Even art-loving dogs had to wrap up during the recent cold snap in Paris. Photo: Eric Tenin of Paris Daily Photo.
Wednesday, 15 February 2012 11:13
Paris Update Fashion Flash
FRENCH MICHAEL MOORE TAKES ON NATIONAL FOOD INDUSTRY
The motto of Le République de la Malbouffe: "Opacity, Obesity, Precarity."
Xavier Denamur, the owner of five small restaurants in Paris, is a man on a crusade. It began with the 2009 decrease in value-added tax from 21.6 percent to 5.5 percent on restaurant meals, which he says favored big chain restaurants without helping the small independents as promised. Going beyond that issue, he blames French government policies and a lack of transparency in the food industry for the increasing industrialization of food preparation and delivery, the degradation of food quality in France, and increasing obesity and public health costs. One of his campaigns calls for legislation that would create a label informing restaurant customers whether the food is prepared from fresh ingredients on-site or is factory-made or frozen.
Denamur has formed an association called La République de la Malbouffe (The Republic of Bad Food) and has just released a documentary film of the same name, directed by Jacques Goldstein. Unfortunately, the film lacks focus and does not get his laudable message across clearly. Shown only in a handful of Paris cinemas, it is also available on DVD (with issue no. 17 of Rue89 magazine, for €5). Denamur continues to hold debates and chase politicians, hoping to get them to listen to his call for transparency. “My goal is to get citizens interested in politics again,” he says, by encouraging them to vote and write to their representatives. Heidi Ellison
Tuesday, 14 February 2012 23:00
Paris Update Art Notes
ANDREAS SLOMINSKI
Recent works by Andreas Slominski at the Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac in Paris (through February 29). Video by Nikolaï Saoulski. Click here for larger screen.
Paris Update This Week's Events
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According to Restaurant Magazine’s San Pellegrino ranking of the world’s top 50 restaurants, announced on April 21, the giants are still Ferran Adrià of El Bulli and Heston Blumenthal of the UK’s Fat Duck, who once again came in first and second respectively. But there has been plenty of musical-chair playing further down the list, with France’s own national treasure, Pierre Gagnaire, slipping from last year’s third place to ninth this year, Gordon Ramsay tipped out of the top 50, and, the big surprise, Iñaki Aizpitarte and his Chateaubriand in Paris leaping into 40th position from nowhere. Time for a return visit.
French trade magazine L’Hotellerie Restauration reports that there’s a three-month waiting list for a dinner table at newly starred Bigarrade in the 17th arrondissement. Chef Christophe Pelé cooks with what he finds on the markets four times a week. Average spend seems to have climbed since our visit last year: €70 for lunch and €100 for dinner. Richard Hesse
