Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Where Star Chefs Go Casual
162
Spoon
Ducasse Goes Global
Paris, France
Alain Ducasse is the greatest chef in the
world—just ask him, he'll tell you himself.
After wowing the world with his hyper-
upscale restaurants in Paris (the
Plaza
Athénée
Restaurant,
25 av. de Mon-
taigne;
&
33/1/53-67-65-00
), Monaco (the
Louis XV,
place du Casino;
&
377/98-06-
88-64),
and New York (
Adour Alain
Ducasse,
2 E. 55th St.;
&
212/710-2277
),
what worlds were left for this enfant terri-
ble to conquer?
Shrewdly, Ducasse realized that getting
back to basics might be the answer, at
least in terms of reaching a different mar-
ket niche. By choosing the simplest of
utensils—the spoon—as his symbol, he
launched this trendy alternative venue in
Paris in 1998; spinoffs in Mauritius, St-Tro-
pez, and Hong Kong have followed.
Though it's still upscale (and you may have
to book your table weeks in advance), it's
much more affordable that Ducasse's
headline ventures, less pretentious, and
definitely more hip. It has given Ducasse a
place where he can cast off the classical
French mold and go global, guest-starring
a different country's cuisine each season
of the year.
Naturally, when you're Alain Ducasse,
even getting back to basics can take some
crazy forms. The restaurant's cooks use
old-fashioned mortars and pestles to grind
condiments for their sauces; pastas are
cooked in a specially designed Alessi pot
that harks back to ancient Italian tradition.
While the rotating global focus ensures a
constantly changing menu, signature sta-
ples include a citrusy sea bream ceviche,
pan-seared tuna in satay sauce, spit-
roasted lobster, pan-sautéed rabbit, wok-
stirred vegetables, the caramelized apple
mille-feuille
dessert, or (a perennial favor-
ite) bubble-gum ice cream. Mix-and-match
salads based on fresh garden produce
from the Ile de France are another innova-
tion that should please vegetarians.
Spoon's dining room is sleeker and
more contemporary looking than
Ducasse's star spots as well, with a sort of
Parisian-bistro-meets-California-cafe look.
Tables are set closer together, and the
room has a trendy buzz instead of hushed
haute dignity. There are plenty of cheaper
places to eat in Paris, but they don't have
the imprimatur of the “world's greatest
chef.” One thing you've got to say about
Alain Ducasse: He always delivers.
14 rue Marignan, 8e (
&
33/1/40-76-
34-44;
www.spoon.tm.fr; www.alain-
ducasse.com/public/index.htm).
(
De Gaulle, 23km/14 miles); Orly (14km/
8
2
/
3
miles).
L
$$
La Tour Notre Dame,
20 rue du
Sommerard, 5e (
&
33/1/43-54-47-60;
www.la-tour-notre-dame.com). $
Hotel
de la Place des Vosges,
12 rue de
Birague, 4e (
&
33/1/42-72-60-46;
www.
hotelplacedesvosges.com).
