Frederic Cote fired from le Bec-Fin?

[R Washburn]

I heard a rumor that Georges Perrier has dismissed his Chef and taken over the kitchen again at Le Bec-Fin. Does anyone know if this is true?

Robert

[Holly Moore]

Don't know about this particular instance, but given such an event seems to happen a few times every year, it is more than quite possible.

[GordonCooks]

I was at Holts Cigar accross from Le Bec-Fin on saturday - They see Perrier a lot and they knew nothing about it but said the news wouldn't shock them.

[cabrales]

See the below articles:

-- The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 9, 2002 ("Inqlings: 'I am in charge,' says Perrier after ousting Le Bec-Fin chef", by Michael Klein): "Perrier has dismissed Frederic Cote, executive chef . . . . 'I got my baby back,' . . . Uh, but wasn't it Perrier who gave up the baby 15 months ago? . . . so Perrier could oversee his empire. Perrier said at the time that the pressures of opening Le Mas Perrier, his third restaurant after Brasserie Perrier, had sapped his mojo. Perrier also desperately wanted to win back the fifth star in the Mobil Travel Guide that Le Bec-Fin lost in 2000; that didn't happen. Recently, Perrier brought in a director of operations to run the day-to-day while he slipped back into Le Bec-Fin's kitchen. The diminutive, irascible Perrier and the hulking, softer-spoken Cote butted toques. For example: Cote would return from a day off to find that Perrier had rearranged the kitchen. 'Today, I change everything,' Perrier said yesterday. 'Tomorrow, I change everything if during the night, I get a flash. I'm a perfectionist.' Perrier said Cote was headed to France; he was unreachable for comment yesterday. . . . In November, citing in-house friction, Perrier axed Pascal Valero from Le Mas Perrier in Wayne.")

-- The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 30, 2002 ("Inqlings: Going from concertos to coffee cups", by Michael Klein): "Georges Perrier again has picked an American to be the right-hand man cooking beside him at his world-renowned restaurant, Le Bec-Fin. He's Cherry Hill native Daniel Stern, last at the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay in California. Stern, 32, worked under chef Xavier Salomon, who trained with Perrier in France back in le day. Stern has toiled at the posh New York chowhouses Lespinasse, Jean-Georges, and Daniel.")

[Fat Guy]

Good research. Thanks, Cabrales.

[cabrales]

He's Cherry Hill native Daniel Stern, last at the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay in California. Stern, 32, . . .

I presume Stern was at the helm of the Ritz Half Moon Bay prior to joining Le Bec Fin. In all likelihood, he could not have been there long. Not too long ago (unclear exact period), Brian Bistrong (now of Citarella Restaurant, NY) was the chef at Half Moon Bay.

Below is a description of Brian Bistrong from the current James Beard newsletter:

Bistrong "cooked for us [beard House] just last January, showcasing the self-styled coastal cuisine that he expertly prepared at Navio, the luxe restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay. . . . After graduating from both Boston University and the CIA, he took a position at Lespinasse under Gray Kunz. Then he moved on to work for David Bouley at Bouley and Bouley Bakery, where he was named chef de cuisine. While he was at the latter, the restaurant earned a rare four stars from the New York Times."

I wonder what ties (if any) Gray Kunz might have with Half Moon Bay. Is it a coincidence that two recent chefs there have worked with him?

[cabrales]

'Tomorrow, I change everything if during the night, I get a flash. I'm a perfectionist.'

On Perrier's website, the quotations emphasized are: "I am a perfectionist. I am never satisfied".

http://www.georgesperriergroup.com/

[cabrales]

In the July/August 2002 edition of Food Arts, ther eis a report that Perrier is modifying the design of LBF. "He's going slightly [!] more modern -- from Louis XVI period to turn-of-the-century French. The tony place will be closed during August for renovation. Perrier also recently lost [different connotation from fired!] Frederic Cotes and plans to replace him in the fall."

[cabrales]

Le Bec Fin recently regained five Mobil stars, a designation that is very significant to Perrier.

http://www.lebecfin.com/eventDetail.cfm?id=2

Note the good-valued lunch at $40. A five-course chefs' choice (presumably) tasting is $67, also a good deal.

The linked materials indicate that Perrier's signature dishes are crab cake, potato-encrusted squab and quenelles. Have members sampled these items? I do not believe I sampled them on prior visits (dated). Also interesting is the inclusion of certain signature dishes on the Bar Lyonnais menu, which might offer a good second meal (dinner) on a day trip to Philly. For example, the quenelle de brochet does not appear to be on the indicative lunch menu.

A NY-based member could wake up at a decent hour on a weekend, take a bus to Philly, take in Perrier's $67 lunch degustation, visit the upcoming Degas/Dancers exhibit, and then take in a quick dinner at Bar Lyonnais before a return to NY. Hours of restaurant not yet verified. The Degas exhibit runs Feb 12 - May 11, at the Philly Museum of Art.

http://www.philamuseum.org/exhibitions/exh...its/degas.shtml

Edited January 7, 2003 by cabrales (log)

[ngatti]

The New Jersey regional section of the New York Times featured a profile of Daniel Stern (Executive Chef) in the Dec. 22nd edition.

For pay only and not available for purchase either.

Lead paragraph here

Nick

[Steve Klc]

In addition to Cab's Le Bec Fin/Bar Lyonnais recommendation, always a good one, a New York-based member should consider eating at Django--Philly's Django not NYC's Django:

http://ae.philly.com/entertainment/ui/phil...5&reviewId=8094

It's the kind of restaurant you don't find in NY anymore--very sophisticated food at a bargain price in a very small dining room where the chef cooks and his wife runs the front of the house and selects great cheese. Dinner only. In fact, Craig LaBan ends his review with Aimee Olexy and the cheese: "It is almost moving to watch her bring them to the table and lovingly describe each one. The passion of her own handiwork once again twinkles in her eye."

You'll have a twinkle in your eye as well.

Really, go, bus or train, stay overnight if you have to, you'll thank me later. In fact, you'll want to dine there the next night. This applies equally to the NYC core Italian vs. French cuisine advocates and the "application of technique" vs. "very good shopping" contingents.

BYOB as well.

[cabrales]

A New York-based member

Steve -- Thanks If the Degas exhibit were not coming up, I would be quite tempted to plan a day-trip for this weekend.

[Steve Klc]

The more pressing question, Cab, is: will you partake of the infamous--once and perhaps still glorious--dessert trolley at Le Bec Fin?

[R Washburn]

Is the dessert trolley still fabulous? According to the website Le Bec-Fin is now offering desserts from a menu as well as the cart. Judging from the picture on the website, the cart looks seriously depleted. Has anyone been to Le Bec-Fin since the re-opening?

[joiei]

The dessert trolley was the highlight of my one luncheon at LBF. Plus, I had the chance to meet Bob Bennet, what a nice guy.

[Steve Klc]

Have you been to Miel yet, joiei?

http://www.mielpastry.com/about.htm

[Holly Moore]

The great news is that Miel is coming to us. Robert Bennet is opening up a second shop in Center City Philadelphia - late winter or early spring.

But a trip to Miel in Jersey is worth the bridge toll, especially if you can wrangle a tour of the kitchen from Robert. It is a pastry chef's dream. Specialized departments and equipment and a separate temperature controlled chocolates room.

[R Washburn]

I still miss "Mademoiselle de Paris". Does anyone know what happened to Didier Leroux, the pastry Chef/owner? I thought his stuff was way better than Le Bec-Fin's or even Payard's in NY.

Robert

[herbacidal]

I still miss "Mademoiselle de Paris".  Does anyone know what happened to Didier Leroux, the pastry Chef/owner?  I thought his stuff was way better than Le Bec-Fin's or even Payard's in NY.

Robert

from what i recall, his mother/father/other family member got sick, and he went back to france to help take care of her/him.

i actually thought it was a she. hmm.

anyway, the space where it was, will once again be a patisserie,

after passing through several failed incarnations.

at least, it will be a bakery definitely, i'm pretty sure a patisserie.

can't recall, remember reading the sign a while ago.

[R Washburn]

No, Didier ran up a huge amount of debt and then tried to skip town with the Christmas receipts. He then had a brain aneurysm and was hospitalized before he made his escape (a french chef told me the real story at a Moore brother's dinner). The woman you are thinking of was his charming wife who worked behind the counter. Didier was the extremely grumpy young chef.

I suppose he is probably toiling away in some Parissian patisserie, assuming he made a full recovery.

[Steve Klc]

You know--I hope all you locals appreciate how damn lucky you are--not only Miel within a short drive and the soon to open up a branch in Center City--thanks for the lead Holly--but also within a short drive to Wegmans in New Jersey and its excellent Herme-developed patisserie and line of chocolates.

Both are superior to anything we have in DC.

Herblau--who's going into that Rittenhouse Sq. space of Mademoiselle de Paris?

And Robert--you disliked Bennett's stuff when he was at Le Bec-Fin--or at least liked it less than Leroux's work?

[R Washburn]

And Robert--you disliked Bennett's stuff when he was at Le Bec-Fin--or at least liked it less than Leroux's work?

I thought it was very good, probably the best in town until Leroux's arrival. The comparison is probably unfair, since Leroux was presonally making every item he sold, whereas I am sure Bennet's assistants were making most of what we were eating at Le Bec-Fin. I am sure the pastry at Payard would be much better if Payard himself made each item. As it is I think Mademoiselle de Paris was much better and more consistent than Payard. Some of the items were very similar (such as Feuillentine vs. Le Louvre) so I think it is a fair comparison.

Edited January 29, 2003 by R Washburn (log)

[herbacidal]

No, Didier ran up a huge amount of debt and then tried to skip town with the Christmas receipts.  He then had a brain aneurysm and was hospitalized before he made his escape (a french chef told me the real story at a Moore brother's dinner).  The woman you are thinking of was his charming wife who worked behind the counter.  Didier was the extremely grumpy young chef.

<<who's going into that Rittenhouse Sq. space of Mademoiselle de Paris?>>

now the whole sordid story finally comes out. interesting.

i have no idea what's going there. haven't actually heard anything about it anywhere. it's just that there's a sign posted mentioned future patisserie, assuming my memory is correct. i suppose if i poked around enough, i could find out more, but been rather busy.

[herbacidal]

Years ago, the spot at 122 S. 18th St. was Neil Stein's Fishmarket. More recently, before owner Didier Leroux took ill, it was the patisserie/cafe Mademoiselle de Paris. Stein later took it over again as the Fishmarket. Its short-lived successor was the soul-fooder T. Rodgers. Now the place is becoming a patisserie/cafe again: Bruce Graslery and Yann Marchand are putting together Yann's. The two met at New York's Tavern on the Green. Marchand has owned Symphony, a French wholesale bakery in Cherry Hill. Opening date is not set.

Well, that's the latest I have on that space.

[Steve Klc]

"I am sure the pastry at Payard would be much better if Payard himself made each item."

I am not so sure--there were times when Payard had younger, better pastry chefs working for him--MOF's--which he himself is not, running his production. It is very possible to hire specialists to do their specialty to work under you who might actually be better than you are as the general and generalist.