André Soltner, the legendary chef and owner of Lutèce, arrived unannounced one afternoon, the reservation under the name of his guest. This was a huge deal. When I seated them, his guest remarked how difficult it was to get a reservation. I responded somewhat bewildered, “Chef, all you had to do was call and you would get a table in a second.” Soltner sat there, looked me up and down, and with a scowl said, “Michel, I do not take someone else’s reservation. If you have the table, you have the table. That is it. I expect no special treatment.” This came from one of the greatest chefs of his
...more
