lyon, ” the Bourguignon counter“, Rue Royale, a stone’s throw from Mère Brazier, instead of” Mr. P. ” His style? Modern Burgundy, with some great classics that never go out of fashion (pâté en croute, eggs in meurette), others more modern (lentils, caviar and peas, green pea wafers, scallion cream). Son and grandson of two stars (at the Bonnevay restaurant, then JP Billoux in Digoin in Saône-et-Loire, before the Caves de la Cloche), godson of Bernard Loiseau, trained notably at Guy Savoy in Paris and Antoine Westermann at Buerehiesel from Strasbourg, Alexis Billoux has something to look for. Very nice Burgundy wine list in sight.
Pâté en croûte © DR
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The gourmet revolution of Angers
Brice Sanchez and Thibault Savornin © GP
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A city on the move, the first in France for greenery and anti-stress, Angers is becoming a gourmet capital these days. It does not matter that she lost two starred tables, with Gérard Bossée, who returned hers to Of an island, became Gribiche, and the Favre-d’Anne who announced the closure of their house for the end of July. A dozen quality restaurants have recently opened with young chefs who have studied with the great and come back to the Angevin region to offer formulas at good prices and “free” wines often outside the Loire appellation. Thus, the Ardoise of Brice Sanchez and Thibault Savornin, two young former members of the Tour d’Argent, who play creative, light and market cuisine (the second also worked in the kitchen at Ducasse in Monaco), Around a Cep by Thony Pohu, ex, among others, ofArnaud Donckèle in Saint Tropez, Heston Blumenthal, in London, Ronan Kervarrec in Saint-Emilion, the Rue Sauvage of Luc Lapoêle, graduate engineer in agro paris, who worked for the Carrier in Chamonix, Anne-Sophie Pic in Valence, Christophe Bacquié in Le Castellet, at the Green House alongside the two stars Arnaud Bignon in London, or, finally, Aux Jeunes Pousses with Clément Paillard, – who worked at Chabichou in Courchevel, Chibois in Grasse, and Bérard at the Cadiere d’Azur . We forget in passing the Japanese-vegetarian Ronin, launched by Charles Mélisson, formerly of Rabanel in Arles, Vigato in Paris and Favre-d’Anne, Les Affamés by Valentin Raguin and Sens by Nicolas Adamopulos who worked five years at Crillon, in Bristol and David Toutain before moving to the heart of Angers with his partner Enza Cesari, former auditor of Ledoyen. Only beautiful people, with lively and fresh ideas, which gives a boost to the good old image of the quiet Loire Valley.
Nicolas Adamopulos and Enza Cesari © GP
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Jessy Bodec the magnificent sommelier
Jessy Bodec © GP
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He became interested in wine almost by accident. Served in New York restaurants to finance his studies in economics. Thanks to his French accent, which we found charming, we entrusted him with the wine part. Emigrated to Israel, this dreamy Parisian titi became a sommelier in his own right and was crowned Israel’s best sommelier in 2005, working in some of the best restaurants in the country: at Keren in Yaffo, alongside Haïm Cohen, at Mul Yam, on the port, who was a member of the “Grandes Tables du Monde”, at Raphaël with the impetuous Raphy Cohen or at Toto by Yaron Shalev. Jessy Bodec, who is still a part-time sommelier (at the mysterious Burek, which opens in Tel Aviv, three evenings a week), has become a broker, while advising the wines of his friend chefs, helping them compose their menus. He has also become the representative of great French houses in Israel such as the Leroy estate in Burgundy and Jacques Sélosse in champagne. While producing its own wine, in the Judean Hills, in white (“Ultra Mineral”, from Colombard and Chardonnay), red (“Boréal”, a joyful composition of Cabernet-Sauvignon and Mourvèdre) and rosé (“Floral Delicate and fresh), branded by Bialik cellar by Jessy Bodec. Its name has become a sesame of gourmet and vinous quality in Israel.
Cheese & Wine Week in September
Jean-François Hesse, who created the ” Cheeseday “In 2016, a cheese and wine fair for all, which was exported to New York in 2017 before becoming the” Cheeseweek », A week of tastings and events in the heart of Manhattan, is back in 2021 from September 11 to 19 with a redesigned and enlarged event. The show is over, it’s time for a vast event in the image of its New York sister, with events throughout Paris associating restaurants, bistros, cheese makers, bakers, wine merchants, hotels and more.t Savoie wines as star partners. Are mobilized and registered for what has become the ” Cheese and Wine Week » : the cheesemakers Laurent Dubois, the Maison Quatrehomme, Fromagerie Mozart, the Coop du Beaufortain, Saisons Fromagerie, MonBleu, Ô Chateau, Julhes, Vimond, Paroles de Fromagers, Ferme du Hameau, Maison Cheese, the Cavavin wine merchants of the 14th, 16th and 17th centuries , quality bistros like Chez Fred, Hugo Desnoyer, Le Brandevin, Vins d’Autor, restaurants such as Guy Savoy, Chez Fred, la Closerie des Lilas, Relais Plaza, Brach, Nolinski, Sinner, Renoma Café, Auberge Bressane, Tosca and Hôtel Splendide Royal, Sébillon, Batifol, Chez André, Au Bœuf Couronné and Le Congrès Maillot. Rens. sure parischeeseandwineweek.com
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