Toronto Star

Haute or not? Michelin mistake puts humble bistro on culinary map

- HANNAH OLIVENNES THE NEW YORK TIMES

Most restaurate­urs would be thrilled to learn that their establishm­ent had been awarded a Michelin star. But when Véronique Jacquet heard the news on the local radio last week, she knew something wasn’t quite right.

Her restaurant in Bourges, a small city in central France, is a modest, lunch-only bistro with 20 tables and a clientele of mostly local workers. The cook works part-time. Jacquet is the only other staff member, and between serving customers she runs behind the bar to pour pints of beer.

On each table is a plastic covering and a bread basket. The lunch menu — buffet starters, a main course, a choice of cheese or dessert, and a jug of wine — costs € 12.50, or about $17.

“I laughed out loud,” Jacquet said. “It was impossible that this could happen to me. I run a small workingcla­ss brasserie, nothing to do with a gourmet restaurant.”

The Michelin Guide released its 2017 rankings on Feb. 9 and, with them, the much-anticipate­d online map of starred restaurant­s. One star went to Jacquet’s establishm­ent, Le Bouche à Oreille.

But they got the wrong Bouche à Oreille, by about 160 kilometres.

The award was intended for a restaurant of the same name in Boutervill­iers, southwest of Paris. To add to the confusion, Jacquet’s restaurant is on a street called route de la Chapelle, while the Michelin-starred restaurant is on rue de la Chapelle. Michelin said a technical glitch had put the Bourges restaurant on its map, creating the misunderst­anding.

“Of course we don’t like to make mistakes,” a spokespers­on for Michelin said, quoting Claire DorlandCla­uzel, who is in charge of maps and guide activities. “To err is human. The most important thing for us is that neither restaurant was negatively affected.”

As soon as the new map was released, both restaurant­s were inundated with calls from perplexed friends.

“One of my customers called me to ask if I had opened a second restaurant in Bourges,” said Aymeric Dreux, the chef and co-owner of Le Bouche à Oreille in Boutervill­iers, which first received a Michelin star in 2015. “I had no idea what he was talking about.”

Minutes later, Michelin called him to explain the mistake.

Anyone familiar with Jacquet’s restaurant would recognize the error immediatel­y. Diners at one-star Michelin restaurant­s can generally expect an exceptiona­l meal in grand surroundin­gs and they pay for the privilege.

In Boutervill­iers, there are two rooms and a terrace. Comfortabl­e armchairs surround the tables. Whether it’s turbot, lobster or foie gras, each dish is plated artistical­ly and priced at € 28 to € 52 ($38 to $72).

After the mix-up, Dreux and Jacquet spoke, joking about what had happened.

“I invited her and her young chef to come have dinner at my restaurant,” Dreux said.

Then came the media. Reporters from local, national and internatio­nal outlets showed up at the two restaurant­s.

“Bouche à oreille” means word of mouth, a form of advertisin­g that may now be less necessary for Jac- quet’s establishm­ent.

“It’s been spectacula­r advertisin­g,” she said. For now, her clientele is steady. “It’s still my usual customers coming in every day,” Jacquet said. “Maybe that will change now.”

The two owners plan to keep in touch.

“If I ever find myself in Bourges, I’ll obviously come try her sausage and lentils, since that’s her specialty,” Dreux said. Jacquet intends to take Dreux up on his offer.

And in case you’re wondering, one special this week at the lunch-only Bouche à Oreille was choucroute. It’s a hearty dish from the Alsace region made of sauerkraut and various cuts of meat.

 ?? MILOS KRIVOKAPIC/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? France’s prestigiou­s Michelin Guide confused this bistro in Bourges with a more upscale restaurant of the same name.
MILOS KRIVOKAPIC/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS France’s prestigiou­s Michelin Guide confused this bistro in Bourges with a more upscale restaurant of the same name.
 ?? MILOS KRIVOKAPIC/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? Clients enjoy a meal and a drink at modest "Le Bouche à Oreille" restaurant in Bourges, in central France.
MILOS KRIVOKAPIC/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Clients enjoy a meal and a drink at modest "Le Bouche à Oreille" restaurant in Bourges, in central France.

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