Le Bec-Fin
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Le Bec-Fin is a French restaurant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania which opened in 1970. Owner and founder Georges Perrier named the restaurant after the French words for "Fine Palate". The restaurant has been rated as America's finest French restaurant and the Mobil Travel Guide has traditionally rated it as five stars.
[edit] History
Perrier trained at La Pyramide in Paris and started working in Philadelphia in the late 1960's. After its opening in 1970, Le Bec-Fin soon established a reputation as Philadelphia's finest restaurant with Perrier's crab cakes known as a highlight. By 1981, Le Bec-Fin was known as the leader of the "Philadelphia restaurant revolution". Esquire described it as the best French restaurant in America.
Le Bec-Fin signature crab cake recipe can be found online, but is also featured in Georges Perrier's 1997 book, titled Le Bec-Fin Recipes. Perrier's cuisine favours traditional French ingredients with high quality produce from throughout the world.
Perrier made extensive changes to the restaurant after the Mobil Travel Guide reduced it to four star status in 2000. The interior was remodeled, the wine list expanded, and Perrier relinquished command of his restaurant to the head chef. Said Perrier to his staff, "Change everything but the chandeliers." In 2003, the fifth star was restored.
[edit] External links
- Amazon.com page for Le Bec-Fin Recipes.
- Food and Wine "Putting Le Bec Fin to the test" July 2005 retrieved 18 December 2005
[edit] Footnotes
- ↑ Esquire, "The Best French Restaurant in America" September 1993, Volume 120 Issue 3 page 62
- ↑ "Resolutely sticking to French tradition" The Dominion Post 3 February 1998
