La Pyramide
La Pyramide was a Michelin Guide 3-star restaurant located in Vienne, Isère, France.[1] It was widely believed to be the best restaurant in France while its owner Fernand Point (1897–1955) was alive.[citation needed]
Point was born in Louhans. A larger-than-life man in every way, he was his generation's master of la grande cuisine, simplifying the work of Escoffier.[citation needed] Point's protégés became masters of the Nouvelle cuisine of the 1960s and 1970s. They include Paul Bocuse, Alain Chapel, Francois Bise, Louis Outhier, and Jean and Pierre Troisgros. Georges Perrier trained at La Pyramide prior to founding Le Bec-Fin.[citation needed]
Much as he was strict and unforgiving in the kitchen, Point (often with Paul Bocuse as his apprentice and wing-man) was known to play pranks on his patrons and visitors. Parisian high society visitors would find themselves ushered into the kitchen, pushed into a corner, and fed one of Point's latest and greatest dishes under the pretense of being asked to evaluate the readiness of the offering while Bocuse, hidden underneath a prep table, whitewashed the heels of their shoes.
Postmen or visiting locals fared not much better, in one famous stunt Point ordered Bocuse to paint the bicycle of a visiting gendarme pink while Point distracted his visitor.
La Pyramide was named after a nearby Roman pyramid that had marked the turn of a chariot racetrack. After Point's death, his widow, Mado, carried on and maintained the restaurant's 3-star rating for many years.[citation needed]
Thomas Keller of Napa Valley's French Laundry has cited Point's work as being very significant to his training. See the introduction to Ma Gastonomie (2008) by Ferdnand Point
References
- ↑ MacVeigh, Jeremy (2008). International Cuisine. Cengage Learning. p. 109. ISBN 978-1-4180-4965-2.
Coordinates: 45°31′00″N 4°52′01″E / 45.5165417°N 4.86700556°E