French Food in the States: I'll Take the Duck, Skip the 'Tude
Alain Ducasse: Soon to open a branch of famed French restaurant Benoit in the U.S.
Florence Fabricant's piece about the premature obituary written for French food in New York doesn't emphasize enough the reason French food went into eclipse here and everywhere else in the country. It wasn't the food. People never stopped loving roast chicken, steak frites, and duck a l'orange. They just couldn't stand the pretentious settings for the food and the often haughty, condescending attitudes that came with it. Long live delicious, deeply satisfying French food. Death to the side order of attitude.
Memo to Alain Ducasse: We all welcome the idea of a branch of Benoit in the States. Just don't bring the attitude here. One more thing, Mr. Ducasse. You're right about Keith McNally's genius in combining French tradition with the understanding of who his customers are. But you would do well to make everyone feel welcome and special at Benoit, something Mr. McNally doesn't always do at his restaurants. Look to Danny Meyer for that kind of inspiration.
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