What is the current picture of French cuisine in Philadelphia?
Peter von Stark is long gone; Philippe Chin has moved to the South and Fritz Blank is in Thailand. Georges Perrier just opened a steakhouse and it just seems as though the city isn’t as French as it used to be. Olivier: French chefs are disappearing from the city and some of the ones who remain offer fusion French/American. But on the other hand, French restaurants are popping up and perhaps we’ll see a new trend in Philly. I see so many beautiful, new restaurants, but all too often, the cuisine fails to match the ambiance. I do believe that Mexican restaurants should be run by Mexicans, and Italian restaurants should be run by Italians, and Chinese by the Chinese. It is the same for the French. A French restaurant should have a French chef in the kitchen. In the spirit of covering my tail, there will always be some exceptions. 22: So much of what you do is about authenticity. How important is authenticity in your presentation? Olivier: I push the envelope a little bit trying to promot
