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Chef Georges Perrier - Forty-six And Counting
I have enjoyed three recent meals at #46 and I can tell you that something is missing in this picture. If there are 45 restaurants in Philadelphia that are better than Le Bec-Fin, I would suggest that Philadelphia has become the new Restaurant Capital of the world. Forget about New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Paris, London and Tokyo. Philadelphia has to be in a class by itself.
For all the great things Chef Perrier has done for the City, I'm not suggesting that you add Le Bec-Fin to a "Best Of" list simply out of respect. If a restaurant loses it, that restaurant should quietly (and quickly) go away. This is hardly the case of the 2009 version of Le Bec-Fin, and herein lies my point. Do you punish a restaurant because it's not what it used to be? What is and who is what it used to be?
The Mobil Five Stars are gone and yes, you can now enjoy lunch for fifteen-dollars and twenty-three cents. Le Bar Lyonnais, downstairs from Le Bec Fin, is the more casual Parisian Bistro. This "best kept secret" Happy Hour with $5 selected drinks, complimentary hors d'oeuvres, and $5 Bites is still packing them in. Le Bec-Fin now serves the best hamburger on the East Coast, and maybe the place that was more about foie gras than hamburgers and happy hours bothers some people. I would argue that in several ways, Le Bec-Fin is better than it used to be.
And can we finally stop talking about the 5-Stars? Mobil should be spending more time worrying about the automobile industry than our nation's restaurants. Is there someone out there who still cares about Mobil and their stars? Le Bec-Fin lost a star back in 2000, and Chef Perrier went ballistic. In two short years, the Five Star designation was returned and all was right with the world. In 2008, the chef himself surrendered the Five Stars to make his restaurant more affordable, more casual, and certainly more happening.
It's not like the good chef has retired and makes an occasional appearance signing autographs and kissing babies. He has always been one of the hardest working chefs on the planet, and that hasn't changed. The man is in the restaurant every single day and he hasn't forgotten how to cook. If one can come to the conclusion that Le Bec-Fin is no longer viable, I'm guessing that someone didn't even bother walking in the front door - or maybe those crystal chandeliers made them uncomfortable.
It's easy to buy into the hype that elegant French restaurants are dead or dying. If it's true (and it might be) someone forgot to tell Chef Perrier.
Number 46? You can't be serious!
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The 70's, 80's and 90's are yesterday's news. These are the days of Sushi, Mexican Food, Wine Bars, BYOB's and Gastro Pubs. The only 5-Star Mobil Restaurant in Philadelphia is now the 46th Best Restaurant in the region according to our highly regarded City Magazine. Chef Georges Perrier once owned this town, and if you buy into the new "Top 50", the presumption is that the man forgot how to cook, or how to run a restaurant. After 39 years at 1523 Walnut Street, the great chef is number 46.
This man has accomplished more in the past 39 years than any Philadelphia chef can dream about. He is enjoying himself, and he plans to go out on his terms. Chef Georges Perrier has nothing to prove - his success is well documented and it's nothing short of amazing, and he is still a great chef.