We recently returned from France, spending five days in Paris, seven days in the Vosges Mountains, and two days in Reims, the heart of Champagne.
Terry and I went to meet up with our three sons, their spouses, and our granddaughter. Our oldest, Ted, and his bride, Yessica, had never been to Paris before, so this was a real treat for them. The two of them and Terry and I explored Paris, hitting many of the tourist highlights, while suffering some of the worst heat the City of Lights had ever experienced. Still, Paris delighted and enchanted us.
Beyond the Eiffel Tower and the renovated Notre Dame (which now radiates whereas before it was dark and almost smoky), we decided to splurge and indulge in one of the things Paris is famous for – its food.
Three months before leaving the States, I made reservations at Restaurant Alléno in the Pavillon Ledoyen. Boasting three Michelin stars (there are only eight other Paris restaurants that can make the same claim), Alléno resides in the Pavillon Ledoyen, a city of Paris-owned garden/park, which although it is just off the Champs-Élysées, magically transports the visitor to the French countryside of the 19th century.
The Pavillon Ledoyen dates back to the 18th century. According to Wikipedia, “During the late 18th century, it was a haunt of Louis de Saint-Just and Maximilien Robespierre and they dined there on 26 July 1794, two days before their execution. Napoleon and Joséphine de Beauharnais reportedly met at the restaurant and the restaurant was also a favourite of artists and writers such as Danton, Marat, Degas, Monet, Zola, Flaubert and Guy de Maupassant.”
Alas, I guess we just missed Napoleon.
Beyond the romantic setting, Alléno’s staff captivated us even before our arrival. Lucas Pasini, the directeur adjoint of Alléno, texted and called me a couple of days before our dinner. He asked the usual questions, such as any allergies, any strong likes/dislikes as to food, celebrating anything special, etc. But then something quite unusual. He asked if we had a favorite picture and maybe a phrase to describe our visit to Paris and our upcoming meal. I’ll tell you why in a moment.
When we arrived at Alléno, Lucas and Valentine, his delightful assistant, greeted us outside, opening the car door for Terry. We were treated like visiting dignitaries! “Bonjour, Monsieur Carl and Madame Terry. We are delighted to have you join us tonight.” Ted and Yessica arrived separately and got the same royal treatment.
Restaurant Alléno is almost 18,000 square feet, so we needed Lucas and Valentine to guide us to our second-floor table, overlooking the Petit Palais, the fine arts museum.
After we were seated, Valentine presented us with our menus. This is where all four of us became enchanted with Alléno. The day before, Terry and I had toured Sacré-Cœur and the nearby delightful neighborhood. Terry spotted a profile painted on a wall and photographed it. We sent that photo along with the theme of our trip to France to Lucas. Ted and Yessica did the same thing.
Lucas and the staff at Alléno then took our photos and captions and created the magic that became our menus. Check them out.
My next column will cover the wine and food from that evening.
Carl Kanowsky is an attorney, a fledgling baker, an enthusiastic cook and an expert wine drinker. He is certified by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust at Level II with distinction.
