It’s a special year for superstar chef Alain Ducasse. His Louis XV restaurant, located inside the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo, is celebrating its 25th birthday. After scoring two Michelin stars as head chef at La Terrasse in the Hôtel Juana in 1984, Ducasse took the helm at the Hotel de Paris in 1987—an event that would jumpstart his career as a world-renowned chef (le Louis XV became the first hotel restaurant to earn three Michelin stars). Now a citizen of Monaco, Ducasse commands an empire of eateries around the globe.
Ducasse says, "My encounter with Monaco was a magical and important moment in my life. It is here between France and Italy that I have concentrated my Rivieras. Today, I know that this region that serenades the sun has inspired all my cooking. Its strength and honesty are drawn from the earth."
For Louis XV’s 25th anniversary, chefs Alain Ducasse, Franck Cerutti and Dominique Lory imagined a special nature-inspired menu-- showcasing all the magnificent products from the Riviera region. Just launched this past week, the menu is available until December 2012 and costs 280 euros. Here are the details:
While you wait… Pan Bagna with thin sheets of bread printed with vegetables; San Remo Gamberoni, delicate rock fish gelée, caviar; Cookpot of Haute-Provence small spelt, morels and spring vegetables; Snapper and “trumpet” zucchini, condiment of local flavors; Suckling lamb roasted in the fireplace, peas, spring onions, green garlic and “pommes grenaille”; A selection of regional goats cheese; Bitter citrus fruit, lemon jelly and grapefruit/Campari sorbet; Warm Piedmond hazelnut soufflé; After-dinner sweets and chocolates by Alain Ducasse.
The celebration isn’t limited to Monte Carlo. Alain Ducasse’s chefs around the world will be celebrating this special occasion by adding a special Mediterranean dish to their menu in honor of the Louis XV, while others will offer the Louis XV signature dessert: le Baba au rhum comme à Monte-Carlo. For more information, visit www.alain-ducasse.com