Lucas Carton to be revamped
 

Hi
From today's New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/15/dining/15fran.html

Alan Senderens, the chef/owner of acclaimed restaurant Lucas Carton in Paris, will close the restaurant next month, revamp the decor, menu, and staffing, and reopen in September with a "younger look, a smaller staff, much lower prices, and a new menu".

Thanks for the link. It's a very interesting article. I never ate there though.

I've been very curious about how they'll rate the NYC restaurants (as you probably know, Michelin will put out an NYC guide -- not sure when, exactly, but NYT publicized this fact a few months ago).

I ate at Lucas Carton back in the early 90's. The food wasn't that great, but the Champagne was fantastic as I remember. For years, I thought the restaurant was called "Lucas Carlton." I would get weird looks from people when I mentioned this. Here, I was pronouncing the name incorrectly. How embarrassing!

TG
here in NYC, the well-known liquor and wine store Sherry-Lehmann carries a champagne that is bottled under the Lucas Carton brand name. I've never tried it, I wonder if that's what you had, or was it one of the famous champagne caves?

I can understand why he wants to "have fun" and give up the 3 Michelin stars. About two years ago, Le Point magazine ran an article on what a restaurant has to go through to get and keep a 3-star rating. It was a lot more involved (and expensive) than just having great food on the table.

I've eaten at Lucas Carton about a half dozen times over the past 15 years, and have had some of the greatest meals of my life there. Senderens in his prime was one of the world's most innovative and accomplished chefs. The last few years he has spent less time in the kitchen and many say the restaurant has suffered accordingly.

I agree with BTilke. The pressure to maintain Michelin's 3-star standards can be exhausting and debilitating. At least one chef is said to have recently committed suicide at least in part due to this stress.

I look forward to Senderens’ new adventure outside the scrutiny of the Michelin inspectors. But I somehow doubt the prices will be “much lower.”

There's an earlier thread on this subject for anyone interested.

Hi, has anyone eaten at the restaurant (called Alain Senderens)? Are there useful reviews?

Thanks.