Antoine Westermann

Antoine Westermann is an acclaimed French chef[1] born in 1949 on the Northeast border of France in the Alsatian town of Wissembourg.

Antoine Westermann
Chef Antoine Westermann
Born (1946-04-04) 4 April 1946
Alsace, France
EducationCulinary school in Strasbourg, France
Culinary career
Cooking styleFrench cuisine
Website

He held 3 Michelin Guide stars three-star chef for his Strasbourg restaurant "Le Buerehiesel" and maintained a star rating at the restaurant for over 31 years until famously asking the Michelin Guide to remove them in 2007.

He currently owns and operates the restaurant "Le Coq Rico" in Paris and New York City, which focuses on highlighting the flavor diversity of oft-overlooked heritage breeds of poultry through simple dishes, expertly prepared.[2]

Biography

Early life

Antoine Westermann decided to become a chef at age 8, encouraged by his father.[3] He studied at L'Ecole Hôteliere in Strasbourg while apprenticing at the nearby "Buffet de la Gare". In 1969, after Westermann earned his professional diploma, his father took out a mortgage on the historic family home to purchase a small farmhouse in the middle of Strasbourg's Parc de l'Orangerie for Westermann, then 23, to turn into a restaurant. That spot became Le Buerehiesel, i.e. the farmhouse, and changed the path of Antoine Westermann's life forever.[4]

1969-2007 : Le Buerehiesel

Westermann remained head chef and proprietor of Le Buerehiesel for 38 years. Located in a traditional 17th-century Alsacian building, Le Buerehiesel earned its first Michelin star in 1975, followed by a second star in 1983.

1994

In 1994, 25 years after its opening, Le Buerehiesel was awarded both a 3-star Michelin ranking and a 19/20 rating in the 'Gault & Millau Guide''.[5] and Westermann was named one of France's top chefs along with Joel Robuchon, Michel Bras, Guy Savoy and Alain Ducasse, cementing his status in the culinary stratosphere forever.[6]

1998-2006 : Other Endeavors

From 1998-2006, Westermann oversaw the kitchen operations at Fortaleza do Guincho in Cascais, Portugal, alongside executive chef Vincent Farges.[7] The restaurant has retained one Michelin star since 2001.[8][9]

2007

He gives up his 3 stars to turn to new culinary adventures.[10] His son, Eric Westermann take the "Buerehiesel" over and win 1 star in 2008.[11]

2003-2017 : Mon Vieil Ami

In homage to his mother's cuisine, Westermann opened the vegetable-centric bistro "Mon Vieil Ami" in 2003.[12] The restaurant became the first table d'hôtes in Paris, an otherwise traditional Alsatian format that ran successfully until its closing in 2017.[13]

2006-2018 : Le Drouant

In 2006, Westermann overtook operations at Paris's historic "Drouant", where the deliberations for the Goncourt and Renaudot prizes have taken place since 1914.[14] Westermann converted the previously unprofitable endeavor into a successful restaurant before selling Drouant to restaurateurs Gardinier & Fils in 2018.[15]

2012 : Le Coq Rico

Westermann focuses on his passion for poultry. He wants to develop his vision of eating meat well. He believe that quality poultry must be farmed responsibly; by working hand-in-hand with local farmers and ensuring complete transparency in the sourcing process, Westermann hopes to expand the market for ethical meat production throughout France and the United States.[16]

He created the brand and the first concept of a mono-maniac bistro around poultry, "Le Coq Rico", in Paris.[17] The restaurant is recognized as the best roasted chicken in Paris by several food critics.[18][19]

2016-2018

On the strength of this Parisian success, he developed his "Savoir-faire" in New York and branded "Le Coq Rico" in financial association with Francis Staub.[20][21] The success was immediate (2 stars at the NY Times,[22] Best Roasted Poultry from NYC [23]) and advocates for small poultry farmers in NY.

In August 2018, he was suddenly dismissed from office by his partner.[24][25]

From now on, he wants to deepen his work around poultry, strengthen his links with farmers, and gain, on his own scale, a sincere and complete traceability. He works hand in hand with farmers on the development of old breeds, such as the red turkey of the Ardennes,[26] the Landes poultry, the poultry of Contre, the Naked Neck of Forez, La Flèche.[27][28]

He shares his passion for poultry from all over France, with "Le tour de France des belles volailles" is a monthly event with an old breed in addition to the menu.[29] And he continues to develop his work in the United States where he is the ambassador of the Live Stock Conservancy an organization that manages the reintroduction and enhancement of ancient American breeds.[30][31]

Restaurants

France
Drouant by Antoine Westermann in Paris - France
  • 1969-2007 : "Le Buerehiesel" : 3 stars Michelin Guide in Strasbourg[32]
  • 2003-2016 : "Mon Vieil Ami" in Paris[33]
  • 2006-2018 : "Drouant by Antoine Westermann" in Paris[34]
  • 2012 : "Le Coq Rico" : Bistro of beautiful birds in Paris[35]
  • 2013-2017 : "La Dégustation" in Paris : an ode to the art of French appetizing in the Montmartre neighborhood of Paris.[36]

United States
Le Coq Rico in Paris (Montmartre)

Portugal

Cooking style

Westermann's cooking style is anchored in his Alsacian identity, frequently reinventing traditional Alsatian recipes to create signature dishes such as "Beer Brioche", "Oyster Soup", and "Pâté en Croûte." Outside of Alsace, Westermann's style is heavily influenced by the Mediterranean cuisine of South-Eastern France. Westermann is a proponent of the ethical sourcing of meat,[43] believing, "omnivore oui, mais pas a n'importe quel prix!" (roughly translating to, "I am an omnivore, but with a standard.")

The menu at "Le Coq Rico" is dedicated to the highest quality, responsibly raised and genetically exceptional whole birds presented as shared meals for up to 4 people, including multiple breeds of chicken, rooster, guinea fowl and duck.[28] Chef Westermann's adventure for the future is working hand in hand with farmers to reintroduce the public to the richness of ancient poultry breeds and sharing his passion for cooking poultry in French, European and American regions.[44]

Recipes
  • Young Hen in a Baekeoffe
  • Recipe of Young Fatted Hen Terrine with Fennel & Foie Gras[45]
  • Recipe of Frog's Legs with Schniederspaetle[46]
  • Daube of Warm Vegetables with a Salad of White Haricots with Aged Vinegar[47]
  • Beer Brioche

Books
  • Le coq Rico, la cuisine des belles volailles Antoine Westermann,[48] photos by Marie-Pierre Morel, illustrations by Shane & Christophe Meyer - Editions Marabout, 2013 ISBN 978-2-501-08204-4
  • La cuisine de Monsieur Momo"[49] by Maurice Joyant and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, recipieces of Antoine Westermann - Editions Menu Fretin, 2011 ISBN 978-2-9170-0833-1
  • Cuisine-moi des étoiles" by Jean Orizet and Antoine Westermann[50] - Editions Le Cherche midi, 2009 ISBN 978-2-7491-1070-7
  • La cuisine ménagère d'un grand chef[51] Antoine Westermann - Editions Minerva, 1999 ISBN 2830705394
  • L'Alsace des saveurs retrouvées[52] Antoine Westermann, Andréa Zana-Murat - Editions Albin Michel, 1998 ISBN 2-226-08792-3
Chefs books
  • Burger de chefs[53] by Thérèse Rocher photos by Delphine Amar-Constantini - Éditions Larousse pages 192 to 194 : Poultry Burger and Strass'Burger, 2014 ISBN 978-2-03-590461-4
  • Le nouvel art culinaire français[54] - Editions Flammarion, 2012 ISBN 978-2-08-127251-4
  • Les 100 mots de la gastronomie[55] Alain Bauer & Laurent Plantier - Editions Que sais-je?, 2010 ISBN 978-2-13-058504-6
  • Trois étoiles au Michelin : une histoire de la haute gastronomie française et européenne[56] Jean-François Mesplède, preface by Alain Ducasse - Editions Gründ, 2004 ISBN 2700024680
  • La haute cuisine française, les recettes emblématiques des grands chefs du monde[57] Nicolas de Rabaudy, Preface by Antoine Westermann, illustrations of Sandrine Courau and Reno Marca - Editions Minerva, 2001 ISBN 2830705408

References
  1. Post of Richard Nahem on "I prefer Paris!" : "Parisian of the Month: Antoine Westermann" 2013 March 27
  2. Post By Dakota Kim on pastemagazine.com (June 8, 2016) :"Le Coq Rico Is Bringing Beautiful Heritage Birds to NYC"
  3. Post of Judy MacMahon on "My French life"
  4. Post by Judy MacMahon on My French life.org (September 23, 2013)
  5. Post in World Goumets Summit : Master Chefs
  6. Liste des restaurants deux et trois étoiles du Guide Michelin|la troisième étoile au guide Michelin
  7. Archived 2015-05-02 at the Wayback Machine Post on "Relais & Châteaux"
  8. Post in Portugal Live
  9. http://www.gillespudlowski.com/63506/restaurants/sintracascais-westermann-sur-un-air-de-guincho
  10. by Ezéchiel Zérah in Atabula (2017/09): "Ces chefs qui ont « rendu » leurs étoiles Michelin"
  11. by Gilles Pudlowski (2010/07): " Connaissez vous Eric? "
  12. Post on the New York Times by Scott Sayare and David W. Chen (November 18, 2009)
  13. Gourmets&Co
  14. http://www.gourmetsandco.com/restaurants/13223-mercredi-la-bouchee-a-la-reine-de-drouant
  15. https://www.atabula.com/2018/03/14/entretien-antoine-westermann-vente-drouant
  16. [Le Coq Rico Captures Essence of a Parisian Poultry Palace] By Florence Fabricant in the NYTIMES (March 8, 2016): "Le Coq Rico Captures Essence of a Parisian Poultry Palace"
  17. Emmanuel, Rubin (2012-12-18). "Les vingt meilleures tables de 2012 à Paris". FIGARO. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  18. Emmanuel, Robin (2018-11-14). "Les meilleurs poulets rôtis de Paris". FIGARO. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  19. François-Régis, Gaudry (2018-10-21). "Un poulet rôti? Notre top 5 à Paris". LExpress.fr (in French). Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  20. Christina, Izzo. "Le Coq Rico | Restaurants in Flatiron, New York". Time Out New York. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  21. Fabricant, Florence (2015-09-08). "Restaurant Debuts That Stand Out Above the Rest". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  22. Wells, Pete (2016-06-14). "Poultry Has a Pedigree at Le Coq Rico". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  23. "Best Roast Chicken NYC". The New Potato. 2016-11-01. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  24. "La destinée du coq Rico n'est plus entre les mains d'Antoine Westermann". Food & Sens (in French). 2018-08-21. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  25. "Antoine Westermann, à propos de son éviction du Coq Rico à New York : " J'ai été trahi par Francis Staub "". ATABULA (in French). 2018-08-21. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  26. Lung, Wai-Ming. "Thanksgiving au Coq Rico". orgyness.com (in French). Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  27. Vanessa, Zocchetti. "Tendance : le poulet donne des ailes aux chefs". Le Parsien.
  28. NYTIMES : Poultry Has a Pedigree at Le Coq Rico
  29. Manon, C. "Le Tour de France des belles volailles au Coq Rico - Sortiraparis.com". www.sortiraparis.com (in French). Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  30. "The Livestock Conservancy". livestockconservancy.org. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  31. Esquire by Jay Cheshes (Jun 8, 2016) : "A Perfect Roast Chicken Made Impossibly Easy : French chef Antoine Westermann introduces the U.S. to the complex art of cooking a simple chicken."
  32. Post by Gilles Pudlowski, food critic
  33. Post on Best restaurant Paris
  34. Archived 2015-05-18 at the Wayback Machine Post on "Châteaux & Hôtels Collection"
  35. "Le Coq Rico, bistrôtisserie chic d'Antoine Westermann" by François-Régis Gaudry, culinary critic, L'Express 10/07/2013
  36. Post on Altitude Community - Air Canada : "Best champagne bars in Paris"
  37. Archived 2015-04-18 at the Wayback Machine Article sur le site américain Food Arts
  38. Article on the Washingtonian website
  39. Post on "TimeOut NYC" website
  40. Post on the NYC-Times Website by Florence Fabricant: Restaurant Debuts That Stand Out Above the Rest - 2015/09/09
  41. Archived 2015-05-02 at the Wayback Machine Post on the "Relais & Châteaux" website
  42. Post on "Portugal Live" website
  43. Moskin, Julia (2016-07-26). "A French Chef Is Making Sure Leftovers Don't Get Left Behind". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  44. FoodAndSens.com - 2018/03/21
  45. On the website of Coeur Gourmand
  46. On the blog of Julien Binz,culynary critic
  47. [Daube of Warm Vegetables with a Salad of White Haricots with Aged Vinegar] Post in Food Arts
  48. "Le Coq Rico : la cuisine des belles volailles". franceculture.fr. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  49. Post in Le Monde by Jean-Claude Ribaut 28/09/2011
  50. Post by Julien Binz, culinary critic
  51. "La cuisine ménagère d'un grand chef". Fnac.com. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  52. Post on "Miam Miam"
  53. AuteurThérèse Rocher. "Burgers de chefs". Editions Larousse. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  54. COLLECTIF. "LE NOUVEL ART CULINAIRE FRANÇAIS". librairiegourmande.fr. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  55. Archived 2015-04-15 at the Wayback Machine Extrait du livre : "Je suis un réductionniste !"
  56. Auteur : Mesplède Jean-François. "Trois étoiles au Michelin : une histoire de la haute gastronomie française et européenne - Mesplède Jean-François - Librairie Mollat Bordeaux". Mollat.com. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  57. "Rechercher - haute cuisine francais..." livre-rare-book.com. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
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