For twenty-six years, Chef Georges Perrier has been Philadelphia’s premier five-star chef. A native of Lyons, Chef Perrier opened Le Bec Fin in 1970 as a small, thirty-five seat restaurant on Spruce Street. By 1983, Le Bec Fin was so well-known and highly-regarded that it necessitated a move to its current location on Walnut Street. Furnished in the style of Louis XVI, with grand chandeliers and an extensive wine list, Le Bec Fin (meaning a “fine beak” or, metaphorically, a person of taste, such as a gourmand) celebrated forty years in 2010.
Recently, the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA) announced that Perrier, a regional member of the Maîtres Cusiniers de France (Master Chefs of France), was the first recipient of the Culinary Visionary Award, which will be presented to Perrier during PIFA’s Opening Night Gala on April 7th.
In keeping with PIFA’s themes of collaboration and creativity, PIFA is bringing eleven renowned chefs from Lyons and Paris to work alongside their City of Brotherly Love counterparts for a three-night partnership at restaurants throughout Philadelphia from the 13th of April through the 15th of April. Each French chef will create culinary chefs d’oeuvre to highlight the diversity of French cuisine – and technique. At Le Bec Fin, Chef Perrier will be paired with Mathieu Viannay from La Mère Brazier in Lyons. The PIFA menus will be featured at the host restaurants from 13 April through 1 May 2011; reservations are required.
Expect nothing less than gastronomic genius throughout Philadelphia – which is to be expected from the City that gave us both cheese steaks and Le Bec Fin.
PIFA Chef Pairings:
Michael Abt of Parc with Frédéric Berthod of 33 Cité
Terence Feury of Fork with Simon Lacassin of Préfecture du Rhône
Daniel Stern of R2L with Babette De Rozieres of La Table de Babette
Pierre Calmels of Bibou with Olivier Paget of Le Fleurie
Jon Cichon of Lacroix with Frédéric Côte of Restaurant au Colombier
Chris Scarduzio of Table 31 with Arnaud Languille of ClostaTraiteur
Olivier Desaintmartin of Caribou Café with Jean-Paul Borgeot of La Tassée
Dan Black of Amuse (Le Méridien Phila) with Eric Brujan of L’Orénac Le Méridien Etoile
Peter Woolsey of Bistrot La Minette with Joseph Viola of Daniel et Denise
Georges Perrier of Le Bec Fin with Mathieu Viannay of La Mère Brazier
Michael Yeamans of Rouge with Nasserdine Mendi of Chocolaterie Weiss
LINK: PIFA Culinary Component
