Gordo pays tribute to a 'culinary colossus' and his dish of the decade
Gordo happened to be dining in Restaurant Paul Bocuse, near Lyon, as the great French chef breathed his last upstairs.
It's arguably the campest restaurant in the world, a green and red Auberge on the Saône River where Le Chef held three Michelin stars for over fifty years - a record.
The Fat One, in a manner he hopes Monsieur Paul would have approved, was taking notes while wiping away the garlic and parsley butter that had dribbled down his chin from the snails he'd just woofed.
Bocuse was 91 when he died on 20 January, a short man towering over the rest of the culinary world like a colossus - the pioneer of nouvelle cuisine.
Gordo has been visiting the restaurant at Collonges-au-Mont-d’or - where Le Chef was born - since 1984. He was last here in May, but on this occasion was accompanied by his partners in crime (see below), on a two day trip to eat at this temple of gastronomy and celebrate The Fat One's birthday - completely unaware of the tragedy unfolding above.
Despite this, the service, food and wine, on the day, was exemplary; lobster, pigeon, langoustine and foie gras filled the table, all magnificent.
But Gordo was, once again, eyeing up the snails, conscious that he'd ignored them during numerous visits over the years.
This time, they weren't getting away, and in collusion with the ridiculously good-looking Maitre d’, Francois Pipolon, Gordo requested the dish as a middle course, split between the four - three each.
It was, for Gordo, the dish of the decade. On further thought, it was the dish of this new century. Never mind all that “Non, Je ne regrette rien” nonsense, Edith. Gordo regrets not eating the snails on all his previous visits.
Happy trails Chef. Your team did you proud.
Main photo: Paul Bocuse/Facebook
