This morning I wake up with mixed emotions.
 
I’m a little sad because my vacation is coming to an end and I have enjoyed this trip so much.  But I’m also happy because today I will take a final run through the streets of Paris, and with the adrenaline pumping and my senses alert, I’ll take in, for the last time, the smells, sounds and sites of Paris.  After my run, the piece de resistance of my Paris stay: dinner at Pierre Gagnaire.
 
 I will say, though, that I miss home and eagerly await the coming of the TACA’s Party on the Green at The Mansion which is this weekend (hope the jetlag is gone by then!) and then we have the coming fall season at the Mansion. As a huge fan of the arts, I love TACA and am so proud to have so many of my wonderful chef friends rolling into town to help out. This year we really have a star studded line up with Rick Moonen and Francois Payard among others. There will be many of my compadres from other Rosewood restaurants as well and it’s always good to see them. . The Black tie gala Saturday night is one of my favorite social events of the year  – not to mention I am cooking dinner.
 
This year has been a wonderful year for the Mansion, and for me. The year has gone so quickly, and my day is starting to as well.

Tonight we dress up to the nines.  I put on my best suit and we are off to Gagnaire I have waited two years to dine at this Michelin three-star restaurant which is on everyone’s “world’s best” list.
 
We are greeted with a smile and whisked off to our table. The captain works the room with precision and it’s fun to watch.  We start with Henriot rose champagne and some world class canapes before ordering two tasting menus. The canapes – they are classic with a modern twist – just my style. Each item is prepared with precision, imagination and balance, this is by far one of the best meals I have ever had. It better be, though! It cost me about 700 euros!
 
Eight savory courses later, three cheese courses follow. Yes, that’s right – three. Each of the cheese courses are presented with the flair of composed dessert  -  each with a few unique garnishes.
 

If you’re looking for a sublime dining experience in Paris, and you don’t mind dropping 700 to 1,000 euros for two people, then you must go to Gagniare. It’s a text book rendition of contemporary French cuisine should be in this day and age ……a true triumph of gastronomy! When our meal concludes, we say our good byes and are handed a small cup of green tea to drink just before we walk out the door. It’s a nice touch, especially since we will walk back through the City of Lights, capturing one last glance, all lit up and grand.

Au revoir, Paris.

Thank you all for reading this blog and taking this virtual journey with me. I’ll see you at the Mansion

I awake from my nap refreshed and ready for a run, and those who know me know that I need my daily run!  I breeze through the gates of the Louvre, down the Tuilleries and on to the banks of the Seine. Tour busses empty and the Bateaux Mouches fill with eager tourists. I’ve been to Paris many times but I still breathe in the landscape as if it’s my first time as well as my last. The sun is starting to set and the City of Lights is about to come alive.

L

Dinner will be the bar at L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, the Michelin-ranked restaurant. This unique style of dining – something akin to a sushi bar but without the sushi –  is perfect for a late-night dinner. Tonight we dine at 11 pm, which is one of my favorite dining hours.

Behind the counter, the brigade of young French chefs, rosy-cheeked and dressed in signature Robuchon black and red, cook with intensity and passion. They perform with absolute precision as they construct the beautiful small plates.

I started with a delicate salad of crab, followed by the lush but delicate thinly sliced Iberico pork, I inhaled a crisp sweet bread with bay leaf and sweet onion. These small plates, these beautiful works of art were simple and delicious. They kept serving and I kept eating.  One of the highlights was a crostini of pigs foot which was to die for. .then I indulged in the most flavorful, tiny baby lamb chops I have ever had in my life. But it didn’t end there.

The cheese and dessert courses came next and L’Atelier de Joel Rubuchon did not disappoint.  The cheese selections were all double and triple crème, I silently thanked myself for taking that long run earlier in the day. The cheese course ended with a sublime Epoisse.  Just as I crunched the last bite of raisin walnut bread, my Chartreuse soufflé and pistachio ice cream arrived. Time stops for just a moment. One of my most satisfying love affairs began three years ago on opening night at this very restaurant when I first tasted the eggy liquor and sugar composition. It tastes so unique, so light so perfect –  and paired with pistachio ice cream it is heaven on earth!  

I can’t even think about my 8:05 train to Biarritz in the morning – I want to stay in this moment. I walk the dark magical streets of Paris and can only appreciate how lucky I am to be in this amazing place and to return each time to find it better than the next. I am full of good food, tired but exhilarated so  …off to bed. Bon nuit.

Fauchon Paris

 

 

Bon jour! After four hours on the runway at JFK and a smooth six hour flight I have arrived in the City of Lights.

Paris J’taime! With a quick flick of my passport and a sweet English-speaking taxi driver I am off to begin my culinary odyssey. My cab driver is a pro! He drives the ”back way” into Paris so we avoid the Monday morning traffic. So far so good..I arrive at my hotel to find that my room is not ready …so I head off to explore Paris. What should I do with my one day and one night in Paris? Ah! Lunch at Fauchon sounds perfect! I head up the Rue de Rivioli past the Place de Madeleine by the Paris Ritz (which kind of reminds me of the Mansion). I continue along the Rue Furbourg St. Honre past the beautiful shops and voila! Fauchon …pastries, tarts, cake, gourmet specialities out of your wildest dreams…

As I wander around this gourmet Fantasy Island, I fix my eyes on a beautiful vegetable club sandwich and decide, in the spirit of the Olympics, to “let the games begin” with this sandwich. As I sit to eat this delight, I notice the caviar menu. Can’t pass this up so here I go with some beluga, blinis and rose champagne to wash down this incredible first meal in Paris. I ask myself, “Who is luckier than me?” I get chills.

As I gaze on to the Parisan street I can only think back to my first time in this magical city when I was a young American cook and how that experience changed my life forever. It’s a blessing when life just takes you to the place that will mold and shape your future, ignite your passion and unveil your path however uncertain it might be. Paris is that special place for me and I am grateful to be here again. I finish my meal and get my mind and emotions composed and stroll back down the boulevard. I walk past that once-legendary French restaurant Maxims, which is the very restaurant where our beloved Duncan Graham, the Mansion’s Managing Director, once worked as a professional dish washer. Talk about a career move! 

I enter Le Garden de Tuillers and head back toward the Louvre, I eventually arrive in my hotel to shake off the jet lag with a nap. As I lay down to sleep, I once again marvel at the beauty and history of this city.