France in Mourning Again

French icons seem to be dying of late. Last month it was Johnny Hallyday and a member of L’Académie Française. This month it was chef Paul Bocuse, the Lion of Lyon. Bocuse was named Chef of the 20th Century. He looked suspiciously like the chef in the Disney cartoon “Ratatouille“. (Coincidence? C’est possible.) This New York Times obituary gives his warts and all biography. In 2015 we went to one of his restaurants in Lyon, Le Sud. It was good, but not transcendent.  In 2016 we went to his Les Halles in Lyon. Most of the stores were closed. Although we didn’t have the best experiences, there’s no denying his influence on French cuisine. Restez en paix, Monsieur Bocuse.