Chefs on the Run – Up, Down or Sideways

A recent post on the eGullet Society of Culinary Arts and Letters’ France Forum mentioned the transfer of a classic place – Le Bellecoeur, rebirthed most recently as Les Ormes – from Stephane Molé to Philippe Pentecôte – who promptly renamed it le Petit Bordelais.” Ok. This is all arcane BS, John. Who cares? Is the food any good? Well: Number 1, I care. And #2, my loyal wife, Colette cares. She inevitably wants to know of me and my wrangler-pal Atar where this guy is from. Any more questions? So I did some digging around and uncovered the following: On February 22nd, my colleague Chocolate & Zucchini posited that “Chef Stéphane Molé had sold Les Ormes, and is planning to open a new one outside of Paris.” And on March 17th, Orange’s netsite said that {my trans} ”Fauchon would open a restaurant March 19th with Stéphane Molé at the stoves…..” What’s going on here? So trained as a scientist, I did a scientific double-blind controlled study of chef movements and subjected it to incredible statistical analyses. And here are the results: 15.76% of successful chefs move from the far arrondissements to central Paris because they correctly need a bigger theater – vide Eric Frechon, Jean Pierre Vigato, David Van Laer and maybe Jean Chauvel. 13.87% of successful chefs move from one place to a larger one because they need more space – vide Sylvain Sendra ex of le Temps au Temps. 10.64% of successful chefs move from the big shows in Paris because they seek their own enterprise – vide Christian Constant, Dominique Bouchet, Cyril Lalanne, Eric Jolibois and all of Camdeborde’s crew. 9% of successful chefs move from the hinterlands to Paris because they seek new horizons – vide Alain Ducasse. 8% of successful chefs move from the hinterlands to Paris because they are beating the sheriff out of town – vide Pierre Gagnaire. 7% of successful chefs move from the hinterlands to Paris because they need more enterprises to feed the maw – vide Loiseau. 6% of talented chefs move from the hinterlands to Paris because they think they can score anywhere – the Pourcels and the Coutanceaus. .005% of awful chefs move from the hinterlands to Paris because they think they’re good – vide Helene Darroze. But that leaves some 20% unaccounted for. And what about Stephane Molé, who moved Les Ormes, a great place stuck out in the outer 16th (Metro: Exelmans, what?) to the rue Surcouf in the 7th and it seems like two seconds later, sold it and moved to the Café Fauchon; the what? I don’t get this move. Conclusion: People move for all sorts of reasons, not always wise. My place of revelation (guess which group) was: La Folle Avoine 91, rue de Grenelle, 7th, (Metro: Solferino) T: 01.45.51.02.59 Closed Sundays Menus: one dish plus 2 drinks for 20; 2 dishes plus one drink for 25; and 3 plus a drink 30 € ©2008 John A. Talbott