The Secret to Spontaneous Finds in Paris

Paris was covered in snow this week. This image captures the feeling better than any of my iPhone pictures.

While I don’t hope for your Paris trip to turn into a shipwreck, the sentiment remains. There’s something to be said for embracing spontaneity, not only because your journey will—despite your best efforts—not go as planned, but because some of the most magical moments in this city come from aimless wandering.

In the event you do find yourself adrift in the streets of Paris with a grumbling stomach, there are some beacons of hope, some lifeboats, that can sail you to a delicious shore; you just need to know what to look for.

Here are 5 plaques you may find on a restaurant’s facade and what they mean.

Have you noticed how the restaurant business, especially in the States, has mostly become the “heated-up Sysco food” business? Well, French restaurateurs noticed a similar trend in their industry. True artisans struggled to compete amidst cheapening standards.

In 2007, the Ministère des PME, du Commerce et de l’Artisanat (Ministry of Small and Medium Businesses of Commerce and Craft) decided to redeem the dignity of the profession by creating the Maître Restaurateur, a label that guarantees 100% made-in-house from fresh, unprocessed ingredients.

Members are subject to independent audits to verify the professionalism and qualifications of the Chef, as well as the adherence to the values of the association.

While spectacular thefts such as the Kim Kardashian robbery or the Louvre heist pervade French media, a far more sinister, ongoing theft remains largely uncovered by the press—the perpetrator: industrialization, the jewel: French gastronomy.

In response to the Nation’s pleas for protection and justice, fifteen of France’s most esteemed culinary heroes, the likes of Alain Ducasse, Paul Bocuse, Pierre Troisgros, Anne-Sophie Pic, and Guy Savoy, all patted the dust off their capes to found le Collège Culinaire de la France.

Whereas the Association Francaise des Maîtres Restaurateurs is run and administered by the French government, le Collège Culinaire is an independent association financed by over 3000 members (over 2000 restaurants and 1000 artisans/producers).

The association organizes hundreds of events every year for the promotion and advocacy of quality French cuisine. Its members can be identified by the elegant oval plaque shown above.

We are all familiar with the three stars of the Michelin Guide, but do you know the five toques of Gault & Millau?

Founded in 1969 by journalists and food critics Henri Gault and Christian Millau, Gault & Millau is a gastronomic guide testing restaurants across the country. Its impartial inspectors rate restaurants on a 20-point scale—just like the French academic grading system—based on taste, presentation, and creativity.

In the event your trip to Paris does become a shipwreck, it’s very unlikely this plaque will save you; just as it’d be unlikely to have a Hinckley as a lifeboat. Les Grandes Tables du Monde is an association of the finest, most upscale restaurants in the world. Thus, it’s highly unlikely—but not impossible—to dine at one without having reserved well in advance. Nevertheless, you may see the above image of Le Coq Gaulois etched into a gold-plated plaque and wonder what it means, so here it is…

In 1954, six titans of French gastronomy, including Claude Terrail (La Tour d’Argent), Louis Vaudable (Maxim’s), and Raymond Oliver (Le Grand Véfour), were having a friendly discussion, presumably over a glass of cognac, and decided to unify, creating the association Tradition et Qualité. Five years later, Jean Cocteau drew a blue, white, and red rooster (Le Coq Gaulois) on a tablecloth at Le Grand Véfour. The drawing became the emblem of the association.

“Les Grandes Tables du Monde” is the name adopted by the club in 1990, which today comprises over 200 restaurants worldwide. Its mission is to celebrate excellence, unite the passionnés (passionate people), and connect those who make gastronomy with those who experience it.

If you’re subscribed to this newsletter, you likely know the story of the Michelin Guide and its stars.

Still, many are unaware that it’s not necessary to have a coveted star to be featured in the guide. In Paris, 353 restaurants possess the “Michelin recommended” distinction (a plain red Michelin plaque), while another 36 hold the “Bib Gourmand” designation (a plaque featuring the head of the Michelin Man), a marker of excellent value for money.

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As always, feel free to reply to this email if you found it interesting or useful.

I’ll see you next week,

Max