When we went to dinner at "La Truffe d’Argent", a famous five-star restaurant, we sat at a table next to the magnificent bay window where you could see the Seine and the Notre Dame Cathedral in their entire splendor. We peacefully contemplated the sunset which covered Paris with a faint red veil. Martin Ferney, the restaurant’s famed head waiter, explained the menu with such precision and detail that we congratulated him for his knowledge. "It’s nothing," he said, "I know by heart all the wines from our extensive wine cellar and all the secrets of French gastronomy. Moreover, there is a dish that bears my name, the famous Homard breton à la Ferney. Several other restaurants have tried to lure me away by offering me a huge salary, but I’ve always refused ... "Lowering his voice and narrowing his eyes, he confessed, with some pride, "If I leave here, this restaurant would no longer exist, it would evaporate, since I am in a way ... the living symbol of excellence when considering French restaurants. " In saying this, he lifted his chin, turned on his heels and smugly eclipsed behind the bar.
|
Guillermo Forchino
