Among My Souvenirs

Alain Ducasse Is Now Serving Versailles – plus Where Else You Should Be Eating This Year Interviewed by Kimberley Lovato Behind the gilded gates of the Château de Versailles, Alain Ducasse recently opened the first full-service restaurant inside the French royal palace. With a name that’s Latin for “mouth” and similar to the French word for “gold,” Ore serves lunch with a sparkle of history and approachable sophistication. In the evening, the space becomes Ducasse at the Château de Versailles, a private event venue for 2 to 124 guests. HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH CHÂTEAU DE VERSAILLES? It’s part of the larger project that began in 1997 to better accommodate visitors through the newly renovated Pavillon Dufour, where the restaurant is located, and the Pavillon Gabriel. The château managers wanted a restaurant, so I created one with two faces: Ore, a contemporary French café open during the day, and Ducasse at the Château de Versailles, for elegant private dinners. At Ore, you ca...

Whether the aim is to boost buzz with sold-out nights or to make fine dining more intimate, tiny restaurants are a big thing. Buenos Aires Argentine chef Isidoro Dil- lon and partner Vanessa Bell keep the monthly location of their Bread & Butter supper club a secret – previous pop-ups have included a Palermo warehouse and antique stores – until guests contact them through Instagram. Dillon, who made a name for himself with his Nordic restaurant, Söder, serves his signature Scandinavian-accented cuisine in the 15-seat pop-up, where offerings may include trout with miso carrots, or duck with beets, morels, and truffle milk. Bread & Butter’s confit artichoke with smoked sorrel hollandaise sauce. Chicago Oriole isn’t just small, it’s well concealed. The 28- seat hideaway is accessed by a freight elevator off an alley-like West Loop lane. Worth the trek, chef Noah Sandoval’s fare spans 16 courses that draw on the flavors of Italy, Latin America, and beyond ...