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Master Chefs in haute gastronomy unite for the evening of September 17, 2008 at Versailles for the sake of charity and pure excellence. Save the date.
A dinner party beyond compare, the Dinner of the Chefs is the zenith of French culture. Seventeen master chefs with 40 Michelin stars between them collaborate for an unprecedented, unforgettable evening of opulence and refinement.
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An elevated high results from the perfect orchestration of the senses, and this is an art that is not to be taken lightly. A first glass of champagne in a St. Louis coupe, a warm September evening at the Versailles Palace accompanied by Baroque music, an exquisite menu prepared by sixteen peers at the height of their culinary practice then presented with sophisticated, sumptuous flair... the delights seem endless, and it is exactly this feeling of eternity that constitutes the pure luxury that will be the privilege of 60 epicureans for the Dinner of the Chefs' debut.
It began with the desire to offer the best. René-Julien Praz, creator and executive producer of the event, conceived of the project in the middle of the night, after a charming dinner party with friends; he wanted to expand this pleasure to a large scale. "We wanted the Dinner of the Chefs to be the ultimate – something rare," he explains. Where else than in France? "This is a French event to start with, it has to be. This is the savoir-faire of France, the country of gastronomy. The first three years must be in France before going abroad, if we were to do future editions of the event in New York, London or Moscow." The event's maiden edition, dubbed the "G8 of gastronomy," is still in the making and is poised to be a genuine service to the international culinary arts, as well as to the French gastronomic heritage. It will also be a service to charity, the IFRAD Foundation for Alzheimer's Disease research, to which an estimated 20 to 30% of the 22,000 euros cost per person will contribute – evoking celebration and luxury for the sake of improving quality of life and meeting the challenges of research funding.
Organizing seventeen chefs with demanding, international schedules is no small task. "It was a challenge, but it has finally worked out wonderfully. Yannick Alléno has been instrumental in encouraging the participation of his peers," says René-Julien Praz. His exceptional vision of the chef's participation is not about competition or ego-management but, above all, one of harmony. "There resides in every chef the soul of a poet," and it is, he says, "the mystery, the attraction and the seduction of their art" that he intends to bring to light.
Chef Jean-Pierre Biffi will be coordinating the teams of talent. The chefs put in their bid for the part of the 5-course, 16-dish menu they wanted to work on – Caviar, Lobster, Bresse Poultry, Roots and Vegetables and, for dessert, the Apple – then Biffi will coordinate his Potel & Chabot staff to realize the concepts into a perfectly balanced creation. "It's my job to maintain the chef's original idea, but also to let them have fun. I'll maintain the sensibility and the warmth of their recipes throughout," says Biffi with an equally warm smile.
To be held in the Galerie des Cotelle, whose walls are adorned by the work of the eponymous 17th century painter at the Grand Trianon of the Château de Versailles – Queen Marie-Antoinette's private retreat – warm and gilded colors of pastel and vermillion abound. Philippe Model, providing creative direction for the table setting and presentation, intends to evoke an ecstatic, joyful atmosphere, filled with bubbly conversation and fantastic fantasy. His original ideas were so exuberant – such as caging live white doves and butterflies beneath the table in order to release them for dramatic effect – that some of them may have to be toned down for a more practical approach. Model considers every course of the meal a theatrical scene for delight, a "crazy Marie-Antoinette picnic," he says with a childlike spark in his eye. It is confirmed, however, that there will be some sort of animation at the table.
The tableware will be porcelain, in a shade of white that is, Model adds, "not too aggressive." One of his more remarkable creations is the table, designed in the form of an elongated wave, so that guests can speak easily with four people surrounding them to create an open and free manner of dining, where a sense of natural ease is paramount. While this is the first edition of what is slated to become a great French tradition, first times are always difficult and require double the work in breaking ground, the process of which, Philippe Model says, "is beautiful."
Indeed, the Dinner of the Chefs is like a perfectly orchestrated fairy tale. Praz is the composer, Biffi the conductor, Model the stage director and, of course, the chefs are the musicians of exceptional talent, expertise and accomplishment. There is no doubt in the minds of those awaiting the event or those producing it that it will be nothing less than spectacularly unique.
Gastronomy, architecture, music and wine are played off one another in accent and compliment of flavor, color, notes and forms; the result is magical. All the pleasures of life, the five sense at their maximum, under the bewitching talents of world's leading chefs, just go to show that when the objective is to raise money for charity, often the result is human culture at its crown.
For reservations call:
T. +33 (0)1 55 04 79 79
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