User talk:Valereee/Les Mères Allard

Thank you for your invitation to look in: I feel flattered and honoured! But I must disappoint you: I can't find any contemporary information about either Marthe or Fernande, I'm afraid. I have one reference to the restaurant while the latter was in charge, from The Official Foodie Handbook published in 1984. Elizabeth David, whose words I tend to regard as Holy Writ, was very sniffy indeed about the book: she called it "a facetious guide to food snobbery", but there are some good things in it, including this, on page 122:

FERNANDE ALLARD, born in Burgundy, has been in the restaurant business for more than 30 years, having started at 20, when she and her husband opened Allard in Paris. She is the daughter-in-law and inheritor of the recipes of Mère Allard. Allard is "the last and most honest of the great Parisian bistros", according to Gault-Millau, who commend her chocolate charlotte: "so good you would sell your soul to the devil for a slice." (Barr, Ann and Paul Levy, The Official Foodie Handbook, London, Ebury Press, isbn 978-0-85-223343-6, p. 122.)

From reviews after Fernande's day,which are probably of limited use for your article, but are not, perhaps, without interest:

In 1999:

Once home to Racine, the famous French poet and playwright, 41, rue St-André-des-Arts is one of many historic buildings in Paris's ancient Latin Quarter. In 1720, under royal ordinance, a wine merchant set up shop on the first floor, and over the course of the next two hundred years, the wine store evolved into a Paris institution of international fame: Chez Allard. Monsieur and Madame Allard established their bistro in the early 1930s, and on retiring they handed the reins over to their son and daughter-in-law, André and Fernande. In most bistro kitchens the husband reigns supreme: however, at Allard the wives, Marthe and Fernande, created the famous specialities that remain on the menu today. Their recipes for Burgundian specialties such as Coq au Vin, boeuf bourguignon, and canard aux olives are now made by chef Didier Remay, who cooked for twenty years under Fernande Allard. Fernande retired in 1985 but still lives in the family apartments above the bistro and is a frequent evening visitor. Monsieur Layrac, the proprietor since 1995, has lavished considerable attention on Allard's cuisine and decor. Although he has spruced up the entire bistro, the original dining room has been kept almost perfectly intact. With a vintage zinc bar, pressed-tin ceiling, tile floors, mustard-colored wall, and lovely old prints, the room resembles a living bistro museum. On the other side of the busy open kitchen, a charming newer dining room is popular with regulars. (O'Connor, Sharon, Bistro: Swinging French Jazz – Favorite Parisian Bistro Recipes, Emeryville, CA, Menus and Music Productions, 1999, isbn 978-1-883914-28-8, page 31)

Also 1999, from the Time Out Guide to Paris Eating and Drinking:

Allard: 41 rue St-André-des-Arts, 6th (01.43.26.48.23). M° Odeon. Open Mon-Sat 12.30-2.30pm; 730-11.30pm. Closed three weeks in Aug. Average 250F. Prix fixe 200F. Lunch menu 150F. Credit AmEx, DC, MC, V. Don't expect any concession to the present or even to the century when you enter the dim, low-ceilinged rooms of this St-Germain institution. We filled a corner between an eclectic but convivial gaggle of young Italians, a French couple treating antique mémé to lunch and an elegant trio of cigar-smoking Cubans. But the food itself rests on the bedrock of French bourgeois cooking, as seen in age-old family favourites like canard aux olives or pintade aux lentilles for two. We began with oysters and a huge salad of frisée aux lardons, then an excellent roast leg of lamb, well matched by a red Moulin à Vent, tender slices of flavourful meat from the Limousin, accompanied by a bowl of white mojette beans, were perfect warming stuff as snow pelted down outside. Gigantic servings left no room for dessert; arrive hungry if you want the tempting-looking warm apple tart and symphonie aux trois chocolats. The only real disappointment was the soggy bread, apologetically conceded by owner Mr Layrac who told us the usual baker was on holiday. (Jackson, Rosa (ed.), Time Out Paris Eating and Drinking, Third edition, 1999, London, Time Out Group, ISSN 1362-2048, page 56)

From a later edition of the Time Out guide (2007, the latest I have):

Allard: 41 rue St-André-des-Arts, 6th (01.43.26.48.23). www.allard-restaurant.com. M° Odeon or St-Michel Open noon-2pm, 7–10.30 Mon-Sat. Closed three weeks in Aug, 25 Dec. Average €60. Prix fixe €32. Lunch menu €32. Credit AmEx, DC, MC, V. Wheelchair access. If St-Germain seems to be turning into a suburb of Milan with its proliferation of Italian restaurants, it’s reassuring to come across an excellent example of a traditional bistro. With its vanilla-coloured walls and a coat rack in the narrow hall connecting the two small dining rooms (the front one has more atmosphere), Allard has a delicious pre-war feel, a first impression that is confirmed by the kitchen itself (though not the rather steep prices). It sends out glorious Gallic grub that’s exactly what everyone dreams of finding in Paris. Winter is the perfect time of year for this place - start with sliced Lyonnais sausage studded with pistachios and served with potato salad in delicious vinaigrette, or maybe a sauté of wild mushrooms, and then choose between one of the three classics: roast shoulder of lamb, roast Bresse chicken with sautéed ceps or roast duck with olives. All three are superb, but be warned that portions are enormous. If you have any space left, finish up with the tarte fine aux pommes and go with one of the good, if slightly pricey, Bordeaux. (Jackson, Rosa (ed.), Time Out Paris Eating and Drinking, Eighth edition, 2007, London, Time Out Guides, isbn 978-1-904978-95-4, page 46)

The restaurant is now part of the Ducasse empire: https://www.restaurant-allard.fr/en. and https://www.meikepeters.com/meet-kitchen-paris-mystery-chez-allard/. The menu clearly makes a nod to the Mères' recipes, but the reviews don't have my mouth watering much. I think I'll stick with my favourite restaurant in the 6th, the Brasserie Lipp. Tim riley talk 12:47, 17 March 2021 (UTC)